Portrait Photography: How to Shoot Portraits Like a Pro

Beginner

Indonesian fashion and commercial photographer Irezz Pratama shares his top tips on how to shoot portraits and his recommended camera settings

Snapshot

Published on October 31, 2019 Updated On October 31, 2019

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Fashion, lifestyle and commercial photographer Irezz Pratama started his photography career about 10 years ago, and now runs a photography business called Lenterra, specialising in fashion, food, interior and lifestyle in Indonesia. We fire a series of quick questions to get a better understanding of his work and top tips to becoming a good portrait photographer. Let’s get started!

EOS 5D Mark II, EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens, f/2.8, 28mm, 1/2000 sec, ISO100

What’s in your bag?

I usually bring along my Canon EOS 5D Mark II and an EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens.

Top three tips for aspiring portrait photographers?

Create a storyboard to express (in images) the vision for your photoshoots.
Build up a mood to emphasise the feelings for the photos.
Lighting. It can help you to achieve the story and mood you're looking for.

How does one find the right light?

Use your sensitivity and senses, see where the light hits the object. I prefer natural light, but if necessary, I would use flash.

How to get started as a portrait photographer?

Take photos of your close friends, capture their uniqueness because everyone has a different set of characteristics.

EOS 5D Mark II, EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens, f/1.6, 50mm, 1/1000 sec, ISO100

Ideal camera setting?

When the light falls perfectly on the object OR

Shutter speed: 250
Aperture: f5/6
ISO: 400
White Balance: 6000
Focal Length: 24
AI Servo AF: Continuous shooting

Best lenses for portrait photography?

For me, I still choose an EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens.

Thoughts on the EOS R camera.

It suits my grip and feels like holding a DSLR but smaller in size.

EOS 5D Mark II, EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens, f/2.8, 70mm, 1/250 sec, ISO100

The most useful tip to direct a model.

Get into a conversation with them, treat them like a friend and not a model.

Colour versus black & white, what’s the difference?

Black & white is more dramatic for a picture. Colour is more eye-pleasing because of its wide colour range.

EOS 5D Mark II, EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens, f/1.4, 50mm, 1/800 sec, ISO125

What happens after a good shoot?

I want to do the post-production right away!

Favourite photographer?

Neil Krug.

Best moment in your career.

I've done quite a lot of portrait photoshoots, but I remember my first time shooting a wedding, which venue happened to be in Como, Italy. It was such a surprise.