How to improve your portrait photography skills, let us count the ways
Whether you want to improve your Instagram feed or learn a new hobby, understanding the basics of photography is something everyone shouldn't pass up.
We are constantly bombarded with images after all, so why not try improving your skills once in a while?
We recently spoke with photographer Artu Nepomuceno who is known for taking portraits of celebrities and personalities like Isko Moreno, Heart Evangelista, Eddie Garcia, and so much more.
If his surname rings a bell, his great grandfather is none other than Jose Nepomuceno who is known in the industry as the Father of Philippine Cinema. And his grandfather is Luis Nepomuceno who directed films like Dahil Sa Bulaklak and Igorota.
He shares, “Some kids grew up with the smell of passed down recipes, I grew up with the constant curation of cinema.
“My grandfather would constantly train me to look at the world literally and figuratively through the lens--seeing the world in the most cinematic manner possible, and dissecting light to understand how these 'shots' were created.”
So growing up, Artu has been constantly exposed to film and photography making him the perfect go-to person for some quick tricks and tips for amping your photography game.
1. Talk to your subject
If you plan to do some portrait photography, Artu suggests talking to your subject in order to translate the message you want to convey in your photograph. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so make it count.
“I like talking to my subjects if I'm given time to do so. Rather than it being a full-fledged interview, it's more of me giving my subjects a space to fill with their own rendition of their history.
“I use keywords when I shoot. I say something like, "Think about the first time you had your favorite pasta dish..." The specific answer they think about tends to trigger a certain emotion, and it makes things very personal on their end.
“On my end, I am simply witnessing their trip down memory lane.
2. Do your research before each shoot
Just like how you would with any job, photographers like Artu make sure to read up necessary information about his subject.
“If my subjects are quite popular, I sometimes read up just a bit about them, but not specific enough to know too much and avoid the element of surprise when listening to their life story.
“The questions I like to ask my subjects tend to hit the more emotional side of their lives--relationships, stories of heartbreak or triumph, even their fondest childhood memories.
“The more I get to find trigger points that make people feel something, the easier it is for me to pull it out in my photography.”
3. Trust in your abilities
“An insecure photographer will create an insecure subject,” Artu says.
So no matter how big or small the reputation is of your subject, he advices that an equal amount of respect should come from both ends.
“Understand that the subject is working on trusting your ability to make them look genuinely good, while you are setting the stage for them to build their self-confidence.
“From my experience, even the most confident people can lose their cool when in front of the camera. I'd like to think I empower people by giving them a reason to be proud of themselves.”
4. Lighting is always key
Just like how you would in a good selfie, Artu notes that lighting is the most important thing when it comes to photography.
“Without having an arsenal of lighting techniques, you become limited with what you can offer your subjects.
“The more you know about lighting, the more appropriate your subjects will look.”
5. Filter is only there to compliment the overall composition
Artu is a firm believer that filters are composed of a multitude of things that finalizes a photograph.
“Filters have become a misconception in today's society. With all these one-click edits offered by the multitude of photography apps, 'filters' are thought to be instant effects on photos.”
From manipulating temperatures to understanding highlights and shadows, all these technical aspects are what create the filters and it's up to the photographer to place the correct treatment for every photograph.
“The way I see it, if one doesn't give their photography the respect of editing, then your final piece isn't as compelling as it could be.
“I've always told my students that when you shoot, the composition should be the art form while the settings should be technically perfect.
“The mood that compliments the composition is developed in editing.”
6. Don't have G.A.S.
G.A.S. or Gear Acquisition Syndrome is how Artu describes people who believe that “your photography game will be better if you had this and that gear.”
He says, “Yes, it is definitely true that better gear can create better quality images. But great photography comes from skill.
“Better invest in education--learn more about art history, find iconic photographers that speak your language and read about their lives, apprentice under photographers who you admire, read and invest in knowledge.”
If you feel a little bit inspired to get into this hobby after reading this article, make sure to check out Artu Nepomuceno's Instagram profile (https://www.instagram.com/artunepo/) for some amazing portrait shots.