Portrait 101Hernan Rodriguez offers easy-to-follow posing, lighting, and composition techniques for compelling portrait photography. |
Article by Jenn Gidman Images by Hernan Rodriguez |
Hernan Rodriguez understands the creative and technical process behind photographing a portrait with personality. The Los Angeles photographer has recently captured champion boxer Evander Holyfield, comedian Eddie Griffin, and singer/actor Ray J, showing the character and individuality of his subjects through well-honed posing and lighting techniques and a little bit of psychology. |
Hernan uses the Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 VC, SP 17-50mm F/2.8 VC, and SP 90mm Macro lenses for his portrait sessions. "The versatility I get out of those lenses is amazing," he says. "If I'm going for headshots or three-quarter shots, I'll usually use the 70-200. If I want to go full body and get more environmental with my portraits, I'll switch to the 17-50. I also use the 90mm for portraits. That lens isn't just for insects and flowers: I get really nice compression with it when I shoot wide open, and it's tack-sharp, with really great fall-off." |
Read on for Hernan's simple tips for eye-catching portrait photography - no elaborate gear required. |
Keep your backgrounds simple. |
Play around with different angles. |
If I want more visual interest and for my subject to look a little more stoic (especially for males or a female executive), I go a little lower than eye level. It forces my subject to look down on me, which gives him or her a little bit more stature. That's how I've approached shooting Evander Holyfield, for instance: He's a champion fighter, so I shoot him from the floor, which makes him look that much more powerful. |
Observe your subjects' body language to figure out how you'll shoot them. |
If you have the luxury of an initial consultation with your subject, get a sense for the type of person he or she is. If your subject is timid, you know you're going to have to be more of a "director." If you have an extrovert on your hands, you can let him or her lead the session a little more. |
I do a lot of observing while I talk to my subjects and profile their personalities. I see how they sit, how their hands break, whether they naturally lean forward or lean back. For instance, for a guy who's really relaxed and leans right back in his chair, I'll just do some slight adjustments from there and have him lean forward just a bit so I'm not shooting up his nose. I start building my pose from where he's comfortable. The psychology behind a portrait is something that a lot of photographers disregard, and it's something that can really work for them. |
Position your subjects so they're comfortable. |
First, it's almost always more natural to have the subject sit down instead of stand up. I use a lot of boxes and egg crates in my studio to help me position my subjects. I also have different tables I use, which helps with hand placement, especially if you're doing a three-quarter portrait. |
For a male subject, I'll put the facing foot forward on the crate, then place his hands or his elbow on his knee. His hands fall naturally this way, and he feels comfortable. For a woman, it's the opposite: I'll put her back leg on the crate. Her back will be straight, and she'll lean or bend her waist toward her knee; her elbow will be tucked into her waist. That way, she can pivot and bend at the waist, and I can move her arm until I find just the right angle. |
Create beautiful, natural lighting. |
When I'm photographing men, I do the same thing, but I pull the softbox a little higher: This distance creates more shadows. I'll also pull the reflector a little lower, which also furthers those pronounced shadows - ideal for guy portraits. Another way to create deep, rich shadows when I'm shooting men is to flip the umbrella so it's reflective, with the light hitting the umbrella and then hitting my subject. |
Experiment with your umbrella. Play with the edge of it so it comes across your subject's outside shoulder. When I move that edge more toward my subject, I get a soft, specular light with a wider range of skin tones. Once you become accustomed to working with it, move up to two simple umbrellas with no silver or black backing. That really allows you to see and learn about light. |
To see more of Hernan Rodriguez's images, go to www.hernanphotography.com. |