Best Settings for Shooting Professional Portraits

As a photographer, capturing stunning portraits is an art that requires both technical know-how and creative flair. I’ve spent years experimenting with different settings and techniques, and today, I’ll share the best camera settings and tips for shooting professional portraits that truly stand out. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, these insights will help elevate your portrait photography game and achieve amazing results for your clients or personal projects.

1. Choosing the Right Camera Settings

When shooting portraits, the camera settings you choose play a crucial role in achieving the right look and feel. I always ensure that I adjust the settings according to the lighting and the effect I want to create. Let’s start with some key camera settings:

Aperture: For professional portraiture, a wide aperture (low f-number like f/1.8 or f/2.8) is essential. This allows you to create a shallow depth of field, which helps blur the background and draw the viewer’s attention directly to the subject. A wide aperture also allows more light into the camera, which is particularly useful in low-light situations.
Shutter Speed: It’s important to keep your shutter speed fast enough to avoid any motion blur. Typically, a shutter speed of 1/125 or faster works well for portraits, especially if your subject is not moving too much. However, if you’re capturing action or movement, you may want to increase the shutter speed to 1/250 or higher.
ISO: I always try to keep the ISO as low as possible to avoid noise in the image. In general, I stick to an ISO range of 100-400 in good lighting conditions. If I’m shooting in low light, I’ll raise the ISO a bit, but I make sure to not exceed 800 ISO to maintain image quality. Noise can ruin the detail of your subject, so it’s crucial to keep it under control.

2. Selecting the Right Lens for Portraits

The lens you choose has a huge impact on the look of your portraits. I’ve experimented with a range of lenses, and my go-to choices are:

50mm f/1.8: This lens is a classic for portrait photography. It provides a beautiful, creamy bokeh effect that blurs the background and isolates the subject. It’s also incredibly affordable, making it a great option for photographers on a budget.
85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8: For more professional portraits, the 85mm lens is one of my favorites. This lens allows me to maintain a comfortable distance from my subject while still achieving a flattering compression effect. The wider aperture helps achieve that stunning blurred background (bokeh) that many portrait photographers aim for.
70-200mm f/2.8: For studio settings or capturing portraits from a distance, this telephoto zoom lens is perfect. It’s a bit more expensive, but it provides incredible flexibility and allows me to isolate the subject while maintaining sharp focus and smooth background blur.

3. Finding the Perfect Lighting

Lighting is everything in portrait photography. Over the years, I’ve learned how to work with both natural and artificial light to achieve the look I want. Here are a few lighting tips I always keep in mind:

Natural Light: If possible, I love shooting portraits outdoors or near large windows where natural light can flood in. The soft, diffused light from an overcast sky or early morning/evening sunlight creates a flattering, even illumination on the subject’s face. I avoid harsh midday light, which can cast unflattering shadows on the face.
Softbox and Umbrella Lights: For indoor studio shots, I use softboxes or umbrella lights to create even, diffused lighting that wraps around the subject. This soft, gentle light reduces harsh shadows and helps to create a smooth, flattering look.
Backlighting: Sometimes, I use backlighting to create a dramatic portrait with a glowing effect around the subject. I position my light source behind the subject, ensuring that it’s not too harsh, and use reflectors to bounce some of the light back onto their face. This technique adds depth and creates a more dynamic image.

4. Posing Your Subject

The way you position your subject can make all the difference in how a portrait turns out. Posing might seem tricky at first, but once you know a few basic guidelines, it becomes much easier to create flattering, natural-looking portraits. Here are some posing tips I swear by:

Posture: I always remind my subjects to stand or sit up straight. A good posture makes the portrait look more professional and ensures that the subject appears confident. I avoid having them slouch or lean too far forward.
Angles: I rarely shoot portraits with the subject facing the camera straight on. Instead, I prefer to have them turn their body slightly to the side. This adds depth and can make their features look more flattering. A slight tilt of the head can also help create a more natural and engaging expression.
Expression: The expression is key to bringing the portrait to life. I encourage my subjects to relax and act natural. Sometimes I’ll ask them to think of something that makes them smile or gives them confidence. A genuine smile or subtle expression often works best.

5. Using Reflectors and Diffusers

When shooting portraits, especially in harsh lighting conditions, I often use reflectors and diffusers to modify the light and improve the quality of the image.

Reflectors: I use reflectors to bounce light back onto my subject, filling in any shadows on their face. Silver reflectors are great for adding contrast and a bit of punch, while gold reflectors add warmth to the skin tone.
Diffusers: A diffuser is essential when shooting outdoors or in bright lighting situations. It helps to soften the light, creating a more even and flattering illumination. I typically use a large diffuser to shield my subject from harsh sunlight, especially during the middle of the day.

6. Post-Processing Tips for Professional Portraits

After capturing the perfect portrait, I always take some time to edit the photos. Post-processing allows me to enhance the final image and make sure it looks its absolute best. Here are some essential post-processing tips I follow:

Skin Retouching: Subtle skin retouching is important for creating a polished portrait, but I always avoid overdoing it. I remove blemishes and smooth out the skin without making it look too artificial.
Enhancing Eyes: I like to brighten the eyes a little to make them pop. This can add life to the portrait and draw the viewer’s attention to the subject’s face.
Sharpening and Clarity: I apply sharpening to bring out the details in the subject’s features, especially the eyes and hair. I also adjust the clarity to ensure that the image has a professional, crisp look without appearing overly processed.