Top Ten portrait Tips

1 Fast telephoto lens use a combination of a wide aperture and long lens to blur the background – eg f/2.8 at 200mm. 2 Paparazzi mode! use high-speed Continuous mode to increase your chances of capturing great portraits. 3 overcast is okay on an overcast day, the sky works like a giant softbox – you still need to avoid top light, though, so head under tree canopies. 4 Background checks Get to know the local countryside, and where the best photo ops are – under overhanging trees, with darker, contrasting backgrounds. 5 engaging with subjects Chat to, encourage, and make subjects laugh so they’re relaxed and having fun. offer direction on body and hand positions, too. 6 read the seasons Each season, from spring to late summer, offers different colourful blossom backgrounds; from bluebells and wild garlic to cowslips, rapeseed and poppies. 7 ai Servo af Subjects constantly move so use this focus-tracking method for a better hit rate of sharp shots. 8 reduce af points nina sets up her 5D mark iii so only the cross-type af points are active; so she can access them quicker than using all 61 points. 9 Green grass of home Sunlight reflecting off green grass can make people look like the incredible hulk! move people to a different spot so their skin tones don’t have a green cast. 10 removing colour casts But if you do get colour casts, use Photoshop to fix them selectively with layers and masks, so people’s skin looks natural while the surroundings remain green.