Portrait Photography How To

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in Canon Explorers of Light education program. This month's column is by Lynsey Weatherspoon, with five great tips for documenting heritage and cultural lineage.

Bright summer days are great for trips to the beach, sitting around a pool, or casting a line into your favorite stream. But when it comes to outdoor portraiture, well, not so much.

Here's a great tutorial for those of you who shy away from people pictures due to the misconception that a studio, expensive lighting equipment, or advanced skills are required to capture impressive portraits.

Shutterbug has teamed up with New York Times-best selling author/photographer Jordan Matter for a new series of How To videos called Tips that Matter. In this his first Shutterbug How To video, Matter shares five great tips on how to shoot stunning portraits at night with very little gear.

One characteristic of great portrait photographers is the way they employ empathy to develop a strong rapport with their subjects, and the New York-based visual artist known as Shotti is a great example. He says, “My process relies heavily on communicating with my subjects on an emotional level, and through that connection I am able to get an insight into our shared experiences.”

Good portraits are taken, great portraits are made. That's the message behind Gavin Hoey's easy and helpful tutorial below where he shares five tips he says will instantly improve your portrait photos.

There are several approaches to photographing couples. As with all portraiture, you can pose the two people for a more-formal look. Or you can shoot a more-candid portrayal that will convey the strong relationship between them. For example, just watch through your viewfinder and click the shutter when you see a special look or gesture that passes between them. Whichever approach...