Portrait Photography How To

Late last year, photographer Irene Rudnyk gave us her top ten tips and tricks to shoot stunning portrait photos and now she's back with part two of the tutorial with ten MORE pieces of helpful portrait advice.

If you’re wondering how to give portraits a unique look, this quick tutorial is for you. And the good news is you don’t need a studio or fancy lighting equipment, because this technique uses Photoshop to simulate sunlight.

Some photographers turn up their noses at the notion of using on-camera flash for portrait photography. But the technique is super easy to accomplish, and done right it can yield surprisingly beautiful results.

Boudoir photography pro Critsey Rowe likes to challenge herself on assignments because it brings out the best in her and her photos. It can also help make the next shoot easier because she's bound to learn a few things about how to streamline her boudoir photography workflow and increase efficiency.

The idea here was...well, there were a few ideas. First, I wanted to do photography that was bright, cheerful, colorful—and different. With times being a bit harsh and stressful for many, I was looking for something light-hearted and, frankly, far from reality. Dreamy and summer-like came to mind. 

One of the things beginning portrait photographers often have difficulty with is getting their subjects to pose for photographs in a way that shows them in their best light. This is the very essence of portrait photography and posing can really make or break an image.

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in Canon’s Explorer’s of Light education program. This month's column is by Gregory Heisler on his approach to creating an environmental portrait.