Guest Post by the wonderful and talented Christina Bernales Shoot from above – When you are photographing a subject, try picking an angle that is higher than him or her. Not only will this give you a more interesting point of view, it is also a more flattering angle especially for women. Photographing your subject from above will highlight their eyes by making them look bigger and even bringing out catch lights. Pick consistent dark backgrounds and use a shallow depth of field – Picking a background that is darker than your subject will make him or her stand out more in the photo. Some of my favorite backgrounds for portraits include bushes, tree trunks and backyard fences. These add texture without taking over the entire photo. Most photographers out there will recommend using a shallow depth of field for portraits and I have to agree. Using a shallow depth of field will make the backgrounds I listed above look more like interesting, textured backdrops and will make the subject stand out more. Light is all – I could write an entire post about why light is incredibly important when photographing subjects (and I probably will). There are countless variations and tools photographers use to create interesting light and very unique portraits. If you are just getting started with portraiture, a good way to determine if the light that is available to you is flattering is by studying the shadows around you. Look at trees, cars mailboxes or anything that is around you and look for their shadows then ask yourself: Are the edges of the shadows hard and defined? if so, then place your subject in the shade in order to avoid hard, unpleasant shadows. Buy From Amazon – Posts like these are made possible by you clicking through to Amazon. Thank you. [fblike layout_style=’standard’ show_faces=’false’ verb=’like’ font=’arial’ color_scheme=’dark’