10 portrait tips to make your subjects feel comfortable
Making portrait subjects comfortable can feel intimidating!
It took me a long time to feel confident in taking portraits. I’m an introvert, big time, so shooting portraits always felt like a scarier pursuit than the styling shoots that made up most of my work in the first year or so of working for myself.
My worries were many:
What if I can’t make my subject laugh when I want them too?
How will I make them less scared to be in front of the lens?
How will I keep myself calm when directing a subject to pose?
Fast forward a few years and portraits are perhaps the most rewarding shoots that I do.
Portrait sessions are intimate and fun, and I’ve found myself feeling real pride in being able to show my subjects how beautiful they really are, lifting a veil on how we see ourselves in our heads. I recently interviewed the brilliant Aiste Saulyte for the Let’s Shoot Together podcast (the episode will be live with you soon!) and we talked about how there is no such thing as someone who is unphotogenic; there are only subjects who have not been helped to be comfortable in front of the camera.
Aiste’s episode will give you more brilliant insights on portrait photography, so today’s post is here to give you my advice on an area that I used to find oh-so-scary, but now could not love more. Without further ado:
Here are my 10 top tips to help you make any subject feel comfortable in a portrait session… enjoy!
1. Have a proper chat before you pick up the camera
I go over a client’s worries in the consultation call before they book so they know and trust me, and I'm aware of anything they feel self-conscious about. At the shoot itself, have a coffee or walk to let them unwind and get into the mood. I never want clients to feel rushed in a portrait shoot, and having a proper catchup chat beforehand helps create a transition into the session and set a relaxed pace for our photoshoot.
2. …and do some exercises to help loosen them up
I make clients jump with me up and down, shake off their feet and hands, even do a lunge or two! Have them lift their shoulders up to their ears and squeeze super hard to make their shoulders drop when they relax. It’s a trick that my mum taught me to do before every time I went on stage as a youngster (through my very brief acting phase at school) and it really does work.
One of my clients also suggested doing a breathing exercise and meditation which I would love to try in future!
3. Chat through the entire shoot
Portrait shoots can be a safe space for intimate conversations. When we start out and a client is nervous, I pull from everyday things from our consultation until the conversation flows naturally. I’ve actually had some of the loveliest conversations I’ve ever had during a photoshoot; clients almost always choose you because they resonate with your personality, so having really sweet chats seems to be the rule and not the exception.
Some photographers apparently leave their subjects and models just chilling with no chatter, but it has made such a difference to making clients comfortable. I end up in really, really weird poses while I’m photographing, to get the angles I’m looking for, and this is usually a good conversation starter as well.
I know some photographers have little silly prompts prepared but I’ve never got my act together on coming up with my own, because I think I might sound a bit cheesy saying them! Usually, it’s just me saying things to make clients laugh when I need them to, or telling them they’re nailing it if they get a less smiley shot.
4. Shoot from further away, then move gradually closer
It can be intimidating having a camera on you, so I find it really helpful to work on full-body shots, then start to move closer when I can tell they are at ease. There may be some shooters that like to eat the frog (I think that’s the expression?!), but I’ve always gone from further back and crept forwards when clients are really nervous (and trust me, everyone is.)
5. Shoot with them looking away from the camera first
It’s the exact same rationale here. Any time I start shooting or move significantly closer to them, I ask a client to look to the side, then gently ask them to look at me when I know they're ready; sometimes I alternate between the two until they are able to look at the lens directly. I love shots looking to the side anyway, and almost always have a few in the final edits!
If a client is at a table writing or typing, I’ll have them looking down at what they’re doing before I ask them to look up.
6. Encourage them to “pose” in ways that feel authentically comfortable
If a client feels physically uncomfortable, it will show in the final photo! While professional models can hold really awkward positions in fashion shoots, I recommend having subjects sit, stand, lean, or move in ways that feel normal for them. Any strange poses might read oddly on camera if it’s a session that’s meant to feel relaxed or fun and your subject’s expression is likely to look uncomfortable too.
Instead, have them connect into their body and then ask them to make any minor adjustments afterwards, making sure it feels good to them all the while. That might be asking them to lift their chin slightly, move their head so the light flows better, adjust any stray hair that’s in their eyes… as long as they’re in a position that feels and looks genuine.
7. Demo a pose yourself first
It’s important to give subjects a hand where they need it as they are likely to be feeling physically awkward when they’re in a nervous state. A direction that might sound crystal clear to you may not sound crystal clear to the client. Not only is there the possibility that you both interpret the same request differently, but it’s also worth remembering subjects probably aren’t used to thinking about their movements in the way a photographer is asking them to. It’s rare in our normal lives to be asked to move 45º to the right, lift our chin “a fraction”, relax our lips “a little”… you get the idea!
I try and show any adjustments I want first, letting them know what they’re doing currently and how I’d like them to switch. It can be fun too, making it another opportunity to have a giggle.
8. Direct them as little as possible
I focus instead on making them laugh, making them feel at ease, making them mimic any movements they’ve done undirected, like running a hand through their hair or how they’ve just sipped their coffee. I am always looking for shots where the client feels relaxed, whether looking at me directly or in a candid pic while they’re not smiling at the lens. I don’t want to micro-manage their movements, for lack of a better word! Instead I try to share only what they need to know so that they feel the comfort and space to do their own thing.
9. Make sure to tell them they are gorgeous
Because they are. Without confirmation that they are doing well, portraits make for a lonely old experience in front of the lens. Never having been in a shoot, or seldom being in front of the camera, means that it is natural for clients to feel a lack of confidence if unsupported. Often all a client needs is for me to tell them how much I love a pic I’ve just taken, or how lovely they look in that moment, for them to really sink into the shoot and enjoy having their photo taken.
10. Don’t spend the whole time with the camera to your face
There’s a couple of reasons behind this last one! First off: it can feel a little weird for them only seeing a camera and not you for an hour or two. There’s a balance between being ready to capture a moment and staying present, but if you’re aware and ready I find having the camera away from my face to chat and then quickly taking a shot while talking or listening can actually capture some really organic moments that I might not have caught otherwise!
Do you have any portrait tips that you swear by? I’m a nosy lady so I’d love to hear them! Be sure to follow @studiogently and #learngently for more tips!
My gorgeous model in these shots is my client Hannah from Spicer Ceramics – Hannah is such a wonderful human being and I love the work she does!
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