Paul Wilkinson's Top 25... Portrait tips and tricks

Taking perfect portraits can be hard work and there’s so much information out there, but pro photographer Paul Wilkinson guides us through this huge genre with his pearls of wisdom

- Paul Wilkinson

Softly does it

Getting the best lighting for portraits isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get out with your gear in whatever weather/lighting conditions you’re dealt with

The broad range of talents you need for portrait photography makes it incredibly appealing – part artist, part physicist, part counsellor, part clown; it is indeed multi-faceted.

Every person’s face is different, so uniqueness is almost guaranteed each time you create a portrait. However, there are still skills and ideas you can bring to bear when working with your subject, from getting the best out of natural light to creating tension in the design of the image and knowing when to release the shutter.

In this feature, I’ve outlined some of the ideas that have worked for me over the years and could very well work for you as well. I have broken them into sections for clarity, but, honestly, they are a mishmash of many influences and millions of images. Let’s get started!

The most readily available softlight source is natural daylight: all you require is an overcast sky. If you are lucky to live in sunnier climes, there are always shady porches and doorways to avoid hard sunlight and capture some simple headshots.

Provided my subject in the doorway can see the sky over my shoulder when they look up to the camera, the light will always be reliable. I know I have it sorted when I can see the sky clearly reflected in their eyes – the sky is a natural softbox, illuminating the face and creating wonderful catchlights. This pose has the advantage that the subject’s body drops out of focus, making it all about the face.