Foundation Course : Portrait Photography

Ready to take your portrait photography to the next level? Learn everything you need to know in this enjoyable, concise guide which is packed with tips and techniques that you can put into practice straight away.

Chapter highlights include:

Chapter 1: Before you Begin
- Find out which accessories are most useful, and how you can create home-made versions of some of them to save cash.
- As well as the most well-known software from Adobe, read about lower cost and free alternatives that you can use for editing your portraits.

Chapter 2: Photography Basics
- Learn how to use aperture to get that professional-looking blurred background effect.
- Understand ISO and its link to exposure; plus, how adjusting this setting enables you to shoot in lower light levels without resorting to using flash or getting camera shake.

Chapter 3: Working with Light
- Understand why light plays such a crucial role in photography and learn the three key qualities of light that will have a dramatic affect on your portraiture.
- Find out how to use cloudy days and window-light for beautiful, naturally-lit portraits, with minimum kit and maximum impact!

Chapter 4: Finding Locations
- Ugly house? No photography studio nearby? No problem. Find out how you can take great portraits almost anywhere - even in front of a garage door!
- Find out the three key things that the best backgrounds provide in portraiture, and how you can use elements of the background to make your composition stronger.

Chapter 5: Babies
- Get to know the best time, location and even the temperature that you need for best chances of success when photographing newborns.
- For slightly older babies who are not yet able to support the weight of their own head, find out how you can create a set of images that look distinctively different.

Chapter 6: Toddlers
- Learn what questions to ask the parents before you even pick up your camera, to improve your chances of capturing and holding the toddler's attention.
- Experiment with loads of top techniques to get even the most difficult toddler beaming!

Chapter 7: Children
- Find out how to break longer shoots down into mini shoots to get the best results, and why it pays to capture expressions other than cheesy grins.
- Try out loads of ideas for mini games that will get the children where you need them to be, and loving every second of it!

Chapter 8: Teens & Adults
- Learn how to start right, to gain teens' and adults' confidence and trust so they relax and - even better - enjoy themselves!
- Learn how to get your subject to pose in a way that looks natural and comfortable yet flattering.

Chapter 9: Couples
- Interaction is key! Try these ideas for getting your couple to interact - with each other and with you - for great expressions.
- Want to create a feeling of romance? We ll show you how it can be done, including our killer high chemistry pose that immediately creates an air of intimacy.

Chapter 10: Families
- One of the objectives of portrait photography is to ensure everyone s faces are close to each other - but families have people of all different heights! Find out how to remove those gaps and get people closer... and closer still!
- With a range of different ages to entertain, the pace and momentum that you set is key. Use these suggestions for gradually increasing the energy to keep everyone engaged throughout.

Sarah Plater began experimenting with film photography over 15 years ago, transitioning to digital as it became more affordable. She then spent three years working at a high street photography studio, before leaving to concentrate on natural light portraiture. She has written for several popular photography magazines.

Hannah MacGregor has run Funky Photographers for more than seven years. With a background in the arts, theatre and teaching A-level drama, she brings excitement and gentle directing to shoots. Getting families, couples, children and teens to really enjoy being photographed is always her drive, and says, "I feel lucky to have found a career that is creative, geeky and great fun!"