Full-body portraits or portrait photographs are artistic images of a person that capture and reveal the personality and likeness of that person within the image. In this form of photography, the photographer’s work is to observe and pictorially interpret, in full form, whatever is posed before the camera or lens.
Thus, it is more challenging to click full-body portraits because subjects, especially non-models, become relatively vulnerable and uncomfortable when completely exposed to the camera. Generally, some subjects do not know how to pose or move their bodies during such photo sessions.
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Therefore, as a professional portrait photographer, you have to take and consider several key components to click great portrait images. These factors include-
- Subject posing
- Composition and head position
- Camera angles
- Lenses
- Camera settings
- Backdrops
- Lighting
Consequently, in this article, you will get an apparent step-to-step guide about how you can shoot full-body portraits or shots, starting with the subject posing.
Posing Subjects For Full Body Portraits Photography
Portrait photography is a bit complex because it requires more detailed attention to the subject. Aside from knowing how to pose your subjects and mastering the camera settings, you must also note things like your subjects’ hair, makeup, jewelry, clothing, and overall appearance.
So to click the best full-body photos, you must know these things alongside how to pose your subjects for full-body portrait photography. However, the following tips focus only on posing.
Start With The Feet And Arms
When shooting full-body portraits, begin by positioning the arms and feet of your subjects because they are the most vital parts. Most people do not have modeling experience. So when posing for pictures, they often feel awkward with their hands and feet because they do not know what to do with them. Thus, it becomes your duty as a photographer to coordinate those parts.
Portrait photography aims at capturing the personality, character, and emotions. It can either be candid or artistic. Portrait photography requires more than just the ability to understand your camera settings, lighting, and composition.
You must also possess the ability to connect with your subjects and capture their unique qualities. So, it is a difficult but rewarding genre of photography.
Click Below to read a comprehensive guide to learning and mastering the art of portrait photography.
As the photographer, ensure your subject’s legs are not together. They should be positioned in a way that will transfer the body’s weight to the back leg. This will allow the other leg to be moved or positioned as one wishes without disrupting the beauty of the portrait. For instance, a slightly bent leg, just like in the picture below, makes the photograph more attractive.
In addition, you can place one of your hands on your hip and the other in your pocket, or you can fold both on your chest. As a subject, always ensure your hands are holding or attached to something, especially when posing for full-body portrait photographs.
Create An “S” Letter Shape Pose
Furthermore, you can create an “S” letter shape with your female model’s body. The posture can flatter anyone’s figure. It brings out the feminine form and creates a much better full-body pose. Ideally, the pose makes the female legs and waist look longer and slim, respectively.
To do this:
- Get the subject or model to turn slightly away from the camera, preferably about 45°. This will make the subject slimmer in the pictures.
- Next, get the model to lift the hip that is nearer to the camera slightly. This will make the legs appear longer and also make the pose look dynamic by breaking the horizontal line made by the hip bones.
- Finally, get the subject to move or roll the shoulder that is nearer to the camera forward slightly.
If you find it difficult to create the S-shape pose, you can learn the subject against a wall. Leaning your male or female models against a wall, with a foot resting against it and the other placed on the floor, the body turned slightly away from the camera, and the head turned towards it is a great pose for full-body portraits.
As a photographer, you can find more inspiration from good fashion magazines and pose books.
Focus On The Look
As a portrait or full-body photographer, you will come across models and people who believe or think they are not photogenic. However, you must always find ways to bring out the best in your subjects.
To do this, build a good rapport with the models. This will make them feel relaxed and comfortable. Thus, they can build confidence, smile during the session, and appear good in the photos.
Composition And Head Position In Full-body Portraits Picture
The head position in a portrait picture is one of the most crucial aspects of the composition. Different head positions convey different meanings and messages. For instance, aligning the head with one shoulder creates an interesting dynamic.
The eye closest to you will peek out from under one thin eyebrow, and the chin will point in that direction. This positioning of the head can create a sense of mystery and suggests that there is more going on than what meets the eye.
Generally, expert portrait photographers recommend using the rules of thirds to compose your subject for full-body portraits. This will make the subject’s head and face balance and appear beautiful in the photos.
Camera Angles
When clicking full-body portrait pictures, the camera angle (the angle you shoot from) determines how the photo will be viewed and perceived. It is vital to find the right camera angle for your subject, which will depend on what you are trying to convey in the photo.
Therefore, we recommend you experiment with your camera angle and figure out what works best for you and the subject.
Nevertheless, below are some tips you can use:
- Get closer: this will help you capture well-detailed features and expressions of your subject.
- Try shooting from the waist level by kneeling.
- You can also try shooting from a low camera angle. This angle usually makes the legs look longer and the upper body slimmer and shorter. You can use this angle for a tall subject.
- Do not shoot from a too-close angle or range if you are using a wide-angle lens. This will make the legs appear shorter, extend the upper body, and make the head look weird.
Best Lenses For Full Body Portrait Pictures
For flattering full-body portraits, the best option is to avoid wide-angle lenses. A wide-angle lens is often affected by distortions, usually at the corners and edges. Thus, your subject will be distorted if you use a wide-angle lens.
Again, wide-angle or zoom lenses require a lot of space. So they are difficult to use within a small photo studio.
Therefore, the best lens choice for a full-body portrait is something within the range of 50-70mm.
Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, are great for full-frame portraits. They have a wide enough angle to capture everything from head to toe. But you cannot get close enough to your subject to remove negative space or unwanted background elements. That means your model will be compressed against a background. However, a telephoto lens is still preferable over wide-angle zoom lenses.
Generally, a telephoto lens is a great choice for portrait photographers who want to click full-body pictures of people from a distance or want to take photographs without getting too close to their subject.
A few recommendations are:
- 24-70mm lenses
- 24-85mm lenses and
- 24-105mm lenses
You might want to check out one of the best 24-70mm lenses on Amazon.
Camera Settings
The camera settings can vary depending on the location, lighting conditions, subjects, and backgrounds. However, we recommend the following settings:
Exposure – Aperture, ISO, And Shutter Speed
Use a wide aperture. A wide aperture falling somewhere between f/2.8 and /f5.6 is the best and most recommended for shooting portrait pictures. This will allow you to capture a shallow depth of field, blurring the backdrop and focusing more on the subject. Your ISO and shutter speed settings should be relative to the aperture.
You can learn more about your exposure settings in the articles below:
- Camera Aperture VS Shutter Speed. What’s The Difference?
- A Guide To Set ISO For Low Light. Low Light Camera Settings
Shoot In RAW Format
Shooting in RAW format gives you an edge and more control over the clicked images when editing or processing.
Experiment With Different Settings
Generally, we recommend experimenting with different camera settings to figure out the most appropriate for the picture, depending on the location and subjects.
You can learn more in the article: What are the Best settings for portrait photography?
Background For Full Body Portraits
The background is a great way to add visual interest to the portrait photographs. So, an ideal backdrop for full-body portraits must blend with the subject.
Below are a few things to note when choosing backdrops for portraits:
- A solid color backdrop is easy and inexpensive, but they don’t give much room for creativity or variety.
- A patterned backdrop can be more interesting than a solid color, but they may not work well with certain subjects or if you want something neutral.
- A natural backdrop can create an interesting contrast between your subject and their surroundings. This might make them stand out more.
Further, you have to be careful and considerate when choosing a location, especially when clicking outdoors. Generally, a good location must be void of distractions.
Lighting For Indoor Full Body Portraits
When taking full-body portraits indoors, you need to have complete control and be able to light the whole subject’s body. So, you will need more than just a small single compact flash with a diffuser.
Although flash units are compact and produce bright light, their size limits their utility. You will need a stronger light source, such as a strobe or softboxes, for more additional lights.
Softboxes diffuse the light from a flash unit, thereby mitigating the harshness of light from the flash. Softboxes help reduce the intensity of bare flashes and turn them into softer light sources. Most portrait photographers often use softboxes when it comes to lighting models or subjects in the studios. And they can also be used outdoors.
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Lighting For Outdoor Full Body Portraits
When taking portrait photos outdoors, we recommend mixing artificial with ambient light. Use the ambient light to expose the background, and light up your subject with artificial light.
You can also use a softbox to soften the bare light from the sun when shooting outdoors. However, we do not recommend posing directly under harsh sunlight. Instead, shoot under the shade of a tree or building.
FAQs
What Is The Best Shutter Speed For Full Body Portraits?
1/125th to 1/200th of a second.
It is best to use a faster shutter speed when clicking portraits. This will reduce the risk of motion blur and ensure that there are no unwanted distortions.
What Are The Types Of Portraits?
The three main types of portrait shoots include Headshots, Half-body shots, and full-body shots.
The headshot is a close-up portrait shot that focuses more on the subjects’ faces, shoulders, and neck regions. It features the eyes as the main focal point. You can learn more in the article below:
Model Headshots Photography Guide. How To Pose? And What To Capture?
On the other hand, the half-body shot focuses only on the upper body parts of the subject. It may feature the model’s waist region or only show the upper body parts, starting from the chest. Finally, the full-body portrait shot captures and reveals all the visible parts of the subject’s body, including facial expressions and personality.
Related Article: All You need to know about portrait photography. Start portrait photography today!