Giving A Romantic Portrait As A Gift This Valentine’s Day

06 DEC, 2019 | BY YU CHENHAO

Valentine's day is coming! What kind of gift would you prepare for your lover? To express your unique and sincere love, why not take romantic portraits for her!

In order to create a charming portrait, there is no necessity to be a professional photographer always. Master some professional shooting skills, and they will be very helpful for your photography.

First of all, let’s start with three main principles, shall we?

Principle 1: Subject of your photo

Obviously, the subject is your lover. The deeper aspect is, however, your subject shall not only involve a beautiful person but also the vivacity, warm and love you desire to express through the portrait. It is expected to be a romantic photo.

You are taking photos to record the beauty of someone who you love, so the subject should be relaxed at least.

Principle 2: Draw attention to your subject in your photo

Take a brief glance around your frame before pressing the shutter. Make sure there’s no distraction in the viewfinder that you don’t want in the photo.

Secondly, it’s a good idea and the most effective way to put the spotlight on your subject: Get close and fill the subject in the frame.

When your subject fills the frame of your portrait, your viewer can’t help but notice them. This has directed all the attention focused on your subject!

Principle 3: Simplify your subjects.

Keep your background clean! Uncomplicated backgrounds will always be the best choice for portraits.

If you shoot indoors, find a wall with a solid color, and you can consider to use a photography backdrop. Take a minute to eliminate all the distractions or take any necessary actions to simplify your background.

Secondly, make your lover looks beautiful

Step 1: Dressing

Talk with your partner, pick out the clothes she's most satisfied with, get a haircut and makeup that suits her best. You can also offer some advice on the dressing.

If you want to present prominently the face and expression of your lover, it is suggested to wear a dark, implicit dress and avoid bold patterns like bright-colored stripes, unless the dress suits her personality.

Step 2: Camera settings

Now you can set up your camera. Set my camera to Aperture Priority mode and go for a large aperture you have: probably f/2.8 when shooting indoor. Then frame a tight shot and take the picture. ISO 100 in daylight is okay, and ISO 400 for the night. Taking advantage of a set of camera lights can make your photos better.

By the way, the best lens for portraits is a 70-200 mm zoom lens.

Step 3: A casual atmosphere

Keep your lover natural and relaxed in front of the camera. Laughter is not encouraged, which can always seem to be stiff. An emotional smile is often more charming.

When you finish all these steps, press the shutter button and print the photo. A portrait which expresses the beauty and personality of someone you love mounted on velour paper in an exquisite frame can be a different gift on Valentine’s Day!

Please contact me if you would like to share your Valentine’s Day stories with us!