When you take out your camera to take portraits, how do you do it so that you will have them with wow factor? Do you adhere to the rules usually known as standard with portrait photography? Don’t you find your portraits boring and monotonous? If so, why not break some rules and think out of the box when snapping those moments away? For all you know, capturing moments without following the rules may come out with pictures that are not only beautiful but striking too? Want to try it? Then get those rules out for the meantime and check the following helpful tips to get those portrait photos that you so wanted for a long time.

1. Altering your Perspective:  Traditional rules say that you take pictures pointing your camera at an eye level of your subject while the latter looks at the lens to convey communication. But now, you can achieve better photos if you can change that perspective and try adding some randomness by getting high up the ground then shooting down or going close to the ground then shooting up. Either way, it will create an angle that will produce an interest to your subject.

   

2. Playing with Eye Contact:  A couple of random ways to play with an eye contact are available for you. Either you make the subject look off the camera or look within the portrait’s frame. The first one can create a sense of candidness as well as can elicit interest and intrigue as people will wonder where the subject is looking at. It is particularly true when there is a sort of emotion displayed by the subject in their eyes, whether laughing, sad, surprised, or amused. Be sure to capture though the subject’s eyes even while they’re off the lens. If the subject is looking within the frame, say at an object, it can create a story where a relationship between the subject and the object is established drawing out interest from the viewer.

   

3. Playing with Lighting: Using lights in randomness is a great way to play up with your portrait photography. In fact, limitless possibilities can be created when you know how to play up with the light against your subject. Silhouetting, backlighting, and side-lighting are some of the techniques to create drama or hide some features of the subject.
4. Moving the Subject Out of Comfort Zone: Thinking out of the box when taking photos of your subject includes removing them out of their comfort zone. It means that you have to make your subject act random things while you are taking shots at them. You can create special and exciting and not awkward, dull, or stiff portraits from out of "silly" shots.

   

5. Using Props: Props can add drama and flair to the shots. Use random things for the props, where they can serve as points of interest. Just remember to not take away the spotlight from your primary subject.




6. Shooting Candidly: Candid shots are, of course, different from, posed shots. The former can add refreshing touch to the portrait while posed shots can sometimes be stiff and plain. Photograph your subjects while they were busy doing things. Shoot continuously or set your camera to a burst so that it continues to click capturing different angles of subject, which you can later on choose your best work from.

   

There are many different techniques that you can use to produce stunning shots. While it is good to follow rules if you are afraid to getting mistakes, but "out of the box" thinking can be so much fun and useful for portrait photography.

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