I was browsing through my subscribed news feed and bound onto this site showing a collection of portrait photographs. Those close-up photographs of models, artists, and celebrities are stunningly beautiful and alluring.

View it as you scroll down one after another photographs posted in 35+ Captivating Images of Beautiful Portrait Photography.

Lady Gaga Portrait Photograph

You are an amateur photographer who love backpacking. Do you travel with your digital compact camera or the professional dSLR camera?

Amateur photographers love taking pictures of beautiful portrait and natural landscape as one travel on a shoestring.

It’s a common sight to see traveling photographers carrying a 80-Litre backpack, and another bulky pack of dSLR camera, expensive gears with mini tripod carrying as a front-pack.

Both bags could easily add up to maybe 17kg of carrying weight. Is this too heavy for you?

You may look super cool, like a traveling nomad, a photojournalist, travel adventurist, or even one professional photographer.

Perhaps, one inspired to be the next Steve McCurry who shot the “Afghan Girl” that originally appeared in National Geographic magazine.

So be it a day-hike in the national park, eco-tour in wildlife park, visiting hill tribe villages, a dairy farm visit or walking distantly with high hopes of hitchhiking on the dirt track.

Those are activities most backpackers would love to experience. At the end of the day, one will happily says ” No sweat! We made it!”

Well, it also sounds like any traveler photographer who proudly owns dSLR camera like an inseparable companion touring the world. How could one refuse to leave home without these equipment to capture moments in life?

Your thought maybe…

Firstly, the burdensome weight is safe from having overcharging at the airport luggage check-in service. It is well within the prepaid baggage 20kg. That is practically true for backpackers traveling on shoestring.

Secondly, the existing weight, front and back, is wholesomely balance with near-perfect equilibrium on your body. Weighing down and securing your foothold even at the most adverse condition and natural disaster, like the earth trembling underneath your feet. Suits more for a physics-freak.

Generally, there are good points for one who has the physical strength and endurance. How about a thin fellow who has the agility to move fast, yet no strength for heavy load? Oh, I have not mentioned an extra 2kg of laptops for photo editing and uploading to Facebook album.

Is it worth carrying the additional weight of 7 ~ 10kg, while your back start to hurt painfully on the first day of your trip?

Or do you consider carrying a pocket-size compact camera that might just capable of capturing great photograph.

Like any0ne else who reads this post, I used to be in the same dilemma too. For me, I recommend to bring only the compact camera.

Here are the 10 guidelines that can help you on decide-making of carrying a pocket-size compact camera can be as worthy as your trip deserve to be.

Here it goes:-

1. Travel lightweight if you don’t like to worry about loosing your expensive equipment. Regrets if getting robbed or breaking in to cabinet lockers can happen anytime.
2. Be experimental to try out all shots; randomly or intentionally. Compact camera is capable of helping you to compose your shot as good as any dSLR camera, eventually gaining more photography experience.
3. Identify your purpose in terms of function, weights, and portability. Professional dSLR camera and high-end equipment weigh 7kg. A netbook weighs 2kg, allowing you to surf the resourceful internet and upload nice photos. Compact camera weighs less than 1kg.
4. Plan for multiple short getaways rather than an extended trip. It help to record places you have surveyed. Like what many have said, “there is always a next trip” more professionally.
5. Creativity works as brilliant as quality photograph. I agree with dSLR produce better quality images, but the expensive and heavy gears doesn’t make perfect photograph. One has to be artistic to acquire inventiveness.
6. So you have joined a guided tour group? I see… Do you know scheduled tour bus wouldn’t wait just for you to snap the best shot for sunset. As time is a concern. Maximize your time with quick snapshots from compact camera, instead of leisurely waiting for great photographic moments.
7. Compromise has to be made somewhere. One cannot have the best of everything. Focus on planning your itinerary. How about a free-and-easy trip, you could have all the time u want.
8. Take time to meet other traveling photographers and learn from them. Make new friends of same interest or travelers who own dSLR camera. Your hand holding the compact camera wouldn’t diminish their self-esteem as a profession.
9. Know your skill set of handling all functions in dSLR camera. As amateur photographer, it takes time, experience and effort to pick up the skill completely. Most give up after realizing results are the same as ordinary compact camera. That doesn’t mean compact camera is better.
10. Apply the last rule “Learn the Hard Way”. There is no restriction, you can bring both digital compact camera and dSLR equipment. “If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ~Albert Schweitzer

I’m sharing my photography based on a digital compact camera, with some photo editing on colors and contrast. There are not from dSLR camera.

Free to visit below link to view 45 shots of travel photographs from Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.

http://photos.cyperwin.com/travel-vietnam-laos-and-cambodia/

Conventional design of a camera captures images which technically translate into either still photographs or motion pictures. This device is nothing new, even to adorable children who love taking portrait photography.

Camera with small lens are integrated into most of our mobile phones these days.  It has become indispensable in our daily life in many ways; making it much simpler and conveniently to capture moments in a few clicks.

How camera works? How it record pictures? These simple questions should leave it to those encyclopedia writers.

To write down in detail of each individual design modular and components, and then explain the mechanism how camera works would, I think, occupy another long series of blog posts. Theoretically, it is still doable.

Such a lengthy explanation shall not be included in the context of this advanced technology I am about to introduce next.

Have you heard of ball-camera capable to capture panoramic photographs?

Imagine a spherical ball, evenly spaced and integrated with multiples of such miniature lens onto it’s round surface. User throws the ball up into the air, cameras automatically capture a panorama of surroundings. As the ball-camera descends, user catches it.

Till this point, everyone agrees it is absolutely easy to use. My great grandma living in the old folk’s home wouldn’t have any problem on this usage, either.

What comes next will require a bit of techies knowledge. One would only able to view all the recorded images in the computer by using a specialized software application.

Just last month, expertise from Computer Graphics Groups, TU Berlin, has engineered a new photographic technology dubbed as the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera. An Emerging Technologies demonstration at SIGGRAPH Asia 2011.

The technology as described, “it captures a full spherical panorama when thrown into the air. At the peak of its flight, which is determined using an accelerometer, a full panoramic image is captured by 36 mobile phone camera modules.”

Obviously, its not a mobile camera phone. Never will the mobile phone going to design in spherical shape. Likewise, how cumbersome it can be if a traveler would to bring such a ball-camera.

While watching the video below, instead of expecting any advance technology, my first impression was user throwing the round object that look more like a volley ball player ready serve behind the line.

Whatever is your thought, this interesting technology could possibly given new experiences on how one can view the world in a panoramic perspective.

Thinking of it, how ingenious and awesome to capture portrait photographs of children in a party with a throw of the ball-camera into the air?

I started off to learn photography with a prosumer digital SLR camera. My initial thought was to learn basic portrait photography, without spending much on equipment. Back then, this equipment was new to me, and I don’t have a good background of which portrait lens is best for me. Neither do I know about the term ‘aperture’ and ‘focal length’, nor knowing how this 2 terms affect the photographic results.

Are you one of the self-starter, yet troubled by deciding what is best for you?

You may say, “This is not the main concern, because purchasing a new digital SLR usually comes with a general purpose kit lens”. I agree, it is either a standard zoom lens or a telephoto zoom lens. Even today, I have also noticed that most amateur photographers use kit lens as well. There is nothing wrong with this, and this was what I did back then.

After months of diligence learning in portrait photography, I realized that the results of portrait shoots does not has maximum emphasis. In particularly the background, it looks equally as sharp as the subject. Shouldn’t the background supposed to be blur? Have you experienced this before?

Please read on to learn about the causes and basic criteria for good portrait photograph.

1. Using telephoto zoom lens, wide angle lens, or macro lens is not the key factors for blurring the background. However, it does contribute to the portraiture composition. The main criteria for good portrait is selecting wide aperture for your lens.
2. The aperture of lens refers to the round mechanical openings located at the center of lens. It control the amount of lights passes through and into the digital SLR sensors.
3. Aperture is expressed as F-stop, e.g. F2.8 or f/2.8. The smaller the number, the larger the lens opening.
4. Most of the general purpose kit lens comes with aperture of f4-5.6 or f3.5-5.6.
5. Be selective. Always shoot at the widest aperture setting. Recommended to own a lens with adjustable aperture. At least f/2.8 or lower.
6. This basic feature enable the photographer to create a shallow depth of field. Capable of blurring the background, thus, emphasizing a sharp focus on the portraiture.
7. Simplest settings on for the camera’s body is to use Aperture Priority auto-exposure mode, also know as AP mode. Otherwise, select fully manual mode and experiment it with low F-Stop.

After all, just be reminded that selecting the right lens with wide aperture is very important for good portrait photography. Below portrait photograph has clearly demonstrated the use of  widest aperture setting.

Baby Portrait with Wide Aperture Setting. Specification: 50mm, f1.8

Flickr Photo credit to R.Gringo’s photostream.

Below listed a packing list for dSLR camera, shooting outdoor portrait. There are generic and necessary to make any novice photographer well-equipped.

1. Two camera bodies (at least one for backup)
2. One of each for wide-angle lens, telephoto lens, and one favorite prime lens.
3. Two on-camera flashes (at least one for backup)
4. Memory flash cards
5. Lens and body cleaning kit.
6. Five camera’s batteries; 1 set for the body, 2 sets in camera’s battery grip, and last 2 sets as back up. Additional batteries for flash lights.
7. Tripod
8. Lens filters
9. Dust blower
10. Rain coat for camera
11. Ground sheet, in case you need to kneel down for low angle portrait. Otherwise,
12. Right angle view finder would also be a good substitute for item #12.

Often times when flipping through travel magazines, you will turn into pages that show beautiful portrait pictures taken by photographers who visited the countries. The portrait looks so naturally that the subject also reveal the aspects of his or her character, personality and spirit. Portrait are basically, reflective study of a person. Sometimes, you may ever think of how to get closer to your subject and take a quick snap. Isn’t this the main purpose of portrait photography during your travel? In particularly, when time is a constraint in your short visit. The challenge to achieve good portrait photo must not place time as the primary concern. Its a matter of how travelers manage to approach and communicate, in order to capture the attentions of the subject.

Before anything get started, sling up your camera to make it prominent and present yourself relax at first glance. The main purpose is to keep your subject aware of the camera’s presence. It also allow them mentally anticipate with you, as and when the time is ripe to take your first portrait shot. Below I have listed 5 basic skill for travel photographers.

1. Always show up yourself with a smiling face and a good eye contact; the first and foremost non-verbal language to initiate a personal communication. Start of and maintain throughout your conversation. It is also the simplest skill set and uses the least effort. Neither do you need to learn a new language, nor to concern about if there are from totally different culture.
2. Ask questions in an open and friendly manner. It is by nature that most individual, in someway or other, wants attention to make known to others of what there possess in their surroundings. It is apparently interesting, when you try talking to village children. There are the best attention-seekers to adults. Asking questions like what’s holding in their hands, how he or she do this tricks, what is the names of his/her friends, or you can give them a stick of chewing gums, and start a topic to makes them enjoy. Then show your gadget, as there feels comfortable with you. Take a new snap shots, and remember to give them a glimpse of what appears in your camera’s LCD screen. Believe it of not, there will be amazed when seeing their beautiful portrait taken and even want you to take more shots.
3. Show respect to the elders, tribal people performing in a ritual, and village woman. By any chance that you plan for a home-stay with the rural villagers, you will bound onto people within these three categories. Maintaining a smile, eye contact, asking questions and talking to them may help to improve the communication. Yet, not everyone likes to interact with outsiders. First, understand that seniority people who has dwell comfortably in the less-visited village for many years. Thus, its normal to behave unresponsive, ignorance and reserved. Second, some tribal people are convinced that a camera can steal their soul or spirit. Reasons because it is their spiritual belief and religious privacy. To certain extend, there may have concern of who will see their portrait photos. Third, village women are conservative, like those from Muslim countries, who have veils covering their head and faces. Obviously, there don’t want to expose to photographers. And in this countries, males are usually the dominant members in any household. By all means if you able to make them feel comfortable with you. Otherwise, don’t waste time if people not responding to you. An advice: do not transgress into their cultural and religious belief, for due respect to these categories of people. Be shrewd and sensible; be optimistic to engage conversation with other people, instead.
4. Ask for their permission politely. It is considered ethical, and is nearly practical, to ask permission before taking someone’s picture. After all your effort to initial a conversation, don’t spoil it by simply take your portrait without asking permission. This will cause deep offense and misunderstanding. Be personal, or with eye contact and smile, give basic sign language while holding your camera. If any response of refusal in gestures or verbal, you should accept with grace. Move on to other people, time is your secondary concern.
5. Approach your subject with confidence, as it show the initial steps to manage and control your subject. Do not instruct, but talk casually; always maintain a sense of friendliness. In a quick time, get your first random shot to engage their excitement. Photography models are curious on what was taken, how there have posed, and concern about their look in the picture. Same thoughts applies to your subject as your model. Show your result to your model, compliment to inspire them, and suggest an improvement for second shot you intended. This time, you will get the better pose and composition. The result will look splendid, natural and more spontaneous. The key to achieve this is though courtesy, friendliness, and good humor.

The most accepted placement uses ‘Rule of thirds’ for composing portrait photograph. It is the basic and a proven method used by professional and amateur photographers for many years.

The design is very simple, yet requires some imaginations while taking photographs of people. A simplified ‘Rule of thirds’ divides the rectangle frame into 9 smaller ones by placing two lines across the rectangle horizontally and two lines across it vertically, creating a grid. Each set of lines divides the rectangle’s horizontal and vertical sides into three equal parts. Some camera’s feature includes imaginary grid lines when you look through the viewfinder or the display panel. It allows you to focus on the subjects and composition, instead of figuring out where to create the lines by yourself.

By understanding and applying the fundamental rule of thirds, you will not bind onto problems of where your subject should be placed in the photograph frame. This is typically useful when portrait become tighter within designated area, and probably includes one-third or less of the background for a complete composition. Examples are half-length portrait.

To photograph great portrait, always take note of the level of subject’s eyes contribute to the essence of the composition. It is also most central feature out of the facial landmarks that beautify people. The closer the portrait is, the more important the level of subject’s eyes is.

After placing your subject within the frame, adjust your view slightly so that the level of subject’s eyes is placed just above or intercepting the higher of the two horizontal lines. Next, make use of the 2 vertical lines as boundaries to help centralize your subject, ensuring that the portrait is not one-sided. Lastly, engage your subject and take your snap shoot with confidence. On top of these steps, just in mind that you are photographing people and not a pattern design. So be creative and alive, and not make your photography too symmetrical. Challenge yourself to take candid shots, it provide you with natural pose.

Rule of thirds is worth knowing and practicing, thus, regards as the cornerstone of many great portraits for beginners. Technique is also very suitable for any amateur, well pleasing to an average viewer. The resulting effort can be considered simple and ‘clean’ portrait. It’s not very unique and certainly not daringly creative. If were to evaluate and compare to the standards of ‘good picture’, in the aspect of photography art, you probably have to learn the advance methods

How to have portrait photography without lighting studio, commonly know as studio portrait. As an amateur photographer, I have used SLR camera, as well as, the point-and-shoot compact camera. Both has given me some experiences that portrait photography can possibly be done, even without a proper light studio for the professional.

I enjoy taking photographs of friends or family. These days, any user can easily learn to take pictures without worrying of its setting or adjustment. Modern cameras are build in with with lots of automated features, such as auto focus, exposure, zooming, face-detection, etc. The results can be excellent most of the time. At times, the outcome can be so badly that one continue to snap more picture till the good one appears. So what actually contribute to a good portrait photography without proper studio? Below are 2 factors that can help anyone to have notice a major difference and better results.

1) Using of on-camera flash

On-camera flash is never flattering; not only does it show every flaw and blemish, but the harsh directional light creates ugly shadows and the dreaded red-eye.

Studio portrait photographers use large flash units on stands with special softbox attachments to diffuse the light. For the home studio, all you need is an overcast day. Simply named it as ‘natural light’ in photographic terms. Place your subject by a large windows, seated so they are facing slightly towards the light. For outdoors, recommended place will be under a shade in the day.

This is all you need to do, though if the other side of their face looks too dark, you might want to employ a sheet card a a reflector to bounce some of the daylight back. A oversized white sheet taped to the wall behind them is perfect.

Most of the cameras if set to full auto, will have their on-camera flash triggered upon detect insufficient lighting. You can st it to “Without Flash”.

2) Zoom Setting

The key thing here is not to use the wide end of the zoom. If you have a 3x zoom on your camera, step backwards and use the longest zoom setting. If the zoom is longer, aim for at least the mid-way point. This will produce more flattering perspective – and avoid the ‘back of the spoon’ effect of shooting with a wide lens. The negative effect of ‘back of the spoon’ tend to be more prominent with wide angle lens, especially for SLR cameras. If the framing of the portrait is only to the face closeup, it will look kind of ‘stretched’ or slightly rounded.

Portrait Painting for Young Children.
There are the most adorable and beautiful people doted by parents and adults, who always give the best whatever there can. Portrait photography for young children is good way of capturing natural pose with in a short time. Technically, it take little effort to snapshot a nice portrait, be it digital or film. On the contrary, portrait artists who acquire experience and genuine painting skill, will have to use their ingenuity and thinks of ways to keep young children in the same room with him. Keeping them looking at the artist takes even more cleverness. Here are a few ways.

1) When work actually begin…

The best thing one can do is talk with the child. Let the parents be there, but in the background. Portrait artist will find it absolutely essential to talk with the child subject. Otherwise, one will find the child either falls asleep or escapes from the chair. The idea is to get the child talking so artist can just nod or smile and concentrate on e painting work. Try opening the conversation by asking about a pet, or brothers and sisters, or favorite TV show or even a favorite color. In short, ask the child about himself. Incidentally, this technique works just as well with young children

2) Once in a while…

Artist will have a youngster who love to sing. Portrait artist can have fun with this, especially if one know the songs, too, and sing along with the child. Be entertained and occupied with this fun. Background music helps everyone relax and fills in the gaps when there is no conversation. Some parents bring the child’s favorite CD along. But insist on absolutely no video, such as cartoons. Visual media may keep a child in one place, but that mesmerized expression is too unnatural for a portrait.

3) If artist works standing up…

He will have to raise the child to his eye level. Try a small stool with a back on it that rotates – children really like that. If a child gets fussy, she might sit on the lap of the parent who agrees to sit on the stool. At times, artist may just easier to get down on the floor with the child while she sits in a juvenile chair or plays on the floor with her toys. Of course, this means moving all the painting gear to the floor, too. Toys such as Sony PSP or Nintendo are highly not recommended; a child will never look up to the artist, but will glued to the gadgets, instead.

4) Young children are inquisitive by nature.

There will be doggedly determined to get closed to artsit and start picking up paints and bushes, or may even want to work on the portrait. Curious of how the end results look like, asking questions of “why” and “how”. Its amazing how children thinks and talk. But then, no matter how nice you want to be, don’t let this happen. If you allow the child to dab around with the brush even once, one will find that the subject will want to paint, not pose, and artist will have lost control of the situation entirely.

5) After a while…

Many children will ask, “When will you be done?” or complain, “Aren’t you done yet?” When it looks like they are about to run out the door and you need more time, let them wear your watch and tell them they can get down when this hand gets to that number. This works far better than telling the child you only want her to pose “for about ten minutes,” because children have no idea how long ten minutes is. Most children enjoy this game, especially when they see that the hands really do move and thereby realize that you are not just humoring them. They are amazed that artist would give them their watch to wear, too. But it better be an inexpensive watch – don’t get mad at the watch if the child throws it.

Above are a few interesting ways for portrait artists painting on young children. These days, with modern technology advancing quickly, and price are affordable for a digital camera. One may take many photographs of children easily. What takes more skill is the portrait artist, who don’t need the actual appearance of the child, but a clear digital printout of your favorite photograph.

Portrait Painting is a realistic artwork.

Free to send me your enquiries on painting your portrait photo by clicking Contact me.

Or visit my store displaying some of the best photo portrait painting. Online Store.

Photographs of people often elicit a greater response from the viewer than any other kind of subject. A good portrait photograph does not just show to u the appearance of the subject. It should also be a visual biography, capturing a sitter’s character and revealing their unique personality.

Photographing People

A portrait can be a photograph taken without the subject’s knowledge, or it may be a more formal affair where the photographer has been commissioned to follow a specific assignment, usually done in a proper photographic studio. As with all areas of photography, there are technical decisions to be made. Different types of camera and lens are needed for different conditions; light must be arranged to achieve specific effects; and the camera viewpoint has to be positioned to suit the subject’s face, or to enhance some aspect of the setting.

What Makes a Good Portrait?

Portraits are not limited to posed shots of immobile subjects, capturing moving subjects on film with flash can make lively, expressive portraits, and giving subjects as activity can have unexpected results. The latter approach works well with children, who become bored quickly. Do not underestimate the importance of background and setting in your portraits. Photographing people outdoors or in their own environments can add a dimension otherwise missing from a portrait in a studio setting.

Drawing Out a Subject

Another important aspect of portrait work is overcoming a subject’s natural apprehension of the camera and lights. Try to put your model at ease by having all the camera equipment and lights set up well in advance of the photo session. This will leave you free to get to know and reassure the model before you start to take any photographs. Talking may help the sitter relax and allow you to achieve the desired result – a revealing, natural-looking portrait. The best photographs move beyond this to capture expressions that give an insight into a person’s character and mood, resulting in wonderful and exciting portraits.

The Coolest Point-and-Shoot Camera

With modern technology advancing so quickly, professional photography with SLR camera has new design that packed with unique features and capabilities. Comparison with compact digital camera, price-wise is definitely much affordable, lighter and easier to use. However, feature-wise, such as interchangeability of focus lens, SLR is a better choice. For any novice in photography, it is much more practical and convenience for one to carry a small digital camera than those bulky SLR. Especially for frequent travelers who wants to capture portraits of family or friends. Photographing with natural expression is still the key point for a good portrait photograph.