Jeff Smith's Guide to Head and Shoulders Portrait Photography

To further enhance the look of a head and shoulders pose, look for fore-
ground elements to add more depth to the image. The foreground can be
something as simple as the trunk of a tree or branches that extend out in front
of the subject. Even columns or posts can be used in this way by moving the
camera closer to the row of columns and skimming along them.

Lighting.

Skip the On-Camera Flash.I guess that I haven’t written enough books on
outdoor photography, because every time I go to a park, I see professional pho-

102 JEFF SMITH’S GUIDE TO HEAD AND SHOULDERS PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVE AND FACING PAGE—In each pose, in

each situation you have to determine the

best angle to take the shot and the best el-

evation to have the camera. In this situa-

tion the choices were many. With the

beautiful window light filling the room, we

were able to shoot from just about any-

where. By elevating the camera, I could

show the beautiful banisters just behind

the subject (left); by lowering it, I could

show the beautiful columns and ceiling

above her (facing page, left). Tilting the

camera added another possible variation

(facing page, right).