Portrait Session

I am a landscape photographer and soon I shall make posed portraits for the first time. Any tips on how to make my subject feel at ease during the shoot?
Raqeeb Khan, Mumbai, via email

This article was originally published in November 2014.

Make your subject laugh during the shoot to help them relax. Photograph/Akshay Samarth

Portraits are fun to shoot! The first thing you must do is relax. Make sure you are prepared in every way for the shoot, this will help you be sure of yourself. One simple way to do this is, to previsualise your photographs. Look up references and be sure to discuss them with your subject. In this way, your subject will be aware and prepared for the session as well.

Be mindful of the poses you give them, and ensure that the poses flatter your subject’s body type and features. Showing your subject some of the pictures you shoot helps put them at ease. Talk to them during the shoot. Soft music often helps create a relaxing environment. As you keep communicating, keep an eye for those unique expressions and capture them to make some great portraits.