It’s not uncommon for photographers to fall into creative ruts, especially after a busy season. At the same time, new photographers might also struggle with where to begin developing their skills and practicing new techniques. In this article, we’ll explore a number of portrait photo ideas and share some basic tips on when and where to shoot for each idea. We’ll also give you some common settings to use and different portrait themes to suit your mood, all with the goal of helping you find portrait photography inspiration.
What Is Required for Unique Portrait Photography?
So, what makes a portrait unique, and what do we need to understand in order to create unique portrait photography? It really comes down to mastering basic technical knowledge and exercising your creativity. In order for a photo to be at least “normal” (not blurry with clear composition), it is worth getting to know your camera and studying the basics of photography. It is also worth dedicating some time and energy to building up a proficient knowledge and use of a portrait editing software. In other words, an artist (i.e., a photographer) must have practical skills in both shooting and editing to create the perfect shot.
7 Portrait Photo Ideas
Let’s explore some different interesting portrait photography ideas using a variety of locations, settings, and moods. Whenever you feel yourself falling into a creative rut, refer back to this guide about portrait photography ideas for inspiration. There are plenty of cool portrait photography ideas waiting to be discovered, so don’t get discouraged.
1. Golden Hour
Most of you who’ve been at it for a while are going to be familiar with the ever popular golden hour for photography. Go out for a photo session in popular spots during the last hour or so before sunset and you’ll find photographers everywhere taking advantage of this special time of day. If you’re a burgeoning photographer, however, then the following is crucial information.
Location: Outdoor, during the golden hour (just after sunrise or before sunset).
Camera Settings: For this entry into the list of cool portrait ideas, use a wide aperture (f/1.8 to f/2.8) to create a shallow depth of field (which accentuates the golden haze everyone loves so much), and highlight the subject against a beautifully blurred background. Set the ISO to 100-400 and adjust the shutter speed to expose the subject properly. It’s also worth noting that you’ll likely need to lean more heavily into the clarity and contrast when editing hazier golden hour portraits in order to retain a decent amount of detail in the shot.
Idea: Capture how soft and pleasant this light becomes in that warm, extraordinary time of day. The golden hues make portraits look extremely romantic and dreamy. Try to get candid and expressive shots, directing your subject to move and interact with the natural environment. You can go more in depth with golden hour portrait tips here.
2. Urban Jungle
Taking to the city streets can give your portraits an instant, interesting atmosphere. You’ll notice that the background almost becomes a character in itself in urban jungle portraits.
Location: City streets, alleys, or urban parks.
Camera Settings: Use a mid-range aperture (f/5.6 to f/8) to keep both the participant and the urban background in focus. Adjust ISO based on available light; typically, ISO 400-800 works well in shaded areas, while you may need to bump it up as the day gives way to night. Your shutter speed should be fast enough to prevent motion blur (around 1/160 or faster). If there’s not enough ambiant light present, you might want to consider adding flash to light your subject. Either way, make sure to shoot RAW files if possible (vs. compressed jpegs) so that you can recover as many details as possible during post-production (aka editing).
Idea: Think of using this session to capture a mix of humans and the bare elements that make up the city, whether that be architectural elements like buildings, fences, stairways, or alleyways, or other visual elements like graffiti, billboards, and so on. Consider the sharp contrast between the person and the gritty urban backdrop. Cities can provide a stunning place for unique portrait photography. Check out this post for ideas on photographing couples in the city landscape.
3. Vintage Vibes
If you find yourself uninspired by the present, look to the past for ways to make the “now” more interesting. You can cover some of this in the real world and the rest during the editing process.
Location: Indoor settings with vintage decor, such as old libraries, cafes, or homes with antique furniture.
Camera Settings: A wide aperture (f/1.8 to f/2.8) is ideal for creating a soft, nostalgic feel. Set ISO to 400-800 for indoor shots, and use a slower shutter speed (1/60s) if there is not a lot of action in the shot and you have adequate light to capture it.
Idea: Take your viewer back to a ‘lost age’ and photograph your subject in a vintage setting. Make your photography portrait ideas look more authentic by using items like old books, teacups, and vintage clothes. Also, use appropriate lighting, poses, and expressions that match the scene and help bring your story to life.
4. Nature’s Embrace
Depending on our proximity to green spaces, you might consider tapping nature to co-star in your portrait session.
Location: Forests, parks, or botanical gardens.
Camera Settings: Use a wide aperture (f/2.8 to f/4) to create a beautiful bokeh effect with the foliage. Set ISO to 100-400 depending on the light conditions, and use a shutter speed that matches the lighting, ensuring the participant is sharp.
Idea: Photograph your character in lush greenery. The natural surroundings can give the portraits a calming, organic feel. Adding depth to your composition is as simple as using natural frames – such as arched branches or flower clusters in a pot.
5. Low Key Drama
While we might try and avoid drama as much as possible in our personal lives, it can be visually invigorating to introduce drama into our photography, and one quick way to do that is through low key lighting.
Location: Studio with controlled lighting.
Camera Settings: Use a small aperture (f/8 to f/11) to keep everything in sharp focus. Set ISO to 100-200 to maintain image quality and use a faster shutter speed (1/125s or faster) to sync with studio lights.
Idea: The minimalism of this style helps highlight a subject’s features against a clean background, which gives the image a modern and editorial feel. Dramatic poses and expressions can further accentuate the low key effect. You can find additional tips here to go more in depth with capturing dramatic portraits.
6. Reflective Mood
Using reflections as a creative element in portrait photography can add instant visual appeal, whether the source of the reflection be water, a window, a mirror, or even the surface of a smartphone.
Location: Near large bodies of water, such as lakes or ponds, or using mirrors or other reflective surfaces indoors or outdoors.
Camera Settings: A wide aperture (f/2.8 to f/4) blurs the background while keeping reflections sharp for unique portrait photography. Set ISO to 100-400 and adjust the shutter speed to capture the reflections without motion blur.
Idea: Capturing reflections is relatively easy and it adds a bit of depth and intrigue. Focus is key. Make sure to focus with intention when capturing reflections. These portraits may be surreal and artistic, or a viewer may look twice at the mirrored image as captivating. You can really push this by exploring different compositions like symmetry, the rule of thirds, and so on. To find the most powerful composition, play with different angles and points of view.
[Related Reading: 10 Tips for Better Water Reflection Photography]
7. Monochrome Mastery
Sometimes, all we need to do to change the way we look at something is to look at it without color.
Location: Anywhere with interesting light and shadow patterns, indoors and outdoors.
Camera Settings: Use a mid-range aperture (f/5.6 to f/8) to ensure good depth of field. Set ISO to 100-800 depending on light conditions, and adjust the shutter speed to correctly expose the highlights and shadows.
Idea: Black and white photography removes the intrusion of the color, allowing form, texture, and emotion to take center stage. This classic genre from the list of photography portrait ideas can make a strong addition to your portfolio. Study the relationships between light and shade, find your participant’s raw expressions, and capture the interaction of light and shadow. It is also worth paying attention to the background, among other things, to really make an image work in black and white.
Portrait Photography Inspiration and Where to Look for It
These ideas for portrait photography can help you create unique imagery that stands out and is memorable. Each of the basic concepts outlined above should provide a platform for trying different techniques and settings and developing a more diverse and exciting portfolio.
Remember, capturing unique portraits often involves thinking outside the box – experimenting with unconventional angles, backgrounds, and props. If you combine practical skills & technical knowledge and put them to use in the scenarios listed above, you will find inspiration and start crafting your own creative photography portraits.
