Professional portrait photographer gives you the TLDR on how to take stunning pictures while stuck at home.
1. The best camera is the camera you have
Phone cameras might not be ideal, but not using them because better cameras exist in the world is stupid, your phone can take a picture via voice command, timer, or screen grabbing from Facebook/Skype/Facetime and if bungee-cording a selfie-stick to a tree branch is what it takes to get the shot then so be it! No excuses! Make sure whatever camera you're using it's taking the largest image it can, more information means a larger print size without looking bad. Whatever camera you use, learn to use it, if reading a manual isn't your thing watch a tutorial on YouTube. Your camera inevitably does more than you're aware of as far as burst shots, white balance adjustments, and focus adjustments. Play with it so when the time comes you know how to use your tools. Use a tripod or google DIY Phone Tripod for ideas.
2. Light matters more than megapixels
Find good light, and don't settle for anything less. The human eye is very good at seeing light, so good that I will often underestimate how much light I need to get a picture. If it's too dark, your camera will usually compensate by adding digital noise which risks your final product being unusable. Create/find new lighting set-ups and take note of mood/color/contrast changes as you learn what you like and what you don't. Two subjects are harder to light than one so make sure no one is hiding in the shadow of anyone else and everyone is evenly lit in comparison to each other. Soft light creates soft shadows which are more flattering. Overcast days, big windows with white drapes, and big white walls and ceilings are some of the many ways to find or make soft light.The larger the light-source in relation to the subject, the softer it is, the sun on a sunny day is bright but it is not a soft light source. On an overcast day the clouds become a much larger and easier to work with light-source.If you have to shoot in full sun or with hard light, put it to the back of your subject or find some shade, hard light beating on your face means squinting and harsh dramatic shadows.
3. Posing: Try it!
If it feels silly and uncomfortable, you're probably on to something. Try putting belly button to hipbone, grab your partner and pull them close, a well placed hand can make all the difference. Try in each others laps, piggy back ride, walking holding hands. If posing in front of the camera freaks you out find an activity to get lost in and channel that energy into some stunning candids Watch your posture without looking stiff. Make a Pinterest board of couples poses you like, sitting, standing, and something creative/fun you can emulate the day of when you're at a loss for where to start. Asymmetry can make things look less fake, if one hand is in your pocket, try taking the other one out, if one hand is up high, put the other down low, one person looking at the camera, one person looking endearingly at the other person, and so on. Take way too many pictures, posing and prepping is part of what it takes, but striving to capture the moments in between shots will yield you candids you didn't know were possible. The more people in a scene the more likely someone is half-way through blinking so give yourself as many opportunities for success as possible.
4. Outfits: Simple is better
Let the focus be your faces not your clothes. Pretend you care about how you look together and use this as an excuse to dress up. Matching accent colors go a long way, a jacket gives you something to do with your hands to put you at ease, a well placed scarf or hat will do the same thing. Just keep busy patterns and logos out of it. Pastels and muted tones that compliment each other, not necessarily match are great.
5. Composition tips
Be deliberate with what your subject is and what is in focus. Reflections, shadows, and symmetry are all ways to influence how your viewer sees your subject. When you find a lighting setup that works get a wide shot zoomed out and a tight shot zoomed in. Tell a story by getting detail shots of hands, rings, shoes, accessories, or anything that adds context to the experience after the fact. Foreground and background matters, distractions matter, leading lines should draw you in to the subject, negative space gives your eye a chance to breathe. Whether or not you crop off someones head, or hand, or foot can make the difference between a good picture and a bad picture. The camera shouldn't ever be lower than eye level unless highlighting someones double chin is your thing. Utilize different angles in relation to your background, spin around and find where the best spot is for your lighting scenario, Take what you think is way too many pictures and look at them, make small changes and try again. Mentally prepare for this to be time consuming and set aside time to keep at it until the timer is up. When you pick your best shots make mental note of tactics that worked and didn't work. Rinse, repeat, practice.
6. Have fun
If you don't it will show.
You already have everything you need to take some stunning images, go out there and try!
