Learn How to Stop Hating Your Own Portrait and Serve Your Subjects a Great Experience

It's time to stop hating your own portrait.

A lot of people look at their own photo and feel uncomfortable. It's as if they're worried others will look at their photos and see their biggest insecurities looming inside. Too heavy, too skinny, too many wrinkles, not enough hair, etc. We amplify our insecurities when we see ourselves frozen in a portrait.

The truth is that most people don't see these issues, but the insecurities are real. As a photographer, it's important empathize with your subject if he or she feels uncomfortable or insecure about their features.

That's why we encourage you to get on the other side of the camera regularly so you know how it feels.

Issues That Cause People to Hate Their Portraits

Everyone has their own self-conscious issues, and I mentioned some of them above. We're looking for our own imperfections that no one else notices.

However, we don't notice these issues when we're face to face with people. That's due to a variety of factors. The important thing to remember is that your subjects place trust in your as a photographer to show them in the best possible way.

Facial Imperfections

When we interact with people, they aren't frozen in place and we aren't trying to analyze their face. Yet a still photo of a person can make every little pore stand out with blotchy skin, bumps, discoloration and a lot of other issues.

When you photograph someone with flash or studio lights, the short duration sharpens their face and really brings out everything in great detail. It's amazing what you can see in a flash photo that you don't remember seeing in person.

Weight

Not everyone who worries about their weight in photos is overweight. Some people really worry that they'll appear underweight or even ill in photos. They have features that may cast harsh shadows, making some of their features appear sunken.

Others worry about showing a double-chin or less than svelte waistline.

Creases/Wrinkles

Showing creases in the skin or wrinkles isn't something that only affects your elderly subjects. Some poses can cause extreme creases in the neck or waste of even the young and fit models who worked with me over the years.

Should you avoid these creases and wrinkles? Not always. Some body builders want to show their definition. Hard light and shadows are their friends so they can show how cut they are.

Inappropriate Lighting

I hate to use the term “bad lighting”, because the light that isn't flattering to one subject may be great for another. The important thing to know is how to match the quality and direction of light to your subject. Your lighting establishes a mood. It can also conceal or reveal features of your subject.

The people in your portraits trust you to make the right lighting decision.

Lens Distortion

Every lens distorts the subject in some way. Some of those distortions are pleasing while others may be less flattering. As a general rule, I like to shoot portraits at 105mm to 200mm. It provides compression that people find pleasing.

Wide angle lenses can distort facial features, make the nose look too large and cause the hairline to recede. Objects closer to the lens appear much larger in the image than those farther back, which is why it's not ideal for noses or heads tilted toward the camera.

You can still use wide angle lenses in an environmental portrait, but I wouldn't recommend it for a headshot or anything less than a half-body photo.

Portrait Sessions are Different Than Self Portraits

Remember the purpose of this exercise is help you stop hating your own portraits. Part of that means giving up control. If you set up your own self-portraits, then you really aren't putting yourself in the same position as your portrait subjects.