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How To Take Portraits Indoors – Get great results by controlling your lighting, carefully choosing your camera settings, and using a dash of post-processing.
So if you’re set for indoor photography and you don’t know what to do, or you’re just looking to improve your photography, then let’s get started!
How To Take Portraits Indoors
In my opinion, artificial light is perfect for indoor photography – but working with flash can be scary, and buying all the necessary gear can be expensive, too. That’s why I recommend that you start with natural light, which is certainly capable of producing better results.
Tips For Better Indoor Portrait Photography
As long as the conditions are right, window light is just about the most beautiful light you can find. Try to shoot on days when the sun is behind the clouds or during times when the sun is not streaming directly through the window. (If you can find a window that faces north or south, you can shoot practically without stopping!)
The window will act as a large cloth box, and can even be manipulated using any combination of window dressings such as blinds and curtains. (You can also diffuse strong sunlight by using a white sheet – always a handy trick to keep in mind.)
Simply place your subject near the window and let the light create some drama. I like to place the subject so that there are many shadows on one side, which allows me to create beautiful classic portraits. With a nice window, you can create Rembrandt lighting, split lighting, loop lighting, and more. Of course, you’re still free to experiment, and you can often get amazing results by playing around with different lighting styles.
If you don’t like shooting with window light – it can be incredibly frustrating – or you don’t have a window to use, you have another zero-cost option for your indoor photography: indoor lights.
How To Photograph Natural Light Portraits Indoors
It may sound ridiculous, but I really like to take the shadows off the lamps and use them as bare-blue sources. Sure, the effect is harsh, but fire can be good when used properly.
To start, just place the main light in front of your subject and fade to one side. (I also recommend raising the light several inches above their heads.) This will give you the classic split lighting or Rembrandt lighting technique, although the shadows will look rather heavy. (To make the lighting a little softer, try adding an indicator in front of the bare light bulb; it won’t cost much, but it will make the light more flattering!)
And once you master the basic one-light setup, place the second light behind and off to the side of the subject. This will act as a back light or kick, adding some three-dimensionality to the shot.
It’s always best to start with natural or indoor artificial light sources, but over time, you’ll want a little more flexibility. That’s when the dedicated flash units come in handy.
Indoor Photoshoot Ideas
You can buy flashes with variable powers, but I would recommend using a manual flash instead. You can place it on a light stand, place it by your subject, then spend some time adjusting the power until you get a good response. While you may struggle at first, you will quickly get a feel for the flash and how it works; Pretty soon, you’ll wonder why you ever felt so intimidated in the first place!
I don’t recommend using flash on its own, however. You will want to bring some kind of change – such as a cloth box – to soften the fire. (As you get more experienced, you may find that you’re putting together a whole bunch of changes, and that’s okay!)
Working with flash is no different than working with a window or a lamp. You’ll want to start with basic lighting techniques – such as Rembrandt lighting – but as discussed in previous tips, don’t be afraid to experiment. Finally, consider buying a second flash and even a third; you can use them to create more complex lighting setups that include fill lights, rim lights, and hair lights.
Note that you can always buy a set of continuous lights rather than flashes. Continuous lights are weaker than flashes, but they let you see the light effect and let you adjust in real time, so it’s worth considering whether they might be the best buy.
From The Hip Photo Studio Indoor Candid Senior Headshot Picture
Indoor photography is tricky; you want to keep your shots free of camera shake and motion blur, but you also want to avoid blurring. It is important that you use a semi-automatic mode (such as Box) or Manual Mode so that you can have complete control over your settings.
If you’re using a flash or other bright light source, you can always set your camera’s ISO to 100, choose a fast shutter speed, and choose any aperture you like, such as f/2.8 (for a shallow depth of field effect). or f / 8 (for a deep depth of field effect). Note that if you use flash, you cannot push your shutter above the flash sync speed, which is generally around 1/200s. Also, with flash, you can always set the best camera settings, then adjust the flash brightness until you get the exposure you want.
However, if you are shooting in dark conditions, you will need to choose your settings carefully. My general advice is to consider both
. In other words, choose the largest aperture of your lens, choose a fast enough shutter speed to avoid blur, then increase your ISO as needed to get a good exposure (while avoiding unnecessary noise levels get).
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Of course, you will have to make some adjustments and compromises depending on the environment you are working in and the shots you are trying to capture. At the moment, most modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are capable of producing limited noise even at high ISOs, so if you’re in a pinch, you can increase the ISO without much issue.
(And even if your camera produces a lot of noise at higher ISOs, it’s not a big concern. Either leave the noise as a texture effect or reduce it in post-processing.)
But again, these are starting points. With a steady and steady hand, I’ve managed handheld shutter speeds as low as 1/15 second. and made good results. You may also want to try your camera’s Manual mode to maintain full control of your settings. It is especially useful if your lighting conditions are static; in the way, you can set the exposure, forget about it, and focus on exposure and composition.
Some lenses allow you to shoot at f / 2.8, f / 1.8, or even f / 1.2 – and the so-called fast lenses are great for indoor pictures. The wider the aperture, the more light that will hit the sensor, and the more light that hits the sensor, the more freedom you will have with regard to your ISO and shutter speed settings.
Tips On Shooting Indoor With Artificial Light
A lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 may require slow shutter speeds and high ISOs to produce a good exposure in dark indoor conditions, but a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4 will allow you to increase the shutter speed and keep the ISO low without causing exposure issues.
Lenses with multiple apertures can also create incredibly shallow depth of field effects – when the background turns into a gorgeous blur – which can add interest and mystery to your image.
Unfortunately, these fast lenses are on the expensive side, but if you’re serious about indoor photography, they’re probably worth buying.
The RAW format will retain all the data collected during the capture. As a result, you will be able to adjust exposure, white balance, and colors in post-processing to achieve a high quality final image.
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If you shoot in JPEG, on the other hand, your camera will drop detail, so when you try to change colors or recover shadow detail, you’ll get subpar results.
Unfortunately, RAW files are larger than JPEGs and require processing (size) before they can be shared online or even viewed. But the advantages of the RAW format far outweigh the disadvantages.
Post-processing is a key part of the photography process, although it’s far less glamorous (and fun) than actually shooting with a camera.
Every image is different, but most RAW files could do with a contrast boost, a bit of extra vibrance or saturation, and some sharpening. You can also consider adding noise reduction, especially if you shoot at high ISO – though be careful not to go too far, as too much noise reduction will reduce image quality.
Family Portrait Photography
I would also recommend carefully adjusting your white balance until your files look natural. Not all light sources produce the same color temperatures, and it’s important to get these unwanted color casts out of the way. If you’re struggling to get the white balance right, you can also try converting images to black and white.
You can also add some artistic finishing touches to your images, such as a vignette or a subtle color layer. Finally, consider choosing exposure in the subject’s eyes for a bit of extra sparkle.
Even if you are not completely comfortable working with a post-processing program, I encourage you to spend some time each day experimenting with different editing.
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