How to Improve Portrait Photography by Filling the Frame
In this video we will learn the concept of filling the frame which can help us in improving our portrait photos. Filling the frame is an important concept in portrait photography because it helps in two things – Making the subject look more emphatic and increasing the blur in the background. Here’s the video:
Video Summary
This video teaches how to enhance portrait photography by filling the frame and applying basic posing techniques to create a more professional and emphatic look.
Key Techniques for Better Portraits
- Filling the Frame: Moving physically closer to the subject eliminates unnecessary negative space, making the subject the unmistakable focal point of the shot [01:26].
- Enhanced Background Blur: By filling the frame with the subject, the background naturally becomes more blurred and less distracting, even when using the same camera settings [03:36].
- Avoiding the “Square Pose”: A square pose—where the subject’s shoulders face the camera directly—often looks flat and can make the subject appear bulky [00:41].
- Tilting and Twisting: Instructing the model to slightly tilt their body away and then turn their head back toward the camera creates a leaner appearance and adds a sense of depth [02:27].
- Creating Depth with Light: A tilted pose allows for a better transition from highlights to shadows across the face, rather than having flat, even lighting on both sides [03:09].
- Focal Length Considerations: While the video uses a 35mm lens, the instructor notes that a higher focal length would further compress the background for an even more aesthetic green blur [04:00].
By moving from a basic level to “filling the frame,” photographers can transform a bland shot into a deliberate, high-quality portrait [04:25].
Important Links
This video is from our Portrait Photography Course, which has 24 videos and 4 hours of content. You can access the full course via Udemy, using the link below:
