Are you feeling uninspired by your own portrait photography?
If yes, that’s perfectly ok. Creative blocks are normal.
Even necessary, in fact.
If you think about it, boredom has led to some of humanity’s most important discoveries and inventions.
Because you know what goes hand in hand with boredom? Creativity.
So what better way to breathe some life back into your love for photography than to experiment with creative portraits?
What are creative portraits?
Creative portraiture is a unique branch of photography that uses creative expression to capture the essence of the subject.
While traditional portraits are usually more formal and posed, creative portraits are all about forcing the viewer to see the subject from a different perspective. Creative portraits typically incorporate elements of fashion, fine art, and surrealism.
But it’s good to keep in mind that the definition of creative portraiture is not rigid. Your own creative work doesn’t have to fall exactly into the borders mentioned above. As long as you’re expressing a feeling, mood, idea or message through a thoughtful portrait, then you’re technically capturing a creative portrait.
Harnessing your creative genius is not always easy, though. I know this very well.
So I’ve made the following list of 7 ways you can take those creative ideas in your head and transform them into a striking portrait.
Here are 7 ways to capture more interesting portraits
1 | Allow yourself to feel bored in your free time
Boredom is crucial for getting those creative juices flowing. So stop scrolling. Stop numbing yourself with TV, social media, or whatever your vice of choice is, and let yourself feel the boredom.
When you feel bored and stuck in your own head, instead of fixating on how stuck you feel try doing these things instead:
Go for a walk
Do some doodles
Do yard work or chores
Talk to yourself out loud
Browse through your old photographic work
Listen to some music
Paint, draw, or dance
While mindlessly doing the above-mentioned things, your mind will wander, and creativity will arise. Be sure to write down any creative ideas you drift through your mind and see if they can apply to a creative photoshoot.
Check out a fun list of humanity’s greatest discoveries that stemmed from boredom here.
2 | Create a story
Craft a story about your subject. You can write it down or keep it in your head, but either way, make sure your story is clear. In this story, include your main character, the setting, and the mood. What is your main character feeling, and what have they gone through to get where they are today? What are they about to do? This will be the most important aspect of the story.
Creating a story for your portraits helps to create a scene that reflects your creative vision. It helps bring those ideas out of your head and materialize them.
Be sure to communicate the story with the subject of your portraits.
3 | Be deliberate
I learned the hard way that just winging a photoshoot will give you underwhelming results.
It’s always worth it to be deliberate with everything you add to your photoshoot and take the time to plan out every detail before you start photographing your subject. Especially when it comes to the following:
Color - Possibly the most important aspect of any shoot is the colors incorporated. Especially with creative portraiture. Because color is the best way to visually communicate emotion and mood. Intentional color placement and coordination tell a story and guide the viewer's eye.
Location - Location is another big part of creating portraits that move the viewer. I like to imagine that the photographs I take are still from a movie. What background and location would make the most sense in your own imaginary film? Don’t settle for your backyard if it doesn’t perfectly match your vision. Make the effort to find the perfect location.
Props - Even a few props can go a long way. Any objects that will help you tell the story of your photoshoot are worth incorporating. Props can be small, like a lighter or lipstick, or large, like a car or an animal.
Lighting - Lighting is a powerful tool to harness. Hard light creates intensity. Shadows create mystery. And soft ambient light can be used to either make a scene feel flat and strange or warm and dreamy.
4 | Break the rules
Breaking the rules can be difficult if you’re a perfectionist. But trying this one out will be well worth it!
A big part of getting creative is trying new things. This means doing things like letting your shot be out of focus, changing up your camera settings, or shooting at an angel that makes no sense. Just for the heck of it, and seeing how the result turns out. Think of it as exploring.
Besides, the whole point of exploring is not to wander without cause but to gain knowledge, confidence, and direction along the way. Right?
Others might not understand what you’re doing or why, but that’s ok. You are the explorer of your own creative journey.
5 | Don’t do it for the likes
Fishing for likes will get you nowhere. Of course, it feels nice when people like your posts. It feels like they see the hard work you put into your shots and that they appreciate your creativity.
But when your goal is to push yourself creatively, you’ve got to ignore the rest of the world. Trying to produce images that other people will like can actually harm your creativity. It can throw you into a dangerous cycle of hating your work when praise doesn’t come.
And well, ok, it’s true that you do want people to have a reaction to your photos. This is the whole point of capturing portraits that are interesting and will create a feeling in the viewers.
But just keep in mind that social media is not the ultimate judge of the quality of your work.
Instead, ask some fellow creatives what they think of your work. Focus on the reaction that you and your subject have about the final photos. Because at the end of the day, your creative growth is all that really matters.
6 | Look within
Your own emotions and experiences are important. They shape the way you see the world, and they have a direct impact on your photography. Put this to good use!
You can work through your own feelings and experiences through photography. You can express things like emotions you have a hard time processing, your overwhelming love for a subject, or even a lack of direction in an area of your life.
When you pull your own raw emotions from your heart and mind and place them into creative portraits, the viewer will be able to see them.
7 | Study your subject
Finally, creative portraiture should have a strong focus on the person in the shot. Get to know who they are and study the way that they move. If a person is naturally calm, expressive, or outgoing, then you should reflect these traits in their portrait.
Ignoring the essence of your subject will cause your photos to turn out a bit forced or unnatural. It’s always important to make an effort to blend your art with the energy of the person in the frame.
Did I forget anything?
Photography is a lifelong learning process. And I hope today you took some knowledge away that you might not have ever considered before.
And likewise, if there’s any aspect of capturing interesting creative portraits that I didn’t mention above, enlighten me, please!
Drop a comment below, and thanks for reading.
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