A some times ago, I found these ideas reading one of my fav photography magazine, Amateur Photographer. I use them and they work very good. Also, when I receive photographs that include some of these tips, I find it easier to draw portraits (people and pets).
Try these ideas with your smartphone next time you’re giving portraits a go.
1. Use portrait mode for non-human subjects
Remember that portrait mode can generally be used for non-human subjects. This is great for photographing pets to really bring our their character.
2. But don’t just use the dedicated portrait mode
Rather than just portrait mode. This way you can achieve other things, such as shooting in Raw Mode for example (captures details better).
3. Try different lighting and blur effects
Lots of Portrait modes have effects that you can experiment with, including different levels of blur, different types of blur / bokeh and various lighting effects. It’s worth getting to know all of these.
4. Give burst mode a go
When photographing fast-moving people (such as children or sometimes pets), activating a burst mode can be a good way to get a candid portrait that occurs in a split second. Most modern smartphones will even automatically choose the best result for you.
5. Consider accessories
There are some useful portrait accessories that can work very well with smartphones, including reflectors – to bounce light (including of different tones) back at your subject for more even coverage which work particularly well for selfies.
6. Treat the smartphone like any other camera
Remember it’s you that makes the pictures and approach a portrait just as you would with anything else, remembering composition, direction, and even costumes and make-up.
