How do you take a good portrait photograph?
Wednesday 22 July 2026, 13:26 by Elja Trum | 1,022 views | 0 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
Show the same portrait to two photographers and you can get two completely different reactions. One thinks the photo is brilliant, while the other immediately criticises the crop, lighting or pose. So who is right?
In this video, photographer David Bergman explains that a good portrait consists of several layers. The technical basics need to be right first, but after that, personal taste, creative choices and the story you want to tell with the photo play an increasingly important role.
A photo does not have to be technically perfect, but mistakes such as out-of-focus eyes, an unwanted colour cast or blown highlights should not unintentionally draw attention. Once the technique is right, it is mainly about the choices you make as a photographer: the light, the location, the composition, the pose and your connection with the subject.
Ultimately, not everyone has to like your portrait. Criticism can help you discover distracting elements, but a personal opinion is not automatically the truth. Much more important is that you photograph consciously and gradually develop a recognisable style of your own.
What makes a portrait photograph good in your opinion?
Let us know in the comments.
About the author
Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.
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Elja Trum
Photofacts; everything to do with photography!
Would you like to take better photos and keep up with what is happening in photography? Photofacts publishes articles that teach you something about photography — from a product announcement to a practical shooting tip or a look at a website. Photofacts covers photography every day and is a hobby project of Elja Trum's that got out of hand. The articles are written by a team of volunteer authors. If you would enjoy writing one or more articles for Photofacts, do get in touch.More about PhotofactsPhotofacts is made possible in part by
