Portrait photography tip: Turn the body away from the camera

Saturday 23 July 2022, 21:42 by Elja Trum | 3,275 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

When someone stands with their body facing straight towards the camera, they appear at their widest. That is usually not what you want. Fortunately, this is easy to fix. Ask your subject to turn their body slightly away from the camera.

Bibi - f/9, 1/125s, 100 ISO @ 50mm
A 45-degree angle is usually the maximum. Personally, I often think a slightly smaller angle looks better.

As for the direction in which your model turns, that does not necessarily matter. Usually, turning the body towards the main light is the best choice. The body is then also lit properly straight away.

However, the desired direction depends on the lighting setup you have chosen and the effect you want to achieve. Above all, try both sides and see which looks better.

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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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