Give your portrait subject one direction
Whenyour agreed portrait session begins
Agree on a portrait with a willing person. Offer one simple direction, such as turning toward you or continuing a familiar hand task. Make a few frames, let them relax, and choose a portrait together.
- Try saying
- Would you turn a little toward me? Tell me if that feels awkward.
Start tiny
Give one comfortable direction and make a frame.
SafetyUse a willing subject; agree separately before sharing. Stop if they want to stop.
Cynthia Way / International Center of Photography, Focus on Photography (2006), Part I, The Language of Photography. Read the source ↗ Gary Small / Nikon, Take Better Portraits. Read the source ↗ Savannah Dodd / Photography Ethics Centre, The Fundamentals of Photographic Consent (2022). Read the source ↗ Practice, cue and time are editorial adaptations of documented methods.
Growth: Practices that need preparation, a recurring slot or a useful tool.
