written by Annie (mommyarw)

When we think of portraits, we usually think of studio prints done in front of a backdrop and using specialized lighting equipment. Items you have around your home or can get easily and inexpensively at a local department store can help you to take some great portraits. Here are a few tips:

Use a bed sheet or a large piece of fabric as a backdrop. You can hang it on a wall using masking tape and have your subject sit or stand in front. Or try draping the sheet over two chairs and seat your subject on the floor in front. A sheet is especially effective when photographing an infant. Lay the sheet across a person’s hands and arms, then have that person hold the baby supporting its head and bottom. Spread the sheet across any portion of the person and surrounding furniture that might show in the shot and be sure to zoom in. The person holding the baby can position the baby comfortably without being seen and you will avoid the slumped pose that many infants are photographed in.

Use a homemade reflector to bounce light back onto your subject. A reflector is a large white or silver (reflective) surface that can be used to reposition an available light source. Here’s how you might use one: If my daughter is seated so that most of the available light is shining on the left side of her face and her right side is in shadow, an assistant can hold a reflector on her right side to bounce some of the light coming from the left back onto her right side. A homemade reflector can be a white sheet of poster paper or one of those shiny heat shields that people use to keep light out of their cars.

More about lighting: Light that shines on a subject's face can cause your subject to squint. Experiment with light. Try positioning yourself and your subject so that the light comes from behind, beside AND in front of the person. Each variation will give you a different effect. The one lighting condition to avoid most all of the time is when the light comes from directly overhead (as with the midday sun). Direct overhead lighting will cause dark, harsh shadows under people’s eyes and faces. If you have to take pictures between the hours of 10 and 2 when the sun is at its brightest try moving to an area in the shade or partial shade (like under a tree). When using black and white film you need to be especially aware of contrasts in light and shadow. The effects of light as you see it through the viewfinder will be magnified in the prints you will get. You should watch out for shadows under people’s eyes, large contrasts between lighting on each side of a person's face, and an overall shadow on your subject.

Textures: Unlike color prints where the mood of your photo is created by colors, it is the textures in a photo (along with lighting) that create the mood in a black and white print. As you look at the elements that will be in your picture (especially clothing and scenery) see what textures you find.

As discussed above, clothing with a texture that you can feel photographs well. Corduroy, cable knit sweaters, lace and denim all add interest to a photograph. Clothing made from fabrics that have a reflective quality also add an interesting element to your photos (satin, leather, metallic accents).

Check out your background. If you are doing everyday photos, you may have a cluttered background (if your house is like mine!). At very least, your background elements may be distracting attention from your subject. The great thing about black and white is that it minimizes cluttered background automatically.

If you are selecting a location to take some photos, try to think of a location that has interesting textures. Here are a few ideas:

a wood fence
a barn door
a large tree trunk
a pile of rocks
a corn field
a brick wall
a porch rail
a sandy beach (or sandbox!)
a grassy yard
a rock wall
a field of tall grasses
a garden (or pumpkin patch)
stone steps
a stucco wall