10 tips to take stunning portraits with your phone camera at home

 These are tough times for us all but this doesn’t mean we can’t stay creative when confined to our homes. I just wanted to see if I could do something to help. So I’ve come up with some phone photography tricks and ideas for portraits you can do while you’re at home. I hope it goes somewhere to break the monotony of your days and bring you some joy in these dark times. 

Here are 10 tips and ideas that might be helpful for you clicking indoor portrait pictures:

1.Define a perfect camera angle

Always try to consider alternate points of view while you’re shooting indoors. Shoot at different distances from your subject. Don’t simply walk up, take a shot, and assume that was the only angle that could have worked. You can shoot from above your subject, below your subject, or off to the side. Move around, get up, get down and try every possible angle to get the perfect shot. You will slowly develop your own style of portrait with this experimentation.

Front & side angle variations 

2. Create a good composition

The focus of a portrait is mostly the subject’s face. However, the face is not the only expressive part of the body. Look for other ways of showing your subject’s personality. Study the character you’re going to portray in your photograph and find that detail that can be used to project a better sense of the person in front of your phone’s camera. And of course, never forget to style your model for better results!

Composition for characters showing sadness and loneliness 

3. Add Contrast & textures

Adding contrast can make any flat portrait alive. Use the colours present around the scene. Energize your dull photograph by contrasting colours. Also, make use of the texture around to add life to your photograph. Variations in texture can add dramatic elements to your photos. You can increase the intensity of colours to enhance contrast. It’s possible to increase saturation and contrast in post-processing, but be careful not to push the adjustments too far.

Contrasting colour to add drama

4. Adjust the Lighting

Different lighting conditions can impact the colour temperature of the overall photo. Always use manual mode in low light conditions. You don’t really need a studio to capture stunning portraits. A lot of light sources are already available at your home. You just need to find it out and use it effectively. Using window light with a homemade reflector is best for head shots. When shooting at night, you can use different phone flashes or torch light and fix them somewhere (if you don’t have a tripod) to create lighting like a studio. You can also use the lights coming from outside as fill light or to create a softer image.

Creating soft to harsh images using light

5. Always check the White Balance

You don’t want your subject look like an alien, right? A good white balance is the reason to keep the colours natural. Most of the phone cameras offer a function that balances the whites in a scene to order to make images appear more natural. You can also experiment with preset or custom white balance modes which may result in a more aesthetically pleasing image. After all, it is not necessary that the camera will always get it right. So feel free to go manual!

Too cool|perfect WB| too hot

6. Play with light and shadows

Could you imagine the same shots without the subject painted by shadow? It wouldn’t look natural; it would look artificial. Shadows can give a scene extra depth, mood and drama to your images. Turn your subject sideways so the light falls on half of them. It will create more dramatic shadows. But also don’t hesitate to eliminate shadows when not necessary.

7. Cutting/Diffusing the light

Windows are natural light diffusers. When the light gets too bright, you can always lower the curtains to add additional diffusion. And if possible, adjust the ISO of your phone’s camera and make it higher in low light conditions. There are several tools you can use to help cut and stop light from reaching your subject. The household light enters and spills everywhere; it may lower the contrast ratio and make the image appear flat. The easiest equipment you can use to cut the light is a good quality paper or an ivory sheet. Create some patterns on the paper and allow the light source pass through the space to get a creative portrait.

Cutting light using paper 

8. Colouring the light

There’s nothing more interesting than experimenting with the colours. Adding fluorescent colours to the light can generate a different colour cast to your portrait. Small lighting changes can make a big difference in your final image. You can simply add a red or blue or yellow effect or kicker in any portrait from any angle you’d like to. You can use colour gels to make your images pop. You can easily make it at home. Just take small piece butter paper (slightly bigger than your pop-up flash) and colour it with a sketch or marker. Then attach it to the unit using a tape or a rubber band and that’s it! You can also use cellophane paper if you can get it. And feel free to attach two to three layers to get the best results.

Gel paper effect

9. Keep the Background clean & simple

Background : white wall

In a good portrait shot you don’t want the background to be so distracting that it overwhelms the subject and spoils the composition. You can blur the background slightly while keeping the subject sharply in focus to help the subject stand out. You can use different angles to eliminate the distracting background anytime by shooting from below or above. In some compositions, you don’t want a simple background, but rather one that builds upon your subject to tell an even more colourful story. All you need is to experiment with backdrops that have different colours and textures. There are enough images “shot on-white” out there already, we need more variety! 

Textured background 

10. Create interest in your portraits with props

Need to spice up your portraits? You can use just about anything in your house from old cars to tea cups as props. Just look around to see if there are decorative items or home goods you can use as props. Use of props makes your images more meaningful and helps to create the story more effectively. So take a few moments before each set-up and see if there’s something nearby that can help your photos stand out.

Use wine glass, books, old car.. Anything! 

There is no way to compose a perfect photo. It’s all about experimenting constantly and through that process finding your unique style that sets you apart from the rest. You can make your DIY Photography studio in whatever way you want. What matters is that it fulfils your needs and produces excellent results. Having the best equipment helps. But working with what you have is a great way to remind yourself that you can create great work with a little creativity. There’s no better time than now to practice new photography techniques. Have fun and be creative with your indoor portrait photography!