Portraits, what it takes to shoot good portraits.
* My Portrait tips apply mostly to outdoors

This can be a rather large topic which I will try to keep to a minimum. Before we begin you should read the basic tips on composition or rule of thirds. Without a good layout you will end up with nothing more then a snapshot.

The first thing I try to consider when shooting a portrait is isolation. This can be achieved in various ways. The easiest method is by using a slight telephoto lens (for 35 mm cameras 90mm works well) and using a shallow depth of field around f8. Focus on your subject and foreground and background will be out of focus making your subject stand out in the photograph.

You can enhance this effect more by placing your subject in the sun with the background in the shade. Often this will place your person with the sun behind them requiring a flash fill to be used. I prefer to use manual metering on the camera for this with the flash set to TTL. The results - rim lighting on hair shoulders will balanced fill in faces with a darker background isolating your subject.

Another method to isolate your subject is by choice of background. Either by finding a pure single color, hue, or pattern such as a grass lawn, a wall of bricks or similar item.

Another interesting portrait is to integrate them into a scene being careful not to congest or crowd your subject with other objects within the scenic.