Improve your portrait photography with your Nikon Quickstart cheat sheet

Use eye-AF

A sharp eye is the key to a good portrait. Use eye-AF to ensure sharpness and then experiment with different apertures to see how depth of field can alter a portrait’s feel.

Choose the right focal length

Wide-angle lenses will distort the face, so classic portraiture is usually taken with a longer focal length, often 85mm, 105mm or 135mm.

Be at the same height as your subject

For a natural look, make sure the camera is at the subject’s eye level. Get the subject to look at the camera and raise their chin slightly.

Use window light from the side

Window light from the side is great for portraits. You could also add a lamp on the other side for ‘fill’. Lighting from the side accentuates the contours of the face whereas light from the front flattens faces out and is less flattering.

Use a friend

Invite someone you know well to be your model when starting out. The process will be more relaxed and you’ll feel more confident in asking them to move around.

Choose a plain background

Props can tell a story but try to stay away from busy backgrounds which could distract the viewer from the subject.

Great lenses for portraits

Classic portrait focal lengths tend to be 85mm, 105mm and 135mm, while a large aperture is great for separating the subject from the background.

Classic portrait

NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S

FX zoom option

NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S

DX choice

NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR

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