Selection of direction and height in portrait photography composition series

Introduction: Composition comes from painting, which refers to the layout and composition of the picture. Photography also requires composition, which refers to the entire process from framing to photo cutting and production. The composition of character photography mainly expresses the form of characters in the photographic picture, using all modeling factors to shape the character image and form a perfect picture as much as possible.

Selection of direction and height

Selection of direction

? Viewed horizontally, it looks like a ridge and a peak on the side, with different heights near and far. At different angles, the scenery has different shapes. The same goes for shooting scenery, and the same goes for shooting people. People from different angles will show different appearances. To determine the shooting angle, the first step is to choose different directions.

1. Frontal

The camera is facing the subject, and the person is photographed from the front. The person has a complete face, distinct facial features, natural expression, and appears solemn. A frontal portrait generally requires that the person's ears can be seen. If only one ear can be seen, even if most of the face can be seen, it cannot be counted as a frontal portrait. The frontal image has symmetrical facial features, which makes people feel more real, so it is regarded as a standard image.

2. Half-side view

The camera forms an angle of 25°-50° with the subject, and the person’s face faces the camera from the oblique side, breaking the shortcoming of the frontal image being too symmetrical and smooth. , and appears more lively. The angle of the half profile can be flexibly adjusted, and the face can be exposed more or less. It is a commonly used angle in portrait photography.

3. Side view

The camera is at an angle of 90° to the subject. The person is facing the camera sideways, and only half of his face is visible, half hidden and half exposed, which makes him look more reserved. Viewed from the side, the character's face has clear outlines and can leave a deep impression. However, the side view lacks perspective change and is not as lively as the half side view, making it a less commonly used angle.

4. Back

The camera is facing the subject’s back, at an angle of 180 degrees to the subject’s line of sight. Since the character's face cannot be seen, the character's demeanor cannot be expressed. The character's thoughts and feelings are indirectly expressed mainly through the character's body movements. Photographing characters from behind can leave a lot of room for imagination, allowing readers to relate to the relationship between the main character and the environment, or through the plot composed of the front and back characters in the picture, so as to understand the theme of the work.

Height selection

When choosing a shooting angle, in addition to the aspect selection, you must also select the height. Changes in height can also have a big impact on photographic composition.

1. Head-up

Head-up means that the camera is at the same height as the subject's head, and the optical axis of the lens is parallel to the person's line of sight. Photos taken at eye level conform to people's usual visual habits and give people a sense of psychological intimacy and equality. When shooting head-up, the character's face is not easily deformed, the composition is stable, and it is conducive to showing the foreground. However, when shooting a scene with a large number of people, the people in the front and back rows are prone to overlap and obstruction.

2. Looking down

Raising the position of the camera and shooting from top to bottom can form a larger spatial layout, and the people in front and behind do not block each other, which is conducive to shooting scenes with a large number of people. . The government TV shoots children, just like adults watching children, and it is more in line with people's visual habits. However, when shooting people from above, it is easy to cause a certain degree of deformation. If you use a wide-angle lens to shoot from a close distance, the characters will appear to be big and small.

3. Looking up

Lower the camera position and shoot from bottom to top, making the characters look tall and majestic. If you use a wide-angle lens to shoot from a close distance, the characters will be larger at the bottom and smaller at the top, standing tall and straight, which will produce an exaggerated visual impact. Looking up can lower the horizon and allow the sky to become the background, which can make the picture appear simpler. However, when looking up at a scene with a large number of people, the people on both sides of the frame look like they are leaning toward the middle, and the people in the back will be blocked by those in the front row.