Portraits with Personality: Directing Real People
By Alex Harper • 8 min read
Great portraits don’t happen to people; they happen with them. When a subject isn’t a professional model, your job expands from photographer to coach. The good news is that small prompts and a safe, simple setup can carry most of the weight. Here’s a process to help real people look like their best selves on camera.
Begin before the camera comes out. Share a short mood board with 6–8 images and a sentence about the vibe. Ask what the photos are for and how they want to feel when they look at them. This primes collaboration and lowers performance anxiety. Suggest comfortable clothes with texture and movement and remind them to bring a jacket or scarf that adds a second layer.
Keep the setup gentle. Window light or open shade gives forgiving contrast and catchlights. If outdoors, position them with their back to the sun and rotate until shadows fall softly. Indoors, stand near the edge of the window so the light wraps. Avoid high contrast until they relax—big lighting moves can come later.
Use micro-prompts. Rather than pose, invite action: look at me, now the horizon, now the ground, tiny smile, breathe out, close your eyes for a count, open; roll your shoulders; shake hands loose. Micro-prompts interrupt self-consciousness and create authentic transitions. Keep your voice calm and your instructions singular.
Mind posture and hands. Ask them to shift weight onto the back foot and slightly hinge at the hips; this elongates lines. Hands like to do something: touch a jacket lapel, fold loosely, hold a mug, or rest on a railing. If hands look tense, ask for a micro-shake and capture the relaxation that follows.
Mirror and demonstrate. Show them where to stand and how to angle the chin. Demonstration removes guesswork and invites play. When something looks great, celebrate it and show a preview—the confidence bump is real and visible in the next frames.
Direct with environment. Use a doorway to frame, a wall to lean on, stairs for asymmetry. Backgrounds that are one stop darker than the subject help them pop. Shoot a wide scene, then step in for a tight portrait and a detail (hands, fabric, hair). This trio makes a small set feel complete.
In edit, keep skin honest and eyes lively. Lift shadows gently, add a whisper of clarity to lashes and brows, and reduce distractions near the edges. Resist heavy smoothing; expression and micro-texture carry personality. Deliver a handful of black‑and‑white options—they’re flattering and timeless.
Portraits are a conversation. When you set kind expectations, simplify light, and offer clear micro-prompts, people meet you with presence. That’s where personality lives and why your portraits will feel like them.