Nearly anyone in possession of a camera will be asked to take a portrait photograph of someone at some point in time. Whether the request is casual or formal, there are some easy and effective ways to improve and enhance portrait photography. While some might say these “tips” are breaking the rules, the point of them all is to capture innovative and unique imagery.

One of the first rules to discard is “perspective”. How often do we see portraits of people that are taken from waist or chest height? They are almost a “given”, but they aren’t usually capturing anything about the individual. Instead of a plain portrait sitting, the photographer could take their camera to an entirely different perspective – why not look down from above, giving the portrait a bird’s eye view? Of course the camera could be shooting up from the floor for an alternative look at the individual in their surroundings or normal setting.

Another rule that can be discarded is the “say cheese” smile. Some people find it very difficult and uncomfortable to smile directly into the camera. Instead a photographer may want to allow the subject to ignore any eye contact with the camera and just look wherever they feel most comfortable. The subject could be talking or just listening to the photographer as their image is recorded, this sort of portrait might provide a really accurate, emotional or mysterious view of the individual. Alternately, more than a single subject, such as a couple or a group of siblings could be asked to look at one another instead of the camera. This could allow the camera to record a truly dynamic set of images, or a really memorable moment.

Not all portraits should be taken in a studio setting either. Even a formal portrait can be remarkable if the subject is in an unusual or informal setting. Additionally, if someone expects to be posed, a creative photographer might take them outside of their comfort zone to give the portrait more of an “insider’s” view into the person – for example, an executive may be asked to be photographed bare foot, jumping in the air or in some sort of alternative location.

Finally, many photographers set their digital cameras to the burst mode, which allows for a nearly uninterrupted series of photographs to be captured. This is a particularly good choice for taking photographs of an active person or group or of someone who tends to be very animated.

Amy Renfrey writes a bi-weekly/occasional article for The Corner Blog. Amy is a digital photographer, a photography teacher, and author of the popular Digital Photography Success package as well as her ebook Powerful Landscape Photography. For more information, or to purchase her Photography Package, visit her site: Digital Photography Success and Powerful Landscape Photography. Amy also publishes a monthly photography ezine called Focus eMagazine which includes dozen of articles and tutorials, as well as hours of video each month. Click here to find out more and subscribe to Focus eMagazine.