by Mario Dimain

Created on: June 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2009

Unlike other subjects in photography, the human face can convey emotions. Its varying expressions communicate to the photographer. And with its soul-penetrating eyes that are capable of creating mood, it can be strongly engaging and yet unpredictable. A passive look can turn into a smile. And in a heartbeat, the same smile can transform into mixed feelings of confusion, making portraiture more interesting and also more challenging feat in the art of photography.

Natural looking portraits, whether candid, casual or formal are shots that didn't just happen. They are products of serious effort in capturing the true character of the person being photographed.

I learned my first-hand lessons in portraiture when my first child was born. I discovered that babies and children are the most natural subjects to photograph. My three daughters were probably the most photographed kids in our neighborhood when they were growing up, long before the advent of digital photography. Although they were fun to shoot, I also learned that babies and children dictate the shooting time. And that time is the moment when they are ready, fully rested, interactive and tantrum-free. Forcing a schedule will prove futile, resulting only in miserable failure and unnecessary aggravation.

In shooting portraits, the thorough knowledge of how to operate a camera is just a quarter of the battle. The other three quarters allocate for lighting techniques, choice of background and full understanding of the subject. All these four when applied accordingly will most certainly result to a natural looking photographic interpretation of the subject.

In this guide to shooting natural looking portraits, I am using a bride and a groom as examples. My long years of experience in shooting weddings, allowed me to improve my social and photographic skills, and expanded my knowledge of portrait photography. By studying the bride and groom's culture, personalities and physical attributes such as facial features, skin tone, hair color, height, body weight, and posture as well as their mannerisms, I determine the right approach in bringing out their most appealing and natural looks. A pre-wedding pictorial always proves to be very helpful in establishing a relaxed working relationship and making them feel more at ease in front of the camera, on the day of the wedding.

Weddings are often emotionally charged. Excitement and tension are flying high. And there is nothing more challenging than calming

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