We’ve got ideas on posing and lighting, props and backgrounds. We’ve got tips on camera gear, lenses and accessories, and ideas for using them in ways you may not have expected. But some of the best techniques don’t require any special equipment at all, just a bit of imagination and lateral thinking!
So have a swipe down through our list of photoshoot ideas to see if there’s anything here to get you thinking…
1. Shoot film noir portraits with a DIY gobo
Capture an atmospheric portrait inspired by film noir by DIY-ing your very own gobo. Gobo stands for ‘go-between object’, and it’s simply a light modifier that goes between your light source and your subject. It can be a stencil cut to fit into your lighting, or it can be a freestanding object you’ve improvised for the job. Read more: Shoot film noir portraits with a DIY gobo
2. Sports portraits with a fisheye lens
Fisheye lenses offer an unusual angle of view that perfectly complements flash-lit action shots. Manufacturers take great care to ensure lenses will produce minimal distortion, so that straight lines in a scene will be captured straight in the image. With fisheye lenses, however, they forego this approach and instead cram as many degrees of view as possible into the frame. The result is extreme distortion, with curvature that gets more pronounced the further things are from the centre of the frame. Read more: Sports portraits with a fisheye lens
3. Fake natural light portraits with flash
Natural light portraits can look stunning, but what if it’s a dull day? Fake the look by incorporating flash into your shoot. While it’s oh-so-easy to plop your flashgun on your camera’s hotshoe and rattle off shots, the results often look unflattering and it’s easy to tell that they weren’t taken in natural light. However, we’re going to show you how to mimic natural light with an artificial flash. Read more: Fake natural light portraits with flash
4. Artificial fog for a cinematic portrait
Fill your cinematic portraits with atmosphere by incorporating artificial fog into your shoots. We’ve all seen those steam-filled railway platforms in black-and-white movies from the ’50s, and how atmospheric they can be. Even at a rock concert, the appearance of artificial fog (dry ice) creates a moody atmosphere, and it’s no different in the stills photography world. Read more: Artificial fog for a cinematic portrait
5. Shoot dramatic rain portraits
Here’s one of those photoshoot ideas that come from nowhere! Why no create striking backlit rain portraits using a speed light, regardless of whether it’s rain or shine? When it’s a lovely bright day outside, it’s tempting to lie down in the sun and read a book – or if you’ve got your heart set on photography, chasing those subjects that look best in bright light. Read more: Shoot dramatic rain portraits
6. Blacklight body paint portraits
Create glowing portraits using a combination of ultraviolet light and neon body paint. The main challenge is to overcome the low light, so all the usual low-light techniques come in to play. We may need to use a high ISO, a long exposure, a tripod, a wide aperture – or a combination of all of these – to overcome the problem of crafting a usable exposure in low light. Read more: Blacklight body paint portraits
7. Take neon-lit photographs at night
Portrait pro Alastair Batchelor shares his top low light portrait tips for taking stunning shots after dark. When the sun goes down, the magic of artificial illumination can literally light up your photographs like never before. And with these low light portrait tips, you can get that neon-drenched, cinematic Blade Runner aesthetic in-camera. Read more: Take neon-lit photographs at night
8. Children’s portraits made easy
Children’s portraits made easy. Photographing the family is the reason that many people buy a camera in the first place. However, taking portraits of young children can seem like more trouble than it’s worth – especially when it comes to your own kids who refuse to pose or smile as soon as you get your camera out! Read more: Children’s portraits made easy
9. 1 flash, 4 great kids portrait setups
Want to take striking, magazine-style shots of your kids at home? All you need is a single flash! By now you’ve probably shot in every area, from every angle both inside and outside your house. So how can you transform your home into a setting that looks straight out of a magazine, to take portraits of your kids with a wonderful editorial style? Read more: 1 flash, 4 great kids portrait setups
10. Miami Vice-style portraits
You can get photoshoot ideas from different eras and fashions. Here, we recreate a slick neon look using torches and acrylic rods, for a shot dripping with ’80s style. Light painting is a great way to get into long-exposure photography and opens up a world where we can control light and shape it to suit our needs. Most of the time we use a powerful torch in low light or at night to visually paint a scene, with results often looking fantastical. Read more: Miami Vice-style portraits