Portrait photography tips: learning the craft and culture

Portrait photography is a complex blend of preparation, technical prowess and people skills. And as pro portrait photographer Horst Friedrichs will attest, this work is not just an artistic pursuit, but a vital historical service – capturing the characters that shape human history – so it needs to be done well.

Students and budding photographers needn't be put off by a lack of professional studio space or lighting accessories, however. When Horst mentored arts graduate Emma Bentley for a weekend, the world became their studio and the public their models. Here, we find out about their workshop and discover their tips for professional portrait photography.

Horst has had a long career working for titles including National Geographic, The New York Times and The Independent, and has taken portraits of everyone from Robbie Williams, Peter Gabriel and Tony Blair to Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. Though he made a name for himself with commercial work, it is his long-term book projects, documenting subcultures and architecture, that truly bring out his passion. From Sufis in Pakistan to the mods and rockers of the British underground, London-based Horst has spent decades exploring different scenes and cultures, and capturing the characters involved.

On the first day, the two photographers explored landscape photography, street photography and portraiture in a park in London. For Emma, the biggest lessons came from observing how Horst approached people, and the humour and energy needed to engage them. Straight away, Horst could see that Emma had an eye for interesting angles and approaches. "She had that sense," he says. "Once she had the exposure basics down, she was quite confident with composition."

On the second day, they took some more street photographs in Camden, London, before going to a venue to shoot at an all-day ska music event. This was a truly unique photography experience, where Emma got to dive into the heart of a lively subculture, learn how a seasoned pro operates, and try to nail some shots herself.

Here, the Canon EOS R6 and Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM really came into their own. As a small, unobtrusive body, the EOS R6 was well suited to letting Horst and Emma shoot in a fairly tight and private environment, in extremely low light. "What I found a total eye-opener was the sensitivity of the camera and this lens. To be able to photograph in such darkness was really impressive," Horst says. "I don't normally use zooms, but this lens was snappy and sharp – I like it a lot."

1. Get the approach right

"Horst is just very natural," says Emma, reflecting on the way Horst interacts with his subjects. "Even just the simple things, like the calm way he'd stroll up to people and introduce himself. Everyone we met was very friendly and willing to have a conversation, and that made people open up to the idea of him taking photos. Just be really natural and show an interest in the culture you are trying to capture."

2. Get up close and personal

The Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM lens creates beautiful creamy bokeh and remains super sharp when shot wide open. Its useful focal length range allows you to zoom in closer, which Emma urges aspiring portrait photographers to do: "Get close! You can pick up so many little details with a nice camera and lens combination, so make sure you get right in there," she says.

3. Know when to move on

"Assessing the vibe is really important. This one guy agreed to have his picture taken on the dance floor, but then he started to become a bit rowdy," Emma says. "I watched Horst try to get the shot, but then quite quickly step away. He explained that sometimes you have to make a decision and move on so you don't ruin the magic."

2. Work the light…

"You need to think about the light situation. If you have access to the location maybe even go and get someone to be a light double and see how the light works with a subject," Horst advises.

A self-described light hunter, Horst says the key to that killer shot sometimes requires moving the subject into or around a light source. "This can be the difference between a fairly bland reportage shot and a fantastic portrait." Sometimes it's worth intervening, but at other times it will break the magic of a moment. If you have done your research (or at least observed the person for long enough), then trust your gut and make a decision.

3. …or modify the light

Relying on natural or continuous light is a good option, as you can expose in real time with the EVF on a Canon EOS R6, but Horst also encourages portrait photographers to get creative and bring supplies to manipulate the light if necessary – be it professional light modifiers or homemade equivalents.

"You can bring some tracing paper or even kitchen foil, whatever you need to highlight or disperse the light – keep it in your kitbag," he says.

4. Think long term

Unless you are being sent on a commercial job for a quick turnaround, Horst says you should always have a long-term project in mind. "I would always advise this with students and aspiring pros. You need a long-term project. I have projects I spent 12 years on, but it could even be 12 months or more – just think long term. That is something you create that will maybe win a prize or result in a book.

"Single pictures… I don't know. You can create like this and have maybe 120,000 Instagram followers, but I'm not jealous of that. For me, this approach is kind of like a fashion and it will die off. It's much stronger when you really listen to yourself, what you want to do and make it a project."