How to shoot portraits – in pictures

Look at the angle and shapes of a face – how do they change when your subject moves? What angle and shape works best for the subject? Believe it or not, people do have a 'best side'. Although a lot of it tends to be based on where the light is coming from and how comfortable the subject feels.

Shutter speed: 1/200
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

Sometimes it's worth pulling back for a portrait and trying to include some surroundings in the image – what do they say about your subject? Do they help to tell the viewer something about the subject? Maybe they create a certain mood or atmosphere?

Shutter speed: 1/160
Aperture: f/2.2
ISO: 800 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

When shooting portraits, it's important to explore, to play and to experiment. Opportunities arise sometimes when you least expect them. While trying to take this image through a window I noticed this passer-by in the reflection. The image is built of layers and might take the viewer a minute to get their head around, but it should hopefully retain their attention for that bit longer.

Shutter speed: 1/160
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 1600 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

A single large light source can be very good for lighting portraits. However, it's just as important to think of the shadow areas. What shapes are created by the shadows? Do they suit the shape of the face? The use of shadows can be an effective way of creating mood and atmosphere in a portrait.

Shutter speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/3.2
ISO: 200 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

A portrait does not necessarily have to involve the subject looking to camera, a glance away from camera can often produce a stronger image than one to camera. It allows the viewer to feel they can gaze at the subject while not being confronted directly.

Shutter speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

If you use window light, it's worth experimenting with a reflector. You can either use a professional photographic one, or a homemade one using anything that will bounce light; from something as simple as a white piece of card, to something highly reflective, such as tin foil. For this portrait I used a silver reflector to bounce back some of the window light into the subject's eyes, creating catchlights but also filling in some of the shadows on the face.

Shutter speed: 1/250
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

When shooting outside, experiment with where you place your subject in relation to the sun. Sometimes back-lighting a subject can work quite well, as long as the angle is right and there's enough light falling on to the face.

Shutter speed: 1/640
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 200 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian

A shallow depth of field can be used to throw things out of focus behind your subject, but it can also be used to bring things in the foreground out of focus, too. You can get creative with this and use to add impact to your image. Here, a leaf in front of the lens adds a sort of green flare across the picture.

Shutter speed: 1/2500
Aperture: f/1.4
ISO: 200 Photograph: Greg Funnell/Guardian