I'm an amateur when it comes to shooting portraits. Learning how to make full use of natural lights can be a difficult thing.
Personally, I feel that one should not smile in a portrait shot. But there are many ways to position the model (including the expression) to fit the theme. That would be the part where I must improve on.=p
Inspired by a friend's work, I always wanted to shoot a portrait of someone sitting on the steps where the lines make the entire photo go "WOW". This photo may not have the WOW factor, but I think that sometimes, its nice to have a simple shot.=)
When shooting, I always tell myself to take note of the surroundings. Make sure that you do not fall into a pond while shooting. Today, I noticed that there was an air vent causing big gush of wind every now and then. So I asked my friend to stand in front of it. And this was what I got.
I feel that when it comes to shooting portraits, the photographer must know what he/she wants. Communication is very important between the photographer and the model. The photographer must tell the model how to pose and what expression to hold. But it seems that you need a lot of experience to be able to do that well.
Oh well, at least this is a start!=)
