The Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography (Guide)

Every photographer has their own take on the best camera settings for portrait photography. Some prefer to use a shallow depth of field to blur the background and focus attention on the subject.

Others like to use a higher shutter speed to freeze motion and capture candid expressions. Regardless of your preferred method, there are some basic techniques that every portrait photographer should know.

In this blog post, I will explore the best camera settings for portrait photography and provide tips for achieving great results. So whether you’re just starting out in portrait photography or you’re looking to improve your skills, read on for some helpful tips!

The Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography

The best camera settings for portrait photography are:

• Shutter speed: 1/250 sec or faster
• Aperture: f/2.8 or wider
• ISO: 100-400
• White balance: Auto WB or Daylight

These settings will give you a good starting point for taking portraits.

Here’s an example photo using all these settings:

These are my go-to settings for portraits both for an outside portrait on an average sunny or overcast day as well as inside because they give me a sharp image with a shallow depth of field. I like to use a fast shutter speed to freeze any movement and prevent blur.

And I always shoot in RAW so that I have the most flexibility when editing my images. But if you’re just starting out, don’t worry about shooting in RAW. Just focus on getting the hang of the basic settings and you can always switch to RAW later.

Of course, every situation is different and you may need to adjust these settings to get the best results.

For example, if you’re photographing a moving subject, you may need to use a faster shutter speed to avoid blur. Or if you’re shooting in low light, you may need to increase the ISO to prevent camera shake.

Experiment and see what works best for you!

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these settings (aka the exposure triangle) and how they affect your portraits.

Shutter Speed

The shutter speed is the amount of time that the camera’s sensor is exposed to light. A faster shutter speed will result in a shorter exposure time and a sharper image.

However, you will need to use a faster shutter speed if you’re photographing a moving subject. Otherwise, you risk getting blur in your image.

Best Shutter Speed for Portrait Photography

A general rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed that is at least 1/250th of a second when photographing people. This is because people tend to move around a lot and you don’t want to risk getting blurred in your images.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. If you’re photographing a very still subject, you can get away with using a slower shutter speed.

But if you’re shooting in low light or with a long lens, you may need to use an even faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake.

Aperture

The aperture is the size of the opening in the lens when the photo is taken. A wider aperture (smaller f-stop number) will result in a shallow depth of field.

This is the most popular choice for portrait photography because it allows you to blur the background and focus attention on the subject.

Best Aperture for Portrait Photography

A good starting point is to use an aperture of f/2.8. But if you’re using a long lens or shooting in low light, you may need to use a wider aperture to avoid camera shake.

ISO

The ISO is the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light. A higher ISO will result in a brighter image but it can also introduce noise into the photo.

So, you’ll need to experiment to find the right balance for your particular situation.

Best ISO for Portrait Photography

In general, I like to keep the ISO between 100-400 when shooting portraits. But if I’m using a long lens or shooting in low light, I may need to increase the ISO to avoid camera shake, but be careful not to go too high or you’ll introduce noise into the photo.

White Balance

The white balance is the color temperature of the photo. A warmer white balance will result in a yellowish tint and a cooler white balance will result in a bluish tint.

I usually leave the white balance on auto or set it to daylight when shooting portraits. But you may need to experiment with different settings to get the look that you want.

What Factors Influence the Camera Settings for Portraits?

So we just talked about “general” rules but I think it’s important to understand the factors that would affect changing these settings so you know when on a photoshoot.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• The amount of light available
• The type of light (natural or artificial)
• The color of the light
• The direction of the light
• The distance between the subject and the background
• The type of lens you’re using
• The focal length of the lens
• The size of the sensor (full frame or crop sensor)
• The type of portrait (headshot, half body, or full body)

All of these factors will affect the camera settings that you use for your portraits.

For example, if you’re shooting in low light, you may need to increase the ISO to prevent camera shake.

Or, if you’re using a long lens, you may need to use a faster shutter speed or wider aperture to avoid camera shake.

And, if you want a shallow depth of field, you’ll need to use a wider aperture.

Finally, if you’re shooting a headshot, you may need to use a different setting than if you’re shooting a full-body portrait.

The point is to use these numbers as a general guideline, but they are not hard-set “rules,” and you should eventually experiment with mixing different values into the exposure triangle to develop your own personal style while still producing great images.

Do Camera Settings Change for Full-Body Portraits?

The answer is yes! For full-body portraits, you’ll need to use a wider aperture (smaller f-stop number) to get the entire subject in focus.

I like to use an aperture of f/4 when shooting full-body portraits. This gives me a shallow depth of field and keeps the background nice and blurry.

If you just want the face to be sharp and the body blurry then it’s fine to use f/2.8 instead of f/4.

What About Group Portraits?

Group portraits are very similar to full-body portraits. The main difference is that you’ll need to use a wider aperture to get everyone in focus.

I like to use an aperture of f/8 when shooting group portraits. This gives me a shallow depth of field and keeps the background nice and blurry.

The worst thing that could happen is to have everyone in the group be in focus except for one person. If this does happen, it’s usually hard to see on the camera and you’ll only notice it when you edit the photo in post-production, so make sure to use a higher f-stop number as mentioned.

In conclusion, these are my best camera settings for portrait photography. I hope you found this article helpful, good luck!

Additional Resources

Be sure to also read these articles related to portrait photography:

• 25 Portrait Photography Tips
• Why Do I Look So Ugly in Pictures? 12 Hacks to Not Look Bad
• The Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography (Guide)
• What Are Senior Portraits? (4 Reasons They’re Important)
• 16 Ways to Improve Your Portrait Photography
• What is Portrait Photography?