Photos w/ Courtney Lindberg | Creative Lab

Even if you’re always snapping photos on your phone, chances are you’re not often taking pictures of other people! For my job as head of social media, I’m usually taking pictures of objects, design concepts, or even posting a cool graphic. But I was excited to work with photographer Courtney Lindberg to talk about how to capture a great portrait.

Step 1: Find your subject! Courtney’s first point was that the goal of taking a portrait is to get creative, but also to be connected to your subject. We looked around the studio for a subject annnnd…our production coordinator Bria was our lucky winner!

Step 2: Find your light and composition. Think you need fancy camera equipment to take a gorgeous portrait? Think again! Courtney showed me how to use angles to up my composition game. If you’re shooting portraits especially, shoot at eye level or slightly above eye level for your best angle. Your subjects thank you. Play around with light; try shooting outdoors or through a window for some variety.

Step 3: Let your photos tell the subject’s story. After we played around and had our amazing photo shoot, we printed the pictures out and had a look-see. I couldn’t believe how well they turned out, especially because they were taken on a cell phone! When we were looking at our final products, Courtney explained how you can use the space around your subject in a creative way, but the main focus should always be the subject itself.

I can’t wait to use Courtney’s tips and get out of my photo-taking comfort zone. This experience showed me that I especially loved taking photos outside! Who wants to go on a field trip?

Be sure to check out Courtney Lindberg’s Website, Facebook, and Instagram! And don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @bemakeful using #creativelab to show us your gorgeous photos.