- 1). Meet with the subject of the portrait beforehand to get to know him if you don't already. A good portrait will show you a little bit of the person's personality and interests. Talk to him about what he likes to do, what kind of person he is or any locations that he finds interesting.
- 2). Choose the location to shoot. The location of the photo is as important as the person you are shooting. Try to choose one that fits the person's personality if you can. If you don't have many options, choose a location such as a museum or a college campus that will have multiple spots for you to shoot in.
- 3). Set up additional lighting or place the subject in an area that is well lit or has interesting lighting. Play around with your lighting to get the kind of atmosphere you are looking for. Using shadows can give the photo a darker feel, while shooting outdoors in natural light makes for a brighter and softer photo.
- 4). Alter the perspective you are shooting from. Try to shoot from an odd or unique angle. Trying lying on the ground and shooting up at the subject, or getting to a high perch and shooting down. Also, think about composition while shooting; remember that the subject doesn't have to be in the center of the photo.
- 5). Take several photos. You might have to take and look through hundreds of pictures to find the one amazing photograph. Have the subject pose in several different ways, looking into the camera and looking off. Try to get comfortable with the subject and have him do something to take his mind off of you and to get some candid shots, too.