Before the first frame
A portrait session — especially with someone who has never sat for one — goes better when the camera is ready before the person arrives. Check the battery, set the film speed, and take a test reading from the light falling on their face. I like to choose a simple background and stand about two metres away; that leaves room to talk without making the camera feel like a barrier. Tell the person where to look and what you plan to do, then give them a moment to settle.
A short roll can be enough for a relaxed portrait. Plan a few frames in one place, then make a small change: turn the chair, shift closer to a window, or ask the person to look past the camera. That gives the session a shape without making every frame feel like a new instruction. Keep your hands steady and your movements slow. People usually relax when they see that you are not rushing to fill the roll.
Light that flatters
Window light is a dependable starting point. Place the person roughly half a metre from the window, with their face turned slightly toward it. If one side falls too dark, use a white wall or a sheet of pale card to return a little light. Outdoors, open shade keeps the face from squinting and avoids hard patches across the eyes. On a bright day, the shaded side of a building often works better than a tree with broken sunlight.
When choosing a film stock for portraits, think about the light and the mood you want rather than chasing a universal favorite. A slower option can suit a bright studio or a sunny afternoon; a faster one gives more room indoors. In mixed light, make a test frame and note where you stood and what settings you used. A starting point in open shade is 1/250 second at f/2.8, but check your camera’s meter and adjust when the face is much brighter or darker than the background.
Small gestures
Give the person something simple to do with their hands: rest them on a chair, hold a mug, or adjust a cuff. Ask for one change at a time, then wait long enough to see the expression settle. A friend once told me, “Stay there a moment.” That plain instruction worked better than a string of poses. Keep talking between frames, but pause when you want a quiet expression; people can tell when the camera is about to fire.
The habit of estimating distance with hyperfocal distance for quick street scenes is useful, but a portrait deserves careful focus on the nearer eye. With a wide lens opening, even a small movement can shift the sharpest point to an ear or eyebrow. Take a breath, focus, and check the framing again before releasing the shutter. If the person is moving, stop down a little or choose a faster setting rather than asking them to freeze unnaturally.
After the session
If you borrow an old bellows camera, inspect the folds against a bright window for bellows pinholes before using it. A darkened room can make tiny holes hard to spot, so look from several angles and move the folds gently. For any camera, check that the back closes evenly and that the lens is clean. These small checks take a minute and are less distracting than finding a problem halfway through a portrait.
After the last frame, write down the film speed, the lighting, and any settings that worked especially well. When the photographs come back, compare the notes with the results rather than judging a single frame in isolation. Some expressions look better when the person is looking away; others depend on a small catch of light in the eyes. You will see it… the strongest portrait is often the one made just after the pose loosens, when the person has stopped trying to look like a portrait.
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