Portrait Photography Tips for Capturing the Beauty in Ruins

There is a timeless aspect to industrial and rural ruins. Creating people portraits in these environments is challenging but rewarding. In this video, professional photographer Kylee Leonetti shows you portrait photography tips for shooting beauty in ruins. She explores an abandoned swimming pool in Minnesota and creates some memorable portraits. Shooting in the golden light of magic hour, she captures portraits of a little girl on top of the slide overlooking the pool. You will learn that once you’ve positioned your subject, you will want to photograph from different angles, wide to tight. For additional portrait photography tips, Kylee suggests dressing your subject in lighter colors for contrast against a dark background. Shoot at a low f-stop to create depth.

For specific portrait photography tips, Kylee demonstrates how to direct your subject to create a visual story. She has the little girl throw colorful flower petals, kick her legs out, alter head positions, and change facial expressions. She positions her subject against the setting sun, which creates a golden flare as a backdrop. Later, Kylee moves the little girl to the bottom of the pool and creates portraits of her exploring, even finding a frog. She instructs her subject how to hold her hands, then creates a wonderful wide-angle image of the girl in the center of the pool as the canopy of trees overhangs the pool. The ideal approach is to instruct your subject the way you envision, adding praise and enthusiasm. Portrait photography is more than just clicking the shutter.

Kylee also takes time to capture macro images of the crumbling swimming pool and other details including rust patterns, concrete flooring, and weeds covering the sides. Join pro shooter Kylee Leonetti in the lonely, old swimming pool for portrait photography tips. You will find that beauty in ruins can be inspirational.

See all videos in our Beauty in Ruins Course:

Beauty in Ruins – Course Preview
Abandoned Photography: The Basics
What to Bring When Shooting Abandoned Locations
Safety Tips for Photographers Shooting in Ruins
Photography Inspiration in Industrial Ruins
Photographic Composition in Ruins
Unique Ruin Subjects to Photograph
This video: Portrait Photography Tips for Capturing the Beauty in Ruins
Using a Macro Lens When Photographing Ruins