A few tips for how to take your portrait photos up a notch.

When you think of portrait photography, the standard head and shoulders shot with a slightly tilted chin probably comes to mind. While there is a place for more formal portraits, adding a little creative flair can change up your images and give you amazing results.

Here are a few subtle ways that you can really turn your portrait photography around.

1. Forget Eye-Level

There is no rule that says a portrait always needs to be taken at eye-level. Have your photo shot from above to give your portrait a more artistic flair.

2. Lose the Eye Contact

While a subject making direct eye contact with the camera does create a connection with the person viewing the photo, there are other options such as having the subject focus on something unseen to bring an element of mystery and intrigue to the shot.

3. Bring in a Prop

Using a prop in a shot helps tell a story, brings in some color or just adds some general visual interest. It’s important that you keep the prop simple though so that you aren’t diverting the attention off the main subject of the photo.

4. Experiment with Lighting

Try taking photos around a shutter or doorway where you can play with natural light. Another option is to play with shadows or even brightly colored lights. Again, it’s important not to detract from the person in the photo if you will be using dramatic lighting.

5. Play with Backgrounds

Adjusting something as obvious as the background can make all the difference to a portrait shot. Backgrounds of different colors or even different textures can all be used. If patterns are used however, make sure that they aren’t too busy.

Once you start getting creative with portrait photography, it’ll be hard to take a plain portrait shot again.