📷 Skills Testing Write-Up

Camera Techniques

During my skills testing, I practiced techniques that are especially important for portrait photography:

  • Low aperture (f/1.8–2.8) to create shallow depth of field and make the face stand out from the background.

  • Manual focus for sharper eyes in close-up shots.

  • Adjusting ISO and shutter speed to keep skin tones clear without unnecessary noise.

  • Testing front light, side light, and backlight to see how each type of lighting shapes the mood of a portrait.

Composition Techniques

I also worked on composition specifically for portraits:

  • Rule of thirds for placing eyes at a natural and balanced point.

  • Tight close-ups to highlight emotion.

  • Negative space when I wanted the portrait to feel more calm or lonely.

  • Symmetry for a clean and strong impact.

These helped me make portraits that feel more intentional and expressive.

Feelings and Emotions Created

Each small choice in lighting, angle, and distance changed the emotion of the portrait:

  • Soft lighting created a calm, gentle mood.

  • Shadows made the face look more dramatic or thoughtful.

  • Close-up shots felt intimate and personal.

  • Side angles added depth and made the portrait feel more natural.

Through this, I learned how portraits can communicate identity through non-verbal expression.