Sometimes less is really more when it comes to capturing great portraits. It’s always tempting to try to fit as much of a person into the frame as possible, but doing so can seriously lessen the impact of an interesting facial expression or mood.
 
The next time you find yourself shooting a portrait or candid, step back just a bit and zoom in on your subject’s head and torso. This will shorten the depth of field and really make him or her stand out from the background. Also try shooting from several different angles, paying close attention to the way the light is striking the face. Sometimes just moving a step or two to the left or right can turn a boring portrait into a great one.
 
Later on, when you’re reviewing your shots on the computer, choose a few shots that feature interesting or funny facial expressions and crop them until there is little else in the frame besides the face. This will allow you to really emphasize the eyes and the texture of the skin to add a very intimate appeal to the photograph.