Why does one outdoor portrait look much more professional than the other?
Asked 4/7/2021
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I’m new to photography and comparing two portraits taken outdoors in daylight. One looks much more polished and flattering than the other, even though both were shot during the day. What factors usually create this kind of difference in image quality? Is it mainly the camera, the clothing/background, or things like lighting, aperture, and editing?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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While both shots were taken in daylight, the left shot was lit directly by sunlight, whereas the right shot looks like it was under shade. The direct lighting produces hard shadow lines, and more contrast between sunlit and shaded parts of the subject.
Also, the brown and dark tones in the clothes and ground in the right image seem to complement the model's skin tone, much more than the direct daylighting, yellow/cream pants, and yellowish dirt color complement your friend's skin tone.
The background on the right image is very soft, indicating a wide-open aperture was used to produce soft bokeh. In the left image, more of the background is in focus, which is caused by stopping down the aperture a bit. This makes sense, as there was probably plenty of light in the scene, so to bring the exposure down, the aperture was stopped down.
The image on the left is very good, nothing wrong with it. But sometimes lots of little details add up to completely change how the shot might have been intended or thought of, if those details aren't considered before the shot.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
5y ago
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The biggest difference is usually lighting, not just the camera.
From the examples described, the weaker photo appears to be shot in direct sun, which creates hard shadows, high contrast, and less flattering skin tones. The stronger portrait looks more like it was taken in shade or with diffused light, possibly helped by a reflector or other soft light source. That gives smoother skin, softer shadows, and richer color.
Other important factors:
- aperture/depth of field: The better image likely used a wider aperture, making the background blur more and helping the subject stand out.
- background and color harmony: A soft, unobtrusive background and colors that complement skin tone make a portrait feel more intentional.
- exposure/post-processing: Slightly darker background exposure, added contrast, color tuning, sharpening, and RAW editing can greatly improve the final look.
- camera/sensor: Gear can help, especially with background blur and editing flexibility, but it’s usually secondary to good light and technique.
So the main causes are better light, better subject separation, better styling/background choices, and stronger post-processing—not just a better camera.
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