Truly great photographic portraits do more than just record a person's physical likeness, they capture a little bit of the soul as well, conveying personality in a way that is indefinable and a bit magical. This is why the best portrait photographers in the business, the ones who snap pictures of the "inner person" along with the external image, are so in demand and so well paid. If you've always wanted to take more striking and evocative portraits of friends and family members, a few tips from one of the experts in the field can help.

Photographer Jean Moss has been taking award-winning pictures for 25 years. Her specialty is taking thoughtful, emotional portraits and her work has been featured on the cover of Vanity Fair, in Nike commercials and on countless movie posters. Here she offers tips on taking professional quality portrait photographs:

• "Cheese!"
  According to Moss, the worst thing you can do is ask your subject to say "cheese" or put on a forced smile. Actions like this cause the subject to immediately freeze up, and you'll get a very unnatural portrait. What you want is a portrait of a relaxed person showing his or her natural personality.
  
• An angled pose.
  If you're photographing someone who is a little camera shy, have them angle their body away from the camera and then turn their head to look back at the lens. This will give the subject a more energized look.
  
• A seated pose.
  Try to think of the body as real estate, and have the goal of getting as much into frame as possible. A seated pose often works best in this respect, as it takes a linear body and makes it fit better into the portrait's dimensions. Try having the subject lean forward a bit, as it makes them seem more approachable.
  
• Shoot multiple frames.
  With all the time you'll spend on framing and lighting and getting your subject comfortable, the cost of film or disk space will be the least of your worries. Click off a bunch of frames so you'll be sure at least one of them will be the shot you want, and you won't have to do it all over again later.

For more information on photography and portraits, check out the following organizations or websites:

Tips for Portrait Photography
http://stnphotography.com

Living Pictures: Portrait Photography Tips
www.livingpictures.org

Taking Portraits
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu

Photography Tips
http://photographytips.com

Fodors: Focus on Photography
www.fodors.com

Kodak
www.kodak.com

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