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Among the most common photographs taken are those of casual portraits. Most often, the casual portrait is a spur of the moment, unposed snapshot of family and friends. There are few guiding rules to capturing a good photo of one`s friends and family.

• Simple Backgrounds:
  Simple and uncluttered backgrounds draw the viewer`s attention to where you want it most on your subject(s).

• Use a wide aperture when you have a cluttered background:
  You will minimise the distracting effect of a cluttered background by using a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus.

• Horizontal vs. Vertical:
  Portraits of individuals often look better as verticals. Group shots look better as horizontals.

• Arrange by size:
  Placing the tallest person in the centre of a group shot will give the appearance of a more balanced composition.

• Stay close:
  Moving away from your subject(s) to include the entire person or group only causes the individual(s) to get smaller.

• Bounce flash:
  Use bounce flash when possible to eliminate red-eye.

• Watch for reflections:
  Shooting flash against a reflective object may cause distracting highlights and reduce colour contrast.

• Have fun:
  Facial expressions are everything in a portrait. Keep the situation light and spontaneous.