Take a look at some of the examples on these pages and then imagine the sitter looking directly at you, what effect does this have? To soften the image a black “Pretty Polly”, stocking can be stretch and stapled / taped over a card frame, this really works well, experiment with various Denier to find the effect required. There is not a must to purchase a soft focus lens, it can be argued that some of the most interesting portraiture are the ones that capture the lines in the face and reflect the character of the sitter. Always focus on the eyes, make sure that these are pin sharp, it is the first thing that the viewer will look at and try and make a connection.

If the shoot is outside, a slight fill in flash may be useful on a sunny day, softened with a tissue in front of it, though try and shoot when the light is bright but the sky overcast. Alternatively a reflector can be used, a plain white one which reflects a softer light rather than the silver or gold ones sold commercially. The silver or gold reflectors can be too bright and effect the sitters eyes, the gold effecting clean skin tone.

Post process, there are some excellent software available specifically for portrait photographs where skin blemishes can be rectified along with any skin anomalies.