Just whatever you do, don’t use digital zoom. Try it without Portrait Mode Most modern smartphones have a “Portrait Mode” that will try and blur the background in your photos.

For this challenge, any outdoor scene is a good one as long as it’s a setting for a portrait. Record photographer Clifford Oto has photographed Stockton and San Joaquin County for more than 36 ...

The best photography backdrops or backgrounds help elevate your shoot to mimic a more professional setting, and are great for taking portraits, still-life or product photos too. Here’s what to ...

The photog gurus at weblog Digital Photography School offer up 13 tips for improving your outdoor portraits, several of which explain how to best take advantage of whatever lighting conditions you ...