Portrait Tricks That Instantly Add Depth to Your Photos

Ever look at someone else’s portraits and think, Why do theirs feel so rich and cinematic while mine look a bit flat? The good news is that it usually has very little to do with expensive gear. More often, it comes down to a handful of thoughtful decisions you make before pressing the shutter.

In a recent YouTube video, portrait photographer Julia Trotti shares the techniques she relies on during her location shoots. From choosing the right focal length to using movement naturally, her approach is all about creating portraits with more depth, color, and emotion.

1. Match your focal length to the location

Trotti’s first tip is surprisingly practical: let the location decide your lens.

For her shoot in a garden filled with flowers and greenery, she reached for a 135mm lens because the background was relatively flat. A longer focal length compresses the scene, making the flowers appear closer together while creating beautiful separation between the subject and the background.

The result is a portrait that feels layered instead of cluttered.

This is a useful reminder that different environments benefit from different lenses. Wide lenses can showcase dramatic landscapes, while longer focal lengths are excellent for simplifying busy backgrounds and making subjects stand out.

2. Use color theory before the shoot even starts

Great portraits are often designed long before the camera comes out.

Trotti explains that she always scouts her locations first so she knows the dominant colors she will be working with. In this particular setting, the scene was filled with soft greens and warm yellow highlights, so she asked her model to bring light pastel clothing, including a pale blue dress that complemented the environment without blending into it.

Rather than choosing outfits randomly, think about creating harmony between your subject and the location. Small wardrobe choices can dramatically elevate the overall look of a portrait session.

3. Treat light as your creative tool

According to Trotti, lighting shapes the mood of your portraits more than almost anything else.

During the same shoot, she intentionally worked with two different natural light styles to create variety.

When the sun illuminated her model from the front, the portraits became bright, vibrant, and full of contrast. Later, she switched to backlighting, placing the sun behind her subject to create soft, glowing images with a dreamy atmosphere.

Instead of shooting an entire session under one lighting setup, she recommends mixing different lighting directions. It gives clients and photographers a more diverse gallery without changing locations.

The lesson is simple: do not chase perfect light. Learn how different light tells different stories.

4. Switch lenses to tell different stories

Even if you love one focal length, changing perspectives adds visual variety to a portrait collection.

Trotti paired a 135mm with a 50mm throughout the shoot. The longer lens delivered intimate close ups with creamy backgrounds, while the 50mm allowed her to step back and include more of the landscape, giving the portraits context and a stronger sense of place.

If you are building your lens kit over time, consider choosing lenses that complement each other rather than overlap. A portrait photographer with a 50mm may gain more creative flexibility from adding a telephoto lens instead of another standard focal length.

Of course, if you only own one lens, you can still create variety by changing your distance, composition, and framing.

5. Encourage movement instead of perfect poses

One of Trotti’s favorite ways to create authentic portraits is surprisingly simple: ask your subject to move.

Instead of worrying about every hand position or facial expression, she encourages models to walk, spin, run, adjust their hair, or simply shift their weight naturally. Movement breaks the stiffness that often appears during posed portraits and produces genuine expressions that feel much more spontaneous.

This approach also helps people who feel nervous in front of the camera. Giving them something to do keeps them engaged and makes the session feel more relaxed.

The best portraits often happen between poses rather than during them.

Better portraits come from better decisions

Julia Trotti’s workflow is a great reminder that portrait photography is rarely about chasing the newest camera. Choosing the right lens, planning colors, understanding natural light, varying your perspective, and encouraging movement can all make a noticeable difference in the final image.

The next time your portraits feel a little flat, try changing your approach before changing your gear. You might be surprised how much depth was already waiting in the scene.

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