The best portraits come from photos that have these characteristics:

-The person(s) take up most of the photo

-There is both light and shadow within the face of the subject. You want really dark darks and really light lights on the face to create contrast.

-Pick a photo that you like. Don’t worry if it is not a ‘formal’ pose, sometimes the informal poses make for the most interesting portraits!

Other portrait ideas:

-Hands

-Feet

-Family pets