portrait pics

[JUJU316]

hi I have a cannon power shot sx530 and I wanted to know what was the best setting for outside portrait pics I would like to take pictures of my kids 

[Waddizzle]

No one can really tell you that, simply because there is no way to predict how much light you will have.  

There is no way to know what you have in mind when it comes to portraits.  Head shots?  Full body shots?  Something in between?  Kids in action shots?  Will people be posing for a group photo?

Even if we knew the answers to all of those questions, there is still the hanging chad known as focal length.  How much background blur are you looking for?  No one can really you how to set your camera.

Just go for it.  Trial and error is the best teacher.

[newsense52]

At func/set select L size and ratio of 4:3

Try Auto mode, P mode  and Aperture mode whichever is your type for practice in vertical camera position.

The best is have one sample of photo printed and see the difference to select the best result.

[BurnUnit]

At the very least, try shooting slightly zoomed-in instead of at the wide-angle end of your focal length. Your subject will appear less distorted than they will if you move in too close at a wider angle setting. A bit of zooming in will also help reduce background clutter. You might even try the camera's automatic Portrait Mode setting. If you're feeling a bit brave switch the camera to AV mode and set the aperture as large as you can (lower f-number). This will reduce depth of field and allow you to focus on your subject and hopefully blur out the background a bit.

For outdoor shots try to avoid shooting in direct sunlight. Try to find an area of open shade or shoot with a bit of cloud cover to provide more flattering, natural looking lighting.