Best camera settings for portraits: aperture, shutter speed and ISO
There is no single perfect portrait setting. The right combination depends on how much background blur you want, how much your subject is moving and how much light you have. A useful portrait recipe starts with the visual result, not a memorised number.
Start with aperture if background separation matters
Wide apertures such as f/1.8, f/2 or f/2.8 can help isolate a face from the background. If you are photographing more than one person, or working very close to the subject, you may need to stop down so that everyone remains acceptably sharp.
Keep shutter speed high enough for people
Even a subject who appears still makes small movements. A shutter speed that is technically hand-holdable can still be too slow for a person. If you notice soft eyes or inconsistent sharpness, increase shutter speed before assuming the lens or autofocus is at fault.
Use ISO as the practical compromise
Once aperture and shutter speed are where you need them, raise ISO enough to achieve a usable exposure. A slightly noisier sharp portrait is usually more useful than a cleaner image blurred by subject movement.
Do not ignore the background and the light
Settings alone do not make a portrait. Move the subject away from distracting backgrounds, watch the direction of the light and check whether bright areas are pulling attention away from the face. Composition and light often make a bigger difference than a one-stop change in exposure.
A starting recipe, not a rule
For a single-person portrait in soft daylight, you might begin around a wide-to-moderate aperture, a shutter speed comfortably fast enough for the person, and Auto ISO or a manually selected ISO that gives the required exposure. Then adjust based on depth of field and movement.
Get settings for the portrait you actually want
Photo Coach can generate a practical shooting recipe from the scene you describe. The Camera Settings page explains how the app turns your intention into ISO, aperture and shutter-speed suggestions rather than giving everyone the same generic preset.
After the shoot, use the AI photo critique to check whether sharpness, light and composition supported the portrait you were trying to make.