Portrait Photography
“A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound.” -
Charles Baudelaire
“Portraiture is a window to the soul”
Holding Virgina - Sally Mann
Portrait and People Photography Photographs that
clearly shows the expression of a human most likely to use their faces as main Focal Point.
Settings of Potrait Photography Settings and
scene can really add emotion to a portrait.
Settings tell us information about the people and their way of life.
Props in Portrait Photography Props help to give
the photographs a life and tell us more about the subject. Include props but don’t let them become the main focus of the portrait.
Lighting in Portrait Photography Make sure the lighting ADDS to the photograph
rather then subtracts. Lighting can make or break a photograph.
Shoot FROM the source of your light to fill in faces
Shoot in early morning or towards end of day for nice soft diffused light. Mid day light is way to harsh and high to effectively fill out facial features
Work/Life/Candid Don’t tell your subject to pose. Rather be
unobtrusive and photograph them doing what they do. A posing smiling person is not always the best.
Angle in Portrait Photography You can minimize
distractions in your photographs by switching up your angle.
Different angles can really change the mood and meaning of a photograph.
Types of Portraits
Candid PosedFormalCoupleEnvironmentalSportingChildrenGroup
When we speak of portrait photography in general terms there's a tendency to overlook the sub-categories. From the strictly formal to the candid street shot. Here is a range of the more common types of portrait photography.
Formal Communication between
photographer and the subject regarding clothing, location, style and mood
Sporting shows the subject with their uniform, equipment
in their sporting environment. The important factor is to let the equipment and
location tell part of the story.
Portrait Tips Choosing the Right Background Focus on the Eyes Lighting, Lighting and more Lighting Change the Format Framing Alter Your Perspective Experiment with Subject Expressions “Play” with focus Give Your Subject Space to Look Into Reflection & Shadow Movement Get serious
Lighting, Lighting and more Lighting Lighting is the most important element in any photo composition
and sets the mood, feeling and character of your photo.