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

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.

Candido un-posed andunplanned photo 

Posed Communication

between photographer and the subject about the body position and expression

Formal Communication between

photographer and the subject regarding clothing, location, style and mood

Couple Interpretation of a relationship

between two people

Hiroshima, August of 1945

Small Group Interpretation of a

common bond between members of a group

Environmental An environmental portrait shows the subject(s) in their own

territory.

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.

Children

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

Choosing the Right Background

Focus on the Eyes

“the eyes are the window to the soul”

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.

Change the Format Framing Mix your framing

Alter Your Perspective completely

change the angle that you shoot from

Experiment with Subject Expressions

Same shot+different focus=different story

(UN)Focus It adds

some mystery to the image

Give Your Subject Space to Look Into

Reflection & Shadow

Movement Use movement

to show action, even if it blurs out the subject entirely.

Get serious Not all

portraits need to have a smile, capture the serious emotions too

but not too serious….Take 35 self portrait photographs in order to create a contact sheet for next lesson , take into consideration how you can represent different aspects of your life and personality . The 35 frames do not have to be 35 different images – try different compositions and angles !

MOOD BOARD

BEN WATTS

DIANE ARBUS

THOMAS RUFF

CINDY SHERMAN

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

DAVID LACHAPELLE

Ben WattsDiane ArbusThomas Ruff

Cindy ShermanAnnie Leibovitz

David LaChapelle

Research one of the above photographers include :

•A brief history•2 portrait images•An analysis of one of the images – composition, lighting , colour , framing and your personal interpretation.