Portrait photography

Physical likeness & character make a good portrait

Just about anyone who can aim a camera can make a portrait. It goes without saying that some do it better than others. Top portrait photographers do it all the time, reliably producing outstanding portraits with just about every subject they photograph.

Why is that?

What do they know and what do they do that makes their portraits special? The answer to both these questions is “quite a bit,” because there is lots to know about a lot of things in order to produce a great portrait.

Can you learn what they know, and do what they do?

We don’t see any reason why not, and the best way to start is by learning the basics and taking it one step at a time. You may not have the studio, the equipment and the technical resources that the best portrait photographers have, but you can still produce excellent portraits by following their basic techniques and by understanding what makes a good portrait.

WHAT IS A PORTRAIT?

A portrait is defined as a likeness of a person, especially of the person’s face. Simply that. But, the word in general use has deeper connotations. A photographic portrait is understood to be a good quality image that not only captures a person’s physical likeness on film or on a digital camera's sensor, but also something of the person’s character, generally in a manner that is attractive and pleasing to the subject.

CHARACTER REVELATION

A good portrait will contain at least one element that reveals the subject’s personality, attitude, unique mannerisms or any of the other features or traits that form the individual nature of the person. It will tell us something about the subject. You may have heard someone remark that a particular photographer “really captured” their father or child, for example, in a picture. They are referring in part to the image being a true physical likeness, but what they are really saying is that the image also reveals a significant, identifiable part of the subject’s character. The portrait photographer who has never previously met the subject therefore has quite a challenge.

HOW DO YOU DISCOVER CHARACTER TRAITS?

We all reveal our feelings and attitudes differently. Some of us may show our individual character with immediate transparency, while others may be more difficult to “read” at first. The portrait photographer must become proficient at studying people whom he or she doesn’t know in order to capture their essence. This means watching for signals in a subject’s mannerism, reactions, expressions, body language and so on, and then judging how best to have the subject’s character revealed for the camera.

This takes skill and an understanding of human nature. It almost always requires engaging the subject in conversation, and quickly finding a suitable topic that will grab her or his interest and evoke a reaction. Find common ground or a topic of particular interest to your subject, which can be a hobby, the latest news, a mutual acquaintance, or any number of topics. Building a rapport with the subject is important, whether a three-year-old child or a ninety-five-year old statesman, because it makes the subject more at ease in your presence, and therefore more-relaxed and natural-looking for the lens. You must take all possible steps to put a subject at ease in order for her or him to appear natural. Visit Character revelation for more information.

WHEN TO BEGIN TAKING PICTURES

Sometimes your best picture is your first picture, and sometimes it’s the last exposure you make. If the subject is in position, relatively-comfortable and you are ready to shoot, there is usually no reason not to begin right away.

Often just getting started is enough to cause a subject to settle down if they are uneasy or tense. You have to use your best judgement in every case. No portrait session should be rushed, but there is no sense taking up your subject’s time in idle chatter while you could be making exposures.

There is also no reason for your conversation to cease just because you have started shooting. If the session seems to be going well, tell your subject; it may provide added confidence that will show in their expression. Drawing a subject out by having them talk while you are taking pictures will often result in interesting and revealing expressions.

Subjects do not have to smile to make a good portrait. A serious or thoughtful expression can often be more revealing of character, and a better portrait.

OTHER POINTERS

There are many components to a good portrait, but the main component is control by the photographer. You must be in charge and must be looked upon by your subject as being competent and knowledgeable if your subject is to have any confidence in you.

This means you must be prepared in advance, not fumbling with film when the subject is ready to be photographed. It means you must be confident in yourself and exude that confidence throughout the session, and must be relaxed yourself if you expect your subject to become relaxed.

Keep in mind that it is the person who is emphasized in a portrait - not his or her surroundings. Viewers of the portrait should see more than just a recognizable photograph of someone. The picture must contain mood, show personality and character, allowing the viewer to draw conclusions about the person in the portrait.

SEND US YOUR TIPS

The information and pointers in this section of photographytips.com are intended to help you to gain the control you need, to be properly prepared and to function with confidence in order to make good portraits. We hope you find it useful.

We may have overlooked useful and valuable portrait photography information and hints that seem obvious to you, or you may have tips from your own experience that we haven’t contemplated here.

We invite you to send us your tips and pointers, preferably with a picture that illustrates them, to share with our viewers. If we use them on the website, we will be delighted to provide you with a credit as both the source of the tip and the photographer of the image.