Portrait Photography
What is Portrait Photography?
If you’re a social person and you love to capture the essence of people in real-life shoots, then portrait photography might be the discipline for you.
Unlike candid shoots, portrait photography sees your subject posed in front of a specific backdrop.
History of Portrait Photography
Portrait photography is one of the oldest photographic disciplines in the world, first arising thanks to the affordability of daguerreotypy in the 1840s. These early cameras had long exposure times, and as such, early subjects often look expressionless and are posed very simply. As photography advanced and cameras started to have shorter exposure times, it gave photographers more ability to experiment with poses, lighting, and costume.
Approaches to Portrait Photography
There are four key archetypes of portrait photography that are in use today:
Creative
Creative portrait photographs are staged shots where the photograph is manipulated to change the final output. This is what we commonly think of when we talk about portrait photography, as modern creative portrait photographers use programs like Photoshop to change the subject’s appearance or setting.
Candid
Candid portraits are taken of people in their natural environment and without their knowledge. While this can produce stunning images that showcase the subject’s personality, this use of photography has been widely condemned as the paparazzi have made it more exploitative and invasive for the subject.
Environmental
Environmental photography is a less invasive form of candid photography, where subjects are captured doing something that relates to them. These shots have been popular throughout history and as such photographs from this discipline are considered a vital source of historical information.
Constructionist
In a constructionist portrait, subjects are photographed working in a situation that pertains to a certain idea that the photographer wants to capture. These kinds of portraits are popular in technical environments, for marketing purposes, and in business.
See the latest portrait photography news, tips and tutorials in the articles below.
5 Do’s and Don’ts for Buying Lighting Gear
Stuck on which piece of equipment belongs in your kit or if you should save up for upcoming lighting gear? Read this before you splurge.
Simulate Window Light Photography with Off-Camera Flash
We're going to show you how to spice up an ordinary portrait using off-camera flash to simulate window light photography.
Elevate Your Wedding & Engagement Photography in 7 Steps | Foreground Elements & Special FX
In this article, we're going to look at different ways to use foreground elements and special effects to make the most of your location and boost visual interest in your photos
5 Things to Look for When Shooting Natural Light Portraits in Urban Locations
Here are five things to look for during your next urban, natural light portrait session.
Make Posing 10x Easier With This Tool | Together Cards Review
See how this posing resource from ShotKit could potentially level up your portraiture.
New “Pressure Cooker | Live Shooter Critique” Launches in SLR Lounge Premium – Free Preview
A primary challenge of online education is bridging the gap between watching videos and actually executing the concepts under real-life, ...
Tips for Photographing Your Own Children
I thought I would share some of the most common tips that I give to my students when they ask me for advice on photographing their own children. By the way, these tips apply to all types of cameras, so no need for a fancy expensive camera to apply these guiding principles!
Why Film Is Still Better Than Digital
Shooting film nowadays seems like a novelty reserved for grandparents and hipsters, but does it still hold its ground in a world where everything is digital?
Best Engagement Photography Locations in Portland, Oregon
We’ve had the joy of being based in Portland, Oregon since 2004. While we’ve photographed weddings and engagements all over ...
Engagement Photography Shootout: iPhone 11 Pro vs. Canon 5D Mark IV
The iPhone 11 Pro talks the talk, but can it walk the walk?
Nighttime Portraits With ONLY A Phone Flashlight
No flash? No problem. See how Pye uses just his phone flashlight and the Canon EOS R to create dramatic nighttime portraits! This is Episode 1 in our new series ... "Back to the Basics." Be sure to subscribe for more!
How To Say No Without Losing Portrait Clients
Good customer service is key in our industry. But sometimes it's hard to say no, even to ridiculous requests clients make. Here's my arsenal of communication tips for how to say no without necessarily losing clients or sounding like a jerk.
