There is nothing more distinctively human than our faces. They show the world who we are. People are, by far, the most popular subject for photography. There are three basic categories of portrait photography: formal, environmental and candid.
Formal Portrait: A portrait that emphasizes only the subject and de-emphasizes the setting.
Candid Portrait: An imposed portrait of a person going about his or her daily life.
Environmental Portrait: A posed, or un-posed, portrait which emphasizes the subject’s surroundings in an effort to convey information about the subject to the viewer.
FORMAL PORTRAITS
The formal portrait is the simplest portrait style and should emphasize the person and nothing else. To do this, place the person in front of a neutral background. Formal portraits can be anything from a close-up of the face to a full-length view of a person.
How does tight framing and simple background make us confront the people in these photographs? How does lighting accentuate the subject's face? What is the difference in mood that is created when the subject is not looking directly into the lens?
CANDID PORTRAITS
Candid portraits capture a person going about everyday life and activities and are more effective if the person is completely natural. In most candid portraits, the subject’s eyes are not looking toward the camera.
How would the portraits be different if the subject were looking at the camera and, therefore, the viewer? What are some ethical practices that need to be considered when taking candid portraits?
ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS
The environmental portrait uses a subject’s surroundings to help tell that person’s story. This type of portrait is a combination of a formal portrait and photojournalism. While the subject is still the most important element in the image, the background helps to provide additional details to the story the image tells about the subject.
What can you tell about the subject based on the photograph? Why is it important to get close to your subjects for a successful environmental portrait? How can you make sure the the environment and background doesn't distract from the subject?
FACELESS PORTRAITS
There are times when the face of a subject doesn't need to be included to create a strong photograph, this is called a faceless portrait.
How does the photograph tell a story about the subject without including their face?
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
Experiment with portrait photography. Shoot a variety of subjects and styles (formal, candid, environmental, faceless). You will be turning in your top 4 images including one of each category.