The Ultimate Guide to Portrait Photography for Beginners
Portrait photography is one of the most beautiful branches of photography. It allows us to capture people in different instances, conveying their uniqueness in both staged and candid situations.
In this article, I will present a few beginner tips for getting started with portraiture, and delve into the different portrait styles. My goal is to help you make the first step in your portrait photography journey.
Without further ado, let’s talk portrait photography!
What is Portrait Photography?
It may seem like an obvious answer, but it’s still important to define concepts when you start to learn about them!
A portrait is a photograph of a person or people taken in a portraiture style. The subject usually knows to sit in a certain spot since they are aware of the camera, but candid shots can also be portraits.
There is an artistic foundation to portraiture. The royal family and other notable people's pictures were often commissioned by artists who would depict them in their finest attire and with their most treasured possessions. The invention of photography leveled the playing field for portraiture and turned it into a means of recording the passage of time from birth to death.
Portraits might feature people sitting, standing, or even engaged in motion. Portrait photographers can capture the full body, the top half of the body, or simply the head and shoulders.
6 Things to Consider When Taking Your First Portraits
When working on your portrait photography skills, take these important things into consideration:
1. The Subject
The subject is arguably the most important part of your photo; after all, they are what you want to capture. It’s good to start by taking portraits of people you know, such as family members or friends. This will ensure that the subject is more relaxed in front of the camera, thanks to your relationship.
The more relaxed both you and the subject are, the more successful you will be at taking great portrait photographs.
2. The Location
Your location will dictate other important aspects of your portrait photo such as the lighting and background. If you want to have more control over these, you can opt for an indoor photoshoot.
However, if you want to practice outdoor portrait photography, take into consideration how light will change throughout the day and what other background disturbances may occur.
3. Framing and Composition
Instead of centering the subject in the frame, you might use the “rule of thirds” to your advantage, i.e., place the person in the left or right third of a picture and leave the other two thirds more or less free. Keep an eye out for background distractions and experiment with different framing options until you find one you like. Collaborate with the subject to test out several positions and choose the best one.
4. Lighting
The quality of the lighting is crucial to the final product of any photograph. In good lighting, you should be able to capture great portrait photography; in poor lighting, you will have a much more difficult time doing so.
If natural light proves too tricky, then reflectors, LED Lights, or flash/studio lighting can help you get stunning portraits.
5. Focus
A lot happens when you focus on different things in photography, and you should know this applies to portrait photos as well. One thing that all portraits have in focus is the eyes – in fact, it can be almost unsettling to look at a picture with a person whose eyes are out of focus.
6. Editing
As any famous portrait photographer would probably tell you, people tend to forget that editing can be one of the most time-consuming parts of photography. It is also what can end up differentiating a good photographer from a great one.
When it comes to colors, a black-and-white portrait can have a more timeless or nostalgic feeling, while colored photography can tell a different, more vibrant story.
The Main Portrait Types
There are many ways in which a portrait can be captured, depending on the framing, location, subjects, and overall idea behind the photoshoot.
Traditional
Most people think of the traditional portraiture approach when they consider photography. The typical elements included in this kind of portrait photo are the shoulders and head. Studio photographs with a formal backdrop are common in this classic style.
Lifestyle
Capturing an individual or a group in a natural or relatable environment is the main focus of lifestyle portraits. In many cases, the subjects are shown going about their normal routines without any staging.
Lifestyle photographers typically avoid positioning their subjects when shooting this style of portrait. Photos taken in natural settings, such as a family's house, a restaurant, or any other social gathering, will convey more realism.
Environmental
The goal of environmental portraits is to freeze time in a setting that has personal significance for the subject. The spectator gains a sense of the subject's character through this kind of portraiture.
Both the setting and the posing skills play a big role in this kind of photography. Unlike lifestyle photography, environmental pictures are more formal. In most cases, the position and lighting are set by the photographer who is recording the scene.
Candid
In terms of portrait photography, it is likely the most authentic style. The reason behind this is that street and candid portraits are not staged.
No posing is necessary for this subgenre of photography. Those who work as street photographers frequently capture candid moments with random individuals they encounter while out and about.
Editorial
This is the type of portrait photography used in magazines and other media.
While the style may overlap with other types of portraiture, its final goal is to convey a story – either the story of the subject or a story related to an article. The styling and setting of these portraits matter immensely.
Fine Art
The method used in creating fine art portrait photography is highly creative. Both surreal and conceptual portraits fall under this style.
To capture portraits in this style, photographers need to tap into their inner artists.
Self-Portrait
Selfies have, in the last several years, cast a shadow on traditional self-portraiture. In contrast to the casual selfie, self-portrait photographers put a lot of thought into the setup and execution of the shot.
Surreal
A subgenre of fine art photography, surreal portraits are characterized by an ethereal quality reminiscent of dream photography. Some post-production work and the use of special effects are required to get the desired fantastical results.
Conceptual
A conceptual portrait is a picture that conveys the essence of a concept, similar to a photograph used as an illustration. Messages or abstract ideas are the intended targets of this style of portrait.
Final Thoughts
What stands between you and opening a portrait photography business is study and practice. These portrait photography tips are meant to be just the starting point to your journey into portraiture.
If you’re looking for some inspiration, don’t hesitate to check out my portfolio of black-and-white photography; you will find some portraits sprinkled in there. Have you ever taken portrait photos in any of the styles mentioned in this article? Tell me in the comments below!