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Get creative with the human form
A portrait does not necessarily have to involve a ‘likeness’ of the subject, it may be that other parts of their body, or even other objects, can tell us something useful about them. Once freed from the constraint of including a face, the human body offers tremendous opportunities to create interesting and creative, even abstract, images using careful framing and lighting.
The secret to creating this type of image is the lighting. Only by very careful control of where the highlights and shadows fall is it possible to create such illusions and abstracts. It can be done with daylight, but the time required to achieve the perfect lighting means studio flash is a far better choice.
STILETTO
A step beyond portraiture, although this could be an interesting portrait of a shoe designer or someone with a passion for shoes. In this instance, the subject has arched her foot and placed her hand along the back of her leg to emulate the heel of a stiletto, while her thumb creates the impression of a strap. This image is not an original concept but was inspired by a similar image seen in a book. While original ideas are preferable, do not be put of trying to recreate an image you have seen, as you will learn much from trying to reproduce the original. This image was taken in a studio using a single softbox positioned at 90° to the camera, with the subject positioned on a black velvet backdrop.
Canon EOS-1DS, 70–200mm f/2.8 lens, 1/60 sec at f/6.3, ISO 100.