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Aim for the back of the head

Photographing the back of someone’s head breaks most of the fundamental rules of portrait composition – particularly the one about including strong eye contact in the frame. But that’s not to say that you shouldn’t try it, as you can produce some very arresting results. The key is to find a subject who has a distinctive feature that makes them worth shooting from behind. This could be an interesting hairstyle or a tattoo – anything that allows the person to be identified even though you cannot see their face. This is not an approach that will work with every subject, but it is worth bearing in mind when appropriate.

PLAITS AND ROSES

This unusual portrait gives no clues as to the identity of the subject, but still manages to hold the interest of the viewer. It is a very high-key image due to the bright white background, light skin tones and white blouse; this works well as the light tones contrast with the red flowers in the hair, which gain additional emphasis. The hairstyle is key to the success of the shot, as the plaits create interesting patterns, while the hairline and tails hanging to the shoulders all lead the eye back to the flowers, which are the main focus of the image.

Canon EOS-1DS, 28–70mm f/2.8 lens, 1/250 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100.