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Express a lifestyle

The environment and atmosphere of a portrait have a tremendous influence on the way we view the image, which makes it possible to represent a certain kind of lifestyle, be it health, business, country or urban. Keep all the visual clues subtle and have them blend naturally into the image. You can do this in a number of ways: the most obvious is to choose a setting that gives a strong representation of the lifestyle you wish to illustrate and combine this with subjects that fit in perfectly with their surroundings. The subject’s clothes, hairstyle and general appearance, including props such as spectacles or a briefcase, should all tie into the theme. You will find that it is possible to create any number of lifestyle portraits using the same model, simply by changing their clothing, surroundings and appearance.

A PICTURE OF HEALTH

Everything about this image suggests a picture of healthy living. The subject is attractive and looks healthy thanks to her flawless complexion and clean white smile. To emphasize her healthy lifestyle, she could have been photographed jogging or working out in a gym, but here she is shown enjoying a salad. The feel-good factor is enhanced by placing the scene outdoors to depict a warm summer’s day.

Canon EOS 10D, 28–70mm f/2.8 lens, 1/125 sec at f/4, ISO 100.