1. WHAT’S A PORTRAIT?

A PORTRAIT, LITERALLY, is a visual portrayal of a person. A more appropriate question is: What are we portraying? Typically, we shoot a portrait to showcase something characteristic about a subject, such as their personality, a physical characteristic or quality, a portion of the subject’s narrative, or how others perceive them. Does this sound abstract? A bit heady? That may be because portraiture is a rather large topic, comprised of many concepts, techniques, and styles. Portraiture also has a vast history that extends much further back in time than photography, so humankind has a certain familiarity with portraiture due to its significance in society. From early paintings of monarchs to modern day photographic portraits, the portrait has remained a popular means of portraying a person to an audience. Portraiture is one of the most popular genres and industries within photography.

Defining something as big as portraiture can be rather daunting. A portrait is an intentional way of communicating your subject to an audience, whether that is an audience of one or of millions (Figure 1.1). Portraits are purposeful, both in their making and in their viewing.

One of the most compelling reasons to shoot portraits, and quite possibly the strongest argument for their existence, is their ability to connect people to each other (Figure 1.2). Portraits of political leaders or celebrities provide us a way to see people we’ve read or heard about, to relate to them more personally. For example, a portrait of a famous actor in their home garden might resonate well with fans that are also gardeners, and a portrait of the President of the United States with his family might relate extremely well to others that also have children. In both cases, the portraits help convey this very simple idea that the subjects—people that many of us will never have the opportunity to meet—are in many ways just like the rest of us. A more accessible example is photographing a graduating senior; the audience of family and friends will appreciate establishing a lasting connection with the subject by seeing them at that monumental moment in their life (Figure 1.3). All of this goes beyond the even more basic, primal connection we have with others through our eyes, which we’ll discuss later in the book.

This broad definition will grow in specificity in the third section of this chapter, but it is vital to have a foundational understanding of what portraits are and why they are important. To grow as a photographer, one must see a purpose—creative, strategic, or otherwise—in their images. To that end, you should always ask yourself as it relates, “Am I really shooting a portrait?” Are you creating an image that portrays personality, narrative, or both? Are all of the technical and aesthetic characteristics of the image working in conjunction with the subject to actually “say” something about them? If so, then I imagine you are on the right track.

1.1 Everything about this bridal portrait was planned from the moment I spoke with the bride-to-be. The clean lighting and lines correspond well with her personality and classic style.
ISO 400; 1/80 sec.; f/2.8; 115mm

1.2 Environmental portraits do a better job than other types of photographs at connecting subject and audience. Not only does it highlight a facet of the subject’s life, it also evokes relatability between subject and viewers.
ISO 200; 1/140 sec.; f/2; 23mm

1.3 Although a senior portrait might see a smaller audience than an environmental portrait published in National Geographic, it is nonetheless a popular way to represent an important aspect of the subject’s life to her and her family.
ISO 100; 1/640 sec.; f/3.5; 93mm