The [AP] Blog

Hey Reader,

I’m sorry that as usual I haven’t been posting very much, well, that’s that, I don’t often get that much done, as I’m very busy. But I thought I’d throw together a quickie on Portraiture. It is probably one of my favourite subjects in photography, and I think, when done well, it is really interesting, and I have some tips that I’d love to share with you.

Aperture
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The use of aperture correctly in portraits is very important. Using a wide aperture, (small f/number), you can get very shallow depths of field which can throw the background out of focus and isolate your subject in the frame.

This may sound slightly confusing, but it really is very simple and makes probably the biggest difference. Here is an example:

Photo credit: Ricarda (her Photography)

For example, in this wonderful photograph, we have the subject clearly isolated from the background, and instead the background is a subtle and ‘un-distracting’ array of colour and light. This will have been done by using a wide aperture, and I feel this is the first rule in portraiture.

Subject Position
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This is an interesting subject, and can be more complex. I find more often than not, that I keep going back to the rule of thirds, (previous POST), and this provides me with interesting results all the time. You will mostly shoot portraits in ‘Portrait’ orientation, here meaning that the photo is taller than it is wide, although in certain circumstances, you can get very interesting photos from ‘landscape’ orientations, such as this photo:

Photo Credit: Doug Sparks (his Photography)

Here we can see an excellent photo utilising the abnormal ‘landscape’ orientation, but making it work, using the rule of thirds we have the off centre face, here providing an interesting view. Furthermore, we are shown part of the subject, his character, by being shown his clothing and his hand.

It is important I feel that within a portrait you reveal a persons character, this can be done in many ways, for example, using a persons habits, or an object that reflects their personality, this can be something such as headphones, or a computer, and if it is something that that person is rarely seen without, for example a cigarette or a drink, then including that in the photograph can make it much more about that person, and not about the photo. This is important in a portrait, as the photo is not just a photo, it’s personal.

The Subject’s Actions
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Lastly I’ll cover what someone can be doing within a photography, or more importantly, a portrait. You can have very simple ‘Head and Shoulders’ portraits, not dandruff free, but of, literally, a persons head and shoulders. This is very simple, but works well and is often the most effective portrait. Here is an example:

Photo Credit: Didier (his Photography)

Here, using the simple head and shoulders routine, there is a wonderful photograph, that, for a portrait, is simple but effective, and more often than not, is what people want from a portrait.

Of course though, photography always begs to be different, and it is oh so easy to make something different, for example, a more action-ish portrait, that captures someone doing what they love, which is often what people want. For example:

Photo Credit: Maurice Flower (his Photography)

Here showing someone singing, this can be just as interesting to people, and maybe more, as we are shown what this person loves to do.

I hope that this guide has been an interesting insight into Portraiture, I hope you’re well, and have a happy Valentine’s day.

Charlie - Teenage Photographer