2. Introduction
Portrait photography has been around as long as the first camera.
A portrait normally consists of the bust of an individual, but can
also be a full body image as well.
3. Bust Composition:
A “good” Portrait consists of the following elements:
I. Striking a “relatable” pose. The viewer must see something in the
expression of the body in which they feel they can relate to.
II. Expression – when taking pictures of people we often look for
the expression of the subject, trying to get an overall feel for the
image.
III. Composition – where is the focus on the subject? If emotive the
focus should lean more towards the face and eyes.
4. Examples:
Here are two examples; one of a good “bust” photo, and another
taken by an amateur photographer.
Above: Good portrait; the scene is lit, position is not what Above: Although expressive scene is fairly dark, not much
would normally be expected and expression is clear and contrast and not much to grab attention. Subject appears
crisp. blurry.
5. Full Body Portraits:
Full body portraits allow for more physical expression, and are
often used for magazine ads and model agencies. The same
components for bust portraits apply, but with more focus on pose
and expression.
Note : the image below would look
much nicer had the leg not been
cropped out of the photo.
6. Critique:
Below are some examples of portrait photography – can you spot
the difference between a “pro” and “amateur” picture?
7. Answer:
The very last photo (bottom right). That was a photo taken by
myself, so it should be pretty apparent that it wasn’t done
professionally.