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Portraits
Summary: Portraits in contemporary portrait photography must have impact. Creating photographic portraits of friends, family and clients that have impact and flair is a challenge. A portrait artist's personal style is a continuing work in progress. View a selection of portraits and read the stories and motivation behind them.
Vision is a personal thing. Taking an
alternative view of your subject can present a challenge and create
opportunities. Photographic portraits with impact are the result
of stepping away from the ordinary and challenging you ability to see
in a new light.
Portrait photographers,
documentary photographers and landscape photographers alike borrow from
each other's styles and techniques to produce unique images that impact
viewers.
Making it different
As you prepare to change your approach to portrait photography, ask
yourself "how can this photograph be different"? Should I lie
down and look up at the subject? Have the subject lie down?
Photograph particular aspects of the subject? Photograph details
like lips, hands, half of the face?
The answer to all of those questions is YES!!!!
Do
make the detail photographs, alter your perspective and experiment with
focal lengths, lenses and lighting. Your efforts will fail more
often than they succeed. However, in the success comes the
excitement for you and ultimately the viewers of your work.  | | The rich texture and detail of the face and hand of a descendant of slaves offered a glimpse into the storied life of a true survivor. |
Define your subject
Talk with you subjects and even those who know them and use that
information you have learned or already know to plan an approach for a
portrait session. A portrait photographer, once assigned to
capture the personality and character of a descendant of slaves, noted
that it was nearly impossible to capture all aspects of the subject in
one photograph (RIGHT). However, the weathered hands and rich facial
characteristics, punctuated by twinkling eyes made the photo all the
better.
Conversely, a photograph taken
decades ago (LOWER RIGHT) of a young child frolicking in the spray of a
garden hose has little detail in the face. However, the
combination of unpredictable elements like water, motion and childhood
enthusiam created a photo with impact.  | | The combination of water, motion, slow shutter speed and a high contrast print captures a timeless moment now decades ago. |
See for yourself
Movie buffs might recall a scene from the movie Dead Poet’s Society
starring Robin Williams as a teacher who demanded that his students
stand on top of their desks to give them a different perspective on
things.
In a literal sense, that is what you,
as a photographer, must do. But you have many more alternatives
than just high or low. You can change lenses and utilize the zoom
lens on your camera. You have time and ever changing light
sources available as a resource. Utilize color to your advantage
and experiment with black-and-white film or digital settings that
record on a monochrome mode.  | | A child's infatuation with the blossoms of an ornamental tree presented a unique photographic challenge. |
The photograph of a young child and her infatuation with the blossoms
of an ornamental tree provided a challenge and an opportunity (RIGHT).
Faced with many options the photographer decided to place the youngster
in the tree.
Using a wide angle lens
and blowing on that lens to create a bit of fog, the photograph began
to shoot away. As the fog cleared the highlights of the photo
appeared to have a softened glow in the shirt and face area.
Lighting effects and a little conversation
Using directional lighting to create areas of shadow and light, a
photographer was assigned to photograph Marvin Lewis, a first-year head
coach in the NFL.
Lewis was a bit camera shy but a willing subject. The photographer began  | | A simple two light setup captured Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis set to emerge from the shadows in his first year. |
talking with the coach and even put the camera down for a period of time when Lewis revealed that his uncle was a photographer.
Lewis (RIGHT) went on to detail his appreciation for the craft and that
his uncle was Matthew Lewis, a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for
photography at the Washington Post newspaper.
The photographer was an admirer of the elder Lewis and the conversation
continued for a while longer. When the portrait session resumed, a more
relaxed Lewis projected his personality more easily and picked up on
the cues and posing prompts for a successful photo.
A toast to creative thinking
In the profession of photography there are times when you simply can't
use the background to add depth and context to a portrait. Working with
art directors and designers, many photos are pre-planned and don't
require much thinking.
Still, the creative
urge to project professional input into a situation can result in a
simple addition of an element into a photo that gives it a finished
appearance.
 | | A colorful accent placed on the floor, in combination with a white background, anchored an Oktoberfest celebrant. |
A case in point is the photo of an Oktoberfest celebrant dressed in authentic clothing and hoisting a stein of beer (RIGHT).
Shooting the portrait on a white seamless background, the subject
appeared to be floating in the air. Art direction called for a clean
white background, but the addition of a triangular shape of colored
posterboard provided a visual anchor for the subject.
It was a small, but important, addition that satisfied the
photographer's need for creative input into a static situation.
Keys to success:
- Step away from the ordinary
- Make it different
- Photograph details
- Manage your alternatives
A good first step to adding impact to your photographic style is to train your eye to see the
alternatives available and use them to your advantage.
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Good photographs begin with good light. In the digital photography world, the quality of light corresponds to the quality of the photograph. The dramatic light of the early morning and late afternoon can raise the quality of your images. In poorly lit situations use supplemental lighting from the camera's flash in the fill-flash mode.
• more tips & tricks
Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
Dear PS,
Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
On the cheap in Oregon
Dear On the cheap,
Yes! If you plan to take creative steps in dealing with your images, photoshop and the lastest Creative Suite 2 are simply the best and most efficients image handling programs available. Is it "worth it" to you, that depends on what you hope to achieve with your images. I would suggest the Elements version of photoshop as an entry level position. Better yet, check a local computer store or even the Apple Store an invest a little time in attending a couple of their tutorial classes for a "test drive" of the program. Then you'll be better informed before you spend your money.
Thanks for your question,
Michael at PS
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 Michael E. Keating is an award winning portrait photographer...
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