If you are interested in venturing into photography as a profession, you may have heard about portrait photography. This is one of the most popular genres of photography you will ever come across and for a good reason.
Portrait photography involves a lot more than capturing photos of people or objects. This genre of photography is about capturing unique moments and preserving them for future generations.
Here is everything you need to know about portrait photography and the tools needed to capture great portraits.
Portrait Photography Definition
Portrait photography is best defined as a genre of photography that involves capturing the identity, personality, facial expression, soul, emotions, essence, and the overall inherent character of a subject within a photograph.
Portrait photography can also be an orientation of a photograph that is the opposite of landscape photography. This genre of photography utilizes flattering backgrounds, lighting, atmosphere, and poses to enhance the subject’s appearance and bring everything into life.
Even though the definition sounds straightforward, portrait photography is one of the most complex genres of photography a photographer can master. Professional photographers are expected to capture something natural to showcase the subject’s personality and emotions.
The biggest challenge here is that everyone has a unique personality. Therefore, if you want to capture your subjects’ true personalities, you have to use a different approach with every portrait you take. Failure to do this will result in hundreds of similar portraits that tell the same story.
Portrait photography serves the same purpose as portrait painting which was practiced many years ago by famous painters like Picasso, Van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer, and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Even though portrait photography requires less effort compared to portrait painting due to the technological advancements of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, capturing high-quality portraits is a skill that can take years to master.
Types of Portrait Photography
Even though there are different ways photographers can capture portrait photographs, the goal is always the same– capturing the subject’s personality. The following are some of the most common types of portrait photography:
Traditional portrait photography
This type of portrait photography is very common. It captures the subject looking directly at the camera and posing for the photograph.
Traditional portrait photography focuses on the subject’s face, emotion, and expressions. As a result, a traditional portrait photograph will include the subject’s head and shoulders. Traditional portraits are usually captured inside a professional studio with a formal setup to help the subject look their best.
The subject can showcase different poses during a traditional photography session to generate the best portrait possible. This type of portrait photography has been around for many years. It is still popular because it involves posing in a studio with the help of a prepared background and gentle lighting that most people find flattering. A good example of a traditional portrait is a senior yearbook portrait.
Lifestyle portrait photography
Even though the key bits are similar, lifestyle portrait photography is different from traditional portrait photography. In lifestyle portrait photography, subjects are usually captured in an everyday environment doing regular things.
For lifestyle portraits, the photographer does not need to position the subjects. However, they can direct the subjects. For instance, a photographer can ask kids to share a pizza as they capture the photos.
Instead of using a professional studio, subjects in lifestyle portraits are captured in a familiar environment, such as their working station. This is because lifestyle portraits are supposed to be spontaneous, reflect authenticity and resemble real life. It explains why most lifestyle portraits are captured in homes, schools, parks, and other social settings.
Environmental portrait photography
In this type of portrait photography, the environment is just as important as the subject in the photograph.
Environmental portraits are usually captured in an environment that means something to the subject. This gives the viewer a much-needed insight into the subject’s personality. A photographer can take an environmental portrait inside an office, garden, music studio, home, kitchen, shop, gym, ballet studio, classroom, or den.
Even though the location is important in environmental portrait photography, the photographer may still ask the subject to pose in a specific way. Environmental photography may also involve some lighting and background set up to enhance the appearance of the final portrait.
Glamour and boudoir portrait photography
Glamour and boudoir portraits usually focus on the subject’s beauty rather than their clothes or environment. Most of the time, these portraits showcase the subject’s confidence and sex appeal to impress. Both types of portrait photography involve a lot of planning, plus professional makeup artists and hair stylists.
Sometimes glamour portrait photography is used for fashion purposes, but the emphasis will remain on the subject. The most significant difference between glamour and boudoir portrait photography is that the latter takes place in private settings and involves sexual poses. The subject in a boudoir portrait can be in lingerie or completely nude.
Street and candid portrait photography
Street and candid photography is one of the purest forms of portrait photography since it is unplanned. This type of portrait photography focuses on capturing people on the street and does not require posing techniques or direction. Most of the time, photographers specializing in street and candid photography capture spontaneous photos of strangers or people they have met on the street.
Street photographers are usually inspired by the position the subject is naturally taking. It is worth noting that the environment, lighting, and other aspects create the ideal candid portrait. It is common for some photographers to use various posing techniques to capture great candid photos.
Fine art portrait photography
For many years, photographers globally have argued about what makes a photo fine art. However, most photographers agree that fine art is any photo that one would consider hanging in an art expedition or gallery.
Fine art portrait photography mainly takes an artistic approach compared to other forms of portrait photography. Renaissance paintings have inspired most fine art portraits that exist in the world today.
To create the ideal nuanced art portrait, a photographer needs to use props and photo editing software. A hairstylist and makeup artist may also be involved in the session to enhance the subject’s appearance.
As a photographer, if you are interested in venturing into this form of portrait photography, you should be ready to get in touch with your creative side.
Self-portrait photography
A self-portrait does not always have to involve taking a quick selfie with your smartphone. If a self-portrait is taken the right way, it can look professional, appealing, and dignified. Self-portrait photography involves extensive planning and insight since you will be taking a photo of yourself.
Note that it can be challenging for photographers to maintain their composure while taking self-portraits. This is why experts recommend using a tripod and remote shutter release to make your work easier and realize the best results.
The Best Cameras for Portrait Photography
People can use any camera to take a portrait, even a phone. However, you need a DSLR or mirrorless camera that will offer you functional manual settings such as ISO, aperture, and shutter speed for the best results.
You also need a camera that will allow you to use some of the high-quality portrait lenses on the market today. The best cameras for portrait photography include::
Canon EOS 5D Mark Ⅳ
Canon 6D Mark Ⅱ
Canon EOS R5
Nikon D850
Sony Cybershot DSC-RX1R Ⅱ
Panasonic DMC-LX100
Sony Alpha A7R Ⅳ
Sony a6600
Fujifilm GFX 50R
Fujifilm X-T4
Nikon D7500
Sony A9 Ⅱ
Canon 90D
Panasonic Lumix G9
Fujifilm X-T200
The Best Lenses for Portrait Photography
Even though you are not strictly limited to using it, most photographers consider an 85mm prime lens the ideal choice for all things portrait photography.
This prime lens allows the photographer a comfortable working distance between them and the subject. This distance is enough for you to keep capturing the photos while giving directions to your subject.
The best thing about an 85mm prime lens is that it will never distort your subject or even the background like a wide-angle lens. The following are some of the best 85mm portrait lenses you can find in the market today:
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8L USM
Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Nikon 85mm f/1.4
Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 Di VC USD
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Sony FE 85mm f/1.4GM
Sony FE 85mm f/1.8
Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM
The Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
The following are some of the settings you can use to capture high-quality images of your subjects:
Use single-point autofocus.
Use a wide aperture.
If you are shooting a group of people, ensure that you keep all of them in the same plane of focus.
Use a fast shutter speed.
Summing Up
Portrait photography involves a lot more than capturing a subject. You have to ensure that you capture the subject’s personality and let the portrait tell a story in a way that will draw in the viewer and intrigue them.
