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What makes a
good portrait?
Photographing people is the most common and, in many
ways, the most challenging task for photographers.
We all know a good picture when we see one but what
is it that makes the good ones stand out? Is it because
it is an especially good likeness? A photograph will
always be a true likeness, even when we think it isn't.
How many times have you heard someone say "that
doesn't look like me/you at all"? How can that
be when we are using a camera?
The problem is that we are used to seeing people
moving around, at least their faces, and in some kind
of context, doing something or talking to us. We very
rarely see people completely motionless, except perhaps
when they are asleep, so a single frozen moment in
time can seem totally unrepresentative, it can, only
too easily, capture a moment when they are in a pose
that we have never noticed before.
So what makes a good portrait of someone is that
it should say something about that person that we
feel is true. A good portrait sums up the character
of the person or at least an aspect of their character.
You don't know the girl on the left but, looking at
her photo, you have made some judgements about her
and you have made some decisions about her character.
The pose, viewpoint, direction and quality of lighting,
choice of lens, choice of background and the cropping
of a picture can all contribute to the mood of the
photograph and therefore what you are saying about
that person.
A good portrait is a picture that
says something about the person, gives you an insight
into the person's character, whether this is make
believe or not.
The most important item in the list above, by far,
is the pose. Capturing the right moment is crucial
and, with that in mind, it is important to take as
many shots as you can. Each one will be slightly different,
as you take pictures you will think up new ideas,
the whole thing is an evolving process. I took about
fifty shots to get this one, the others are nice,
most of them, but this one stood out as being the
best. There is no excuse now that we have digital
cameras, the cost of taking extra shots is nothing.
How do I know when to stop? I know the session is
over when I catch myself taking the same picture again
and again, or we just run out of time. |
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The picture above was taken in the studio where
I can control the lighting carefully and ensure that
the shadows fall exactly where I want them. I'll be
giving you some tips on light placement on page 2.
This little fellow on the right on the other hand
was shot outside in the playground. I only actually
got two shots of this guy so I consider myself quite
lucky to get a pose as good as this. Once again, when
you look at the picture, you immediately start to
read his personality. The shot is a very natural pose.
You could not tell him to do that and expect the same
degree of success. Which brings me to one of the most
important tips for successful portraiture.
You must be ready for the action
and work very quickly, seize the moment.
People, especially children, get bored very quickly.
If you start fiddling with your camera telling them
to hold on a minute you will never get good pictures.
The most important part of the picture is the expression
on the face. When you see that expression you must
be ready to instantly capture it, everything else,
the lighting, the background, the composition must
be ready. Facial expressions, at least the good ones,
are very fleeting things. If you ask someone to smile
and you leave them holding that smile for even a second
it will look very, very false. |
When taking pictures of children I
like to use a long lens and blend into the background.
After a while they forget you are there then you start
to get much more natural expressions. You need a lot
of patience to work this way, you must not keep stopping
them or trying to get them to turn in the direction
you want because you will break the mood. Just keep
watching be patient and be ready. Let the good stuff
happen when it will.
On page two I'll give you some tips on lighting,
cropping and the more practical 'nuts and bolts' aspects
of portraiture. These are obviously important too
but the most important part of the process is to set
out with a definite purpose in mind. My most successful
pictures are the ones that were planned carefully.
That doesn't mean getting out lots of gadgets, it
means thinking about what you want to do and making
sure you are in the right place at the right time.
There are flukes of course but the flukes are more
likely to happen if you plan ahead and are ready to
take advantage of them.
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