Portraits and Self-portraits

Tips:

    Looking off camera:
Have your subject focus their attention on something unseen and outside the field of view of your camera. This can create a feeling of candidness and also create a little intrigue and interest as the viewer of the shot wonders what they are looking at. This intrigue is particularly drawn about when the subject is showing some kind of emotion (ie ‘what’s making them laugh?’ or ‘what is making them look surprised?’). Just be aware that when you have a subject looking out of frame that you can also draw the eye of the viewer of the shot to the edge of the image also – taking them away from the point of interest in your shot – the subject.

   Play with Backgrounds:
The person in your portrait is the main point of interest – however sometimes when you place them into different contexts with different backgrounds you can dramatically alter the mood in a shot. Sometimes you want your background to be as minimalistic as possible.

   Experiment with Lighting:
Another element of randomness that you can introduce to your portraits is the way that you light them. There are almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to using light in portraits. Side-lighting can create mood, backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.

Environmental Portrait

Has a different sense of culture and marketing.

Has a large and repetitive scenery/background to focus more on the person in front.

Photography Self-Portrait

Gives a deeper meaning with the added color on his face with the monochromatic background

"Headshot", includes a pun and a metaphor for the work of a photographer.

Casual Portrait

Applies the Rule of Thirds and blurs background to focus on the lady.

Why is he in the fruit aisle, taking a very professional photo, smoldering? That's for him to know.

I will be shooting my mom for the photos, most likely by a park but hopefully downtown with the public. If with public, I will blur the background to focus on her, if with nature, I'll brighten the photo and have her do a pose if possible. I will include a side portrait of her looking at the distance, possibly with a prop, lowering the aperture and raising the aperture right before it begins to look grainy. And another with her looking busy, casual state, or relaxing.