PhotographyPeople and Portraits by Jordan Dube

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.

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.

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 would normally be expected and

expression is clear and crisp.

Above: Although expressive scene is fairly dark, not much contrast and not much to grab

attention. Subject appears blurry.

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.

Critique: Below are some examples of portrait photography –

can you spot the difference between a “pro” and “amateur” picture?

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.

Thanks for Viewing: