When I think of portraits my mind usually conjures up memories of sitting on an uncomfortable cloth covered box thing in front of a lighted umbrella at school having pictures taken that were never flattering...EVER. Are portraits more than fussy babies at the Sears photo studio? I should think so.
As I'm sure we can all figure out portraits are mostly staged photographs aimed at showing some aspect of a person's personality through their face. Gone are the days when you would have to site for hours as an artist painted your face (personally I think that's a shame but I digress). Nowadays portraits are associated with instant photography. We sit in front of cleverly painted backdrops to take portraits to display on the fire place mantle.
In the world of photojournalism the portrait is just another method employed to tell a story. There can be posed portraits, which as their name suggests has the subject posing. Posed portraits can incorporate props and specific backgrounds all of which add to the storytelling elements. The other type of portrait is the candid portrait which I am more fond of. This has the subject taking a photo without the use of elaborate settings, props, lighting, etc. It has more of a natural feel to it.
In the photojournalistic po
rtrait emotion can be conveyed not only through the face of the subject but through the lighting, angle, and even the background of the photograph. Portraits are interesting in that they can be centered around a theme. Called portrait collections these photographs can depict anything from burn victims, to amputees, to college age girls.
All this technical jargon is to say that portraits can go beyond uncomfortable school days and the long wait at Sears. They can become something that you look back and ask questions about. Who is this person? How did they feel? What are they thinking. All these are questions a good portrait should conjure up.
