If you want to express yourself through photography, you’re not alone. Countless thousands of people use cameras to capture truth, action, and mood in the subjects they photograph.
To be one of the great portrait photographers, you will take pictures of many people–but it’s a lot more intimate and nuanced than simply pointing the camera and pressing “click.”
New technology, like smartphone cameras and advanced software, has transformed both the art and the business of taking pictures for a living. No longer must a photographer have access to a dark room or the esoteric understandings of the inner workings of the photographic process. However, a photographer hoping to distinguish his or herself must still possess a keen eye.
If you hope to make a name for yourself as a portrait photographer, or you’re simply interested in learning more about the craft that speaks to you, then the best place to start is by looking at those portrait photographers who have come before you.
WHAT ARE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS?
While many professional photographers wouldn’t classify themselves as portrait photographers, some of the greatest artists in the world have dabbled in selling portraits to make ends meet. Some photographers prefer to work exclusively in portraiture and pay their bills doing nothing else.
To be a portrait photographer, you need to have a working knowledge of your camera and, unless you’re a purist who insists on film, the editing software you’ll be required to use. But to be a great portrait photographer, you must also develop an “eye,” a way of looking at your subject and seeing something that surprises your audience, and maybe even your subject too.
JOB ROLES AND DUTIES
Maybe you’re interested in becoming a better wedding photographer or to distinguish yourself as a visual artist whose work hangs in museums or appears in magazines like so many of those listed below.
Whatever it’s important that you use the technology available, but never allow it to become a crutch. Color correction software can make an even an ordinary photo explode with vibrancy. That said, an ordinary photo is still an ordinary photo.
The crux of any great photo is the photographer’s ability to capture something honest about their subject, even if the composition is stylized and otherworldly. Consider what you want for your subject to convey with their expression. Better yet, take in all the expressions that your subject is presenting you.
MAKE A CONNECTION WITH YOUR SUBJECT
You need to communicate with your subject first if you ever hope to communicate something meaningful to your audience. You should instruct your subject in how to move, how to bend, but also give them opportunities to open them up to spontaneous reactions.
Try telling stories, jokes, or give emotional cues to your subject to elicit a reaction.
Consider what your subject is feeling when they’re being photographed. They realize they’re being watched, and so, naturally, they feel uncomfortable.
To help them overcome this, give them lots of encouragement. If the subject is self-conscious, hand-pick some of the best photos you have so far and share it with them to boost their confidence.
CONSIDER THE COMPOSITION
You also need to consider the other visual elements in your photo. This includes what’s in the background, but it might also include objects in the foreground. What you choose to shoot, and how you choose to shoot it have just as much to do with portrait photography as any other kind. Take, for example, the portrait of a young Leonardo DiCaprio with a swan draped around his neck.
When you select the background to shoot your subject against, consider how it complements the subject’s look. Do they blend into the background? Do they clash with it? What do you want to set against your subject? Bright primary colors? Gritty urban decay? Consider the mood that you’re hoping to bring the audience, and this will help you decide on your background.
PLAY WITH LIGHT AND TEXTURE
Is there a dark alley near your studio or around the corner? What about a grassy field that comes alive at the golden hour? There are all kinds of hidden settings you can toss your subject into, like maybe a diving pool, for example. Even someplace innocuous can become dramatic at sundown or inspiring at sunrise
FAMOUS PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Among the most famous portrait photographers ever, Leibovitz began her illustrious 40-year career as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine.
She’s shot some of the most famous faces in the world, including Mick Jagger and John Lennon. Her style is understated, capturing the essence of a subject using simple compositions.
RYAN MUIRHEAD
He chooses to work exclusively on film rather than digital. He considers the connection he has with the subject to the crucial part of capturing a meaningful portrait.
The images he renders are haunting and a little ethereal.
ZHANG JINGHA
Strikingly similar to painted portraits, Zhang’s ornate style of composition immediately sets her apart.
Featured in fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle, she’s also famous in galleries the world over, including Paris, Milan, and Hong Kong.
EDWARD S. CURTIS
One of the first prominent portrait artists in the world, Curtis captured Native Americans with a complexity and depth which was largely unknown in the late 19th Century.
HELEN WARNER
Warner is a storyteller using the medium of a single image. Her Irish background is the inspiration for much of her work. Her work is a blend of emotion and fantasy.
OLIVER CHARLES
Frightening, sometimes off-putting and yet also strangely compelling, Oliver Charles is one of the most unique contemporary photographers.
His work is surreal and dark, but deeply moving.
ADAM BIRD
Discovering a passion for photography in 2012, Bird is inspired by nature and the folklore of the English countryside.
A native of Birmingham England, Bird, has been categorized as a surrealist photographer.
ANGUS MCBEAN
Snapping photos of some of the most iconic celebrities of Old Hollywood and the mid-twentieth century.
His subjects include the likes of Audrey Hepburn and the Beatles.
JAMES FICKLING
You’ve probably seen this artist’s portrait work and but never recognized it. Fickling is responsible for a great deal of the promotional work of high-end brands like Jimmy Choo.
LISELOTTE FLEUR
Marrying her loves of portraiture and fashion, Fleur is known for using people and brands to tell a story and communicate the feelings behind the product.
CHARLOTTE GRIMM
Starting first in painting and sketching, Grimm discovered the power that photography held to capture a single moment in time.
Her work is at times grim, but it’s also full of deep hunger and longing.
BERTA VINCENTE
Taking photos from the tender age of 14 in her native Spain, Vincente’s work now hangs not only in Barcelona but in Paris and London too.
DOROTHEA LANGE
You’re probably most familiar with Lange’s of a haggard, despondent mother from the Dust Bowl era looking onto the horizon without hope.
Lange’s Depression-era portraits are still the defining record that many associates with that time in American history.
YOUSUF KARSH
Making an indelible impression on the world for photographing some of the 20th Century’s most famous faces, Karsh captured images of Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill which are so iconic today that many are inseparable from their subject in the minds of most contemporary people.
PHILIPPE HALSMAN
If you’ve ever tried to picture Salvador Dali, the image that your mind conjures is almost certainly based on the one-shot by Halsman of Dali with his mustache turned up.
He also photographed celebrities like Marlon Brando.
ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL
Capturing the grit and brutal poverty but also the subtle beauty of his native Czechoslovakia, Kratochvil is known for his gripping portraits of the children caught in the crossfire of war in Eastern Europe.
EMILY SOTO
Seeking to capture the beauty and romance of her subjects, this New-York-based artist is prominent for the singular emotion she captures with her work.
MAT SMITH
If portraiture means looking into the face of a subject, Smith seeks to find what that face is hiding.
His work pierces the artifice and discovers those tiny details which defy easy interpretation.
LIAM RIMMINGTON
Radiating with a warmth and lightness, Rimmington uses the composition to create visual harmony between the subject and the rest of the setting.
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RICHARD AVEDON
Choosing to work in black and white, Avedon is synonymous with fashion photography.
The pop artist Andy Warhol, a photographer himself, chose Avedon to shoot his self-portrait. His style is still influential to this day.
You need to communicate with your subject first if you ever hope to communicate something meaningful to your audience. You should instruct your subject in how to move, how to bend, but also give them opportunities to open them up to spontaneous reactions.
Try telling stories, jokes, or give emotional cues to your subject to elicit a reaction.
Consider what your subject is feeling when they’re being photographed. They realize they’re being watched, and so, naturally, they feel uncomfortable.
To help them overcome this, give them lots of encouragement. If the subject is self-conscious, hand-pick some of the best photos you have so far and share it with them to boost their confidence.
Conclusion
Just like with any art form, it can time and self-reflection to discover your voice and create a portrait that’s visually gripping. Now you’ve got a few examples you can follow, and maybe even some new idols you’ve just discovered, you’re now prepared to go out and uncover something unique.
The choices you make in capturing a subject are what will get your work appreciated and allow you to stand out in the world of portrait photographers. Start small and cover the basics first. Have you remembered to take the lens cap off? Good. Then, shoot away.
Featured Image: CCO Public Domain via Pixnio
