La portrait photography or artistic portrait is one of the most challenging disciplines in the world of photography. This typology has its roots in the ancient painting traditions, where the nobility and the bourgeoisie commissioned portraits from the most prestigious painters of the time that reflected their status and power.
However, since the invention of photography in the 19th century, the portrait has become one of the most common artistic manifestations. Throughout today's article we will discover What is portrait photography, what are its types and some practical tips to improve your photography technique.
What is portrait photography?
Portrait photography is a type of photographic genre which consists of the representation of the physical and/or moral qualities of a person or group of people. It is a complex discipline that seeksto convey emotions, impact the viewer and transmit the essence of the subject photographed.
Artists specializing in artistic portraiture play with different photographic elements such as light, colors, shots or composition to create a unique and distinctive style.
5 Practical Tips for Portrait Photography
If you want to specialize in artistic portraiture or improve your technique, it is very important that you know these practical tips that will significantly improve the quality of your photographs.
1. Know the subject you are going to photograph
To capture the essence of the subject and Capture your personality and emotions It is important that you spend time interacting with the person you are going to photograph. This will help you make technical decisions that will influence the final result.
2. Use light to your advantage
Light is one of the most influential elements in a portrait photograph. Therefore, it is important that play with different light sources to create the desired atmosphere and effect in your portrait.
3. Use different angles
When you are going to make an artistic portrait try different angles and points of view. This will allow you to experiment, find the desired effect and give a unique and distinctive touch to your portraits.
4. Take care of the background
The background of a portrait directly influences the viewer's perception. Therefore, it is important that you choose a neutral and inconspicuous background that helps to focus all attention on the subject.
5. Experiment
Experimentation is a key factor in this type of photography. When you take portraits,You play with lights, color, perspectives and backgrounds to generate different effects. Don't be afraid to challenge the norms and create your own photographic style.
Types of shots in artistic portraiture
One of the most influential elements in the artistic portrait It is the type of shot, as it determines the proximity of the subject to the camera and how their emotions, expressions and surroundings are perceived. Therefore, it is important that you know each one of them:
Detail plan
This shot focuses attention on a concrete element of the face such as the eyes or the mouth. It is widely used to capture expressive details of the subject or to enhance different features.
Foreground
This type of plan focuses only on the subject's face, leaving little room for the background. It is often used to highlight emotions and represent the subject's personality.
medium plane
This shot includes the subject from the head to the knees. It is one of the most used in portrait photography, as it allows the subject to be transmitted facial and body expression of the person.
American plane
The American plane covers from the subject's head to his kneesWithin the field of portrait photography it is less used, but it helps to show the environment and contextualize the subject within a scene.
General plane
shows to subject in its entirety next to the environment. This type of shot is used to represent and capture the relationship of the person with their environment.
Objectives for portrait photography
Choosing the right lens is essential to achieve the desired effect in a portrait. Here are some recommendations:
50mm (standard lens)
His perspective is close to what the human eye. It is the most commonly used lens for taking natural portraits that do not distort the subject's proportions or features.
85 mm
It is the most commonly used type of lens in artistic portraiture. It allows you to create an effect that gently blur the background, clearly separating the subject from its surroundings.
135 mm
It is the ideal lens for Closer and distortion-free portraits. It is the most suitable for photographing outdoors where you want to maintain a good distance from the subject.
Types of artistic portrait
It is important to know that there are different types of portrait photography, and that each of them requires a different technique and approach. We explain which are the most common in the professional field.
Classic portrait
This portrait focuses attention on highlight the features and the beauty of the subject, with traditional and standardized poses and more neutral backgrounds.
Environmental portrait
In this type of portrait the environment plays a fundamental role. It allows contextualize the subject in the environment or reflect the relationship of this with external elements such as pets, plants, works of art...
Conceptual portrait
This type of portrait plays with the different elements of the composition to convey a more abstract idea or concept. It usually uses different symbols or elements that are not directly related to the subject.
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