Composition Photo Workshop

Chapter 8. ARRANGING APPEALING PORTRAITS

A LITTLE HISTORY

FRAMING YOUR PHOTO

LIGHTING THE SCENE

COLOR VERSUS BLACK ANDWHITE

METERING THE SCENE

POSING

PHOTOGRAPHING KIDS

In this chapter, you learn how to take portraits that go beyond merely recording how your subject looks. You discover how to compose your portraits in such a way that the essence of your subject is conveyed. Specifically, you explore the basic ins and outs of portrait photography — that is, framing your photograph, lighting your subject, and working with your subjects. From there, you discover some key considerations for composing photographs of individuals (including kids), couples, and groups in such a way that the resulting image is pleasing and conveys your desired message.

A LITTLE HISTORY

In 2006, a French pensioner, spelunking in a Bordeaux cave, stumbled upon what many believe to be the oldest representation of a human face — or, put another way, the oldest portrait — ever discovered. Indeed, scientists estimate that the image — which was drawn with calcium carbonate and consists of two horizontal lines for eyes, a horizontal line for a mouth, and a vertical line for a nose — dates back some 27,000 years. In the ensuing millennia, the human form has inspired countless artists, resulting in portraits designed to depict a subject's basic appearance and, in some cases, to capture some aspect of the subject's personality.

This urge to render the human form contributed greatly to the success of the daguerreotype and, later, ...