Environmental Portraiture: Tell Your Subject’s Story and Create Dynamic Portraits with One Bag of Gear

Color

Color can be a great eye-catcher. But it’s tricky to capture it well in offices with no natural light that feature overhead fluorescent lighting and cubicles as far as the eye can see. What do you photograph in this situation? If there is a strong color (someone decided long ago to spice up the workspace with green walls, for example) you can use it to your advantage by placing the subject in the middle of the wall with little else in the photo (removing distractions such as plants and desks in order to keep the attention where you what it). The color will grab the viewer’s attention, and the subject will keep it. This is a simple way to make use of what could be a challenging situation.

There wasn’t much to photograph in this office. ...