Portrait & Still Life Photography
Write The Vision & Make It Plain…
The Art of Portrait & Still Life Photography
Portrait and still life photography are exciting areas of photography that goes beyond subject documentation. This genre of photography is the melting pot of the subject, the background, the light and the emotion. In the right mix, the image created exudes the character of the subject.
Portrait photography goes beyond merely capturing a person's likeness. It incorporates revealing the unique essence of the individual.
Still life photography entails capturing inanimate subjects.
In this article, we will examine tips that could assist you in greatly improving your pictures, thereby creating outstanding images.
Understanding the Essence of Portrait Photography
Portrait photography, overall, is about touch. Portraiture is the ability to paint or photograph a person's face, character, feelings, and individuality. The ideal portrait photographer is a storyteller inscribing words in the heart of the viewer using the lens of a camera.
The Power of Connection in Portraiture
Building a relationship with your subject is the secret to taking a great portrait picture.
For both portrait and still life portrait, mastering the light and the environment are crucial in generating the image that tells the story you have in mind.
Essential Equipment for Portrait & Still Life Photography
Skill and creativity are crucial in photography, but good equipment remains an advantage. Let's consider some of the most essential equipment to have on-board. The list is by no means exhaustive.
Choosing the Right Lens
Heads and shoulders or from the neck up are usually shot using a medium telephoto lens ranging from 85mm to 135mm. I use a canon EF 85mm f1.4L Prime lens and a Canon EF 70-200 mm f4L. There are tons of good options out there.
These focal lengths produce a flattering facial image devoid of facial distortion. A fast lens is usually classified under f/1. 8. At this aperture, the background blur (bokeh) that is highly sought-after in portrait & still life pictures is easily achieved. That said, be mindful that wide open apertures such as f 1.4 or f1.8 may throw part of your main subject out of focus. While you want that nice out-of-focus effect on the background, you should not loose focus on your main subject area. A steady tripod is an indispensable asset in ensuring non-blurry images; especially at slower shutter speeds.
Lighting Setups for Captivating Pictures
This is the most essential part of any portrait or still life picture. In addition to natural light, the best light to work with is soft, diffused light, usually found during the golden hour. A beginner studio lighting kit can provide more control. Use Rembrandt, butterfly, or loop lighting to make your subject look realistic or portray a three-dimensional character in 2D.
Composition Techniques to Elevate Your Pictures
A good composition is crucial to creating a good picture. Now, let’s take a look at an important method that is commonly adopted by many photographers in general.
The Rule of Thirds in Portrait & Still Life Photography
This fundamental composition is a basic “rule” that can help make your subjects more interesting. Avoid placing your subject in the dead centre of the frame, rather, attempt to focus on their eyes and align their eyes or faces along the four intersecting points of a 3x3 grid. This results in a more lively and exciting arrangement of the pieces in the artwork.
Conclusion
Portrait & still life photography is a never-ending process where one learns and innovates. Therefore, by being cautious, aesthetic, thoughtful and humanistic in your approach, you will be well equipped to make those images a masterpiece. As always, the best portrait images that any photographer can capture show a person's identity and character. Post processing using any editing software such as photoshop or lightroom is an important skill that allows you to perfect your portrait or still life images.
At Speech-In-Sights Photography, we encourage you to view each photography session as an opportunity to uncover and celebrate the individual stories that make up our diverse world. As you develop your skills, may your images not only capture subjects but also speak to the deeper narratives that connect us all.
