Photo Lessons

A portrait is a special genre of photography, which apart from the artist's self-expression also implies the transfer of the character of a person, his inner world and emotional state.

It is important in portrait photography not to forget about a person, because he can get bored or even fall asleep while you are thinking where to place this strand of hair (during the shooting). And during the reportage for example for Internet television, there is not a second to think about.

Although Richard Avedon said: "My portraits speak more about me than about the people I photograph" - and many will agree with the opinion of this master. But at a certain stage of creative development it is necessary to find a reasonable balance between one's own self and the essence of the person caught under the sight of the lens.

In portrait photography, as in any other genre, it's important to remember about the rules of composition, light-shadow pattern, color combinations, dynamics ... About the basic elements and details ... and, keeping in mind all the ballast of theoretical knowledge, do not forget about the most important - the idea Snapshot, do not lose the creative impulse and not miss the insights.

The simplest situation is that you see a person on the street and want to make a portrait of him.
What you need to pay special attention to is light, for good reason, photography is translated only as "light painting", painters paint, and photographers with light.
In this photo photograph, the light is actually rear-side, drawing. This, as you can see, allows you to simulate the outline of the face, hands contest, gives glare in the eyes, texture of hair, skin and clothing. This type of lighting is possible in the morning or in the evening, in the daytime, the side light can be created with additional light sources or reflectors.
Another of the most important moments is human behavior, how uninhibited he feels in the frame, and in case of a reportage shot (like this one) - how much you managed to go unnoticed.
A look to the side conveys the pensive state of the hero, and also there is no artificiality in the frame. In fact, looking at the shot is also a self-justifying device, but we'll talk about it later.
It is also always useful to remember that you are on the back of the plan: do not other people grow from the person's head, horns from bushes, unknown objects.
In this portrait there was an excellent opportunity to use trees as a neutral background, and the open diaphragm gave a pleasant blur of the background. Also she allowed to tear off the object from the background and make a three-dimensional image.
An important rule that you do not need to violate without needing is to leave more space on the side of the frame where the person is looking. Although, of course, all the rules exist in order to learn how to use them, and then confidently violate :).