Portrait Photos: Why Make Them And Why Are They So Important
Colorful winter portrait of a young woman in Harbin, China.
While sorting through some of my favorite people based photography I wondered why it is we make portrait photos and why are they so important to us photographers. What I learned has clarified my motivation, focused my approach and resulted in more meaningful portrait photos.
We make portrait photos to document important events and candid moments in the lives of friends and family, to explore the human condition and as a way of remembering interesting people met on our journey through life.
Let’s investigate these motivations further, explore why portrait photography is so popular and why, in a world full of images, portrait photos remain so important to us.
The above image seems like a great starting point. This young woman volunteered to be my guide and show me some of the sites in the city of Harbin in the far northeast of China. It’s a fascinating city though, situated quite close to Siberia and the North Korean border, winter temperatures in Harbin are extremely frigid.
The photo is, of course, all about color and the juxtaposition of nature within the urban environment. I love the seemingly haphazard nature of this photo and the over abundance of color in the image.
It’s no portfolio image and, in fact, this particular portrait is supposed to look like a snapshot. Dare I say, I think I’ve achieved that goal quite successfully.
Whatever you think of the image I’m convinced that the best snapshots do have a power and presence that deserve attention and respect. Why not delve into your own photo collections and rediscover some special portrait photos you’ve made along the way.
Portrait of photographer Gary Bosely in Cowangie in Victoria's Mallee region, Australia.
What Is The Point Of Portrait Photography?
A great portrait photo successfully portrays the identity, character or personality of the person depicted.
This photo features an old friend of mine, Gary Bosely, a photographer based in the Victorian town of Mansfield, Australia.
Actually this particular portrait was made in the tiny Mallee township of Cowangie, near to where Gary grew up. We were staying in the area and, after playing together in a band at a local hall the night before, were up at dawn to explore some of the sites around town.
Despite an all too close encounter with a deadly snake we had a great time and I’m happy with the photos I made that morning.
Gary’s a particularly hard working photographer who’s very dedicated to his craft. He’s also a very friendly and approachable guy and I’d like to think that this image, in addition to highlighting his passion for photography, also points to these very positive attributes in Gary’s character.
Relationships are central to creating a successful portrait photograph. I life to think of these relationships forming a triangle connecting the photographer, the subject and the viewer.
I’ve created a post that, while discussing the beautiful quality of light often associated with low light portrait photography, also delves deeper into this notion of three types of connection.
Illustrated with portraits made in India and China I’m sure you’ll find it to be a very interesting and helpful read.
It’s titled How to Make Great Low Light Portrait Photography.
My nephew, Daniel Luhrs, under a bridge by the Yarra River, Melbourne.
Why Is Portrait Photography So Popular?
Portrait photography provides the opportunity to make or acquire meaningful and life affirming photos of friends and family.
There’s no doubt that images featuring impressive landscapes or grand architecture can go a long way to showcase our travels and our passion for photography.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to surpass the emotive power of well crafted and authentic portrait photos that illustrate important moments in the lives of those we love.
Candid portraits of family and friends
Birthdays, weddings and other major events and celebrations
Kindergarten, school and graduation photos
Take a look at this simple iPhone photo of my nephew, Daniel Luhrs, during one of our walks along the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia.
It was a lovely day and the location we were exploring was beautiful. As a result we were both in a relaxed and receptive state of mind. Areas of the walk were new to both us us and, with so much to see along the way, our minds were stimulated and our senses attuned.
We’d just walked underneath a bridge taking traffic on Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway over the Yarra River. I immediately saw the value this micro environment offered for portrait photography and, as we were due for a short rest, I positioned Daniel in flattering light, took out my iPhone and made the photo.
It was quite a bright day, which creates a number of problems for portrait photos. It’s a problem I’ve faced myself many, many times and I’ve written quite extensively on the topic.
You’ll find my post explaining how I photographed Australian actors Rachel Taylor And Alex Dimitriades on a blistering hot summer’s day in Mildura, Australia to be a very useful resource when you’re faced with the challenge of photographing people under bright outdoor lighting.
Often the best solution, when making portraits on a bright sunny day, is to head for the shade. What’s known in the trade as open shade provides a softer, more flattering light source making it easier to produce really lovely portraits without too much fuss.
Frankly, open shade is often much kinder to skin and usually allows for the subject’s eyes to be more visible in a photo compared to what you’d see if the subject had been photographed under bright sunlight.
Notice how the repetitive nature of the similarly sized stone wall provided a great background for the portrait.
While not competing for attention with our subject it does provide an interesting, yet neutral background and the best way to incorporate it into the composition was to move Daniel away from the centre of the frame.
You’ll notice that the image is predominantly gray, though there are variations in the brightness of gray tones throughout the frame.
I like how Daniel’s lighter tone skin and the much darker tones evident in his hat, shorts, shoes and socks provide a great contrast with the otherwise more restrained tonality throughout most of the gray stone background.
Portrait of a woman in front of a colorful background in Kolkata.
Why do we need portrait photography?
Whether the images are made for personal or commercial reasons portrait photography is and important endeavor.
Family photos represent a kind of memory insurance. Friends and family move away and, of course, people die.
Ultimately we make and keep portrait photos for posterity. Is it any wonder then, in the event of a fire, that it’s the choice to try and save those cherished family photo albums that weighs so heavily on the mind.
Your portrait photos enable you to recognize and showcase beauty regardless of the age, gender or ethnicity of those you photograph.
I’ve written an interesting post titled Definition Of Beauty Explored. Think of it as an added resource that builds upon what’s discussed in this article.
Through the portrait photos you create you’re able to explore the following:
The identity, character and personality of those you photograph
Your relationship with them
Your own, unique world view
One of the most important themes in my own portrait photography is the human condition which I endeavor to explore in a way that’s authentic and descriptive of the person depicted.
I know I’m successful when my photos speak both of that which is present and also to that which is suggested. It’s these images that evoke the most meaning rich and emotive responses from my audience.
Portraits are a great way by which enthusiastic photographers can share their work and uncover a sense of connected emotion within the images they produce.
Whether your work is personal or commercial in nature, you have the opportunity to create evocative images that influence a powerful and emotive response from your audience.
It’s a grand endeavor and I consider partnering with those good people I photograph, both close to home and on my travels around the world, to be
Indeed, I consider I’m in a uniquely privilege position to share the beauty of how world and its people with an ever wider audience.
You’ll better understand just how privileged I feel after reading Street Photography And The Human Condition. It’s a significant article
How Do We Use Portrait Photography?
We use portrait photography in a variety of ways. It might be a picture of your partner or children that’s kept in your wallet or purse. It might be family portraits displayed in frames and albums in the home or posted onto social media platforms.
And there’s always the need for a quality, up to date head shot for your LinkedIn profile.
Why I Love Portrait Photography
As a travel photographer I’ve had the good fortune to photograph portrait, landscape, architecture and wildlife subjects on five continents.
While I love each of these genres there’s something special about photographing portraits of interesting people I’ve met on my travels.
The Importance Of Portrait Photography
I encourage you to make portrait photos as often as you can. Your camera is not a physical barrier between you and the world around you. It’s a passport into lives and worlds beyond your normal everyday experience.
Assuming it’s safe to do so use whatever opportunities that come your way to get out and about and engage with the world around you. The world is full of interesting and unique people, many of whom live in your own neighborhood.
While photographing strangers might seem a risky pursuit, it doesn’t need to be. I’ve written a great post on the topic. It’s tilted Definition Of A Candid Portrait and I’m sure you’ll find it useful in your own candid photography adventures.
Have you ever wondered why you make portrait photos?
While photographing intuitively works for most folks, it's not until you know why it is that you do what you do that you’ll be able to approach your portrait photography with greater purpose and enthusiasm.
Over time is more focused approach will enable you to produce better results, more often. You might call it the artists approach and, in addition to improved technique and composition, it’s what will separate and elevate your photos from the pack.
