T

PO H
RT E
RA
IT

Why portraits?

What do portraits tell us?

Likeness
Physical features
Power
Status
Wealth
Symbolism

Painting traditions

studio traditions
From its beginning in the
mid 1800s into the 20th
century photography was
dominated by studio work.

Cameras were large,

exposures long, and film
existed in plates or sheets
all of this limited the ability of
the photographer in terms of
subject matter and location.

As cameras became smaller

a n d p h o t o g r a p hy m o re
accessible in terms of
equipment and initial
investment, more people
experimented with the
medium. Portraiture left the
studio and the hands of the
professional and entered the
lives of everyday people. The
idea of the snapshot was
developed by Kodak in 1900.

1888 Eastman introduces the Kodak camera

1900 Eastman Kodak releases the Brownie for $1,
introducing the idea of the snapshot

1925 Leica produces the first

mass-market 35mm camera

1930 Flashbulbs are first commercially available

1935 Kodak introduces Kodachrome

1936 First 35mm

Single Lens Reflex
camera

1947 Edwin
Land releases the
Polaroid Camera

1963 Kodak introduces the

Instamatic with easy loading film, the
most popular amateur camera
1972 The Polaroid SX-70
is released and sold for
$180 and $6.90 for a10
pack of 10 photos, selling
700,000 in two years.

1985 Minolta releases the first

consumer autofocus camera

1990 First commercially

available digital camera,
the Dycam Model 1

1997 On June 11th

Philippe Kahn shared
the first picture via a
cell phone of his
daughters birth

How do we use portraits?

How have portraits evolved?

Shoot a roll of 24 portraits of your interview subject

exploring who she is and what she means to you. You
will explore different kinds of light, times of day,
vantage points, and ways of representing a person.

Yo

:
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d
i
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w
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n
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u

at least 3 different
times of day throug
h differe

nt kinds of light

its
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at least
3
otherwis ways in which
e create
you obs
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c
it withou ure, remove, h
ide, cro
t showin
p ou t , o
g their f
r
ace.

T
I
A
R
T
R
O
P

T
H
G
I
L
perspective
WITHOUT
A FACE
portra

its be
y

ond t
he fac
e

Why take a portrait?

- beautiful faces in beautiful spaces
- portraits that tell stories

to document
to analyze
to understand
to appreciate

How to take a portrait?

focus
light
settings
direction

What to take a portrait of?

model
location
background
cropping

LI
G

H
T

Explore different times of day

Explore different kinds of light

Bryan Schutmaat

Marissa Alper

Marissa Alper

Pegah Maleki

 Light and Dark

Later in the day
Horizontal &
vertical elements

LIGHT
DARK

DARK
LIGHT

LIGHT

DARK

Midday harsh light

Expose for
shadows
Background gives
context

 Shallow depth of field to blur

distracting background

Full Length

Headshot

Cropped

2/3 Length

Contrasting
diagonal
movement

Contrasting
diagonal
movement

Shallow depth of field

Focus on eyes
Higher angle looking down
Fill the frame crop top,
bottom and sides

Bryan Schutmaat

Alec Soth

Sally Mann

Rineke Dijkstra

Richard Avedon

Elinor Carucci

Mary Ellen Mark

HOU
T

W IT

A
E
C
A

INFERENCE
INFERENCE
through light & shadow
through symbolism & metaphor

Cropping

Obscuring
Obscuring

Manipulation
of
Manipulation
of
Manipulation of
Camera
Settings
Camera
Settings
Camera Settings
Aperture / Shutter Speed / Spot Metering / Focus

Berk Hassan

connection
A camera is a way to connect with people
beyond your normal interactions

how do you
connect with
people?

content

Shoot

from your personal point of view

Get access - it is a responsibility
Create trust, create a relationship
Fearlessly assume you have the right to be there
persistance + patience + trust

Certain things need to be visually translatable they need

to be visible on the surface in order to be seen in a
photograph

STRUCTURE
Consider:
framing
background
expression
the moment
content

wait for a true

emotional moment
what is content?

Leave no space unaccounted for

Use the edges
Layered, not busy
Consider different distances and angles

The viewer doesnt know where to look when they cant

make sense of the frame
Show the viewer what you are seeing and why you
took the picture

interpret
Say

something about the person and atmosphere

what is your point of view?

how do you feel
about the subject?

interpret
Say

something about the person and atmosphere

Be

an interpreter with a
camera, not just an
observer or illustrator

what is your point of view?

how do you feel
about the subject?

Photography is not a factual, but a descriptive

language
Translate the scene visually and emotionally

SUBJECT

The picture is about the

person. Its not about you

Work with what you have

and with who your subject
is

Let people do what

comes naturally

Allow for spontaneity

your subject gives you
something amazing that
you can never give back

 Consider

a persons belongings
Give context with a sense of space and depth
Elevate the subject beyond their moment and
circumstance

tips
Dont put your camera away
How you interact with a person is more than where you
interact
Push your subject take control, move the subject
around in the background. give instructions
Often people pose themselves more naturally
Practice working in a space without an added
environment
The background should situate the person so shes not
just a floating head without depth
Try have the subject look at and away from the camera
Push your subject take control, move the subject
around in the background. give instructions