Comments on: Capturing Personality in Portraiture

By: D

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 15:37:36 +0000

Ha ha, if you can photograph me without the photo looking terrible (over-exposed, under-exposed ect.) or making me look like I’ve just smoked a whole Central American country’s worth of illicit drugs, you know you’ve made it as a photographer. At least that’s what all the *ahem* professional school photographers couldn’t do. I’ve only managed to do it once, anyway.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djentley/4367007837/

I would scroll up to read what Roberto wrote as all I can do is repeat that in mildly different terms.

By: Roberto Galindo

Roberto Galindo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:03:27 +0000

The portrait of a person could be like a landscape one finds while traveling. You do not need to know anything about the geography or history of the place to make a superb picture. In the case of faces, one finds many nuances carved there by the experiences (good or bad) of the individuals, something called expression. Look for the expression and shoot. No need to know anything about the individual.

Roberto

By: Roberto Galindo

Roberto Galindo — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:39:51 +0000

When I saw the picture of Nicole I was distracted by the fact that her arm seems longer than her legs, an effect perhaps do to the angle at what the picture was taken and or the lens. I just don’t know. Also I wondered about her left hand. Is it holding her face? And finally, why should she be smiling? Obviously she is smiling at the photographer, like any well behaved subject should do.

As to Caleb, his portrait could be called “Man with Open Mouth”. That’s what it is. The rest of his face is not smiling and his paleness adds flatness to it, specially exagerated by his red hair.

Roberto

By: oluyami

oluyami — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:04:38 +0000

Very educating! MyNikon D3000 is to be dlivered to me tomorrow and i’ve been wondering what to first take with it. Its actually my birthday gift from my mum,so I’ll remember all these when capturing her as the first shot on it!

By: Gabriel Meyer

Gabriel Meyer — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:40:24 +0000

I totaly agree. There has to be a “connection” between the photographer and the subjet. It is always hard to be there facing a person taking shots with a big camera…..I believe that a relaxed model will show much more of its own personality when feeling comfortable.
Gabriel

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:33:53 +0000

wow the guy smiles like mel gibson. how did that happen? very nice!

By: Remi

Remi — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:47:30 +0000

Great tips, but sometimes you don’t have the time to get to know your client.

By: Wayne

Wayne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:04:54 +0000

The question I would have is if trying to catch a natual shot why take the photo on the angle? I do however like the natural presentation but may have cropped harder on the first one. Too much garden in my view, but we all have different perspectives.

By: Michael Silberstein

Michael Silberstein — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:23:14 +0000

There is a still of portraiture that over looked almost every time. They are Representation Portrait.
One good example is Gravestones. Portrait of Gravestones are like going down town and taking photos of strangers walking around. They tend to be a little harder to do but worth it. One hard part is you cant ask for them to “pose” for you. You have to give the best portrait with what you have. After all the gravestone is all that we can see of the person.

By: T-Fiz

T-Fiz — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:16:48 +0000

I tend to tell my models to “never be still”, meaning that I want to capture as many “planned-candid” shots as I can, which is why I will use the continuous shutter mode on my camera. Models tend to be more relaxed and themselves just after they think a picture has been taken. So I tell them things like, “Keep walking then turn around; touch your face; walk towards me; etc…” And I always try to capture them as they’re getting ready for a pose, and when they laugh at some awkward moment…those tend to be the better shots.