What is Portrait Photography?

Portrait photography consists of photos taken of a person or group to convey a message associated with the person or to capture a certain mood. Portraits can serve multiple purposes, such as present a person, tell a story or to capture imagination.

Portrait photography stems from the late 19th century portrait painters whom painted many great monarchs and dukes. With the arrival of new technology such as cameras, The lengthy process of a painting session was cut short and the door then opened for more creativity.

Three Point Lighting

Three point lighting is a photographic technique that utilises 3 different lights to help capture and portray the subject. The diagram below explains this in more depth.

Here are some examples of 3 Point Lighting

Natural Lighting

Natural lighting involves making the most of the light available in the shooting environment. This can be using direct sunlight, Street lights or light through a filter such as a curtain or blinds.

Here are some natural lighting examples.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro is a photographic technique that involves using a wide contrast between dark and bright. this affect is usually achieved  by utilising a light on one side of the subject and leaving the other side in darkness. This effect is demonstrated in the images below#