Portraits
capturing images with emotional impact


There are several different ways to compose a portrait. You have to decide where to place the subject, how much of your subject you want in the frame, which format you want to use and where you want to focus.

Here are two different shots of C, sitting at the table, reading a book on her iPad . I framed her in two different ways, using the square format. The first one shows some of the context: the table, her iPad, the light coming through the french door to the garden. The second draws the viewer closer and shows C's concentrated gaze (but not what she's gazing at) and the curves of her hair and shoulders, sculpted by the sunlight.

Here's another kind of portrait that shows only part of the subject. It is of my father holding a cup of coffee. The focus is on his hands and the mug between them. You can clearly see his aged hands, his wedding ring and the text on the mug. The shadows of the sleeves around his hands make him look a bit vulnerable. I chose to crop the original into this format, that leaves out all distracting details and draws the viewer straight into the story behind the portrait. I love that the mug is positioned exactly in the middle of the table, as you can see by the dark straight line leading out of the frame, formed by the space between the two table halves.

I also took some shots of my father cooking a meal. The light in the kitchen gives these images a completely different impact, which is enhanced by the context: action instead of idleness and tranquility. With every shot i moved in closer; the first shot shows a lot of kitchen context, the second one is focused on my father's face looking up at me and the third one shows only a part of his profile, completely concentrated on his work, with the kitchen utensils only a vague blur in the background.

Light is very important when shooting portraits. You can use the light to shape or shade, to enhance or soften parts of your subject, you can use it to sculpt the contours. The use of light affects the impact of a portrait in a major way.

Here is a portrait of my dog BiBi. She was sitting on a chair, focusing all her attention on someone holding a cookie, while the light created a soft halo around her head. I really captured some of her essence in this shot.