People Pictures - Different Types, Different Problems

By Tedric Garrison

Basically there are only three types of "people pictures": Formal Portraits, Informal Portraits or Candid Portraits. Each of these areas could easily be considered a specialty in and of itself. There are literately thousands of books or articles already written about each of these. Keep in mind all the things you learned about the basic elements of photography. (Line, Texture, Light, Size, and Shape) Even though you may only have one subject, that subject may have facial features you may or may not want to emphasize. Light is a key factor, but not the only factor when it comes to taking a good portrait.

The Formal portrait (also called a flattering portrait) is usually (but not always) done in a traditional portrait studio. This is where lighting is highly controlled. Most shots are head and shoulder, with the body turned at a 45% angle. The point here is to flatter the subject. So in most cases you must accentuate the subject's positive features and minimize the negative ones.
It takes a well trained eye to spot the best features and emphasize that in a portrait; but it takes even more skill to know how to minimize a negative feature. The list below is only a partial listing of common problems to look out for:

Wrinkled Face
Use diffused lighting. Lower the main light. Use a 3/4's pose instead of close-up.

Double Chin
Raise main light. Tilt chin upward. Use higher camera angle.

Long Nose
Use low camera angle. Use side lighting. Add makeup to tip of nose to eliminate shine.

Baldness
Use low camera angle. Little or no hair light. Blend head with background on purpose.

Large ears
Turn head so camera only sees one ear. Place exposed ear in the shadows, if at all possible.

Glasses
Tilt head downward slightly. Raise ear piece slightly to angle the lens down. The camera will flatten the overall image making it look more natural than it feels.

Over Weight
In group shots, place the largest subject in the middle or behind others to hide their size. By themselves; shoot head and shoulders (from an angle) or use props to distract viewer from subject's size.

The old cliché that says: "smile and look at the camera" is not always the best way to do a portrait. Many informal or candid portraits don't have the subject looking at the camera at all. The biggest difference between an informal portrait and a formal portrait is usually lighting and location. Informal portraits are usually shot outdoors with available lighting. Personally, I do like to use a fill flash outdoors, but that's not quite the same as having: a background light, a main light, A fill light, a hair light, and a key light like many studios use.

Informal as the name implies usually means more relaxed. Clothes are more comfortable and often there are props or objects that have to do with the persons personality included in the shot. Although they can be planned, informal portraits usually give the feeling of being spontaneous. The biggest difference between an informal portrait and a candid shot is awareness of the subject. Whether or not the subject looks directly at the camera, they are aware of it when taking an informal portrait.

Candid Portraits (sometimes called Character Studies) are taken without the subject being aware of the photographer. The candid shot is a favorite of mine at weddings, because it tends to reveal more of the true personality of the subject. Candid shots document the moment. They can become a specialty in and of themselves. Think of candid shots like taking pictures at a sporting event. You follow the subject (the one holding the ball) with your camera and wait for that peak moment. The instant before the true love’s first kiss, the moment before baby's first step (or first fall), that second when a senior throws his cap in the air at graduation; these are all good examples of a great candid shot. A good candid usually includes a good peak moment.
This Article Written By: Tedric A. Garrison Cedar City, Utah

Tedric Garrison has done photography for over 30 years. In college; Tedric was an Art Major, and firmly believes that “Creativity can be taught.” Today; as a writer and photographer he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at: http://www.betterphototips.com