Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Learn About Portrait Photography

By Jerry Miller

A photo that shows a person or small group's facial expression while they are in a still position is known as a portrait, or portraiture. The personality, moods and likeness of the person or persons shine through. Aside from the face, portrait photography can also show the whole body & the background of the subject. When taking a portrait picture the person or group is usually looking straight into the camera.

Non-professional models are used for portrait photography, unlike other styles of the art. Graduations, special events & weddings are types of occasions where portrait photography is used, and later displayed in private homes. Many are done on studio with several backgrounds to choose from.

A Bit of History

People have been using portrait photography ever since the camera was invented. It was, and is more inexpensive way then having your portrait painted & it is a more available method. People would sit against a background & were lit with natural light from a window. Portrait photography can now be more creative with the way technology has evolve since they can adjust light & move around more.

Styles

A professional photographer has complete control over the lighting when taking portrait photographs in a studio. They can change the intensity & the direction. Different lighting terms are the main light, fill lights, background lights & kicker lights.

The main light is the primary light source. The main light is generally positioned above or below the subject and at a 45-degree angle.The main light can create shadows so the fill light helps to eliminate them. The kicker light is the light that brightens up the hair of a subject. This will help to add depth and to show the separation from the subject and the background. A Background light brightens the background and can add effects to the backdrops. - 16892

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