Fig. 3.1
Hats are a great way to automatically frame a
face in a portrait, and of course the expression
on the baby adds to the success of the image.
Image taken in the studio. Crimson
Colourama, 1 Elinchrom BRXi 500, Octa
100cm softbox key light, background light
with honeycomb, Nikon D2Xs and 24–70 lens.Colours and Patterns
Iftheportraitisofafamilygroupingaskclientstothink
carefully abouthow theywould like to coordinate their
clothing witheach other–dotheyall want towear the
same colours?
Adviseclientsto avoidanystrongpatternsandlogos on
clothing,asthesewilldatetheimagesveryquicklyandbe
distractinginthefinalimage.Strongcolourscanalsocause
castsonfaces,forexampleastrongredorgreenwornclose
to the face can throw a cast over the face and render
unflattering skin tones.
For classically inspired images more neutral and muted
clothingisbettersuited,whereasmorevibrantcolourswill
add a more relaxed andcontemporaryfeel to the portrait.
Props
A prop can add interest and personality to a shoot,
especiallyifithasaparticularmeaningtothesubject,so
theyshouldbeencouraged.Musicalinstruments,toysand
otherpersonalitemscanaddanotherleveltotheimageby
telling usa littlemore about thesubject; however they