essential skills: digital photography in available light
Introduction
The craft of representing a person in a single still image or ‘portrait’ is to be considered a skilled
and complex task. The photographic portrait (just as the painted portrait that infl uenced the genre)
is not a candid or captured moment of the active person but a crafted image to reveal character.
The person being photographed for a portrait should be made aware of the camera’s presence
even if they are not necessarily looking at the camera when the photograph is made. This requires
that the photographer connects and communicates with any individual if the resulting images are
to be considered portraits. Portraits therefore should be seen as a collaborative effort on the part
of the photographer and subject. A good photographic portrait is one where the subject no longer
appears a stranger.
The physical surroundings and conditions encountered on location whilst making a portrait image
offer enormous potential to extend or enhance the communication. Just as facial expression,
body posture and dress are important factors, the environment plays a major role in revealing
the identity of the individual. The environmental portrait for this reason has become a genre in
its own right. Environmental portraits are produced commercially for a number of reasons. The
environmental portrait may be produced to stand alone to illustrate an article about a person that
is of public interest. It may also be the central or key image of a collection of images that together
form a photo-essay or social documentary.
ACTIVITY 1
Look through assorted publications and collect two images where the environment plays an
important role in determining an aspect of the subject’s character or identity.
Discuss how the subject relates to the environment in each image.Orien Harvey