essential skills: digital photography in available light
Portraits
Portraits are essential to any story because people are interested in people and the viewer will
want to identify with the key characters of the story. Unless the activity the characters are engaging
in is visually unusual, bizarre, dramatic or exciting the viewer is going to be drawn primarily to the
portraits. The portraits and environmental portraits will often be the deciding factor as to the degree
of success the story achieves. The viewer will expect the photographer to have connected with
the characters in the story and the photographs must illustrate this connection. Portraits may be
made utilizing a variety of different camera distances. This will ensure visual interest is maintained.
Environmental portraits differ from straight head and shoulder portraits in that the character is
seen in the location of the story. The interaction between the character and their environment may
extend the communication beyond making images of the character and location separately.
Close-up or detail image
The fi nal category requires the photographer to identify signifi cant detail within the overall scene.
The detail is enlarged either to draw the viewer’s attention to it or to increase the amount or quality
of this information. The detail image may be required to enable the viewer to read an inscription
or clarify small detail. The detail image in a story about a craftsperson who works with their hands
may be the hands at work, the fi ne detail of the artifact they have made or an image of a vital
tool required for the process. When the detail image is included with images from the other three
categories visual repetition is avoided and the content is clearly communicated.
ACTIVITY 3
Find one photographic story that contains images from all four categories listed.
How does each image contribute to the story?
Describe alternative images for each of the categories in the story you have chosen?Orien Harvey