S
hooting a portrait of someone in their home,
workplace or where they like to hang out, as opposed
to a studio, introduces a range of options for telling
that person's story. An environmental portrait, apart
from recording the person's likeness, gives us an insight into their
daily life; who they are, what they do and where the are from.
While there are challenges in photographing people on their turf,
not yours, they're far outweighed by the advantages. Apart from the
opportunity to reveal more about the sitter, at the very least, people
are usually more relaxed and comfortable on their home ground –
and that fact alone should make for better and stronger images.
Ready to give it a go? Here are seven tips I’ve compiled from my
own experience to help you shoot better environmental portraits.01
Plan ahead
The first thing I do before every photo trip is decide
what I want to see and the type of photos I intend to capture. On a
recent trip to Myanmar, I was inspired by the culture so I wanted
to capture pictures of local people and the culture, both staged
naturally and candidly. I spent countless hours researching onlineto make sure it would be a successful trip. Determine the style of
the shoot, the purpose and the mood you plan on conveying.
Do you need an assistant or fixer to help translate if you’re working
in a foreign country? Are you shooting indoors or outdoors? Do
you need location permits or a model release if you plan on selling
the images commercially? These are just a few questions to think
about before picking up your camera.02
Location is everything
Finding the perfect location can be challenging,
but it’s the key to capturing environmental portraits. It’s a good
idea to scout the area for the right place to depict your subject.
Persevere until you find the right location and it will definitely
result in stronger images. Meet with your subject beforehand
and get to know them. Perhaps they have a place where they
feel relaxed. As an example, people often feel comfortable at
their homes, which strengthen the chances of capturing natural
facial expressions and body language. Some people might not
feel comfortable inviting a stranger into their safe place, so be
respectful if you’re invited into their home. Allowing your talent26 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
BELOW
Two novice monks run
across a pagoda in
Mingun, Myanmar. As
these monks are just
young boys I wanted
to convey a sense of
playfulness and happiness.
Canon EOS 6D, 16-35mm
@ 18mm, 1/500s @
f/4, ISO 125, handheld.
Saturation, contrast,
levels and sharpening in
Photoshop CC.RIGHT
Traditional fisherman with
conical net on Inle Lake,
Myanmar. As he sat in his
boat, rowing with his foot,
I shot through the fishing
basket for an interesting
perspective. Canon EOS
6D, 16-35mm lens @
16mm, 1/125s @ f/8, ISO
400, handheld. Highlight
recovery for sky, curves,
saturation and sharpening
in Photoshop CC.AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY MARCH 2016HOW TO Environmental Portraits