Portrait Photography

What is Portrait Photography?
If you’re a social person and you love to capture the essence of people in real-life shoots, then portrait photography might be the discipline for you.
Unlike candid shoots, portrait photography sees your subject posed in front of a specific backdrop.

History of Portrait Photography
Portrait photography is one of the oldest photographic disciplines in the world, first arising thanks to the affordability of daguerreotypy in the 1840s. These early cameras had long exposure times, and as such, early subjects often look expressionless and are posed very simply. As photography advanced and cameras started to have shorter exposure times, it gave photographers more ability to experiment with poses, lighting, and costume.
Approaches to Portrait Photography
There are four key archetypes of portrait photography that are in use today:
Creative
Creative portrait photographs are staged shots where the photograph is manipulated to change the final output. This is what we commonly think of when we talk about portrait photography, as modern creative portrait photographers use programs like Photoshop to change the subject’s appearance or setting.
Candid
Candid portraits are taken of people in their natural environment and without their knowledge. While this can produce stunning images that showcase the subject’s personality, this use of photography has been widely condemned as the paparazzi have made it more exploitative and invasive for the subject.
Environmental
Environmental photography is a less invasive form of candid photography, where subjects are captured doing something that relates to them. These shots have been popular throughout history and as such photographs from this discipline are considered a vital source of historical information.
Constructionist
In a constructionist portrait, subjects are photographed working in a situation that pertains to a certain idea that the photographer wants to capture. These kinds of portraits are popular in technical environments, for marketing purposes, and in business.
See the latest portrait photography news, tips and tutorials in the articles below.

The One Lens Minimalist Challenge: 24-70mm Edition
We’ve teamed up with Adorama to bring you a series of photography tutorials called “Master Your Craft” to be featured on their Youtube Channel. Subscribe ...

Take the Minimalist Challenge with a One Lens Portrait Session
Take our minimalist challenge and get back to the basics. Stop psyching yourself out on shoots with gear you don't always need. Consider this an exercise in creativity. Join us!

Dramatic Outdoor Portraits with David Suh
Welcome to the live series we’re doing every two weeks on Profoto’s Instagram called “Slice of Pye”. We’ll be covering a myriad ...

How To Capture Dramatic Face-Covered Portraits with Gavin Hoey
It seems that face masks protecting us against COVID-19 have been the official accessory of 2020, and there is no ...

5 Techniques for Communication & Effortless Photoshoots
Learn how to better communicate with your clients to create effortless & genuine emotion.

Full Walkthrough Tutorial: Portrait of a Doctor Pt. 1
This is a two-part series where I walk you through the conceptualization, lighting, shooting, and editing of this editorial doctor’s ...

5 Tips for Creating Authentic Natural Light Family Portraits
Here are five tips for creating beautiful natural light family portraits with posing tips to elicit authentic emotions.

Creative Photography Ideas | How to Shoot “Water Hats” on the Cheap!
Here's a fun & affordable creative photography idea that's perfect for shooting in midday sun.

Advanced Portrait Lighting (Full Tutorial)
Here is a full tutorial from one of our best-selling Lighting courses that shows you an advanced portrait lighting technique for on-location shoots.

How to Get Creative with Perspective
Follow along, from concept to execution, and see how to use perspective to level up the creativity in your portraiture.