Return to Assignments
Portrait examples
Ten Ways to Take Stunning Portraits
PORTRAIT ASSIGNMENT
Final Product: Your assignment is to make TWO portraits of a person.
YOU WILL BE SUBMITTING 2 PHOTOS AND 1 PROOFSHEET OF 30 IMAGES.
NAME YOUR IMAGES:
P#LASTNAME_PORTRAIT1
P#LASTNAME_PORTRAIT2
P#LASTNAME_PORTRAIT3
(THIS WILL BE YOUR PROOFSHEET SCREENGRAB OF 30 IMAGES)
WHAT EXACTLY IS A PORTRAIT?
A portrait is an image that principally describes the subject or subjects through expression, gesture, clothing and background. The subject is photographed in a “set up,” “staged” or “posed” situation.
What to Do:
Shoot a minimum of 30 exposures to create 2 amazing portraits of your subject using beautiful light, and composition. DO NOT photograph them doing ANY action. They are to be still and posing for the camera. Both portraits you turn in should be of the same person.
Some of the best portraits of people are often not when they are smiling and looking directly into the camera. Try many different expressions and positions and have the subject look into the camera and also away. Also watch for the in between natural moments when they are not paying attention.
Requirements
•Creativity: Be creative and experiment! Don’t just fulfill the technical requirements.
•Rule of Thirds: Use good rule of thirds by keeping the head of the subject away from the direct center.
•Focus: Be careful when you focus. Focus directly on their eyes, changing your focus as often as you need depending on if you move or if your subject moves. You might need to focus and recompose depending on you camera. Check the focus every time you take a picture.
•Background: Place your subject in an area with a consistent background. Look out for poles and trees coming out of their head and really bright objects or the sky.