Five Types of Portrait Photography

Pictures are not only means to capture memories; they are also an efficient way to express creativity. Portrait photography or portraiture is one way to express a person's mood and personality. With a camera and good lighting, you can create drama and art out of you or other persons' body.

Portrait photography usually gives emphasis on a person's face. Modern photographers however, incorporate other parts of the body and different types of background. Portraiture comes in five different types, namely candid, creative, gritty, nude, and fashion photography. Read on if you want to know more about these types.

Candid - The subject is photographed without his or her knowledge. This way, what shows in the picture is the natural side of the person. Clicking the camera while people are moving results in interesting facial reactions and amusing poses you can never get from models projecting before the lenses. This however, involves a certain responsibility as an artist. You simply can't release or publish your candid photos unless your subject signs a "model release form" as permission.

Creative - Creative photography aims to take pictures that are more uniquely artistic. This type of portrait photography can be done with the application of different focus techniques, angles, lighting, lens types, and other elements. Photographers experiment with their cameras, other elements, and sometimes their subjects to come up with artistic shots. Creative portraits often make the subjects more interesting.

Gritty - Most gritty portraits come in black and white. Models show different emotions to add drama to the entire photo. Most pictures appear fairly grainy, thus the term gritty portraits. Light is one crucial element in creating such photos. It helps emphasize the features of the face and other elements in the picture.

Nude - Many people often see nude photography as a form of pornography. Most photographers practicing in this area believe the human body is one the most interesting subjects. Nude photography is all about art and not a means to express any sensual meaning. Pose and lighting go hand in hand to make great nude pictures. When you want to have a nude portrait of yourself or with your partner, ensure the photographer is professional enough to make it look classy and not against your preference.

Fashion - As the name implies, this type of photography focuses more on the clothes worn by the subject. Most fashion portraits come in full body shots to show the overall appeal of the dress or any piece of clothing. Some fashion portraits come in close up shots to show more details of the garments. Backgrounds and locations are also important in this type of photography. These elements must match the clothes to express glamour or display a brand of clothing.