Portrait Photography Quiz: Masterclass Lesson 1

An environmental portrait shows the subject in a place that says something about who they are or what they do, such as a baker in their bakery or a mechanic in their garage. A headshot crops tight to the face, a silhouette hides the face in shadow, and a studio portrait on seamless paper removes the setting altogether.

Focal lengths around 85 to 135mm produce a compression of perspective that flatters facial features: they avoid the widening of the nose and forehead that shorter focal lengths produce when the camera is close enough to fill the frame with a face.

The eyes are where viewers look first in a portrait, so they must be sharp. The eye closest to the camera is the most prominent, and with shallow depth of field the far eye may fall soft anyway. Focusing on the bridge of the nose can leave both eyes slightly blurred at wide apertures.

Rembrandt lighting places the main light to one side and above the subject, roughly 45 degrees. The far cheek falls into shadow except for a small triangle of light under the eye. Lighting exactly half the face is split lighting, a different pattern.

In the Northern Hemisphere the sun travels across the southern sky, so north facing windows get little or no direct sun. They let in soft, indirect skylight that stays fairly consistent through the day. East, west and south windows get direct sun at some hours, with hard light that changes quickly.

A subject who is tense or self-conscious will show it in their eyes and body language regardless of how well the light or technical settings are controlled. Building rapport and creating a relaxed atmosphere before raising the camera produces more natural, revealing portraits than any lens or lighting choice.

Split lighting puts the light at about 90 degrees to the side of the subject. One half of the face is lit and the other half falls into shadow, divided down the middle. Rembrandt lighting is lit more from the front and leaves a triangle of light on the shadow side.

At headshot distances, a very wide aperture such as f/1.4 gives a zone of sharpness that can be only a few centimeters deep. If the face is turned even slightly, the near eye can be sharp while the far eye and ears blur. Stopping down a little gives enough depth to cover the face.

An environmental portrait uses the subject's surroundings as a supporting narrative element. A carpenter photographed in the workshop, or a musician in a rehearsal room, communicates something about who they are that a studio backdrop cannot convey.

Asking someone to feel proud or playful produces organic expression and movement. Specifying the exact placement of each limb produces stiffness and self-consciousness. Directing toward an emotional state or simple action lets the photographer capture a genuine version of the result rather than a performed one.