PHOTOGRAPHY

 13 Types of Portrait Photography Every Photographer Should Know!

 Portrait photography is one of the most popular types of photography, that's something you know, but did you know that there are many different types of portrait photography.

If you are ready to flex your creative muscles and expand your skills in portraiture, you must first familiarize yourself with its types.

The more types of portrait photography you know, the easier it will be to make money from photography.

Whether you're new to photography or just looking to expand your horizons, here are 13 types of portrait photography, to better understand this interesting art, improve your photography portrait online and get more clients!

Taking a picture of a person that reflects their personality is called Portrait Photography

Photographing people is much more than just a snapshot of someone's face; it’s about capturing the essence of his identity and position, which means the portrait photographer has a really big job to do.

Portrait photography is not limited to a photograph of the head but can also be portraits of the entire body.

Portrait photography requires a suitable lens to get the perfect photos, all the information on how to choose the right lens for portraiture

What are the types of Portraits photography?

   1- Traditional Portraits photography

  When most people think of portraiture, traditional portraits are what they imagine.

  Traditional photos are often taken in a studio with a simple photographic background as shown in the photo above.

  This type of photo generally involves only the person's head and shoulders, and that person is looking at the camera, where the focus of the image is primarily on their face only.

  A combination of studio lights and a simple background greatly enhances a person's features, making it a popular type of portrait photography among artists and clients in general.

   2- Lifestyle Portraits

  Lifestyle photography is the antithesis of traditional photography.

  Lifestyle photography is about capturing people in their everyday environment rather than in the studio, often doing ordinary things. Like the picture of the girl below reading the book and pretending not to have the camera.

  This type of portrait is not shot traditionally in the sense of looking at the camera and smiling, the photographer often guides people. For example, he might ask a brother and sister to jump on the bed, or ask the family for a group hug and pretend the camera isn't there.

  So if you love photographing people's lifestyles u should be a director and photographer, so this is where you can get creative with people photography.

  Lifestyle photography also captures the interaction between family members. This way, you can create some touching memories. 

   3- Environmental Portraits

  Photographing a person in their environment is a combination of traditional portraiture because it involves ideal poses and lighting conditions, and photographing a person's lifestyle because the main person in their environment is captured.

  This type of photo-show photo shortage in a place that means something to that person and is an important part of their personality. It could be an artist's studio, an office, a kitchen, a classroom, or if you photograph a ballerina, it could be a ballroom...etc. The goal is to depict the person in what they consider to be their natural environment.

  Always remember, when photographing a person in their environment; Bothe person and the environment around him are equally important. The opposite of lifestyle photography where all the importance belongs to the people in the photo.

  When you want to photograph the person in their environment, you should talk to them to get a deeper understanding of what the location means to them. This will help you capture their emotional connection, making the photo more effective and memorable.

   4- Candid portrait Photography

  A candid photo is a spontaneous moment. This type of photography is not planned by the photographer. Instead, he lets things run normally, his job is to catch the right moment and hit the shoot button.

  This type of portrait is very popular among street photographers because it is easier to take candid portraits of people on the street without them noticing. The point of all this is to capture people in real moments.

  It is not necessary to photograph strangers to take a candid photo. You can photograph your friends or children without them noticing you.

  Some photographers break this rule, for example, a photographer may ask people for a mix of poses and prompts to encourage candid moments.

  The photographer is naturally inspired by the image of his surroundings, light, the environment, or other factors. So it's always a good idea to keep your camera nearby, even if you don't expect to spend the day taking pictures.

  This type of photography is often full of life and emotion, which is why it has become so popular, it is also used in wedding photography.

   5- Fine Art Photography

  In fine art photography, the photographer is the artist, and photographing the person is not the main purpose. Rather, an artistic portrait should be made.

  Beautiful art pictures are meant to be hung on the walls. They can sometimes be described as "decor images".

  Fine art photography provides the maximum impact and depicts feelings in a vivid and distinctive style. These images are timeless, and capture the essence of a person's personality in the vision created by the photographer.

  The photographer may use location, props, or lighting to manipulate the scene until he gets the image he wants.

  Ultimately, this type of portraiture is considered a future family heirloom. 

   6- Surreal Portraits

  Surrealism is a dreamlike art style. This style can apply to people’s photography as well.

  You can't photograph something that is not there. That's why surreal photo work often involves the use of Photoshop.

  You can also create some using props and other photo tricks.

  A surreal image that turns dreams into real images. It's hard to do, but when it's down doubtfully well, the results are often amazing. 

   7- Self-Portrait Photography

  Self-portraiture is one of the simplest forms of portraiture because it involves only one person: YOU! You are the photographer and you are the one who takes pictures.

  This does not mean that selfies are the selfies that have the hand stretched towards the camera that we see every day on social media.

  Self-portrait photography requires some careful planning and execution. You can use any device you want to take the photo, be it an android phone, iPhone or DSLR. But selfies are more likely to capture your soul — your attitudes and personality — than just a selfie.

  Self-portraits are a lot closer to Fine art Portraits, and poses, props, lighting, and composition should be used to create a unique scene. But you have to do all the work and take the picture for yourself too.

  Of course, you can ask for help, for example, if you want to help with preparation, hair styling, or make-up, but in the end, the main point is that the photo is your creative expression of yourself. Meaning applying your artistic mindset to create a character that you want to share with the world, something no one else can help you do.

  There are many different types of self-portraits such as classic portraits made from boring poses into pieces of fine art.

  And silhouettes, close-ups of your face, or surreal effects added in Photoshop or another program. These types of selfies will push you to create something beyond what's expected.

  When you are photographing yourself, you will either need to set the timer in the camera to a specific length of time before the photo is taken, say 5 seconds. Or buy a small wireless device to shoot from afar. 

   8- Wedding Portrait Photography

  A wedding is one of the most memorable days in a lifetime, and it is a day that people will remember for many years.

  Wedding photography is a big business and a very specialized type of photography.

  Wedding photography involves taking pictures of the couple and family. However, most professionals realize that there is a lot more to photographing at weddings than just taking a few formal photos of the audience.

  Candid shots are taken at weddings as well, such as the image of the bride looking at the groom with love eyes, or the image of the little girl below innocently collecting leaves of flowers. These types of photos are the treasures of wedding memories.

  Couples usually assign one photographer to handle the formal photos, such as pictures of family members, the newlyweds, etc., and then assign a second photographer to take candid photos throughout the day.

  This photographer documents the real and spontaneous events of the day.

  Time flies by, so candid people photography capture real moments that will be remembered.

  Brides who want to have unique and memorable wedding photos can opt for a post-wedding photo session. These sessions usually involve taking pictures of the bride wearing her dress in unusual environments. The bride may choose to have her picture standing among the waves, for example, or in a field and so on.

   9- Newborn Photography

  Newborn photography is a beautiful way to document the miracle of birth, and something parents will love the rest of their lives.

  It is the only area of ​​photography in which the photographer is responsible for the safety of the child. As a newborn photographer, you'll hold, comfort, soothe, stand, roll, and sometimes feed and groom, even with parents present.

  It does not matter how skilled you are in photography, because the skills required to be a newborn photographer are completely different from anything you have done before. If you decide to become a wedding photographer without training, the worst that can happen is to let a couple down on their big day. But no one will be hurt.

  Newborns are sensitive and should be handled properly. They may have circulation problems, their temperature is unstable, and they can't tell you when they feel uncomfortable, which means they are counting on you to take care of them at all times. The right training will teach you safe handling techniques, and how to spot the signs of a child's discomfort.

  Because of this, this type of photography requires the right set of skills. Not having these skills is more than just a risk of getting poor photos – someone's safety is at stake.

   10- Close-up Portrait

  A close-up portrait is where the face of the person you are photographing occupies nearly the entirety of the photograph.

  This type of photography needs complete relaxation to get great facial expressions. For this type of selfie, you'll want to highlight the model's best facial features and hide any imperfections.

  A person's eyes are usually their most prominent feature, and as the "windows of the soul", most people would like to see them in a selfie.

  Close-up selfies should always focus on the eyes. 

   11- Couple, Family, and Group Portraits

  Pictures are not always about one person. There are pictures of couples and family, too.

  When taking family selfies, take multiple photos of the same pose. It's hard to shoot a perfect shot of several people in one shot. One person may blink, and another may not be ready yet. But by having multiple images, you will have options.

  The goal of this technique is to capture the true feelings between your subjects, resulting in images that are cherished and admired.

   12- Headshot Photography

  A headshot is an image of a person's face, which usually includes their shoulders. It can be taken from different angles and is usually used in a professional context, such as social media or professional websites. It usually involves only one person.

  a professional headshot is one of the most frequently requested services a photographer can offer. Regardless of the profession, almost everyone needs a professional headshot.

  Companies like to put pictures of their employees on their websites to add a personal touch.

  Need Individuals also post pictures on their websites and their social media pages. And even Instagram influencers.

   13- Glamor portrait and boudoir portrait

  Glamor and Boudoir are two types of portraiture whose main purpose is to highlight beauty. But what is the difference between them?

  In short, a Glamor portrait is where photographers bring several different aspects together from makeup to lighting to bring out the beauty of a person.

  Some might think that photographing a Glamor portrait is the same as photographing models in a studio. This is wrong because Glamor photography focuses on beauty, whether the face or body, while fashion photography focuses on clothes.

  In Glamor photography, the model does not have to appear in revealing and light clothing, she can wear casual clothes, and the photographer will transform the scene into sexy pictures with lighting, makeup, and poses.

   Boudoir is a subgenre of Glamor photography that also highlights beauty but in a more overtly sexual way.

  Glamor is often filmed in various locations, including the studio and outdoors. But Boudoir, as the name implies, is photographed in the bedroom, in another private place, or the studio as well.

  Boudoir photography subjects often wear lingerie in accentuating physical beauty.

  Many Western women sometimes take this kind of photo to self-confidence and acceptance and appreciation of their bodies. Also, newlyweds often present their husbands with Boudoir portraits.

  A boudoir is a form of photography for the average woman, not the mannequin.

  Glamor photos are for everyone, while Boudoir photos have a limited, perhaps personal audience.

  Glamor photography is an important part of the photography industry for fashion magazines, newspapers, fashion websites, and even blogs because it can grab one's attention. Even advertising agencies, casting agencies and of course, talent booking agencies and models are constantly in demand for gorgeous Glamor pictures. While Boudoir's photos are selfies.

   Conclusion

  Portrait photography is a very versatile genre, and it is all about capturing the personality of your subject. Understanding the different types of portrait photography will help you expand your creativity as a photographer.