Environmental Portraiture Portraits taken of people in a situation and/or a location, that says something about who they are.

Why create environmental portraits? they add context to your subject they add points of interest your composition they give viewers real insight into the personality and lifestyle of your subject * Environmental portraits fall somewhere between studio portraits (constructed posed compositions) and candid shots (capturing people incidentally through daily life)

HISTORICAL EXAMPLES

DANCERS PAUSE IN THE WINDOW OF THEIR DANCING ROOM AT THE BALANCHINE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY, 1936, ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

NURSES AT ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL, 1937, ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

TIMES SQUARE,NEW YORK CITY, 1945, ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

A MOTHER AND HER CHILD IN THE BOMBED LANDSCAPE OF HIROSHIMA, JAPAN, 1946, ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

AUGUSTUS JOHN, 1951, ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

EDWARD R. MURROWS, 1959, ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

WILLIE “THE LION” SMITH, NEW YORK, 1960, ARNOLD NEWMAN

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, WASHINGTON, 1981, ARNOLD NEWMAN

WOODY ALLEN, NEW YORK, 1996, ARNOLD NEWMAN

MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV, ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES

Photograph by Philippe Ruttens

IAxg&usg=__joFQXeJrnPGijC5mnxaFVFB7Smk=&h=1600&w=1143&sz=15&hl=en&start=32&um=1&tbnid=3sUR2YZkUp8a9M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Denvironmental%2Bportraiture%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Photograph by Dennis Welsh

U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 1st Class NyxoLyno Cangemi

Photograph by Doug Plummer

Photograph by Brandon Proctor

HQDIspTAl9N4L55L1Ekg=&h=800&w=787&sz=166&hl=en&start=209&um=1&tbnid=NpsjLZ8vKF-jxM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Denvironmental%2Bportraiture%26start%3D200%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Spend time getting to know your subject… Before you select a location and start shooting, spend some time getting to know your subject. Find out where they spend their time, what the rhythm of their life is like and observe their personality. By doing this, you’ll not only find appropriate locations but will begin to get a feel for the style of shots that might be appropriate. And you’ll begin the process of helping your subject relax into the photo shoot. If possible it might even be helpful to accompany your subject to some possible locations, to see not only how they look but also how your subject behaves and interacts with the location.

Spend time choosing a location… that says something about your subject – remember that saying something about your subject is the focus of this style of photography. that adds interest to the shot – remember every element in a composition can add or detract from your image. The environment that you place your subject in needs to provide context and be interesting, but not overwhelm the subject. that doesn’t dominate the shot - sometimes the location can dominate the image so much that it distracts your viewer away from your main focal point (the subject). Try to avoid cluttered backgrounds (and foregrounds), colors that are too bright etc. Keep in mind that you might be able to decrease the distractions with clever use of cropping, depth of field and subject placement.

Spend time considering Props, Poses and Expression Props can make or break an environmental portrait. If they are subtle and naturally fit within the context of the environment they can be very appropriate and add to the image. You’ll want to avoid anything that doesn’t quite fit or that potentially distracts the viewers. The same goes for the clothes that your subject wears. Try to be true to the context, without getting too into the genre of costumes. What sets the environmental portrait apart from candid portraits is that you pose your subject (it’s a fine line and you might end up doing a bit of both in any given shoot). Don’t be afraid to direct your subject to sit, stand or act in a certain way that fits with the environment that you’re shooting in. Some of the poses might seem slightly unnatural and dramatic but it’s often these more purposely posed shots that are more dramatic and give a sense of style to your image. The expression on the face of your subject is also very important in environmental photography and you should consider how it fits with the overall scene. For example if you’re shooting in a formal environment it may not be appropriate to have your subject posing with a big smile, you might need a more somber or serious look. Mix it up to see what does and doesn’t work. Information adapted from a Design by The Blog Studio © Digital Photography School