Portrait Styles

Ok, recently I’ve been asked about the way my portfolio is organized. Many photographers have their portraits broken down by such categories as “seniors”, “models”, “families”, “kids”, etc. Mine is organized under the umbrella category of “people”. Why do I do this? On the surface I’d have to say it’s because that’s just the way I see things in terms of my overall subject matter. I also take photos at locations and of inanimate objects (such as products for catelogs and advertisements). So, I suppose my response could also be that, if I divided my People photos into these categories, should I also divide my other photos into more specific categories? If so, what categories? Maybe it’s not worth over-thinking it.

But, I really don’t think this is the reason that I don’t have my people photos broken down into smaller categories. The reason is more elemental. I simply don’t see any difference between styles of photography between say, “seniors” and “kids”. Portraits, to me, are photos that capture, not only the likeness of someone, but also something about them personally. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 3 year old child, or if it’s 25 year rock musician. A portrait is a portrait. Styles vary based on the individual, not an age group or other predetermined category.

I don’t have a “style” for shooting kids any more than I have a style for shooting seniors. I just shoot the person and tailor the session specifically for them. Sometimes my portraits are very traditional, while other times they are simply outrageous. It just depends on the person. I would wager that, if you look over my portfolio without any knowledge of the subjects, it would be nearly impossible to categorized the photos based on the traditional types. If you did, you would see a huge crossover that would make the categories meaningless.

I change lighting, backdrops, camera angles, and every other variable based on the client’s needs rather than trying to fit them into categories. In this way, each portrait session is customized to capture exactly what the client wants. Below are some examples:

Is this a traditional 3 year old’s portrait?

Is this a traditional senior portrait?

I hope this helps explain why my portfolio is organized the way it is and also gives you a glimpse into how I approach my craft. This is also why I like to meet with my clients a couple of days in advance of a shoot. It gives us the opportunity to discuss the client’s needs and allows us to plan out some possible shooting options. While I take my client’s needs very seriously, I also believe that a portrait session should be fun and lighthearted.