Portrait photography
[1] Frequently, portraits are commissioned for special occasions, such as weddings, school events, or commercial purposes.
[1] Portraits can serve many purposes, ranging from usage on a personal web site to display in the lobby of a business.
[1] The relatively low cost of the daguerreotype in the middle of the 19th century and the reduced sitting time for the subject, though still much longer than now, led to a general rise in the popularity of portrait photography over painted portraiture.
[5] Subjects were generally seated against plain backgrounds, lit with the soft light of an overhead window, and whatever else could be reflected with mirrors.
According to Arthur Hammond, amateur and professional photographers need only two things to light a portrait: a window and a reflector.
At other times, portraits of individual features might be the focus of a composition such as the hands, eyes or part of the subject's torso.
Head shots have become a popular style within portrait photography, particularly in the entertainment industry, where they are commonly used to showcase a subject's facial features and expressions.
Whilst this approach taken by the paparazzi has been criticized, less invasive and exploitative candid photography has given the world important images of people in various situations and places over the last century.
It had a relatively narrow field of view of 30 degrees, a focal length of 150 mm, and a fast f-number in the ƒ/3.3-3.7 range.
Such a field of view provides a flattening perspective distortion when the subject is framed to include their head and shoulders.
Wider angle lenses (shorter focal length) require that the portrait be taken from closer (for an equivalent field size), and the resulting perspective distortion yields a relatively larger nose and smaller ears, which is considered unflattering and imp-like.
They may be used, however, particularly in fashion photography, but longer lengths require a loudspeaker or walkie-talkie to communicate with the subject or assistants.
[9] In this range, the difference in perspective distortion between 85mm and 135mm is rather subtle; see (Castleman 2007) harv error: no target: CITEREFCastleman2007 (help) for examples and analysis.
The details of bokeh in the resulting blur are accordingly also a consideration; some lenses, in particular the "DC" (Defocus Control) types by Nikon, are designed to give the photographer control over this aspect, by providing an additional ring acting only on the quality of the bokeh, without influencing the foreground (hence, these are not soft-focus lenses).
However, extremely wide apertures are less frequently used, because they have a very shallow depth of field and thus the subject's face will not be completely in focus.
[10] Conversely, in environmental portraits, where the subject is shown in their environment, rather than isolated from it, background blur is less desirable and may be undesirable, and wider angle lenses may be used to show more context.
[11] Finally, soft focus (spherical aberration) is sometimes a desired effect, particularly in glamour photography where the "gauzy" look may be considered flattering.
The Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 with Softfocus is an example of a lens designed with a controllable amount of soft focus.
The documentary I Am Chicago was an experiment in mobile full-body portraiture, using natural light and a moving truck as a studio.
In some schools the requirements are strict regarding the choice of photographer or in the style of portraiture, with only traditional-style portraits being acceptable.
Modern senior portraits may include virtually any pose or clothing choice within the limits of good taste.
Picture proofs are usually available to view online the next day which are lower quality, unedited and often with a watermark of the studio.
