Taking photographs of people requires a good deal of concentration and skill. While technical issues remain more or less smilar (it's still a matter of lights and shadows, depth of field, etc), the approach is very different than in the case of landscape photography, for instance, where it doesn't matter how much time you need to take that perfect picture. It doesn't quite work like this with people. Some get bored very quickly and get restless, others don't want to stay put all day on behalf of your creative urges... Doing portrait photography requires social skills as well as technical ones.
The result we usually try to achieve in portrait photography, is to capture the most interesting aspects of a model, and that's also what's generally expected from the photographer. The picture should suggest sincerity and fulfilment, which means avoiding stupid-looking and forced smiles, but does not rule out joy, if it comes naturally. Getting people to be engrossed in something they enjoy doing often gives good results too. The expression reflected by someone who fully lives the moment you shoot will no doubt give you some of your best pictures, and those that'll be most popular. A musician playing his instrument, or more generally a person engaged in a creative activity are good examples of this sort of subject.
Another thing that shouldn't be overlooked when working on a portrait is the background. This is particularly important if you don't own a studio and have to work outdoors. I'll say more about this in my next post.
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