There are times that I feel that portrait photography can be the most creatively demanding and challenging job. This is why: each time I am with a client I am truly giving my all to bring out the best in the family or individual, helping them shine, only as they can and setting the unique mood for that session. As you can imagine, when you give yourself up to the creative process it can be draining, however I am here to say it is also the most rewarding thing ever. I get to see it all come together and I get to be imaginative, resourceful and downright artistic and make the portrait come to life. This is why I love my job! But like all photographers, I need to keep on top of the photography trends at the moment. I need to look at them, evaluate them and then think about how they are best for my clients and exactly when to use them. Each day, the way we as a culture look at photography and how I click a portrait is changing. Since this is the case, I have looked at the current trends and I am going to point out a few that I think have staying power. These are trends that I can watch and use in my personal sessions.
Urban Environments: Downtown or historic urban areas usually have amazing and colorful backdrops. Some of these areas can contain brick walls, unique staircases, walk ways, bright doors and murals. Casual wear usually looks best in this environment, so if you want that metropolitan feel it is a great option.
Candid Interaction: I talk often about candid images, since they are some of my favorite. Long gone are the days of sit down, pose and smile. I want to see genuine interaction between everyone in the portrait. I wrote about this topic also in this post, where I outline my views on the importance of this style.
De-saturated Portraits: We all love color but sometimes a highly saturated portrait can bring out metallic and brown hues. The image still says pretty transparent but gives it a little drama. This is a style that is great to use if a client is really looking for distinctive, creative images.
Classical Portrait Style: This is a style that is very interesting. It is old fashioned photography with a slightly modern twist. Often, the whole silhouette of the subject is shown. You really only need one prop such as a chair. To do this type of classical painting portrait, clothes are best simple and, just like the old days, the portrait comes out so much better if the subject looks disinterested or dull. We all have photographs of our older generation non-smiling, simple shot and this uncomplicated image is what a classical style should produce.
I like the idea of getting away from conventional poses and switching it up. In my opinion, it makes the portraits that much better. I strive to understand my clients likes and dislikes and their lifestyle. This helps me make better decisions during my sessions for them and their portraits. The possibilities are endless!
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