Documentary Portrait Addressing The Viewer

The ‘standard’ figure portrait.

Using a neutral background and wide aperture/s photograph the following 4 scenarios

• Head shot

• Half body shot

• Three quarters body shot

• Full body shot

Look into the centre of the lens

Get your sitter to stare directly into the centre of the camera lens. They can be standing or sitting (shoot both and then choose your favourite images for your blog post). Shoot the following 4 scenarios.

• Square on to the camera

• Looking over their shoulder

• Side on to the camera

• 45 Degrees to Camera

Doing Something

Shoot the following image

Photograph a person doing something (except using their mobile - strictly no phones please) - they could be eating dinner, reading a book, drinking tea, cooking, doing exercises, strangling cats (this is no joke - ask me about this please) But they must be addressing the viewer in some way.

Inside a small Space

Shoot the following image.

Photograph a person inside a small space - it could be a cupboard, wardrobe or cardboard/wooden box. The person can be either inside it, attempting to get into it, or trying to get out.

Outside In Context 1

Shoot the following image.

Photograph a person outside, but showing context of their surroundings - For example, the image could be a person in a landscape. The viewer has to be able to describe the sitters’ surroundings. Again make the sitter look engaging in some way.

Outside in Context 2

Shoot the following image.

Now shoot another person outside, but this time attempt to blur the background using aperture control to see how much is readable using out of focus background.

This image involves good control of aperture and checking to see how much of the background is in focus. Too much and you lose everything, not enough and it looks like the exercise above!