| Portraiture can be many things to many different photographers. There are posed portraits, candid portraits, close-up portraits, wide portraits and so on. At its root, portraiture is a picture of a person or people. The environmental portrait is somewhat an anomaly and can be a confusing title to many beginner photographers — it is not necessarily a photo of someone in nature, nor is it a photo related to environmentalism. Put simply, an environmental portrait is a photo of someone in any indoor or outdoor space, where the person and space each contribute in telling a story about who the person is. Here, regular Canadian Geographic contributor Pat Kane offers five keys for creating compelling environmental portraits.
What is the story? We want to know what the person looks like, but we also want to know about the person’s life. Where do they live? What do they do for work? What is their living situation? How are they connected to the space you are photographing them in? Every person has a story, and a strong image of that person in a meaningful space should tell the viewer something about them.
Look behind the person: In environmental portraiture, the background is just as important as the person. Whether your portrait is taking place inside or outside, good composition is still your guiding principle: are there distracting trees or poles or lamps sticking out from the behind? Place the person in a space that isolates them from the background, but also in a place where we can see important details of the space they are in.
Look in front of the person, too: Interesting foregrounds can create great portraits and give your photo some visual depth. Experiment by framing people with branches or flowers or furniture — this will give your image a foreground, middle and background, and bring the viewer through your photo.
Create a mood — and try the less obvious: Great portraits are not always informational. In fact, I would argue that great portraits, more than anything, should give viewers a feeling that makes them want to know more about the person. Ways to create mood: turn off the lights in a room and use window light; frame faces with shadows from trees; ask people to look directly at the lens and also away from the camera; shoot really tight and really wide. Another good way to create mood is to photograph someone in a place other than their home or work. This might sound counterintuitive to what an environmental portrait should achieve, but it is a nice way to surprise your viewers or tell something unexpected about the person in your photo. If you are photographing a doctor for example, the obvious choice is to photograph them in their scrubs at a busy hospital. But a better picture might be one in their everyday clothes in a field. It can give your photo a sense of peace that truly humanizes the person. You don’t always have to show a face: Photographs of details and creative poses that obscure people’s faces can make for striking portraits. A mechanic’s oil-stained hands or someone with their back to the camera can tell a lot about a person without ever showing their face. Whatever the situation is, always be creative and experiment — you never know what will make a great portrait unless you try something new. Follow Pat on Instagram: @patkanephoto
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