Musings Part 2 Not All People Pictures Are Portraits

And they shouldn't be. For example when doing product photography, the person hardly matters. Yes, they should be pleasing, but also unobtrusive. If you are trying to sell jewelry or a swimsuit, the model now becomes the prop. The focus needs to be the product and not the person, yet the person must also fit the personality of the product.

Some of the best portraits can be found in what is termed Street Photography. Like all other forms of photography there are rules that must be learned. Composition, in my opinion is the most important. What is held in that tiny four sided frame needs to draw the eye in and around the image. When the subject is not aware that they are being photographed, they are not hiding behind a false smile or predetermined pose.

I believe that the best photographers are those that have a background in painting or drawing as it is only there that we learn how to fit a whole bunch of stuff into a small space and still make it make sense. I think that all photography schools should have mandatory drawing classes where composition is taught, the students would benefit greatly and their eyes would be trained to see differently than the photographer who has never learned to see as only a pencil or paint brush can train us.