An Environmental Portrait – Digital Photography Tip of the Week

This week’s tip is a little misleading as I am not talking about shooting what is around you, but shooting your subject in their environment. A portrait should be more than simply a photo of a person, it should tell a story about them. While a studio shot may look very nice, they are quite static. That is, they don’t say much. Shoot your subject in their element, in an environment they are happy and comfortable with.

For example, if you were to photograph a photographer, give him a camera to hold. Put someone who plays piano for a hobby sitting at one. Maybe they are involved in model trains, gardening or work in a lab. Each of those can be incorporated into your portrait to help tell the story about your subject.

As always, if you have any comments or questions about any of the tips here, or if you have a photography question of your own, please feel free to send them to chris@pcin.net.

The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.

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