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Portrait Photography: Types, Styles, & More (2025)

Portrait photography is a form of art that expresses the personality, emotions, and mood of a person through still images. Whether you are capturing traditional portraits or casual outdoor portrait shots, the surroundings, poses and expressions together can convey a story that evokes emotion within the viewer’s mind and makes them feel connected on a deeper level. 

Are you interested in portrait photography? We’ve compiled the basics of portrait photography in this blog to help you learn what this is, what types of portrait shots you can try to capture, and a few effective portrait photography tips to master this photography art. 

Let’s explore portrait photography in detail!

portrait of a male and female model

Portrait photography is a photographic technique that focuses on the face or full body of a person or group of individuals, portraying their personality, mood or bonding with each other. The combination of thoughtful composition design, proper lighting setup, an interesting background and natural posing together portrays the personality and essence of a subject.

There are both formal and casual styles to use the photographs for a wide range of purposes. However, casual-style portrait photos are mostly used for artistic purposes or personal branding. Relaxed, casual-style portrait images are a powerful tool to tell stories and evoke emotions within the target audience.

What’s the Difference Between Portrait Photography and Headshot Photography?

comparison between portrait photography vs headshot photography

Portrait and headshot photography look quite similar, which may make you think of both image styles as the same. Although both portraits and headshots are types of portraiture, there are subtle differences in styles, purposes, and photography techniques that make them unique and distinct from each other. 

Let’s explore the differences between portrait photography and headshot photography to help you identify which one is the perfect image style as per your needs.

Categories Portrait Photography Headshot Photography
Composition Style
Portraits are a flexible and creative photography style that captures the face or full body of a subject to express their personality.
Headshots are a professional and straightforward photography style that captures the face and shoulder of a subject.
Background
These images are shot both indoors and outdoors, as the background and surroundings are essential to provide a context or set the mood.
Headshots are mostly shot against a simple or neutral background to make the images look formal and professional.
Lighting Setup
Different styles of lighting setups are used to capture portraits, such as soft lighting, harsh shadows, colored lighting and so on to create the required mood.
Simple lighting setup is used to capture headshots, ensuring even lighting all over the setup and minimizing harsh shadows.
Photography Angles
Portraits are shot using a variety of angles to express creativity, mood, or emotion.
Eye level angle is mostly used for capturing headshots where the subject looks directly at the camera without tilting their head.
Poses & Expressions
Different poses and expressions are captured in portraits, as they are key factors that bring out the personality of a person.
A relaxed posture and warm smile are the only pose and expression shot in headshot photography.
Purpose
Portraits are mostly used for creative marketing materials, editorial works, or artistic platforms for personal branding.
Headshot images are mostly used in professional platforms such as LinkedIn profiles, company websites, conferences, and so on.

What are the Different Types of Portrait Photography?

Portrait photography is a vast genre with various image styles captured using different approaches. Each type of portrait photography highlights unique aspects of the subject and provides endless ways of capturing moments, telling stories, and evoking emotions.

The following are some of the most popular portrait photography types you can try out to achieve your specific purposes and artistic goals.

Traditional Portrait

traditional portraits against neutral background of beautiful women

Traditional portrait is the classic portrait shot that focuses on the face and upper body of the subject. In this image style, a neutral background is used with a controlled lighting setup like headshot photography. The subject looks directly at the camera without giving any dramatic expression or pose. 

This portrait style is mostly used for formal purposes, such as hanging on the walls of the house or workplace, official identification, artistic exhibition, tribute to the deceased and so on.

Group Portraits

group portraits of professional people and family

Portrait photography is a versatile photography genre where multiple subjects can be shot in a single frame. Group portraits are usually shot during special occasions such as weddings, family reunions or corporate events. The purpose of this image style is to highlight the bonding and unity between the subjects.  

At weddings, portrait shots of the friends or family members are taken with the bride and groom. The unique bonding and fun-loving moments remain the focusing factors in the images. Similarly, in corporate group portraits, professionalism, collaboration and team spirit are highlighted.

Lifestyle Portraits

lifestyle portraits of beautiful woman in outdoors

Lifestyle portrait is a casual image style shot in outdoor locations to capture real-life situations and genuine expressions. This is the most common portrait style used in advertising photography, fitness campaigns as well as personal events such as post-wedding shoots, family photography, couple photography, and many more. 

On social media, you have probably seen ads for various brands featuring models wearing clothing, shoes, or jewelry to show how the items fit and appear in everyday life situations. Brands prefer this photography style because customers tend to feel more connected to these images. This is also one of the best ways to capture personal moments of interaction with partners, family and friends, such as couples laughing at the beach, parents playing with children, friends hanging out at a café, etc.

Also check “Senior Picture Ideas

Glamor Portraits

glamor portraits of beautiful women

Glamor portrait is a type of fashion portrait mostly shot for fashion brands and personal branding of models. This portrait style focuses on makeup, styling, bold poses and lighting to highlight the beauty of the models and actors. Moreover, these images require professional makeup and extensive editing techniques to enhance the facial and body features. Glamor portraits are mostly captured for publication in fashion magazines, advertising campaigns, and promotional materials.

Creative or Conceptual Portraits

creative or conceptual portraits of beautiful woman

Conceptual or creative portrait is a form of abstract or surreal photography. This is all about showing the creativity of a photographer or subject using dramatic lighting, various angles, makeup arts or props to visualise an abstract theme or concept. This portrait style is also known as fine art portrait because it narrates stories or emotions through imaginative and unconventional ideas. Magazines, music album covers or advertising campaigns use this conceptual portrait to evoke emotion, spark curiosity and connect with the target audience in a unique way.

Environmental Portraits

a male chef cooking food in kitchen and a woman working on a coffee shop (environmental portraits)

Environmental portrait is the genre of portrait photography that focuses on the subject along with their surroundings. This photography style helps to create narratives that express the personality, hobbies or everyday life of the subject. For environment portraits, location selection is done carefully to successfully create the connection between the subject and the context. 

This is a great way to portray the genuine personality of the subject, such as a teacher interacting with students in the class, a chef cooking in a kitchen, or simply standing on a beach conveying the inner spirit of freedom.

Candid Portraits

candid portraits of beautiful women's

Candid portraits are unstaged portraits shot to capture genuine expression, emotion and raw moments. This is a subcategory of lifestyle portraits as the ordinary activities of everyday moments are captured in both of these photography techniques. The thin line that makes these photography techniques different is the level of awareness. 

In lifestyle portraits, subjects are fully aware of the shots and give poses and expressions as per the theme of the photoshoot. On the other hand, subjects remain engaged with their activities, be it playing, cooking or doing other movements, while the photographer takes candid shots of the spontaneous moments. The main purpose of this photography style is to freeze real-life moments, including authentic emotions and expressions. 

This portrait style is perfect for cherishing your special moments, such as birthday celebrations, graduation ceremonies, surprise proposals, and countless other milestones.

Self Portraits

self portraits of 2 beautiful woman

The formal term for a selfie is self-portrait, which means the subject and the photographer are the same person. It is not always necessary to have a photographer click your portrait shots. You can do it on your own with the help of a few tools and photography skills. You can set the camera on a tripod at your desired angle to take the stylized planned shots. Also, you can use your smartphone camera to capture simple selfies. 

This form of self-expression can create amazing photographs where you have complete control over the concept and composition. You won’t have to follow someone else’s instructions. Rather, you can come up with the perfect photography setup and poses that will bring your vision to life.

Street Portraits

street portrait of a handsome bearded man in sunglasses and a beautiful woman

Street portrait photography has become quite popular recently on social media. Photographers take snaps of candid moments on a busy street. Apart from candid shots, staged street portraits also provide amazing visuals. Most importantly, consent of the random street model is the thing you must consider before publishing or uploading the photographs. There are many individuals who prefer not to get public exposure. So make sure you politely ask for their permission for street photography. 

You will get numerous random passersby willing to model for your portraits. Make sure to avoid busy backgrounds so the images don’t look cluttered. You can use the long exposure technique to blur out the surrounding people and vehicles in motion. High or low-angle shots can also make the background appear clean. Don’t want to change your angle? No problem. You can position your subject a bit far away from the busy scenario. The distance between the subject and background will blur out distractions and keep the focus on your subject.

What Essential Gear Do You Need for Portrait Photography?

Your choice of photography equipment creates a significant impact on the image quality. You probably don’t want your portraits to be of low resolution, blurry or unappealing. We’re here to guide you on the right equipment so that you can capture amazing portraits that stand out.

The following is a list of essential gear you must have to capture high-quality portraits.

Camera

The first equipment you need to choose is the camera. There is no specific camera that can be considered the best camera for portraits, as modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras are built with advanced features that are capable of capturing stunning shots. However, the features might vary depending on the camera models. While choosing the camera, you should consider these key factors: 

  • Pick the camera that has large sensors. This will help you capture high-quality portraits even in a low-light setting.
  • The resolution of your camera should be minimum 20 megapixels to capture sharp details. You can choose a higher-resolution camera if your portraits need to be printed in large sizes.
  • Your camera should have both manual and automated features so that you can customize the settings depending on your needs. 
  • Autofocus features such as eye tracking help to maintain sharp focus on the eyes. You need this feature to capture the high-quality portrait images. 
  • You may need to use multiple lenses, so make sure the camera you select has the interchangeable lens feature. 
  • Connecting the camera with your computer can help you see the portrait shots instantly on large screens. You can identify the flaws you need to fix to get the perfect photos. So make sure your camera has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Lens

A high-quality camera alone cannot capture great photos. You need to choose the perfect lenses depending on your photography setup. A 50mm, 85mm, or 135mm prime lens is considered ideal for capturing sharp and clear images. The large aperture of a prime lens can provide excellent performance in low-light conditions. You can also use a telephoto lens with a 70-200 mm focal length and an aperture of f/2.8. This will allow you to zoom in and focus on your subject during outdoor shoots.

Lighting Setup

woman taking photos of handsome model in a studio

Strobe lights, ring lights and softboxes are perfect light sources for a professional photography setup indoors. These high-intensity lights can be controlled the way you want as per your setup requirements. However, for an outdoor shoot, you don’t need all these lights. Sometimes you may need to use an external flash or speedlight as a fill light. The necessity of using a flash outdoor may come up in a shaded place or during sunset when nature doesn’t have enough light to brighten up the photos perfectly. 

Regardless of whether you are taking the shots indoors or outdoors, lighting accessories such as reflectors and diffusers are must-have tools. Reflectors bounce back light to make the whole photography setup brighten uniformly. Besides, diffusers make the light rays soft to reduce harsh shadows.

Backdrop

You need simple and distraction-free backdrops for studio portrait photography. Seamless paper, fabric, canvas or vinyl are great options for professional-quality portrait photographs. This type of backdrop helps to maintain the focus on the subject and make them appear to stand out. You will get a variety of background color and texture options available on the market. Choose the backdrops wisely, considering your theme, outfit colors and overall mood of the images.

Tripod

A tripod may seem like optional equipment. However, this is an essential tool that can ensure you clear photographs with sharp details. Tripods can keep your camera steady and eliminate the chance of capturing hazy portraits. Sometimes, the long exposure technique is used to add light trails in portraits. You will need a tripod to take that shot. Also, this is a must-have tool in case you take self portraits. It is recommended to operate the camera on a tripod through a remote shutter release to ensure zero shaking.

Portrait Photography Tips and Best Practices

Let’s explore 9 effective portrait photography ideas that professional photographers recommend as best practices to capture amazing portrait shots.

Make Your Subject Feel Comfortable

Female Fashion Photographer With Client Looking At Images From Shoot On Camera In Studio

Facial expressions are one of the key focusing elements in portrait shots. Genuine and staged expressions are easily identifiable in portraits. This is because natural expressions have the ability to communicate true emotions even through still images. On the other hand, forced expressions appear unnatural and make the portraits lack authenticity. 

The photographer and the subject should have a good rapport within them to feel comfortable and connected to each other. Soft prompts as a guideline or visual demonstration of what the photographer is imagining can create a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Find the Right Location

Location creates a great impact on the overall aesthetics of the portrait shots. Since surroundings are a crucial part of portrait photography, you must pick the location that perfectly matches the photography theme. Selecting an outdoor location comes with numerous challenges. The major challenges are the weather and time of the day. The amount of light you will get to capture the shots depends on these two factors. Moreover, public places remain packed with crowds, which can result in photo bombing. You have to consider the crowd as well while choosing the right location. 

Remember to avoid shooting in open places during the middle of the day. The high-intensity sunlight directly falls on the subject and casts harsh shadows. Usually, the sunlight in the early morning and late afternoon remains diffused. You can take the shots during these hours to make the portraits look aesthetic in the natural warm light.

Setup Lighting Properly

Lighting setup has the ability to completely transform the overall mood of a portrait. Some portrait themes may require uniform lighting, whereas other themes may need partial or dramatic lighting setup. You first have to decide on the type of portrait photography lighting you want for your composition. Here are a few lighting setup ideas you can use to design your photography setup. 

  • For uniform lighting, you can use two or more light sources. Place two light sources on the left and right sides of your subject at a 45-degree angle. Light falling at this angle provides a natural depth and dimension to the facial features. Make sure to cover the light sources with diffusers to avoid strong shadows. 
  • You need a rim light in case both the color of the outfit and background are dark. A rim light is placed between the background and the subject. This prevents background from blending with the subject by creating an outline along the edges of the subject. 
  • Colorful lights can be used within the setup to add a dramatic effect. Color gels, a type of transparent colored plastic sheet are mostly used in portrait photography to provide color effects.

Take Candid Portrait Shots

Candid is an excellent creative portrait photography technique that captures genuine expressions and real-life moments. Let your subject perform their intended activities, which can be anything starting from walking together holding hands to laughing their heart out. 

These natural body posture or carefree laughter are only possible to capture through candid shots because people subconsciously try to remain perfect in front of the camera. This camera consciousness restricts authentic and genuine expressions. Since these fleeting moments pass at lightning speed, you can use the burst mode to ensure you don’t let the nanosecond moments slip away.

Capture Emotions and Expressions

Poses and expressions are the elements that bring portrait shots to life. However, the expressions should not be forced or staged. A fake smile or blank look can ruin the visual impact of the portraits. Instead, you can motivate your subject to think about certain moments of their life that will bring the expression of happiness, sorrow, anger or other emotions you want to capture naturally.

Try Out Different Poses

Portrait photographs shot using different poses enhance the visual appeal of your portrait images. The combination of different gestures and postures creates endless posing opportunities. Playing with poses is a fun way to add your creative touch to the images as well as present the unique personality of the subject. You can check out different magazines, social media profiles or websites of famous photographers to take inspiration for a wide range of poses, be they simple, bold, artistic or dramatic.

Have Basic Understanding of Exposure Triangle

Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed are the three fundamental features of the camera that determine the exposure setting of an image. For this reason, these three settings together are known as the exposure triangle. Let us take a quick look at the exposure triangle. 

  • Aperture is the opening of the camera through which light enters the camera. A small opening means a less bright image, while a large opening means a brighter image. 
  • ISO is the sensitivity of the camera sensor to light. That is, high ISO means the sensitivity of the sensor increases, resulting in bright images. However, too high ISO in low-light conditions makes images noisy. 
  • Shutter speed is the duration that allows the camera sensor to stay exposed to light. A long shutter speed in low-light conditions creates bright image and a fast shutter speed in bright lighting conditions prevents images from being overexposed.

You need to have a proper understanding of the exposure triangle setting to ensure a balanced brightness of the images. You can experiment with capturing images in different lighting conditions to see which combination of exposure triangle values works best for the specific lighting environment.

Maintain a Color Palette for Your Portrait Shots

You can enhance the visual aesthetics of your portrait shots through color palettes. Colors are quite tricky to work with because some colors don’t look good together, while similar colors can blend together and make the photographs look boring. It’s best to use complementary colors for the overall composition. 

You can use the color wheel or consider the pre-made color palette templates. The complementary colors used in the outfit, props or background create eye-soothing contrast and enhance the visual interest.

Experiment with Different Angles

The eye level angle is the classic angle used to capture traditional-style portraits. You can experiment with different angles and perspectives to capture unique portraits that stand out from your competitors. Unconventional angles provide an interesting point of view that people usually do not see in their regular lives. Angles such as high, side, aerial, and close-ups can capture the subject from unusual angles, leaving your target viewers in awe.

Post-Processing and Editing Portraits

A before-and-after comparison of a portrait image of a beautiful woman

Post-production is the last step of professional photography that is mandatory to provide the images with a polished and visually appealing result. Raw portraits may have numerous flaws, such as blemishes on the skin, dull colors, dark shadows in certain places, and so on. You need to fix these visual problems before printing or publishing the photographs. 

There are different free and subscription-based software for portrait editing. Although free editing apps are capable of editing photos quite well, the quality is not comparable to the results of professional photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and so on. However, operating this software requires mastering the photo editing skills. 

Brands, photographers, advertising agencies or ecommerce business owners having large photo editing tasks or wanting professional-quality edited portraits prefer outsourcing their projects to photo editing service providers. These photo editing companies have skilled photo editors to ensure you get perfect images within a short period of time. 

These service providers offer a wide range of services, including photo retouching, color correction, image masking, background removal and a lot more. You can take one or multiple services as per your needs from the same place without experiencing any hassle.

Frequently Asked Questions about Portrait Photography

Capturing portrait photos is quite easy. You need to prepare a photography setup with lighting, camera, lens, props, background and so on. Since facial expression is the key factor in this image style, focus should be given to the subject’s eye and body language. Different angles and poses can be used to take the shots.

A good portrait photo is a well-balanced composition with visually striking elements that make the subject stand out in the crowd. The portraits should also have genuine expressions that capture the attention of the audience easily and evoke their emotion. The portraits should also have enough negative space to provide breathing space and create connection with the surroundings.

A photography portrait is an art that goes beyond capturing the physical appearance of a person. This photography style has the special ability to present the personality and characteristics of a person. Although the major focusing point is the face and expression, other factors, including gesture, posture, body language and surroundings together create a narrative that makes the personality of the individual unique.

Conclusion

Portrait photography is a creative photography genre where you are not bound to follow rules and theories to get the perfect shot. Take lessons from our shared portrait photography tips and combine them with your creativity. You will definitely come up with unique ideas to capture the versatile human emotions and expressions. Take inspiration from your photography community and explore this amazing journey of mastering portrait photography skills!

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