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My style of portraiture is influenced by 16th and 17th Century artists such as Vermeer, Caravaggio, and Peter Paul Rubens but the characteristics of those painters are just a jumping off point for making something that is unique to the sitter; unique to you.
Styles Of Portraiture
This page will help you understand what is possible when commissioning a Fine Art Portrait and give you some ideas that we can discuss in our consultation depending on what you want and whether the portrait session is for you or a gift for someone else.
Sometimes a client has a very specific idea of the photographs they want and where they will be displayed which leads to a shorter more focussed shoot.
More commonly though people are looking for great photos but also a fun experience and it is only after the shoot that they then go through the images and decide which ones they want to buy, have framed and think about where they might put them. In this situation an individual model would typically take an hour long session within which we might work through a few outfits and/or lighting changes.
You’ll have probably seen that my style of portraiture is quite dark and moody. This is the aesthetic that you are buying into when commissioning work from me. What you are getting is a personal experience and a luxury item at the end. I will not be putting you on a white background, flooding it with light and encouraging you to look happier than you’ve ever been. Nor will I just follow you around taking photos in the park. There are some great photographers that offer those services but that isn’t the type of work I produce.
Within the types of portraits I produce there are two distinct set-ups that seem to be quite popular as a basis for the looks we can achieve.
The Classical Setup
Uses a lighting setup inspired by the paintings of 16th and 17th Century artists like Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens and the results typically look like this.
This style works well for timeless fashions as well as a more modern look. The conventions of 17th century portraits mean that moody looks are just as appropriate as smiles.
The ‘wrap’ shot using a large piece of fabric covers any visible clothing and creates a timeless portrait by removing any sense of time-specific fashions.
The Hero
I love this set-up for sports portraits.
This setup lights the model evenly from each side with a shadow area in the centre. When the model is in the sweet spot between the two lights there is a fantastic rendering of muscle tone and shadow.
It works well in colour when you want to include team uniforms or flags, but a number of my customers have preferred a black and white rendering for this style of portrait.
Whilst it looks good on black, it also works well if the model is in their training environment. I have worked with clubs to document groups of their athletes with the club as the background.
Environmental
Out of the studio and into the real world, environmental portraits are less controllable but can use the surroundings to say more about the model.
It is my environmental portraiture that has been exhibited most as I practice it a lot within my personal projects.
There is less predictability with this type of work but it is the most affordable portrait session I offer and works well for personal and business commissions.