Why do people take different pictures for different purposes? And what exactly do people want to convey with images?

According to Francis’ book The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, portrait photography is a photograph that “captures the personality of the subject using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses.” (Francis 2007) But human’s personality is often too complex to be captured within a single picture: a lot of pictures just aim to capture what’s happening in an instant to convey something to the audience. Photographers might choose to just emphasize a specific aspect with a picture through the use of appropriate background and image composition. This Thursday, I got the opportunity to have a professional headshot taken at our mini-seminar and witnessed how professionalism can be conveyed.

Many elements are in play to make a portrait professional. First off, the use of a plain dark background. This background makes the subject stand out and gives the image a professional look. Secondly, the attire. Wearing a button-down shirt, or even better, a suit, enables the subject to impress the audience. Third, the camera distance and image composition. The headshot should only include the upper body and focus on the face of the subject. Last but not least, posture. The subject might choose to sit facing the camera or slightly sideways, but either way, the goal is to look elegant and pleasing to the eyes.

Pictures will never be the same as you. However, good pictures achieve their intended appeal to the target audience while giving an honest depiction of the subject.

Source:

Francis, Kathleen (2007). The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography. Focal Press. p. 341.