A successful portrait must concentrate the viewer’s attention on the subject’s face, of course. But it can also provide additional information about their profession, passions or interests.
There are plenty of different ways to provide this context. Many people wear uniforms or other special clothing in the course of their work, or to practice their favourite sport.
I’ve photographed artists with their works, musicians with their instruments, and one time a chef with a huge kitchen knife.
Of course, many of us don’t have distinctive clothing or equipment. In this case, the contextual elements of a portrait need to be symbolic or suggestive. Living in Brussels, I’m often asked to make portraits for people who work in the EU institutions. Here, we can integrate obvious symbols such as logos or flags, or go for a more impressionistic backdrop of the ‘European district’.
Perhaps you’d prefer a set of studio portraits with neutral backgrounds. That’s great! I promise we’ll make some beautiful ones. But if you’d like to add a bit of contextual richness, give me a call and we can discuss how we might do this. You like reading? We can make some shots of you with a book. Your job involves environmental protection? Let’s do the shoot in the woods. You’re a tech entrepreneur? I recommend a modern architectural background. Into music? Why not make some portraits with your earphones or the cover of your favourite album? Movie buff? Brussels has some amazing retro cinema architecture we can use.
