Portrait - Photography
Napa Valley, San Francisco North Bay, Ca. USA

Portrait photography captures the likeness of a person or a small group of people,

 

typically in a flattering manner. Like other types of portraiture, the focus of photograph is the person's face, although the entire body and the background may be included. Many people enjoy having professionally made family portraits to hang in their homes, or special portraits to commemorate certain events, such as graduations or weddings.

With pictures being composed and captured in a studio the photographer has complete control over the lighting of their subject and can adjust direction, temperature, quality, and contrast to meet any requirements. The basic lighting types are termed key light, fill lights, kicker lights, and background lights. The key (or main) light produces the light meter reading, is the basis for all other light positions and intensities, and is the main generator of shadow on the subject's face. Fill lights "open up" areas of shadow, they lighten it but do not cast visible shadows of their own onto the subject. Kicker lights (also called hair lights or side lights) 'kick' the subjects out from the background, increasing contrast. Background lights are those which do not fall on the subject but the background.