Like their landscape counterparts, portraits and people images have a distinct look and feel to them when shot in black-and-white. With no colour to distract you, the image becomes all about the composition, the lighting and, most importantly, the expression of the person being photographed, whether your subject is a fashion model in the studio, or a ‘real’ person on the street.
With portraits, the lighting also plays a crucial role in forming the mood of the image, from high-key, soft lighting to harsh spotlighting with lots of contrast. However, the type of lighting must be appropriate to the person being shot and their environment.
In many ways, you should treat your people images as you do landscapes, and capture the best viewpoint in the best light. If you don’t…
