What is a portrait?

A portrait is a representation, an artwork, of a person (one image or a series of photos). Most often, it is a close-up of that person’s face (but it can be a distant view), capturing their expression and mood. It can be taken anywhere and sometimes it is better to take it in an environment. This is because photographers can utilize their surroundings to better deliver that person’s personality and feelings. Moreover, a portrait can be created in various ways, such as painting, sculpting, and photographing. In this case, I am focusing on the use of a camera. In addition, for a portrait, the person being portrayed does not need to show their face or even be in the photo. People find more creative and unique ways to express themselves without the use of expression or body; these kinds of portraits tend to focus on the environment over subjects. Lastly, there is no fixed definition of a perfect portrait. Nevertheless, there are traits that make a good one. A portrait needs to depict a person’s features in a way that is visually appealing.

Examples of portraits: