A portrait is more than just a picture of someone’s face. It is a photograph that tries to show who a person is—their personality, mood, feelings, or story. Portraits have been part of art for many years, and photography has made them even more creative.
A photograph becomes a portrait when the main goal is to show something about a person. This can be what they look like, but also how they feel or what makes them unique.
For example, Steve McCurry’s “Afghan Girl” is famous because her expression shows fear and strength at the same time.
Irving Penn also took portraits of workers holding their tools, which showed what their jobs meant to them.
Wikipedia contributors. “Afghan Girl.” Wikipedia, 18 Nov. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Girl.
Sometimes, yes. A selfie can be a portrait if the person is trying to express something about themselves, not just taking a quick photo for fun.
For example, Cindy Sherman took selfies where she dressed up as different characters. These are considered portraits because she used them to explore identity and emotion.
“Cindy Sherman | MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/artists/5392-cindy-sherman.
A portrait should keep the focus on the person. Backgrounds, props, or objects can help show their personality, but too many distractions can weaken the picture.
Arnold Newman is known for “environmental portraits,” where the background is chosen to support the story. His portrait of composer Igor Stravinsky places him beside a piano, showing how important music is to him.
“‘Picasso’ by Arnold Newman at Cowley Abbott.” Cowley Abbott, cowleyabbott.ca/artwork/AW37975.
A strong portrait usually has:
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Clear focus on the person
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Good lighting and framing
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Emotion or personality
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A sense of story
Richard Avedon, for example, took very simple portraits against plain backgrounds. Even without props, his photos show deep emotion because of the expressions and details on the subjects’ faces.
“Richard Avedon.” Echo Fine Arts, echofinearts.com/artists/richard-avedon/?srsltid=AfmBOopQYTwlwbg7g4AWs0htCc3wz_Tk2k-i1CCAlG6OSW-t7vTv541s.
Yes. A portrait does not always need a whole face. A close-up of a hand, an eye, or a tattoo can still show identity.
Platon, a famous photographer, often takes extremely close photos of powerful leaders’ faces, showing every detail to reveal emotion or character.
Even a single detail can say something important about the person.
Meet Platon: Master Photographer – MILK Blog – MILK Books. www.milkbooks.com/blog/inspiration/platon/?srsltid=AfmBOorOh55duY_oxcrIKjya8X3lWzUoxr4e3AnlzoVHfLAj7-gSvux1.
It depends. A portrait can be blurry, ripped, or faded as long as it still represents the person or expresses something about them.
Photographer Francesca Woodman often blurred her body in her pictures, but they are still portraits because they explore feelings like loneliness, motion, or self-identity.
If the image becomes so abstract that you cannot tell it is about a person at all, it stops being a portrait.
Scott, Andrea K. “A Young Artist as Her Own Ghostly Muse.” The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2015, www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/young-artist-ghostly-muse.
Yes. A portrait can show a person through objects they own or use.
For example, a photo of someone’s desk, shoes, or favorite items can express their personality.
Photographers like Rinko Kawauchi and sometimes use still-life images to show someone’s presence. These are still portraits because they represent the person in a symbolic way.
Aperturewp. “The Luminous Openness of Rinko Kawauchi’S Photographs.” Aperture, 14 Oct. 2021, aperture.org/editorial/the-luminous-openness-of-rinko-kawauchi-photographs.
“Nan Goldin | Trixie on the Cot, NYC | the Guggenheim Museums and Foundation.” The Guggenheim Museums and Foundation, www.guggenheim.org/artwork/10829.
No. A portrait can be a single picture or a series of images. A sequence can show different sides of a person—different moods, moments, or details.
Photographer Duane Michals, for example, uses multiple photos to tell small stories about people.
Reporter, Guardian Staff. “Duane Michals’ Best Photograph: French Vogue Does Quantum Physics.” The Guardian, 26 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/feb/26/duane-michals-best-photograph-french-vogue-quantum-physics-heisenberg.
A portrait is not just a picture of a face. It is a photograph that tries to communicate something meaningful about a person. It can be simple or creative, clear or abstract, a single photo or many images.
In the end, a portrait is successful when it helps us understand someone better—what they feel, who they are, or how they live.