environmental portrait

Although candid photos may be the preferred approach to capturing images of life at school, the unpredictability of the classroom dynamic can result in lots of near misses: a teacher in mid-blink or a student with her face buried in a book. Asking a person to make deliberate eye contact with the camera can often yield an attractive, successful photo.

This is an example of that kind of situation. This young man was working industriously at the computer, but the camera saw him looking down at the keyboard or staring intently at the monitor. So, instead of a candid action shot, the photographer chose a straightforward, posed portrait.

Shallow depth of field throws the background out of focus, separating the subject from the background and placing the emphasis on him. The casual positioning of his hands, slight tilt of the head, strong eye contact, and nice smile all combine to produce an attractive on-location portrait of a high school student.