Environmental Photography
This is a genre of photography by which subject's are photographed in their usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject's life and surroundings. It is most commonly used by magazines/newspapers as including background detail and elements of someone’s environment through props and the mise-en-scene tells more of their story than a plain portrait shot in a studio.
"By photographing a person in their natural surroundings, it is thought that you will be able to better illuminate their character, and therefore portray the essence of their personality, rather than merely a likeness of their physical features. It is also thought that by photographing a person in their natural surroundings, the subject will be more at ease, and so be more conducive to expressing themselves, as opposed to in a studio, which can be a rather intimidating and artificial experience."
Quote from Jonathan Hilton in his book:Hilton, J. (1999) Special Occasion Photography (Pro-Photo Series), : RotoVision.
Tips on Shooting Environmental Portraits
1. Get Candid
Warm up by snapping some candid shots of your subject going about their normal routine. Try not to be too intrusive as the less your subject notices you’re there, the more relaxed they’ll feel. It takes people a few minutes to stop feeling awkward in front of a camera.
2. Add Props
Add a prop to show more personality and to give your subject something to pose with. his is also a great solution if you’re working with an uninspiring background; tools of the trade or even pieces of uniform, such as a chef’s hat, instantly add interest and detail.
3. Monochrome
Black-and-white has timeless appeal and is also a great way to make a busy shot like this one more restful to look at. This post-production technique further enhances the reportage feel of the image.
4. Strike a pose
When you’ve taken a few candid shots, ask your subject to pose for you. Position them in their surroundings in a way that keeps them in the foreground as the main focus of the shot and keep chatting to them while you snap to keep their face animated and natural.
- If the background feels too busy, dial down to an f-stop like f/3.5 to blur it.
5. Widen up
For a different look, whip a wide-angle lens like our Sigma 10-20mm out of your camera bag and try including more of the surroundings in the shot. This is an especially effective trick if there are multiple people milling around as you’ll be able to capture them all in one photo.
6. Use the light
If you’re shooting indoors, like us, position your subject near a natural light source. Another option in low light is to ask a friend to use a golden reflector to bounce more light onto your subject’s face.
Taken from:
Meyer, J. (13th November 2013) Environmental Portrait Photography: How to Shoot Candid Reportage-style Portraits, Available at: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/11/13/environmental-portrait-photography-how-to-shoot-candid-reportage-style-portraits/ (Accessed: 13th April 2016).
Tips on Shooting Environmental Portraits
1. Get Candid
Warm up by snapping some candid shots of your subject going about their normal routine. Try not to be too intrusive as the less your subject notices you’re there, the more relaxed they’ll feel. It takes people a few minutes to stop feeling awkward in front of a camera.
2. Add Props
Add a prop to show more personality and to give your subject something to pose with. his is also a great solution if you’re working with an uninspiring background; tools of the trade or even pieces of uniform, such as a chef’s hat, instantly add interest and detail.
3. Monochrome
Black-and-white has timeless appeal and is also a great way to make a busy shot like this one more restful to look at. This post-production technique further enhances the reportage feel of the image.
4. Strike a pose
When you’ve taken a few candid shots, ask your subject to pose for you. Position them in their surroundings in a way that keeps them in the foreground as the main focus of the shot and keep chatting to them while you snap to keep their face animated and natural.
- If the background feels too busy, dial down to an f-stop like f/3.5 to blur it.
5. Widen up
For a different look, whip a wide-angle lens like our Sigma 10-20mm out of your camera bag and try including more of the surroundings in the shot. This is an especially effective trick if there are multiple people milling around as you’ll be able to capture them all in one photo.
6. Use the light
If you’re shooting indoors, like us, position your subject near a natural light source. Another option in low light is to ask a friend to use a golden reflector to bounce more light onto your subject’s face.
Taken from:
Meyer, J. (13th November 2013) Environmental Portrait Photography: How to Shoot Candid Reportage-style Portraits, Available at: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/11/13/environmental-portrait-photography-how-to-shoot-candid-reportage-style-portraits/ (Accessed: 13th April 2016).
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