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How to take classic portraits

Preface and 2 Golden Rules.

Dom Rui

4/30/20242 min read

PREFACE

This is the Preface to a series of blog posts which I will aim to post every few weeks. The series will not be technical in nature, but rather will aim to be reader-friendly with brief, punchy points on how to take classic portraits.

Firstly, let me preface this entire series with the important point that ‘Art is subjective’. In the past, when viewing other photographer’s photos, I would quietly think to myself: ‘this is good’, ‘this is bad’, or ‘this is very bad!’ I have since matured in my thinking. There is no good or bad. I see the pride and joy that fellow artists put in their craft, and though some portrait styles may not be to my taste, I respect that art is subjective and I have a deep affinity for any artist who is passionate and works hard at their craft.

This series will be based upon my own subjective style, which I have been told is ‘natural, timeless and classic’. I’m not really one to follow the latest fads or passing trends. Instead, I’m inspired by the photos from yesteryear which are still relevant today as they were 50-60 years ago. Examples of portraiture from the 1960s-70s I found on the web below:

Above: Jane Birkin, 1971. MIKE MCKEOWN/ DAILY EXPRESS/ GETTY IMAGES

Above: Paul Newman, 1963. ARCHIVIO CAMERAPHOTO EPOCHE/ GETTY IMAGES

It is my hope for the people I shoot, that even decades from now, maybe when they are sitting back on a rocking-chair reflecting on the years gone by, that they can look back on their photos and smile.

2 GOLDEN RULES

With the above preface in mind, my two golden rules for timeless and classic portraits are:

The portrait should look ‘human’. This may sound simple enough, but a quick scroll through social media shows many popular portraits today looking more like plastic mannequins. I have worked with multiple model agencies in Australia and abroad to know that they instantly discard applications which have that excessive airbrushed look which are devoid of skin texture, or have bright, almost cartoonish eyes. The portraits may look cool now, but I do not believe they will pass the rocking-chair test.

As portrait photographers, we have a duty to capture our subjects in a flattering way. By this I mean, making a conscious effort and working hard to identify and capture the person’s best angles, in the best light, with flattering facial expressions, body positions, and background.

Over the coming blog posts, I will expound on the above 2 points, with simple easy-to-follow techniques that I believe can help anyone take classic portraits.