Portrait photography is a category of photography centered on human beings as the core subject. It aims to capture a person’s physical features, emotional states, and spiritual temperament through the lens, serving as an important visual means to record portraits and convey stories.

Shooting requires balancing both technique and emotion. Technically, it involves controlling light (e.g., using softboxes to soften harsh light, leveraging natural light to create atmosphere), adjusting composition (e.g., the rule of thirds, diagonal composition to highlight the subject), and matching lenses of different focal lengths (50mm prime lenses for daily shots, 85mm telephoto lenses to compress the background). Emotionally, it involves guiding interaction (e.g., chatting to relax the subject’s posture) to capture natural expressions and avoid stiff posed shots.

Classified by scenario and purpose, it includes portrait photography, documentary portrait photography, and fashion portraiture. Widely used in personal portraits, family memorabilia, media reports, and commercial advertisements, its core is to make the images combine aesthetic appeal with the unique personality of the subject.