A portrait is a likeness of a person, especially the face. This definition isolates one essential point in portraiture. A portrait should emphasize the person, rather than the person's environment or something associated with the person. However, a pictorial representation that portrays only a recognizable likeness of a person is not enough. A portrait must be more than just a photograph, It must have mood, personality, and possess characteristics from which a viewer can draw conclusions about the subject. By manipulating expressions, posing, lighting, and environments, a portrait photographer can portray any mood from happiness to gloom, as well as the personality of a subject. Posing the subject with familiar objects and environments can produce a more natural expression and pose because the subject will be more at ease. Articles or props included in the scene can help tell more about the subject.

Success in portraiture requires a thorough understanding of the techniques involved, an artistic ability, and a talent for directing the subject through a desired expression or pose. The portrait photographer should have a sensitivity for, and an understanding of, people. Portrait photographers vary considerably in their styles and techniques. The subjects of portraits vary in their likes and dislikes. There is no one blueprint or formula that will assure success.

The portrait is an interesting and challenging assignment to many Navy photographers. In portraiture the subject is always changing and challenging the Photographer's Mates. To meet the challenge of portrait photography, you must have vision, good judgment, and the ability and willingness to show them to greatest advantage.

Most people have their portrait made because they want someone else to see how they look A beautiful woman knows she is beautiful, and in a picture, she wants to appear beautiful-so make her beautiful. Some flattery may be necessary, but you should not overdo it. Men know their features; they know whether they appear dignified; they know whether they appear to have great strength of character; and they are correct in expecting the photographer to emphasize these good points. The subject expects a true portrait-a good expression and a natural pose, a portrait that shows whatever beauty or strength the person has, and one that reflects his or her character and features.

Character is formed by life. A frown or a smile today leaves no trace, but continued use of facial muscles to form a smile, a laugh, or a frown leaves lines on the forehead, around the eyes, nose, and mouth. These lines and expressions form facial character. They are subdued or exaggerated by the way you light the subject. You should not eliminate character lines altogether, but, you should only soften them with lighting. A face has features: two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and two ears, but photographically these features are not equally important. To the portrait photographer, the most important and most expressive are the eyes; the mouth is second only to the eyes.

Facial expressions constantly change and last only momentarily. No happy expression or frown lasts long enough to take full notice of it-until it is photographed. When you photograph an expression at the wrong instant, all the bad points appear exaggerated.

To be a good portrait photographer, you must learn to study each face as it appears before the camera, and light it to represent the natural features and character accurately. Do not try to capture that fleeting expression. It is not the expression that shows that person's true character. What you want is a person's natural expression. A softness of expression is best-neither too sharp nor too faint; not too lively or too gloomy.