Environmental Portrait Photography: Capturing People in Their Natural Habitat

Hiya! Are you ready to dive into the world of environmental portrait photography? It’s proper exciting stuff, I tell you.

Let’s have a look at how to snap some cracking shots that really show off who people are and where they belong.

What’s All This Environmental Portrait Malarkey Then?

Right, so environmental portraiture is like catching folk in their natural habitat, if you will. It’s not about sticking someone in front of a white wall and telling them to say “cheese”. Nah, it’s about photographing people where they feel most at home – could be their gaff, their workplace, or anywhere that tells their story.

Why Bother with Environmental Portraits?

Well, it’s dead simple really. These types of photos give you a proper peek into someone’s world. It’s like you’re not just taking a picture of their face, you’re capturing a bit of their soul. Sounds deep, doesn’t it? But it’s true!

Getting Started: Equipment and Settings

Now, don’t go thinking you need all sorts of fancy gear to get started. A decent camera and a good eye will get you far. But if you’re looking to take things to the next level, here’s what you might want to consider:

• 1. A camera with manual settings – so you can fiddle about with the exposure and whatnot
• 2. A lens that lets in loads of light – something with a wide aperture like f/1.4 or f/1.8
• 3. Maybe a reflector to bounce some light about
• 4. Perhaps some flashes to add a bit of magic… well it is me after all!

When it comes to camera settings, you’ll want to play around with a shallow depth of field. It’s dead easy – just open up that aperture nice and wide. This’ll make your subject stand out like a sore thumb (in a good way, mind) while the background goes all soft and dreamy.

Lighting for Environmental Portrait Photography: Natural vs Artificial

Lighting can be a right pain in the backside sometimes, can’t it? But get it right, and it’ll make your photos pop. Natural light is your best mate here. Try shooting during the “golden hour” – that’s just after sunrise or before sunset when everything looks proper lovely.

If the natural light’s being a bit rubbish, don’t be afraid to bring in some artificial help. A little flash or a reflector can work wonders. Just don’t go overboard – you want it to look natural, not like you’re lighting up Blackpool Tower.

Posing Your Subject: Keep It Real

Now, this is where it gets interesting. You don’t want your subject looking like a rabbit in the headlights, do you? The trick is to make them feel dead comfy. Have a chat, make them laugh, get them to show you around their space. Before you know it, they’ll forget you’re even there with a camera.

Try getting them to do something they’d normally do in that environment. If you’re shooting a chef in their kitchen, get them chopping some veg or stirring a pot. It’ll look way more natural than having them just stand there grinning like a Cheshire cat.

This trio at Drax Power station were great, I’d been talking for a good 10 minutes then just walked back a little and just carried on the chat – asking them to not look at me, but each other. Hey presto – a nice natural portrait of 3 engineers in their own environment.

Composition: Telling a Story

Right, this is where you need to put your thinking cap on. How can you show off your subject and their environment in one shot? It’s like solving a puzzle, but a dead fun one.

Think about including things in the frame that tell us something about the person. If they’re a musician, maybe get their instrument in shot. If they’re an artist, show their messy studio with paint splatters everywhere. You get the idea, right?

Post-Production: Don’t Go Overboard

Once you’ve got your shots, it’s tempting to go mad with the editing. But trust me, less is more here. You want your photos to look natural, not like something out of a sci-fi film. A bit of tweaking with the exposure and colours is fine, but don’t lose the essence of what you captured.

One thing you may like to try is a film effect, make it look a little grainy and colour tinted – I love a tool called Dehancer, or NIK Colour EFEX is good too. You can do it in Lightroom too, with a bit of practice

Wrapping It Up

So there you have it, a guide to environmental portrait photography. It might seem like a lot to take in, but don’t worry – practice makes perfect. Get out there, start snapping, and before you know it, you’ll be taking photos that tell stories better than any words could.

Remember, the best environmental portraits aren’t just photos – they’re little windows into people’s lives. So go on, get out there and start capturing some magic!