Portraits
C. T. McGhee Portrait Photography, Katy-Fulshear-Richmond, Texas
I create personalized portraiture. We collaborate to create individual portraits, family portraits, corporate headshots, portraits for LinkedIn, cap and gown graduation portraits, portraits for election banners and posters, and dating profiles. I provide clients with portraits that you want to frame and mount on your walls!
What constitutes a great portrait?
Every photographer I have studied and every photographer I have worked with would give a thousand answers to the question. The Professional Photographers Association of America judges images in the International Photographic Competition on various criteria. Although these criteria are used to judge a competition, they easily translate to traditional portraiture.
- Impact. When viewing an image the first time, it should evoke some kind of feeling. The more powerful the image, the more powerful the emotional response of the viewer.
- Technical Excellence. This is the print quality of the image. It includes such qualities as retouching, sharpness, exposure, color correction, and printing.
- Creativity. This element speaks to the artistic vision of the photographer. Portraiture involves a collaboration between the photographer and the client.
- Style. This is the way the photographer uses light and subject manner to create a spectacular image.
- Composition. All the visual elements of an image should come together to express the intent of the artist. A great composition should capture and direct the viewer’s attention.
- Center of Interest. This is where the photographer wants a viewer’s attention to focus.
- Lighting. The use and control of light have an effect on every aspect of the image.
- Storytelling. What does the photographer’s image evoke in a client’s imagination? Creating art is a personal endeavor and the act of viewing the image is part of that endeavor.
What keeps “good” portraits from looking the same is style. In my portraits, I like classic lighting, complementary posing, genuine expression, and a technically correct image.