For those looking to book a private outdoor photography session in Paris, as you'll see see from the services I offer, I advertise two main types: Portrait and Lifestyle. These are sometimes confused or simply jumbled together under the umbrella term Photo Shoot. They are however, two very different approaches to photographing people. Here I'll summarise the key differences between the two services and help you decide which one will better correspond to how you want to be photographed.
WHAT IS PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY?
Portrait photography (or portraiture as it’s also known) is the oldest, most traditional, and readily understood genre, so we'll start there…
Key Characteristics of Portrait Photography:
This type of photo can incorporate the environment / setting / backdrop to whatever degree desired (whether that means emphasising it, or, instead, making it completely redundant).
The focus is very much on your interaction with the camera, so the subject will show an obvious awareness of the lens. You are presenting yourself to the photographer.
Whether you are looking directly at the lens, or gazing out of the frame, you will be a lot more posed, and the emphasis will be on how you come across to the viewer of the final photograph.
Portraits can be of groups, but in this case the emphasis is on their visual cohesion to the viewer as opposed to their interaction with each other.
The subject is generally still and there is no or little emphasis on movement.
Substantial direction can be given by the photographer, which can be very specific and precise.
The rythme of the shoot will be very much stop-and-start, with more time spent perfecting the light, backdrop, framing and composition.
Generally, as the emphasis is on presentation, regardless of the intended use of the photographs, more time will be dedicated to post-production / retouch to show the subject in their best light.
As a result of these last two points, for a session of identical duration, the final image count will be lower than that of a lifestyle shoot, but the images you receive will be more polished / refined.
The framing of portraits is generally much more precise, most commonly sticking to either full-body or torso. This is because the general intended uses of portraits (one’s corporate or artistic promotion) means that it's best not to adhere to more standard framings.
Outdoor portraits can use any type of light, whether natural (sunlight) or artificial (flash / strobe).
Common Intended Uses of Portrait Photos:
Business headshots for professional profiles
(e.g. for a company team or a private individual)
Creative portfolios for performance artists
(e.g. actors, musiciens or models)
Visual support for publications and articles
(e.g. photojournalism)
Why you May Prefer a Portrait Shoot:
Your intended use of the photographs is promotional; no matter the degree of formality, you want to look presented.
You want the focus to be on you, and not your surroundings.
WHAT IS LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY?
This is a relatively modern photography genre, which has been heavily popularised by the sharing and publication of personal photographs through social media, especially those relating to travel.
Key Characteristics of Lifestyle Photography:
This type of photo always places emphasis on the environment and setting,.
The focus is on the subjects’ interactions with their surroundings and - for shoots with couples and groups - with each other.
The imagery is predominantly candid and the photographer's approach is very much fly-on-the-wall. Contrary to portraiture, the subject will usually come across lost in a moment, as if unaware of the camera.
Due to its emphasis on interaction, lifestyle is most popular with multiple intimate subjects (couples, families, groups of friends etc).
The subject is rarely completely still; there is often emphasis on movement, no matter how subtle (from laughing to skipping along).
The photographer’s direction is minimal ; it’s suggestive rather than precise.
With a much more energetic, spontaneous and continuous flow, the shoot is far more eventful. Consequently, more moments will be captured, and against a wider variety of backgrounds.
The composition of lifestyle images is generally much more varied; the subject could be shown far in the background or extremely close up with the whole frame taken up by smiling mouths, two hands holding each other, or a relevant accessory one is wearing (e.g. an engagement ring). It’s all about giving context and telling your story about the place and the occasion.
Outdoor lifestyle photographs all being about catching an authentic moment, they almost always rely exclusively on natural light (sunlight).
Lifestyle Portraits
Note that although portraits will be taken as part of a lifestyle shoot, they will be of a comparatively spontaneous nature, with the photographer directing as little as possible.
Common Intended Uses of Lifestyle Photos
Souvenir photographs for personal use, often to photo document a special occasion (such as your trip to Paris).
Personal documentary of a time spent with friends, family or loved ones, whether celebrating a specific event or any other day of your lives together.
Why You May Prefer a Lifestyle Shoot
You want the images to be about both you and the setting and / or human interactions.
You want to celebrate the occasion.
You want to move fast to have more varied backgrounds and a greater quantity of images.
You want candid imagery, as apposed to images of you looking straight at the lens.
THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PORTRAIT & LIFESTYLE
For Portrait, think:
posed
polished
presentation
For Lifestyle, think:
movement
relaxed
interaction
This article is purely to outline the main qualities of - and differences between - two photographic genres. It is by no means a description of any such fixed services I provide: if you wish to book an outdoor photo session in Paris and decide you’d like a shoot combining elements of both portrait and lifestyle, simply let me know. The most important thing is to provide as much information as possible about your preferences and your intended use of the final photographs, so that I can devise a photo shoot that best suits your needs.