HUMAN BEINGS, IN ALL THEIR VARIETY, make great photographic subjects. Like the apes that we are, we are an entertaining species. From the showy posers to the shy and reclusive ones, each has their own unique appearance and personality.

Our differences extend beyond our features though, and what truly makes each specimen an individual is not our appearance, but rather our minds.

It is our interests and what we do with our time that really distinguishes us from one another, that makes each of us special, and nowhere is the personality of the individual more readily on display than when they are doing what they love, and this is, consequently, also the best time to take a picture of a person, showing them for who they are.

Photographs of people come in two main varieties. The first is the portrait. It is generally a picture of the person’s features, what they look like and how they appear to strangers. The second is the environmental portrait. This is not a picture of the person’s outer appearance, but rather of their inner self. A likeness of who they are.

An environmental portrait, as the name suggests, attempts to photograph a person in their natural surroundings, in the space where they live. It does not transport the subject to an artificial studio with fake lighting and a specially painted backdrop. It shows them as they are and where they live and spend their time.

A picture of a carpenter taken in this way, is taken in his workshop. It shows his workbench covered in wood shavings and his overcoat covered in dust. It shows him in to the place where he spends his time and therefore gives us a clearer picture of who he is.

The second reason why environment portraits is better than a simple studio portrait is that because you are photographing someone in a space that they are used to, they are more likely to be at ease with their surroundings. A studio, whether a makeshift one set up at home or a professionally rented space, is a contrived place, and for all but the most seasoned models, a very intimidating one at that. The photographer spends most of his time trying to relax the subject, watching for tension showing in uncomfortable hands, and if the photographer himself is not comfortable with the space, perhaps fidgeting with lights and camera settings, it is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, put the person in a room that they know and the discomfort disappears. The hands fall into place on familiar objects and the subject may even be in a position to put the photographer at ease!

Photographed in their natural light

Photography, as the truism goes, is drawing with light, and one of the major differences between photographing in a studio and on location is in the control, or lack thereof, over lighting.

Indeed, it may be possible to approach an environmental portrait the way one does a studio shoot, setting up elaborate lighting and overpowering the natural ambience with daylight balanced soft boxes and a variety of reflectors. You may even ask the subject to wear a little makeup to reduce glare… but what would be the point?

The true aim of this type of shoot is to work with what is available. The ultimate goal is not to impose your vision, but rather to subtly give your interpretation and enhance the character of the person and the place by highlighting existing features and relationships.

That is not to say that you cannot use a little bit of fill-in flash or a reflector or two to lighten shadows. The human eye is a lot more versatile than the average camera and can adjust to work in conditions with very limited light indeed, making many environments much to dark for the camera’s digital sensors to capture. But when you do decide to bring your own lighting, whether by way of an on-camera flash or a more powerful studio flash, always try to enhance what is already there.

The best tip, though, is if you can, try and show the person in their natural light and you will, more often than not, show them in their very best light as well.