For me, portrait photography is about capturing who the person is more than what they look like.. Some of the most common questions I receive during a portrait session are.. 'Do we smile?" , "Where do you want us to look?" and 'How do you want us to stand?"..
I can direct an individual all day, but to me.. it is not who they are when I become in control. Each individual has their own goal with how they prefer being photographed and every photographer has their own goal when doing the photographing.
I've done it both ways and every single time, I find myself attached to the images when there is no direction at all.
It truly is a representation of the individual.. which I hear about 99.99% of the time, people don't like themselves. Maybe this is why posed photography is always most popular. It gives the individual control over how they want to be perceived.
I strongly disagree with these individuals because when you start posing and changing for the camera, you start looking like everyone else. Be proud of being unique, a one-of-a-kind. There is too much self-hate in the world. Embrace being a wonderfully, made and irreplaceable individual that we all are.
