Multimedia Reporting Fall 2020

Photoville- Make Your Portraits Pop

This workshop was held by Aundre Larrow, a Brooklyn-based photographer. During the workshop Larrow discussed the various aspects that make up a portrait, and gave the audience tips for taking good pictures.

The first thing Larrow went over was lighting. He explained that lighting was important because “photography is painting with light”. Larrow described different types of lights, and the role they play in photography.  He advised his listeners to ask themselves “where is the light coming from?” This would be helpful for the photographer to position themself to find the best way to capture their subject, and when studying other photographers.

The second thing Larrow spoke about what background, which he deemed a valuable tool when taking portraits. He suggested that we use the background to help the portrait, instead of drawing the attention away from the subject.

The third thing Larrow addressed was posing. He explained that peoples eyes tend to go to the brightest part of the image and encouraged us to use that to our advantage with posing. Larrow also emphasized the importance of eye contact and capturing the subject’s best angles.

Before finishing up Larrow gave the audience some pointers for taking portraits. He insisted that it was important to for photographers to take their time, in order to explore as many options as possible and to ensure that they got the shot. Larrow also told listeners to try their best to be authentic; whether that was through making the subject comfortable or by using their surroundings to enhance the picture.

Right before wrapping up Larrow did a quick demo of the Adobe Lightroom app, which he thought was the best photo app for iPhones. He showcased the app’s various features and demonstrated how helpful it was. Overall, the workshop was very informative and interesting.