"I have a very mystic and spiritual approach to photography, which I can't explain, and I don't need to. I like to keep things unrevealed, I like sometimes to lose myself into the indefinite. That often happens to me along the path of beauty, without ever truly understanding where to proceed, and the further I manage to see, the deeper the mystery becomes." ~ Paolo Roversi

Portrait photography is the art of capturing the inherent character of your subject within a photograph. While that quizzical definition covers the basics, portrait photography goes way beyond just clicking pictures of people. Great portrait photography is a result of combining the right technique with an artist's expression.

It's about capturing a stunning and emotive portrait that evokes feelings in the viewers and captivates their attention. First practiced by artists such as Picasso, portrait paintings have a great history of storytelling. Taking great portrait photographs is the modern form of the same technique. While it requires much less effort than painting, capturing the expressions and emotions that make up good portrait photography can take time to master.

Great portrait photography is as much about following the rules and guidelines as it is about breaking out of the mold. We have put together an exhaustive list of best practices and techniques on how to take good portraits.

Fine-art photography is photography created in line with the vision of the photographer as artist, using photography as a medium for creative expression. The goal of fine-art photography is to express an idea, a message, or an emotion. This stands in contrast to representational photography, such as photojournalism, which provides a documentary visual account of specific subjects and events, literally representing objective reality rather than the subjective intent of the photographer; and commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to advertise products, or services

The photographer reacts to the surroundings and takes a photo when she sees something interesting. The artist has a concept in his mind and is looking or creating something specific that relates to a particular set of ideas. Art, in itself, is to imitate life. However, art photography is to see beyond life.

Fine art photographs are images that are created solely for their imaginative or aesthetic quality. It’s the opposite of documentary photography, which seeks to capture life, people, and significant events for memory and historical records.