People Photographer, Los Angeles, California – Lifestyle, advertising, executive portraits, public relations, editorial photography

People are by far the most interesting and fun subjects to photograph. Every change in mood, expression, pose, costume, background, makeup, hairstyle and lighting creates a photograph with a different impact.

ifestyle photography shows people going about their daily life, although usually the people are models and the lifestyles are invented. Activities such as biking, jogging, playing sports, cooking, eating, watching TV, playing with children and taking a romantic walk on the beach are all common subjects of lifestyle photography. These images are used for advertising, editorial and stock purposes.
Advertising photography of people is often done in natural settings and activities, but it could also be done in the studio or in more dramatic settings. People are often shown with products for advertising images, such as a housewife holding a cleaning agent, or a senior holding a denture cleaning solution. Advertisements have to work much harder to get the attention of the viewer than editorial image. So dramatic lighting, costumes, poses and settings may be required.

Executive portraits are normally done in boardrooms, executive offices, in corporate lobbies, or in outdoor settings such as in front of the corporate building. Business suits are the norm, and the daring executive takes off their jacket. Natural, conservative lighting is typical; however companies with a more youthful or innovative image often want dramatic lighting and unusual props or backgrounds.  Magazines often want the executive to show a prop that tells something about their hobbies or personality. One of my favorite executive portraits shows a CEO in a boardroom spinning a basketball on his fingertip.

Editorial portraits are used to tell a story about the person in the photograph. The subject is normally photographed in a work, home or recreational environment, using items that the story is about. I have done editorial portraits of a V.P. of a bakery in front of an oven holding bread, a dentist drilling a patient’s teeth, transportation employees driving buses, and the owners of a liquor store in their wine cellar. Editorial photography is typically casual, and the lighting is natural for most images. Covers of books and magazines are a type of advertising however, and often more dramatic images must be made to sell the book or magazine.

Preparing for a portrait session

Haircuts, hair styling and other grooming should be done in advance. If there is to be no hair and makeup stylist at the shoot, ladies might want to get their hair and makeup done at a beauty parlor in advance of the portrait. For executive portraits, having several shirts, ties, and jackets available can be helpful. Advertising and editorial portraits can benefit from having at least 4 outfits on hand, ironed and ready. Bigger budget shoots often use a crew that include a clothing stylist, hair stylist, makeup artist, prop stylist, etc.