EP - What are Editorial Portraits? (Lesson)

What are Editorial Portraits?

First, a portrait is an image of a person. 

An editorial portrait is then a specific type of image containing a person, but it goes beyond just an image of a person. An editorial portrait also tell a story of the person. Who they are, what they’re doing, their inner life. 

Editorial portraits are different from commercial advertising photographs, documentary photographs, and traditional portrait photographs. Editorial photography allows the photographer to use any and all tools to create an image that tells a story. This means that editorial photography requires more planning and preparation than other types of photography. 

Editorial portraiture can be used to accompany an article and lend visual illustration to the written word, but it can also stand alone to narrate a creative concept.

Editorial or Not?! Self-Assessment Activity

Can you tell the difference between a portrait and an editorial portrait? Test your knowledge below!

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