Most How To articles on portraiture talk about the basics and obvious factors that teach a photographer how to capture a great portrait. I’ve written a few myself. But this time I wanted to take it to the next level so the readers of my tips can expand their knowledge and diversify their portfolios to a greater extent. So what is meant by a moody portrait and how does one differ from a standard portrait? To come up with the answer, I started thinking about movies. Try to recall a scene in a movie that has a lot of mood. It becomes more than just a visual encounter with the screen. The mood allows the patron to experience a feeling and go beyond the simple matter of watching the film. The mood is the portal that allows the viewer to identify more deeply with the character.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to apply this portal to each and every portrait you make? Take your portrait making to the next level by adding emotion, mood and feeling. I don’t encourage you to totally change your style or abandon classic portrait making, but I do encourage you to broaden your horizons and learn a few of the techniques that give your people shots a moody feel that offer your clients a new look.

© Russ Burden

Color: each color has a mood of its own. Blue represents tranquility, calm and peacefulness. Red is emotionally intense, ups the heart rate, and connotes speed. On the other hand, it’s brighter counterpart of pink provides a message of love and is more peaceful. Black is the color of authority and power while white exudes innocence and purity. Green is common, therefore easy on the eyes and suggests nature. Yellow is associated with attention getting. While I could go on with more colors,  this information is readily available on the internet. The point is to use these colors to imply a mood. In the image of the lady holding her temples as if she’s frustrated and has a bad headache, I lit the background with a red gel to create a specific mood. If I chose a blue gel, the story would have less impact.

Filters: A standard filter that’s commonly used to add a dream like mood to a photo is one that produces a soft vignette around the edges of the photo. Depending what aperture is used along with the focal length of the lens, the effect can be enhanced or subdued. Additionally, how far from the front element the filter is placed determines the strength of the effect. They’re made from clear plastic and a hole is drilled in the center. The size of the whole is about the diameter of a quarter but it can vary. The clear plastic is often buffed with light sand paper to produce the ethereal look around the out of focus portion of the image. I used one of these filters to create the moody image of the bride.

© Russ Burden

Light: If the overall lighting is dark, it produces a somber and ominous mood while bright colored subjects that are brightly lit produce photos with a pure and happy feel. See last month’s article titled High Key/Low Key for more information. Spotlighting effects can be added to just the face that allow the rest of the light to quickly fall off. This draws attention to it. Depending on the look the model provides, this quality of light can greatly enhance the mood. Dramatic light can be used by placing your subject at the edge of a shadow where key parts are brightly lit and others fade to black if the subject is wearing dark colors.

Software: in the image of the girl in the flowers, I used Nik Color Efex Pro to produce the vignette. To keep it in harmony with the rest of the image, I used the color picker tool and took a sample from her top so it would match the hue and mood of the rest of the image.

© Russ Burden

Weather: Be it a bright and sunny day or a foggy and dreary one, if you have a specific theme in mind, try to match the weather with the subject. For instance, a New England fisherman in a yellow rain slicker standing next to his crab traps photographed in the fog go hand in hand. A swimsuit model photographed at day’s end with a gorgeous sunset provides a specific mood. A young child romping in a field of flowers with early morning light illuminating the scene is a great combination that creates a portrait with a mood.

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.