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  4. Is there a clear separation between a portrait and head shot?

Is there a clear separation between a portrait and head shot?


8 years 7 months ago #452964 by Greg Friedman
I've seen head shots only be called portraits and the obvious "head shot".  Yet, portraits often refer to the whole shot of the person, from head to toe.  

Head shot is shoulders and up, but what classifies a portrait?  
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8 years 7 months ago #452968 by Joves
They are technically both portraits, but just different classes of the same genre.  Head shots are just as you said focused on the shoulders, and head. Regular portraits can be full length, or more from the mid section up. At least that is how I look at it.
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8 years 7 months ago #453022 by Rawley Photos
Well it looks like Joves beat me to the punch on this one.  Good answer.  
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8 years 7 months ago #453065 by garyrhook

Greg Friedman wrote: Yet, portraits often refer to the whole shot of the person, from head to toe.


I"m going to have to go with "no, they don't." Head shots are a sub-class of portrait, with defined attributes.
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8 years 7 months ago #453213 by Roy Wilson

garyrhook wrote:

Greg Friedman wrote: Yet, portraits often refer to the whole shot of the person, from head to toe.


I"m going to have to go with "no, they
don't." Head shots are a sub-class of portrait, with defined attributes.



Agree, however the portrait has become somewhat of an  ambiguous term these days IMO
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8 years 7 months ago #453215 by Cathy Kadolph
Technically there is one more miss... ID photo.  So how I personally separate them all:  If the client needs it for a company ID, then its an ID photo.  Now on the other hand, if the client is looking for the shot for their company or private home wall to be framed,  at that point I'll call it a portrait. 

Last but not least, if the shot is for commercial use (modeling, etc.), this will fall into category of a head shot. 
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up." Pablo Picasso
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8 years 7 months ago #453403 by Jessa Layton

Joves wrote: They are technically both portraits, but just different classes of the same genre.  Head shots are just as you said focused on the shoulders, and head. Regular portraits can be full length, or more from the mid section up. At least that is how I look at it.



Agree, however both are play of words off one another IMO
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