The first photographer that I want to mention is Arnold Newman as I think that he exemplifies this attitude. He worked with the environment of the shoot to tell a narrative about his subjects in an amazingly visual way. He once said that “We do not take pictures with our cameras, but with our hearts and minds.” This is an attitude that is great to take on board, as a portrait is more than the sum of its photographic aesthetics, a great portrait is a brief window into the mind of the sitter, and to achieve this you need to focus less on the camera and more on the relationship between sitter and photographer.

Just as importantly, Newmans subjects are often framed very meticulously within their environments, using composition to create these amazing pieces of work. This is also a really important lesson to take on board. Always be wary of the background, and where possible, use it to your advantage.

What we can learn

Don't rely on image quality and quality lenses to create your portrait, instead work with the environment to create a relevant frame in which to place your subject

Be creative and don't be afraid to get the subject to look out of frame

be bothered to move furniture

Backgrounds matter, take the time to move your subject until you think you have a great shot.

Mary Ellen Mark - The Humanist

Mary Ellen Mark, who sadly passed away last year, was an incredible humanist photographer. Scores of celebrities adorn her galleries, however she is better known for her stunning in depth documentary work, which is often focused on people on the fringes of society.

Mary Ellen Mark was very intimate with her subjects, often establishing lifelong friendships through long term projects. These portraits betray so much personality in a non contrived manner. They are in the moment portraits that arise from a strong relationship of trust with her subjects. She is less focused on the composition of the environment, like Arnold,and more focused on the relationship between subject and camera. She was always wary of the background though, once stating 'If the background doesn’t work together with your main subject, you won’t have a good picture'