I read an article talking about what makes a good portrait.

Here’s what I took from it:

• A good portrait tells a story, invokes emotion and tells us about the subject’s character.
• Every image has two people behind it, the photographer and viewer.
• Good composition, by Wagenstein’s beliefs, is a combination of the scene on the ground and the scene within your head.
• Cropping works if it fits with the meaning you’re trying to present.
• A portrait doesn’t need to show the subject up close, they can be farther away.
• A portrait just requires a subject and a story according to Wagenstein.
• Good portrait photography is an outcome of a thinking process.
• Planning it out makes the portrait much better.
• Choosing how much background to put gives the subject a smaller and emptier feel.
• A background can make or break a portrait.
• Start with a narrative in mind.
• One of the most complex decisions in photography is to identify visual storytelling potential and decide how much time you’re willing to give.
• Emptiness gives loneliness.
• Sometimes overthinking can make the subject lose patience.
• You can use shadows to your advantage.