What is the difference between portrait and portraiture

So what are the actual differences? But the word portraiture is only used as a noun. And it is these nouns that can be difficult to differentiate. And according to the different dictionaries definitions used above, I have found that you can simply put the difference between the terms portrait and portraiture like this:.

A portrait is a product of recording the likeness of an individual, while portraiture is used as a term to categorize portraits as an art form. I read an interesting forum thread of photographers trying to answer this question too. It became clear to me that artists themselves are having a hard time defining the differences between these two terms.

The people who commented all agreed that portraiture and portrait were used synonymously way too much. The majority of the commentators agreed that the word portraiture was the act and process of making portraits, and portraits were the end result of this process. And when one individual wanted to normalize the synonymous use of both nouns, others protested.

I guess you can say that knowing the distinction between portrait and portraiture is still very important. And here is why. Even though many people disregard the difference between the terms portrait and portraiture , you can still choose to use the terms in a more structured way.

Knowing the difference between the terms and using them accordingly will make you look more professional in your work and help you gain more trust. Using the noun portrait when referring to the artmaking product will help the audience understand exactly what you want to say and gain you more respect. I never knew portraiture and portrait were used synonymously. Re: Portrait V Portraiture Thanks guys, this has helped me understand the terms used and how they are applied. Re: Portrait V Portraiture The use of "portrait" and "portraiture" aside, we surely cannot get away with confusing the words "you're" and "your" or "then" and "than" to mean the same regardless of how many forums "interchange" them.

Re: Portrait V Portraiture. Originally Posted by Suede. Twitter Facebook Email Pinterest. Artists working with portraiture Left Right. Akram Zaatari born Lucian Freud — Sorry, no image available. August Sander — Gwen John — Forgotten Faces Caroline Corbeau-Parsons Forgotten Faces comprises seventeen portraits or figure paintings and three sculptures ranging between — a year before the foundation …. Frank Auerbach born Artists working with self-portraiture Left Right.

Francesca Woodman — Tate Etc. Cindy Sherman born Related terms and concepts Left Right. Street photography often involves candid portraiture where people in the public domain are photographed discretely. This portraiture approach can be controversial as it can document individuals in compromising ways and be exploitative.

Candid portraiture can also be applied to document events where subjects are aware of the presence of a photographer but may not be aware at all times of when they are being photographed. Environmental Portraiture is used to document a subject in their environment. A photographer can combine both constructionist and candid approaches to create environmental images by providing the subject with some direction but photograph moments candidly as they occur.

These types of portraits use the environment and surrounding details to tell a story about the subject. The background and details are often in focus and are just as much part of the portrait as the subject themselves. The subject can make eye contact with the camera or be captured in an action.