Portraits and figures in photography
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can review the range of ways photographers have been inspired by portraits and figures in photography.
Key learning points
- Portraits can show a person’s identity, including culture, gender, age, social status and background.
- Portraits can tell stories about people’s lives and experiences, suggesting relationships, emotions or history.
- Photographers often use their work to share views on society, culture, or important issues.
- Portraits can go beyond what someone looks like; they can show who they are and what they stand for.
Keywords
Subject - the focus, topic or image of an image e.g. in a portrait the subject is the person who has been photographed
Narrative - the story or message that a photograph communicates about the subject
Symbolism - the use of objects, colours, or imagery to suggest deeper meanings
Common misconception
Portraits are just about what someone looks like on the surface with no deeper meaning.
While capturing someone’s physical appearance can be part of a portrait, photographers often go much deeper. Portraits can reveal who someone is, exploring culture, identity, relationships, life experiences and even social or political themes.
Teacher tip
Greater contextual information on the photographers' work can be found in the additional materials. You may wish to alter the imagery to better fit your project themes.
Equipment
Access to the internet or a library of art books. Sketchbook or paper for recording ideas, pencils, pens.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Photographers sometimes use symbolism in their work. What does this mean?
Q2.Which of these words means “the story or message that a photograph communicates”?
Q3.Why might two different people interpret the same photograph in very different ways?
Q4.Before cameras became widely available in the 20th century, which groups of people were often excluded from representation in photographs?
Q5.Which of these techniques might a photographer use to make their portraits feel more experimental or abstract?
Q6.When photographers “deconstruct” a photo, what are they trying to do?
To help you plan your 10 art and design lesson on: Portraits and figures in photography, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 art and design lesson on: Portraits and figures in photography, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 art and design lessons from the Themes within photography unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.