I believe that making something beautiful does not mean you have to make it overly complex. Sometimes a portrait can tell more about the subject simply by it's minimalist approach. A small detail, like the flower tucked behind an ear is often a better statement of personality than an obtrusive multicolor backdrop that detracts from the facial beauty of the model.I worked for years at a series of chain studios doing formula photography of babies in various suits and dresses, girls in communion gowns, and any of the other traditional family photos that you find as a staple in many middle-class American homes. This type of portrait was my bread-and-butter and still comprises a good portion of my regular business. For that reason, I have found a way to keep portraits interesting for myself while still letting each image tell the subject's story.
When I work on an image, most of all when it is something I can have a hand in planning wardrobe or theme, I think of it in a series rather than a single snapshot. Perhaps because I learned photography on a film camera and grew up waiting hours or even days to see things properly develop, I am almost overly cautious when planning a shot. I try to select angles for their maximum value, slightly above for young children or brides because it naturally lends an innocent nature to the pose. Off axis tilts with dynamic poses are my most popular combinations with teens because it mirrors the fashion and sports magazine without discrimination based on body type.What may be difficult for some artists is finding a happy medium between props and poses. Adding too many items is only going to detract from the viewer's ability to connect with the person in the photograph. One thing I believe that many people forget is the one to one rule, one prop to one image, and chairs are props! This is the same simplicity principle to be used when selecting a backdrop. Too much color can detract from the beauty of the scene, and often they end up looking fake and flat because the backdrop is shot in very sharp focus and fails to have the illusion of depth behind the subject.
What may work best is color, or combinations of color in what are sometimes called "masterwork" or "fantasy cloth". This can give the right hint of shades without taking away from the subject. I often use fantasy cloth over a vinyl backdrop when shooting newborns or cake-smash images with toddlers. I find that it lends a great level of interest to the backdrop without looking like random stains on a colored cloth. None of these are a sure-fire way to have an idea image, and there are ways to use a natural backdrop that is not a solid color - like a brick wall or a beach with flowing waves - to give an edge to images.
