Portrait photography is a category of photography that takes people as the core subject. It aims to capture the physical features, expressions, emotions and spiritual temperament of individuals through the lens, while conveying a sense of story in specific contexts.

Its core lies not in simply recording a person's appearance, but in focusing on the "essence of the individual" — using light and shadow to create three-dimensionality on the face, employing composition to highlight the subject, and leveraging clothing, props and backgrounds to enhance the person's identity or the overall atmosphere. Common types include portrait photography (focusing on solemn realism), documentary portrait photography (recording authentic moments in daily life), and creative portrait photography (integrating artistic styling and post-processing).

Both technical skills and emotional connection are essential during shooting: it requires precise control of aperture and shutter to ensure image quality, and more importantly, guiding the subject to relax to capture natural and vivid expressions and postures. It is not only a practical way to record a person's image, but also an artistic medium to showcase the style of the times and convey humanistic care.