Soldier Round Beach Towel

Capturing the personality of the person represented and engaging the subject with the viewer are important aspects of good portrait photography. Different lighting techniques evolved over time, and photographic portrait styles used today range from traditional to contemporary. While soft focus (spherical aberration) is sometimes a desired effect for portraits taken in the studio, documentary portraits call for a more engaging style.

Bernd F. Laeschke is an award-winning journalist and photographer whose career spans more than 30 years. While working as a full-time reporter and on assignments, images and articles appeared in many national and international publications in North America and Western Europe. He did work for commercial clients including the AOK, Germany's largest health insurance company, BMW, the British Plaster Board (Rigips), Hoechst AG, the cities of Toronto (Canada) and Vienna (Austria), The Province of Ontario, Canada, Magna International, and Mercedes-Benz, among others. Discovering and interpreting the many facets of life through the lens of a camera creates pictures that represent a personal, sometimes emotional snapshot of the world, recording...