What makes a portrait ... a portrait?

Portrait photography, to me, is about capturing who someone truly is. It goes beyond simply taking a picture of a person—it’s about creating an image that reflects their personality, emotion, and story. In a portrait, the person is always the focus, and everything from the lighting and composition to the background is chosen to highlight them and help their character come through. Sometimes that means guiding a pose and other times it means capturing a natural, candid moment. Whether in a studio or out in the world, my goal with portrait photography is always the same: to create an image that feels genuine and meaningful to the person in front of the camera.