A portrait is:

I have to bump this thread back to the top, because I just found this Richard Avedon quote that proves once again, that I still haven't had an original thought:<p>"<i>A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he's being photographed, and what he does with this knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he's wearing or how he looks. He's implicated in what's happening, and he has a certain real power over the result. The way someone who's being photographed presents himself to the camera and the effect of the photographer's response on that presence is what the making of a portrait is about.</i>"<p> Taa Daa!<p> I rest my case... t

The question is ill-posed. You gave us a definition of what a portrait IS TO Avedon. It means different things to different people. I do not think a consensus is necessary.

"<i>It means different things to different people</i>"... well there's a conversation stopper. Why bother discussing <i>anything</i> then, if that's your end result?<p><i>"I do not think a consensus is necessary."</i> Nor do I, nor do I seek one. I <i>do</i> think it would serve any portrait photographer well to consider the question, which is why I posted it. I also consider it particularly relevant to the photographers of photo.net, where <i>any</i> photograph of a person is offered as a portrait. <p> If my posing of the question displeases you, please do reframe it to your liking... t