Chuasam, I have to disagree. you have to know the stuff til it is automatic, unconscious, not toss it away. You often don't have time to plan every aspect but need the skill to spot a problem and correct it on the fly. Sure, for an amateur, it is fine if they are like the blind squirrel and find an acorn once in a while, but to consistently create good portraiture, the guidelines need to be understood and pretty much incorporated in the shot. There is a reason they are guidelines. A great candid photographer knows what a good pose looks like and anticipates, recognizes and nails them as they appear. Static and boring photos are taken by photographers with no creativity or understanding or sensitivity to he subject. The real challenge of portraiture that isn't present in landscapes or architecture photos. There is a human being, often anxious, often impatient, with a personality in front of the camera but because of that unique personality, more than just a likeness can be obtained. That is the art of portraiture. This is a dimension that places an additional responsibility and stress on the photographer. Not to mention, landscapes don't tell you they don't like the shot. Uncle harry gets recognizable likenesses with no lighting, no posing. I think it is misleading to tell beginners to think they don't have to employ the basics. They need to be present, whether done consciously or automatically. As for shots having to be unplanned and spontaneous, I have created shots that took 3 months to design. Others put together on the fly that few photographers could execute even when I show them how it was done. Not only are they not traditional, you have never seen those shots before. They are hardly static and boring, but instead with depth and powerful messages. How were they received, clients put them on their walls and commercial websites as lead photos and they received awards in professional competitions judged by professionals. My recommendations to folks starting in portraiture is learn the basics, practice each til they are automatic. Then the camera, lights, compositon, posing takes little of your attention because it happens automatically and you can concentrate on the subject and eliciting the expression and emotion to match your vision. How many photos these days have a subject with a blank expression? That's a human being in front of the camera, not a mannequin. Photo1x1 is right, they don't like blank expressions whether a traditional or modern photo. How much do they want expression, ask any portrait photographer which sells the most, full length where you can barely make out the expression, or torso, head and shoulders, and head shots? That's why. As human beings, only 3 things on your face, mouth, eyes and eye brows in various combinations are capable of communicating hundreds of expressions. Most are recognizable between cultures they are so universal. Don't bore the viewer with none. I wonder if that is what Photo1x1 is saying. But eliciting expression is a skill so you don't have to rely on spontaneous expressions that often don't come. Bambi Cantrell said expression trumps perfection, but Jerry Ghionis added, expression plus perfection trumps expression alone. I agree. so I want not only genuine expression but as perfect as possible pose, lighting and composition.