Portraiture
Photography whose subject is a person, aiming to convey something of their character, role or presence.
In depth
A portrait is a negotiation rather than an observation: the subject knows they are being photographed and performs accordingly, so the photographer's real work is managing that self-consciousness. Technique matters less than most beginners expect — a comfortable subject in ordinary light beats an uncomfortable one under a perfect three-light setup.
Examples in practice
Spending twenty minutes talking before raising the camera usually produces a better portrait than any lighting change.