So - back to the original question / brief
Produce a series of portraits - an introduction to the studio and workflow, but the main point "the theory of visual language
Visual language - the system of communication through visual elements

• an image that communicates an idea
• an image that presupposes the use of visual language
• the use of form, shape, colour, texture, angle, scale, direction, motion
• spacial context

With that in mind then, do i need to put across an idea, do i need my image (portrait) to portray what i was thinking at the time.

What if i wasn't trying to put across any message apart from that i set the studio up in a certain way to produce a certain lighting effect and that i wasn't really trying to get my model to put across any emotion, but just to be the subject of my composition.

Does all the background have to be white, black, uniform, all the same shade, tone.

Does the model have to look down the lens, or even have a catch light reflected in the eye to make the eye look alive.

Is there a set of rules to follow - if so then they are there to be broken, twisted and basically to be turned upside down to be different from the 'norm'.

But to be able to break the rules surely you have to know them as to know why you broke them in the first place - otherwise isn't that just doing it wrong.