Excellent Portraiture Article
[imgl]http://www.popphoto.com/assets/image/2007/Q1/2162007112332.jpg[/imgl] The March/April 2007 issue of American Photo has a really great piece, Portraiture: A Master Class. Many of the greats are interviewed, there are some super insights to be appreciated and learned. I highly recommend this, find the print edition, you won't be disappointed.
One tidbit I really enjoyed, was Annie Liebovitz' admission that she "can't talk" to her subjects and that her pictures are helped by enviornmental and other factors much more than what she might do to evoke a pose, look, or expression from her subjects. She contrasts herself to the great communicator Richard Avedon, whom she says "pulled things out of his subjects."
My feeling is that she does alright :lol3
Interested in your thoughts! :ear
Enjoy (portrait) photography,
![http://www.popphoto.com/assets/image/2007/Q1/2162007112332.jpg[/imgl]](http://www.popphoto.com/assets/image/2007/Q1/2162007112332.jpg[/imgl]){kind=link}
One tidbit I really enjoyed, was Annie Liebovitz' admission that she "can't talk" to her subjects and that her pictures are helped by enviornmental and other factors much more than what she might do to evoke a pose, look, or expression from her subjects. She contrasts herself to the great communicator Richard Avedon, whom she says "pulled things out of his subjects."
My feeling is that she does alright :lol3
Interested in your thoughts! :ear
Enjoy (portrait) photography,
0
Comments
neat article-
thanks for posting-
thoughts-
chelbin's high-contrast portraits remind me of selective coloring; the contrast between the subject and the background is almost startling-
as for kerstens, well, to photograph your own daughter nude throughout her life is a little too much for me-
the way parry has his subjects pose is fascinating, and I really appreciated these portraits the most-
I would have to say that leibovitz is in a class all by herself and there's not much I can say except enjoy-
re rolston: reckon oprah was liquified?-
loved nicholson's photo-
a couple asides:
I ran across this photographer that has a fantastic portfolio (some photos graphic) - http://www.zednelson.com/
and I think of greg gorman when you talk about portraits - http://www.greggormanphotography.com/
again, some graphic photos and way too many penes-
Thanks for the heads up on the article Andy. I was unable to find it at 2 bookstores, so I just read it on-line. Not sure if it is the full article or a condensed version. I nearly ran over 3 people in the parking lot in front of Borders Bookstore trying to park, but that’s another story.
It was interesting to read the different thoughts these famous artists have about capturing the essence of another human being in the form of a portrait. It was momentarily surprising (to me) to read that someone like Leibovitz readily admits her work relies on surroundings (environment and/or props, if you will) and that if one takes “everything away” it becomes “just terrifying”. She’s an observer not a talker. Not being a talker can be a handicap as a portraitist. I certainly relate to that, as I myself fall in that uncomfortable category. On the other hand, people who don’t talk much are, for the most part, “observers” noticing details and subtleties that others might miss. Being observant could very well work in one’s favor and is probably what works for her and offsets her handicap. (Hard to believe Annie has a handicap, as you said, she seems to have done alright!) This gives me some hope for my own ‘handicaps’, although I doubt I could ever reach her level of achievement!!!
Secondly, I shot some portraits yesterday of a very close friend. I know her entire life story and it’s pretty-darn-ugly. Reading Matthew Rolston’s comment came to life for me last night while reviewing my shots. He said, "Does a portrait reveal what someone's inner self is like? Do you know what I believe? I believe that everyone wears a mask, and beneath that mask is another mask. So what a photographer can reveal are the various masks we all wear." That really hit home with me! This gal wears numerous masks and I know her so well, I can tell by her face what is going on in her life. So while we were shooting, once in a while she would make a funny face. I’ve seen these expressions on her for years, and she has even revealed to me why she makes them. So I captured them for posterity. As I reviewed them I remembered that these “funny” faces were her way of hiding intense pain. So yes, they were masks in the truest sense. The other shots, however, were normal expressions, but I realized they were yet another layer of masks, as they didn’t seem to reveal anything….…nada. This person never cries. If I were to take a portrait of her and catch her with even a tear in her eye, it would be the closest I could get to capturing her essence in a portrait.
Another cool article, highly recommended:
http://www.popphoto.com/americanphotofeatures/3816/faces-in-the-crowd-the-portrait-in-double-vision-page4.html#Laita
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On a separate note, can any non-mod place an image with the text on the right as you did in your initial comment on this thread?
LensBaby FTW! (until i get my own TS!)
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http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/africa
even have a video of the photoshoot
http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/video/2007/africacovers_video200707
slideshow of covers
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/07/onthecover_slideshow200707
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