Elements of Portrait photography. -Matt
The
portrait is an essential part of any art. Portraits are the capturing of
what we look like. More than any other art, photography creates the
most accurate portraits because photography generally is the most
accurate form of capturing the world. The portrait as we traditionally
know it involves one person in the center of the image. Starting from
the lower chest, the individuals chest, shoulders, and head are
featured. A space of about 10-15% of empty space is generally expected
in every portrait. The face is the essential feature of the photo
because the face is the essential feature of a person. Portrait
photography is meant to show great details and show an accurate
representation of who that person is. However, high quality and
meticulous lighting creates an image that generally is better than the
real deal. The person choosing the portrait can also select the color of
the background which can lead to features that are idealized. Thus,
portrait photography is nothing like documentary photography because it
is too staged and planned out.
Perhaps the most
iconic portrait photo would be of Albert Einstein. His hands folding,
his intellectual gazing looking into the distance, swallowed by the high
contrast lighting. It creates a scene that shows that this man is
smart. The main theme here is that portrait photography is highly
manipulatable but is an important arsenal in photography. And okay, I
guess a selfie could be considered portrait (although it's a stretch).
1 comment:
I agree with you that much of the portrait photography that we see is staged. There is no doubt that certain lighting types or setting, whether that be in a studio or on location, influences how the viewer reads the image. As you talk about with the Albert Einstein photograph, the way the lighting falls on him an his pose gives the impression that the man is smart. I would be willing to guess that was the photographers intention. Yes, he is constructing the image and the scene to show the viewer what he wants them to see but isn't that the embodiment of art? A lot of art is about crafting a work in a highly specific way to make the viewer see it the way the artist intends for it to be seen. This applies not only in photography.
I would also be careful to say that manipulation is a key element of portrait photography and that it is "nothing like documentary photography". What about "Migrant Mother"? It is a portrait photograph that is also one of the most iconic documentary photographs of all time. The two are not mutually exclusive.
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