My goal this quarter has been to explore portrait photography. Whether that means how to create the
most dynamic image, the ethical implications of who you photograph, relationships between
photographer and subject, subject and camera, photographer and camera. How to make it personal.
And a wide variety of other performative considerations regarding the process of making the image,
and how the viewer engages the photograph after its been printed.
There are several photographers who I have been particularly interested in: Henri Cartier-Bresson,
August Sander, Sally Mann, and Richard Avedon. All very different in methodology, ideology, and
results but all exceptional. I intend to write more completely about these issues, but wanted to get
some stuff out there sooner.
The following images are a couple of my earliest attempts. I have also provided some comentary to
direct the types of things I liked and didn't like and where I hope the comments will direct further
explorations.
Ahmed is an example of one of my first pictures this quarter and seems to resonate with a lot of August Sander's work. In the juxtaposition of stopped attentiveness in the middle of action. For example, Ahmed engages the camera and consequently the viewer with the outward direction of his eyes. Making a clear break from what he was previously doing--working at the computer. His poised left hand continues his previous activity before and after the picture was taken. There seems to be little performative elements in his interaction with the camera and he feels quite comfortable in his momentary distraction.
Blake's portrait seems to go well with Ahmed's in that they are both extremely comfortable and both clearly still engaged in what they are doing, despite the momentary direction of their gaze. The starkness of Blake's background as well as his fully-included, reclined posture almost invites you as the viewer to be comfortable with him while viewing the picture. I like that sense of being invited to participate in the photo's activity. I also really like how he is clearly reading Don Quixote because there seems to be something about himself that is almost Quixote-esque. Although potential criticism could be that both Ahmed and him are a little, too comfortable. And the engagement between the photographer and the subject is not as dynamic as it could be otherwise.
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more in actuality, authenticity |
