The Portrait

Process

I was tasked to approach a random stranger and take a portrait photograph of them. I approached a guy from a party, who agreed to take part in the project. I made sure the portrait is from shoulder to head and use the frame well.

“A successful portrait captures a person’s essential character or style, which may be revealed in the face alone or indicated by pose, clothing and setting.” (Hedgecoe, 1998, 134). This statement suggests that a portrait should present the characteristics of the character being photographed, and it is exposed by how the character is dressed, the pose and the environment that the photo is being taken in. All these aspects contribute to a successful portrait to represent them with a style.

I took the photo while in my own home, so I could take control of the environment settings. The character did do a ‘chilled’ pose without smiling. As the statement states, I find my portrait to be successful as the pose, clothing and setting is seen through the final image.

Artist Research

Annie Leibovitz – Born on 2nd October 1949. She took night classes in photography. She began working for Rolling Stone magazine in 1970. From 1973 she became chief photographer. By time she left, she shot 142 covers. Her work of portraits have appeared in museums and galleries. This includes the National Portrait Gallery.

https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/annie-leibovitz

Jill Greenberg – A controversial photographer, who took portraits of toddlers.  She used a technique to gain real emotion from toddlers by giving them a lollipop and then taking it away. This then gave her seconds to take a portrait of their reactions. Her work is very interesting to look at. Most photographs in today’s society use a ‘fake’ smile as it is hard to capture a genuine smile or reaction. This series of portraits is very inspiring, as it is unique in having raw reactions.

My Final Image

This is my final image. The person is fully in focus which had brought more detail in the photograph. I used all the lighting I could use, this is from ceiling lights and lamps. I took the photo using a Canon 700D with the settings: Shutter Speed at 1/25, Aperture F5.0 and ISO 800. I never told the male to act in a certain way as I wanted to capture something natural. With the portrait, I think it shows the relaxation in his face. I tried to fit his face in the center of the frame to allow the setting to be exposed.

My Other Images

These are my other photographs that I did not make it to my final image selection.  The reasons for this is because the man is not in fully sharp enough, which defeats the overall portrait photograph. You can also see objects in the background. I would preferably avoid this, as it will capture unwanted attention or use shallow depth of field, to blur out the background. I would also say the photos need more light to make the man more exposed.

Reference List

Hedgecoe, J (1998) The Art of Colour Photography. London: Reed Consumer Books Limited.