The following images were taken over 3 sessions. They reflect a sunlit interior, a tungsten lit interior and an exterior. I have tried to explore different eye directions and expressions and to include a range of portrait styles from head and shoulders through to torso and full body.
I feel the final image above is the most successful one in terms of conveying something of the subject’s personality. It is very much a portrait of someone in their environment. I particularly like her face juxtaposed against the masks and the repetition of the real-life flowers and the pattern on her dress. I have offset the subject so that her surroundings are just as much a part of the image and, as I have mentioned before, the empty chair is symbolic of people no longer present. Whilst it is evidently a posed portrait the subject appears at ease and relaxed – perhaps somewhat pensive. I have played around a little with the side-lighting which was creating strong contrast. The top 2 images, whilst similar, convey slightly different moods. I feel the short depth of field in the second image is possibly a little more successful – the setting is still evident but not the focus of the image. And the eyes have highlights which add that extra sparkle. My choice of black and white (apart from being my preferred option) has helped to remove the influence of distracting colours which, in this particular room, were very evident.
Above is a more candid portrait taken with the general stage direction of ‘please ignore me’. It has more movement and character and better captures the spirit of the subject. The whisky glass helps to tell more of the story! A portrait with no eye contact is interesting but I guess it forces one to look at other things. I quite like the fore-shortened angle of the shoulder which serves to cut off the bottom part of her face. The tungsten lighting gives a much softer image with noticeably less contrast. Indeed, it is very much a series of tones.
Finally, I completed a series of images of my subject with a mask in the doorway of her house. I had actually planned this prior to the session – I was looking for something a little more quirky and offbeat and, with masks being so significant in my subject’s life, I liked the idea of actually incorporating one as a prop. I also planned to use the doorway as a frame – although this has been less successful in that there are some odd angles going on that don’t really work. There is something intriguing about the idea of a portrait of someone in a mask – and slippers! Who is the portrait of? Masks are always a little unsettling with those black holes for eyes. By photographing from below the eyeline, the subject appears more dominating – adding power to the portrait.
Overall, I am pleased with the results and I believe I have made some progress through the course of the module. I still have a tendency to rush things and not consider first what I want to achieve. It’s still somewhat pot luck! But I am more tuned in to the available light and I am better at giving stage directions – although this is still somewhat tentative. That is definitely the thing I would want to work on – how to relax my subject but still get them to be engaged, involved and animated. My images are too static and essentially too unexciting – there is not enough mystery or intrigue for my liking. I would like my portraits to tell more of a story and perhaps ask questions. In my opinion, the clever portraits are those that catch the subject somewhere between the pose and the candid – so that you capture some of their vulnerability. So I’m off now to look at look at some more work by Jane Bown!
Jo's learning log 