Behind the Portrait.

There are many things that define a photographer and one of these aspects is their style of image. My style is portraits. What are the key ingredients to a good portrait? Well I think the key ingredients are 3 main things; light, expression and person used. Obviously these are all developed to enable the creation of an amazing image. One main thing that effects the image with the use of light is the place in which the shoot/snapping is taking place. The inclusion of even just a simple background can change the style, context and tone of an image.

This image taken by Ivring Penn. The background immediately changes the perspective of the image. If the image of the milkman was taken outside a house it may look like he is just going about his daily duties. However because it is in a studio in front of a backdrop it questions whether the man is actually a milkman and what time of day it is and if the pose is staged and if composition was thought about etc, this in turn changes the whole context of the image. Another main factor that effects a portrait is the lighting. As seen in earlier posts I have explored studio lighting and how this effects an image. The idea of light has been explored by many artists. There are different everyday objects/ animals that have strong links with light for example moths, they are attracted to light. As well as this through the bible we here the story of how God created the earth and in the beginning there was no light. Many 21st century photographers use light to create an image.

These images were taken by Philip Lorca diCorcia. He fixed a camera with a flashgun onto some scaffolding. Then each person that walked past had a spontaneous image taken of them without any awareness. The use of flash in the images create a sense of drama. They highlight specific people and their initial expression to having the flash 'flashed' in their face. The older man is slightly more close up, however I think the image of the woman cleverly highlights just her face and features and blocks out the other passers by. Another factor that effects a portrait is obviously the model/unaware bystander. This is probably the most important factor effecting the image. The context behind the model, their reason for being there, their intentions and their purpose all fall into how the viewer will experience the image. This is a vital factor as it can change perspectives by even just a simple movement. Roni Horn's 'You are the Weather' uses one model for the series of portraits.

The image changes dynamic depending on the colour used and the closeness of the model. By using a seemingly younger model the image may appeal the a wider range of age groups. The importance of the model can determine how the image again is ultimately interpreted and whether this is how it was intended to look.