Video portraits combine videography with elements of still photography to produce something derivatively new. I can’t quite nail it down, but it seems that video portraits have the power to evoke an emotional response that’s different and in some ways more powerful than still photography.
Says Robert Wilson, who creates high definition video portraits, “You think nothing is happening at first, and then you get caught in the subtlety of it and you realize there’s much more there than first meets the eyes.”
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Over at Photo.net, the editors pick 35 of their favorite children’s portraits.
“Unique Children’s Portraits: innocent eyes wide open, candid portraits, sincere honest expressions, serious child thoughts, children focused on learnigng a new skill, glimpses of a child’s make-believe world, happiness without boundaries…”
“The Photo.net editors selected a handful of images illustrating creative children’s portrait photography. Many of our talented photo.net portrait photographers have captured glimpses of child innocence, playfulness and creativity in unique settings. Please add your favorite children’s portrait photography to the comments section below.”
The pictures live here.
In this short tutorial at Digital-Photography-School.com, guest contributor “sarahgirl” describes how to set up a studio portrait shoot with one light and a reflector. Here’s a tiny taste:
“I was still able to throw the wall out of focus because I used a little zoom (70mm) and had the subject away from the wall. I could have stood further back and zoomed in more to cause the back wall to blur even more. The distance from the wall also causes the wall to become darker. If you want it lighter you can move your subject a little closer to the wall.”
The tutorial can be read here.
At London’s “The Independent,” Charles Darwent gives an unflattering review of Sherman’s latest portrait exhibit:
“Repellent is, I think, not too strong a word for Cindy Sherman’s latest suite of portraits, five of which are on show at her London gallery.”
“Her portraits, in not really being portraits, seem to set out to fool us – to convince us that they are representations of other people when they are all of Sherman herself. Given the post-Renaissance belief that portraiture has a duty to reveal hidden truths, this seems particularly heinous. You might see Sherman as having a moral intent: the camera proverbially never lies, but hers does nothing but. In a world increasingly defined by pictures – the millions of images thrown at us daily by television, print media and the internet – it is a useful lesson, although one we have already been taught by, say, the staged street-shots of Jeff Wall. For all their upfront status as art objects de luxe, Sherman’s portraits wear their fakery on their sleeve.”
The exhibit is at Sprüth Magers until May 29. Follow the links and reach your own opinion:
Continue reading about Darwent Not Fond of Cindy Sherman’s Portraits
I’m a little late on this one, but I’ve found that online images don’t fade. Sometimes they just go away, but they never fade.
At lensculture.com, Liza Fetissova curates the portraits of 5 Russian photographers: Evgeny Mokhorev, Oleg DOU, Marina Lapina, and Margo Ovcherenko. The work of these photographers and others can be seen at the Russian Tea Room, a gallery in Paris. Liza is the director of that gallery.
“The photography exhibition ‘Regarde-moi dans les yeux’ (or ‘Look me in the eyes’), at the Russian Tea Room Gallery is an attempt to study the question of identity of Russian photography. Through the portraits of their comrades, the photographs exhibited here approach the issue of Russian photography like a magnifying glass, trying to answer two crucial mirroring questions: “What is a Russian portrait?” and “What does Russian photography truly look like?”
The article lives here. You can view more from these photographers at the Russian Tea Room site.
Continue reading about Look Me In the Eyes: Russian Photographic Portraits
I’ve discovered that Joe Zeltsman’s book, “The Zeltsman Approach to Traditional Classic Portraiture” is available online. The 16 chapters appear to be complete, with plenty of images to illustrate the various topics of the book. The book is full of useful information on a classical approach to facial valuation, posing, and lighting. The book is written for photographers, but I believe portrait painters and will also find this information useful.
I’ve not run down the source of the book’s posting — I hope it does not violate any copyrights. I know that Zeltsman was a popular portrait photographer who died last December. His influence was widespread, and included another well known teacher, Marty Zucker. Chapter one of the book includes a brief biography.
The book lives here.
Continue reading about Zeltsman Classical Portraiture Book Online
Over at TakeOutPhoto, Marc responds to a question about how to approach people on the streets without creeping them out. So he hits the streets with the goal of asking 10 people for permission to shoot.
“I reacted quickly when I saw a girl with some pretty original tattoos coming toward me with her bike. “Great tatts! Can I take a picture?” She obliged. It was that simple. We talked about how a friend of hers did the tattoos then she introduced me to her girlfriend (I really should have taken a picture of them together), and that was that. I love the personality in her expression.”
After relating a few more experiences like the one above, Marc shares what he learned. Like this, for example: “Most people will let you take their portrait if you are natural, complimentary, and friendly about it. Tell them it’s for a project if you like or an assignment from a crazy blog that you read..”
The read and the accompanying photos are here.
It’s about creativity, life, and art — this short video is deserving all the net buzz it’s generating.
Atlanta based editorial photographer Zach Arias responded to Scott Kirby’s invitation to guest-blog. It starts out whimsically and ends up — well, just see for yourself.
Marcel Duchamp is best known for his 1912 painting “Nude Descending the Staircase.” That’s nice enough, and if you can get past the toilets he adorned as art, the the Dada movement he is associated with, then you might find a few portraits interesting.
“Inventing Marcel Duchamp: The Dynamics of Portraiture,” is on show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. These are portraits of Duchamp — not all are by Duchamp. Here’s some name-dropping: Man Ray, Alfred Stieglitz, Jasper Johns, and Ray Johnson.
The NPG’s exhibit page can be found here.
Continue reading about Duchamp and the Dynamics of Portraiture
Darren Rowse offers this thoughts why he prefers environmental portraits:
“They give context to the subject you’re photographing. They give points of interest to shots (something you need to watch as you don’t want to distract from your subject too much). They help your subject relax. They often give the viewer of your shots real insight into the personality and lifestyle of your subject.”
This article also provides some tips on taking environmental portraits, as shows some examples of environmental portraiture from Flickr’s vast catalog.
The article lives here.
David McKelvie posted this entertaining piece on his reluctance to be on the target end of a lens, and included a couple of self-portraits as well.
“… Puberty, however, killed any desire to be recorded for posterity…
…I think I’m too acutely aware of what is expected – and what is expected is that this image will represent me. I am more than what is contained with these edges, I think to myself. And that makes me assume a perverted image of myself. All of this happens against my will. Discomfort, both before the photograph is taken and once it is viewed, is the result.”
Get entertained here.
Howard Zehr explores the relationship between subject and photographer on his restorative justice blog.
“This experience of being a subject is something all photographers should subject themselves to from time to time. We need to be reminded what it is like to be on the other side of the lens and, more generally, of the mutual relationships that photography entails.”
“The mutual regard underlying such a portrait involves a relationship of trust and vulnerability, if only briefly. Power relationships are also involved.”
The essay can be read here..
In this 3 minute video, Shen Wei discusses his latest project “Almost Naked.” He explores sensuality, intimacy, and instinct, and how he exposes his subject’s vulnerabilities and nakedness, both physical and emotional.
“My most exquisite moment is when I feel I’ve really bonded with my subject.”
Rick Sammon discusses the role of feeling vs thinking in this post at Layers Magazine.
“I feel that a photographer must know exactly what all the buttons, knobs, dials, and settings do on a camera so that when he or she sees a shot, the process becomes more about feeling than thinking about the technical side of photography (this must become second nature).”
Read all about it here.
The 591 Photography blog features self-portraits by Michelle Marie Roy through May 30.
“The basis for my work has nothing to do with capturing a moment or exploring the world through documentation. I create purely fictive scenarios that are an expression of an inner world or concept.”
“With regard to technique, all of my images are straight photographs. In other words, no Photoshop was used. This was mainly out of necessity at first. I was late in learning the program, and now, given the choice, it is the way I prefer to work. The effects in the photographs were created by several means, such as mixing daylight and artificial light, photographing through various materials, using make-up and costumes, and reflections.”
OutofNapkins (huh?) just posted 22 guidlines for portrait posing. Each item is short and to the point. I particularly like number 8: “For any portrait – avoid tight stripes or corduroy as they significantly increase the odds of developing a moiré pattern in smaller prints.” But I might change it to: “For living a life, avoid corduroy….”
Get your guidelines here.
Over at Digital Photography School, James Pickett offers 13 tips for better outdoor portraits.
They’re good tips, but when I see the words “never, ever” and “always” I get a little squeamish. For example: “Never, ever, shoot a portrait at less than 50mm.” O.K., O.K., he is trying to help you avoid those close-up, big-nosed distorted faces. But I’ve seen some really nice environmental portraits taken with wide angle lenses. Anyway, there’s some solid advice in this read.
In this MonstersAndCritics interview, USA Character Project photographer David Eustace shares some thoughts on his work and on selecting Highway 50 to frame his portraits for the USA Character project.
“…I wanted to explore the diversity of people connected by a single road and create a body of work comprised primarily of portraits juxtaposed against varied landscapes. I chose to follow Highway 50, an artery that stretches over three thousand miles and connects the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as ‘The Loneliest Road in America’ or ‘The Backbone of America…”
A two and a half minute video titled “How to Take a Protrait” was just added to the OpenFilm Library. If you’re a pro, you won’t learn much, but it covers many of the basics for beginners. And, it’s mildly entertaining.
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In the summer of 2008, USA Network sponsored 11 of the “most acclaimed” photographers from around the world to capture the character of America. It’s called The Character Project – “A celebration of the people who make our country unique.”
You can see the photos on the web site, or, for a more fulfilling experience, catch the tour on these remaining dates:
- Washington D.C. – April 3 – 4
- Philadelphia – April 17-18
- Chicago – April 24 -25
- St. Louis – May 1 -3
- San Francisco – May 8-9
- Los Angeles – May 15 -16
Tour details are here.
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