Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Video Portrait

The other day I came across this post on Fstoppers about video portraits.

Found it very fascinating as I haven't come across this technique before.
Can you capture more about a person in a 'video portrait' than a typical still one? Personally I don't really think so. Although the subject seems to go through many emotions during the video these could also be captured within a few different images- and in my opinion they would be more powerful in that form.
It's a relatively uncomfortable video to watch I found. There's an awkwardness to watching someone for five minutes which I believe is intended by the creator. This makes it even more powerful.

What you you guys think of the 'video portrait' and how it compares to still images?


2 comments:

  1. This is very interesting Georgia. I felt very uncomfortable viewing this – possibly because of her visual appearance and it all being very high key.
    I think that the video portrait provides an insight into the person more than a still image does, you can see how they move, you view them blink and can see them visibly breathing. It makes the subject more ‘real’. The same way a video or timelapse of a landscape makes it more real and feasible in comparison to a still, as you view the clouds moving, the shadows on the ground, the trees moving with the wind. You view the person (or landscape) as a living organism, instead of a subject frozen in time.

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  2. Hi Georgia I agree - you do feel uncomfortable through out the 5 minute duration of this video portrait. I felt at times even the model/actor felt uncomfortable. And Kate yes I feel due to the high key nature of this video all I could look at were her white eye lashes. I credit the uniqueness of this project and this will always get people talking. However in answer to your question Georgia I feel that the still photograph has an authentic approach to portraits and being able to capture all those emotions in one photograph is a rewarding challenge.

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