Friday, May 3, 2013
Jeff Harris: 4,748 Self Portraits and Counting...
Rebecca, in regards to your Annie Leibovitz post (it wouldn't let me post a video in the comments section), here is Jeff Harris' self portraits video. Okay, I've tried for the past half an hour and it won't let me post the video on the blog so here is a link.
I'm very curious about what you learnt from Susan Sontag.
I was never afraid to go back. When I did a portrait sitting, if I didn't feel satisfied I went back again. A lot of people don't do that; they think if they don't get it the first time, that's it.
That's the thing about the soul in a portrait. When someone says, "You really captured that person," I laugh, because a portrait is really just a moment with somebody. You can get very close to what a person is about if you go off and spend ayearwith them. But the reality is you're in and out, usually in a day or two. It's just a moment with someone.
This is taken from a magazine article where Annie Leibovitz talks about portraiture "the soul in the portrait". How do we mentally prepare to shoot a subject whom we have never met? When I was in India I found it incredible as everyone wanted their photograph taken, and in that instant, time and time again they were so real, so raw. Many were so poor that the idea of having their photograph taken will live on forever this was the greatest gift for them. One single photograph meant so much more to my subjects in India then it does to many other subjects I have shot in Australia. And as Annie mentioned it is a moment with someone, a moment can tell so much. If you shot the one subject each day of the week, it would be different every time. Thoughts ??
Thoughts?? I found this interesting Sally Mann is renowned for photographing her family her views are fascinating.
What do you think of Sally's comment "unless you photograph what you love, your not going to make good art"?
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?
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?
Monday, April 1, 2013
A notion of identity...
por·trai·ture
Noun
1. The art of creating portraits
2. Graphic and detailed description, esp. of a person
What is portraiture?
‘A notion of identity – the constancy of a person in different circumstances and throughout life.’
A notion of identity, a form of representation, a visual record of people at various stages in their life; this is (from my commercial point of view) the basic meaning of portraiture in society. It can take its form in weddings, graduations, anniversaries, family portraits, annual reports, events and so on.
Is it still considered portraiture when it is for identification purposes, i.e. Drivers license, school/office photos? I believe so, not a very artistic, creative or aesthetically or visually pleasing form but it still is as it is a notion of identity at a point of time.
Thoughts?
Noun
1. The art of creating portraits
2. Graphic and detailed description, esp. of a person
What is portraiture?
‘A notion of identity – the constancy of a person in different circumstances and throughout life.’
A notion of identity, a form of representation, a visual record of people at various stages in their life; this is (from my commercial point of view) the basic meaning of portraiture in society. It can take its form in weddings, graduations, anniversaries, family portraits, annual reports, events and so on.
Is it still considered portraiture when it is for identification purposes, i.e. Drivers license, school/office photos? I believe so, not a very artistic, creative or aesthetically or visually pleasing form but it still is as it is a notion of identity at a point of time.
Thoughts?
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Common Thread
Portraiture has been around as long as photography, and we are planning on discovering what portraiture means to us within our disciplines.
Portraiture is the common thread that brings us together in our craft (documentary, fashion and commercial)
We will explore various avenues of research to gain further insight into what portraiture entails.
What is Portraiture?
Kate Mathisen, Rebecca Geddes & Georgia Wiggs
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