I enjoy looking at pictures, especially at portraits of people. I admit that I am not always as interested in the image subject as I am in the process of how the image was made. I will study the environment, background, camera angle, the subject’s pose, and, of course, lighting.
I am continually searching to add something new and valuable to my own photography and there isn’t much better way to get new ideas and learn new techniques than studying how other photographers work with their subjects.
A few years ago I attended a lecture by Jim Britt. Britt was the lead photographer at Motown Records back in 1972 and took most of Michael Jackson’s early photographs. Britt discussed studio portraiture lighting which was all very interesting, but what has stayed with me all these years was he said we should continually be changing how we photograph our subjects and not to be to predictable, or to get caught in a rut. And to emphasize that he remarked that we should never say “it’s my style”, because “That just makes you a cliché”.
I do try to be creative with my portraiture, remembering that a good portrait should have lasting power. I want future generations to see a portrait of their parent or grandparent and still like it.
If one gets too edgy or trendy the portrait will not stand the test of time and be discarded by its owner when the current trend changes.
Many of the portraits I see show people that seem to be quickly photographed under unflattering lights with uncomfortable awkward poses, and are struggling to stay calm.
When someone asks me to make his or her portrait I never begin by moving into candid mode. I try to gain a degree of mastery over the location, the lighting, and an understanding of the person I am about to photograph.
That means I evaluate the location, the background, and how much room I have between me and my subject. I check the ambient exposure, and decide if I need to add lighting.
And when the person that I am about to photograph gets in front of my camera I start working at making them relax and get in a comfortable or even fun mood. This means talking a lot and subtly directing the session.
One of the most famous portraiture photographers, Helmut Newton said, “My job as a portrait photographer is to seduce, amuse, and entertain.”
I am sure there are times when candid portraits work quite well, and there are those people that are “naturals” and just know how to pose, but in my experience most people are happy to rely on the photographer for direction.
A photographer’s goal is to produce a photograph that visually speaks of the subject’s personality. Canadian Photographer Yusuf Karsh states, “I try to photograph people’s spirits and thoughts.”
Much of the time photographers struggle to get a likeness, let alone an image that says something about their subject. However, American photographer Richard Avedon commented, “A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth.”
Portrait photography is more than pointing a camera at someone and releasing the shutter. Nevertheless, there are those out there that obviously don’t agree with that, or we wouldn’t have as many portraits of uncomfortable, awkwardly posed people under unflattering lighting.
My advice? Don’t be in a rush, interact with the subject having developed a plan, don’t take the lighting for granted, work with it; and remember that you, your subject, and any others who will view the portrait now, and in the future, have to like it.
I have included photographs of Jessika L’Heureux by my friend Jo Mcavany.
Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.
