Musings Part 2 Not All People Pictures Are Portraits
September/10/2011 10:14 AM
Some of the best portraits can be found in what is termed Street Photography. Like all other forms of photography there are rules that must be learned. Composition, in my opinion is the most important. What is held in that tiny four sided frame needs to draw the eye in and around the image. When the subject is not aware that they are being photographed, they are not hiding behind a false smile or predetermined pose.
I believe that the best photographers are those that have a background in painting or drawing as it is only there that we learn how to fit a whole bunch of stuff into a small space and still make it make sense. I think that all photography schools should have mandatory drawing classes where composition is taught, the students would benefit greatly and their eyes would be trained to see differently than the photographer who has never learned to see as only a pencil or paint brush can train us.
Musings Part 1
September/09/2011 08:37 PM
These days everyone and their pussycat owns a camera and these days because the image quality produced by the camera is so good that everyone and their pussycat think that they are photographers, and they are. But not all photographers are Artists. It is quite easy to snap a picture of a pretty lady in a bathing suit on a beach and have an eye pleasing picture. But when you look at the image is it just a pose? Is it just an advertisement for the bathing suit? Is the person really anymore than a prop? The secret to adding life to any image is letting your subject's true essence shine through.
To create a successful portrait the sitter's mask must be dropped otherwise we are just creating a representation of the outer shell. The sitter will be recognized but they will not be in the image. As portrait artists it is our duty to assist in lowering this mask otherwise we may as well be taking pictures of flower vases. A true portrait is a collaboration between the artist and the sitter. When we realize that the sitter is more than an animated prop told to look this way or that. This is when our cameras truly become magic boxes!
And that is just the beginning!