Almost exactly a year ago I wrote an article titled, “Some Thoughts on Portrait Photography” and I included a quote by Peter Brunnell the author of, “Creative Camera International 1977”. Brunnell wrote, “There is no single form or style of portraiture. Portraiture means individualism and as such means diversity, self-expression, private point of view. The most successful images seem to be those which exist on several planes at once and which reflect the fantasy and understanding of many.”
I remembered that article and decided to revisit it after a discussion my friend and photographer, Michael Beach and I had this week about creative portraiture. We talked about trying to make portraits that had a different look and feel than other photographers in the town we both lived in.
In last February’s article I referred to my college photography instructor’s contention that we should always follow rules for portraiture. I won’t go into those at this time. I’ll just say they weren’t very imaginative and left little room for innovation or experimentation for that matter.
My argument with his lectures on portraiture, are that great portrait photographers like Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, Bert Stern, Yousuf Karsh, Richard Avedon, Eve Arnold, and Annie Leibovitz, were anything but rule followers, and what marked their work, as Brunnell wrote is, “individualism .…..self-expression, (and a) private point of view.” I did then, and still do think, that’s a lot for us mere-mortal photographers as we struggle to make our portraits something more than mere documentaries.
When I approach portraiture I try to create portraits that are, well, creative. Sometimes everything works and sometimes it doesn’t. However, I always want something different, maybe even unique, in each.
Of course, one must be aware of how our subject sees themselves and the circumstances and conditions under which the portrait is made. Using a word coined by Minor White, I think most successful portrait photographers “previsualize” the final portrait.
White, co-founder with Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lang of the influential photography magazine, Aperture, has been hailed as one of America’s greatest photographers.
Regarding previsualization, Ansel Adams defined it as, “The ability to anticipate a finished image before making the exposure.”
I’ll add another quote by Minor White that fits here and might be a good thought to have as a photographer picks up that camera to make a portrait, “One should not only photograph things for what they are but for what else they are.”
Sometimes it’s the expression on a subject’s face that makes the image. And to get that expression the photographer and subject may need to experiment with different moods and emotions. Portraitists spend much time putting people at ease and making them comfortable in front of a camera. I think it’s all about gaining a person’s trust that we are going to help them look the best they can.
The Internet is packed with “How to” advice on portraiture photography. Some of it is worth thinking about and some is bewildering. Those serious about bettering his or her portrait photography will select what works best and is the most comfortable.
A year ago I summed up with the following that worked for me then as it does now.
Everything comes down to one’s personal definition of what a portrait is. According to Wikipedia, “it is a picture of a person, a description. It can be a photograph, a sketch, a sculpture, but a portrait is so much more than that. It is collaboration between the subject and in this case the photographer.”
Collaboration is the key word for me in that description, and in my experience those portraits I have made that I think are the most successful, is because the person who was in front of the camera was willing to work, or collaborate, with me towards the final image.
These are my thoughts this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net. Stop by Enman’s Camera at 423 Tranquille Road in Kamloops. And if you want an experienced photographer please call me at 250-371-3069. I also sell an interesting selection of used photographic equipment.