Project 9 - Portraits

For this project we shot fine art and commercial portraits, then edited them in Lightroom. These are my edited fine art portraits and my edited commercial portrait that I turned into a magazine cover in Photoshop.

Reflected Rays

This fine art photo is of my friend Zoë. I chose to make the image black and white because I liked the way that the light and shadows that the light produces were more pronounced without color. I had her look down when I took this photo so the light would catch on her eyelashes. The pose also gave the photo a melancholy feeling that was further emphasized by the lack of color.

Two-Faced

This fine art photo is a portrait of my friend Caroline. I edited this image with sepia tone instead of full color because it enhanced the shadows. I really liked this photo because of the way the light hit her face, and created a two tone mask. On the right side of her face, her dark circles are more evident, and the left side is brightly lit to create a cheery façade. I also liked the additional contrast of the rough concrete behind her and her dressy clothing.

Illuminated Words

This fine art portrait is of my friend Anna. I chose to shoot with her in a very relaxed setting. This gave the image a cozier feel that goes along with the emotions she is portraying as the subject. Her relaxed pose and her smile give the image a happier tone. The change from color to black and white increased the focus on the lighting of the photo which I really liked and also added to the bright, cheerful tone.

Monthly Reads

This photo is also of my friend Anna, taken in the same setting as the portrait above. I liked that she wasn't looking directly at the camera, which shows her interest in her novel. I thought it would be good to use this interest to draw in an audience to want to read as well; this is why I chose to use it as my magazine cover, and to do a reading magazine. The black and white increases the focus on her as a subject as does the placement of the sidebar words. By making the photo black and white and carrying that theme throughout the cover, I was able to use color to enhance the words on the sidebar that I would want the reader to focus on.

Project 9 - Portrait Contact Sheet

For this project we had to take commercial and fine art portraits. I chose the ones that I liked the best and then edited them in Lightroom. These photos, originals and edits, are arranged on my contact sheet.

For my fine art portraits, I think that I will be using the sixth photo in the first row and the second photo in the fourth row. Both of these photos have lighting that creates shadows on the subject's face that I really like. The shapes created by the shadows tell a better story about the subject and the emotion they are portraying. For my commercial portrait, I am thinking of using the third and sixth picture in the fifth row, the second picture in the sixth row, or the the fourth picture in the sixth row. The photos in the fifth row are more commercial, but the lighting in the pictures in the sixth row is more effective. I like the idea of using the pictures in the sixth row as the front of a more thought provoking magazine.

Portraits

There is some distinction between fine art portraiture and commercial portraiture, but sometimes it can be hard to find that separation. Fine art portraits are not usually candid or overly bright, and often times photographers will make them look almost surreal. The photographer will usually attempt to have the subject portray some strong emotion. Unlike commercial portraiture, fine art portraits are shot by photographers who are not being hired, which gives them a bit more freedom with their subjects and images. Commercial portraiture, is created by photographers that have been hired and have an assignment. Some commercial portraiture for magazines is very bright, lively, and glamorous, unlike most contemporary or modern fine art portraiture. However, there are some similarities like the posed nature of both types of portraiture. Additionally, some fine art photographers who shoot fine art portraiture also shoot commercial portraiture, usually bringing some of the aspects of fine art photography to the commercial realm. This is why some commercial portraiture looks very much like fine art portraiture, the only differences being that the photographer has been hired and given an assigned task.

Fine Art Portraiture

P.H. Fitzgerald

This photo stood out to me immediately from P.H. Fitzgerald's photographs because of the soft contrast created by the natural light. The geometrical shape of the window juxtaposed with the softer edges that outline the subject also create an intriguing contrast. I was also drawn to to colors in the image, worn colors, that match the pensiveness that the subject is embodying. The window, shows the outside world, which is much brighter than the inside portion of the setting, yet some of that light comes through the window to create a gradual change from light to dark. I also liked the composition, which placed the subject off-center. Additionally, the way the subject is posed is very effective, allowing the viewer to see her profile backlit by the natural light, which makes the image much more interesting than if she had been looking directly at the lens.

Fritz Liedtke

This portrait, like the other fine art portrait that I chose, does not show the subject's entire face, allowing the viewer to focus on other details instead. This creative approach is one I find much more interesting than most portraits that show the subject's entire face; while it does not give the viewer as much information, it allows the viewer to create their own story for the subject and what is hidden by the posing or visual information that has been purposefully left out. The first aspect of this photo that stands out is the subject's eye, and the fact that she is not facing the camera, but looking off at something else. Then, the lighting draws the eye to the subject's freckles, which cover most of her face. The depth of field in this picture also enhance this focus on this portion of the face, right around her eye, while the background is blurred. The focus on this part of the subject's face is also emphasized by the lighting and sepia tone, both of which are very effective.

Commercial Portraiture

Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry

This commercial portrait looks very much like a fine art portrait because of the lighting and composition, but there are other aspects that differ from most fine art portraits. The subject is looking directly at the camera, which is not as common for fine art portraiture, and much more frequent in commercial portraits. The layout of the print over the picture is also effective for this commercial portrait because it is very minimal and does not distract from the powerful image. Though there is text overlaid on the image, the viewer is first drawn to the subject's eyes, which are very clear; the image is composed in a way so her eyes are in the center to allow this initial draw.

Annie Leibovitz

This portrait has multiple subjects, which can be common in commercial portraiture, especially for magazines. With multiple subjects, posing is extremely important, and this image shows how it can effect an image to better tell a story. Additionally, the editing done on this image gave all of the colors a similar tone, making the image more cohesive. As for the layout, the text is placed in areas that are open and so not clash with any of the elements of the picture. The use of different fonts and colors for the text also draws the viewer to that information.

Annie Leibovitz

This portrait, shot by Annie Leibovitz is a commercial portrait. Leibovitz was hired to take portraits of celebrities portraying Disney characters. Though it is a commercial image, there are many techniques used that are also used on some fine art portraits. The lighting, for example is very effective, as the castle is very lit up, giving it a magical feel and Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella is running from the light into a darker portion of the portrait. This lighting adds to the story told by the image. Also, the expression Johnasson's face and her pose also tell about her character and the feeling she has in that moment: worry and possibly some sadness. However, as a commercial portrait, what drew me to the photo was the fact the text on the photograph is very minimal, allowing the image to speak for itself rather than having to use an immense amount of text to entice the viewer.