Later this month one of my portraits will hang in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra as part of the prestigious 2011 National Photographic Portrait Prize.
While making the exhibition print I spent quite a few hours inspecting very closely the technical details of ink on paper. When I stood away from the print to see the whole picture again I was reminded how a portrait is much more than just a face. It's the story that led to that face, to the light in the eyes and the gaze that opened the camera shutter when the moment was judged to be decisive.
I love photographing people and I do a lot of it. Usually though, it is with a predetermined message in mind and the faces involved are really a means to an end. It's fun to do and rewarding to encourage an emotion - to help create a look that is 'on message' and interpreting the brief.
A true portrait, on the other hand, requires commitment from both subject and photographer in a different way. The subject requires certain amount of vanity just to stand in front of a lens in the first place but it is a vanity rooted in reality and with the confidence (bravery) to express that reality.
The photographer needs vanity and bravery as well. Vanity to believe in her or his vision and the bravery to express it truly yet respectfully. A thoughtful portrait will be both reality and hope - it takes time to create and is an evolving collaborative process.
If you know someone who might be ready to have their portrait made, please ask them to get in touch.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Any questions? Comments? Please get in touch.