Conscientious have published a follow up to their article 'What makes a great portrait?' (see http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/extended/archives/what_makes_a_great_portraits_conted/).
I can't say that there's much in the way of new content, but it has helped me to appreciate that once a photographer learns to master the technical side of photography (that is, when they can create the look they want at will without being too distracted from their creative vision), then all that's pretty well much left is their relationship with the sitter. Take, for example, this shot by Richard Avedon of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor:
The Windsors were quite used to having their photo taken, but Avedon did not want another generic smiling portrait. So, knowing they were dog lovers, he told the couple that his taxi had struck and killed a dog on the way to the shoot. By manipulating his subjects, Avedon was able to evoke a fleeting emotional reaction whose sincerity he captured for all time.
David, from your link I stumbled on this interesting portrait project by artist Ruth Bayer http://www.ruthbayer.com/
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dazeddigital.com/view/default.aspx?Category=27&ArticleID=7376&PageNum=1
To capture a moment in which the subject loses control, or at least slackens their grip on the reins, is a frequent goal in photography...
In 'Poppers' , photographer Ruth Bayer achieves a simple but effective frisson between the composed, formal relationship of camera and subject, and the rogue element introduced by her subjects' inhalation of Poppers - the street name for a legal compound belonging to the alkyl nitrate family; a muscle relaxant which causes the dilation of blood vessels, leading to increased blood flow and a rush of heat and euphoria.
Fascinated by the watery, dilated eyes and sensually heightened faces of those she saw taking Poppers in nightclubs, Ruth set out to capture those fleeting moments of euphoric aware/unawareness in the series of photographs presented in this book.