My narrative portrait series

Melissa beating up Matt

Ben and Shevane Reconciling

Narrative in Fashion and Portraiture examples

Richard Avedon

Marlon Brando

Gabrielle Chanel

Andy Warhol

David Lachapelle

Drew Barrymore

Pamela Anderson

Helmut Newton

Julie Delpy

Monica Belucci

Guy Bourdin

Environmental Portraits Reshoot

Environmental Portraits

https://plus.google.com/photos/113941984023802192586/albums/5794024198313901169?authkey=CKmmuLTY8sPZ0QE
https://plus.google.com/photos/113941984023802192586/albums/5794095400023866737?authkey=CMGAjaHwmv749wE


I believe that August Sander's, some of Joel Sternberg's and Mary Ellen Mark's images and a few of Lewis Hine's photographs showed dynamic subject and background combinations. I find that Shelby Lee Adams and Bruce Davidson were not very succesful in showing us the connection between the subject and the background, in other words the background was just an elaborate prop. I could not really tell by looking at the photograph what background they came from or what career they held.

My three images



Photoshop exercises

Emulated version of Herb Ritts Photographs

Assignment 2

Herb Ritts (1952-2002) was an American fashion photographer who was famous for making black and white photographs and portraits which were often portrayed in the style of Greek sculptures. He took many portraits of actors, musicians and models, including: Jack Nicholson, Madonna, Cher, Elton John, George Clooney, Mel Gibson and Cindy Crawford.

Assignment 1

Alfred Eisenstaedt

Einstein was lighted from the left side with a large tungsten light which is positioned at around the level of his head. A diffuser is used to not harshen the light to much. The photographer is positioned at the front slightly left side of the sitter. I believe that showing Einstein in the middle of working on what might be a scientific exercise on the sheets of paper infront of him contributed to the success of the photograph since it explains the kind of career he lead since he was one of greatest scientists of the 20th century. I believe the picture is worthwhile because it gives us a clear look into the life of the sitter.

Marlene Dietrich was lighted from on top and on the left side of her. The light is very harsh. The sitter is positioned right infront of the photographer. One of the first things that attracted me to this picture is the huge flower attached to Dietrich's vest, therefore I find that it contributes to the photograph and the succesful acting career of the sitter. Though, I do not really find the picture worthwhile because I believe her face to be a little to over exposed.

Sophia Loren was lighted from the left side by a large tungsten light and on the other side of her face Eisenstaedt used a reflector to reflect some of the light on the right side of her face. That way it would not cast to much of a dark shadow. The photographer is shooting his sitter from the side while she slightly turns her head to the right to glace behind her. I believe that this photograph contributes a succesful depiction of Loren's grace and beauty of which she is so well known for. I find this picture to be worthwhile since I like how the right side of the face is shadier than the left.

https://www.google.ca/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=536&q=alfred+eisenstaedt&oq=alfred+eis&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.719.3985.0.6219.10.9.0.1.1.0.94.718.9.9.0...0.0...1ac.4EaY8Bvp8kw


Yousuf Karsh

Dwight Eisenhower is lighted from the left side of the picture plain which gives him a bit of a Rembrandt lighting. The sitter left side is facing the camera while he turn head toward the photographer. I believe this photograph to be a succesful depiction of the former General/President by the way he gives the camera a stern look and by the photographer showing us his army uniform. I find this picture to be worthwhile since it gives us a small glance into the life of this post-second world war president.

Humphrey Bogart is lighted from the top with a tungsten light and I believe there is also a diffused light shining behind him. Karsh is situated on the right side of his sitter while Bogart slightly turns towards the camera and appears to glance up towards the ceiling. I believe that having the sitter sit on a stage and hold a burning cigarette contributed to the success of the photograph because of Bogart's acting career which started in the early 1920s firstly as a Broadway actor and then after the stock market crash of 1929 as a film actor. He was also known as being an avid smoker through most of his life. I believe the picture to be worthwhile since it depicts quite well the life style of this actor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_Bogart

Mauriac from the front and righ side of his face by two tungsten lights. Karsh is situated on his right side while he looks down and is facing the right side of the picture plain. I believe that giving the sitter a sort of bright outline makes him seem very important which contributes to the success of the photograph since Mauriac has won two very important prizes throughout his life: the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie Française and the Nobel Prize in Literature. Even though you cannot see much of his facial expressions I still believe the photograph to be worthwhile since I like the outline around most of his face.

https://www.google.ca/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=536&q=alfred+eisenstaedt&oq=alfred+eis&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.719.3985.0.6219.10.9.0.1.1.0.94.718.9.9.0...0.0...1ac.4EaY8Bvp8kw#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=yousuf+karsh&oq=yousuf+karsh&gs_l=img.3..0l10.5188.8500.3.8860.13.4.9.0.2.2.328.593.2j1j0j1.4.0...0.0...1c.FWucikSLoY0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=7eab6a032b8af5be&biw=1024&bih=536

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Mauriac  

Annie Leibovitz

Keith Richards is lighted from the right and seems to have Rembrandt lighting. Leibovitz is shooting from infront while he is sitting sideways on a bed. I believe that the guitar and suitcase contribute to the success of this photograph because of  him being one of the biggest guitarists of the last century and because of him writing some of the iconic music of the Rollingstones. The suitcase for me represents the many tours they have done throughout the last fifty years. I find this photograph to be worthwhile because of how it describes the the famous guitarist and how the room and subject are very well lit.

Ellen DeGeneres is lighted by natural light. The sitter is positioned right infront of Leibovitz and looking straight at the lens with a sad expression on her face and a cigarette in her mouth. She also has her face painted white like a mime. I believe that the gesture of DeGeneres grabbing her breasts represents her feminism and open homosexuality therefore I believe it contributes to the success of the photograph. The sad expression on her face could represent her feeling a bit uncomfortable in her own body. I find this picture to be worthwhile because of the natural darker light of the picture which I believe coincides with the sad expression on her face.

Gwyneth Paltrow and her mother are lighted infront and left of them. The photographer is situated on their left side while both of them slightly turn their heads in Leibovitz's direction. Gwyneth Paltrow is gazing down at the floor while her mother who is holding her from behind is glancing at the camera. I believe that the mother holding her daughter towards her contributes to the success of the photograph since it shows the love and deep connection between a mother and her daughter. It also shows how parents feel they need to protect their children. I find it to be a beautiful photograph partly because of the beautiful lighting on both the mother and daugthers face and therefore it is a worthwhile photograph for me.

https://www.google.ca/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=536&q=alfred+eisenstaedt&oq=alfred+eis&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.719.3985.0.6219.10.9.0.1.1.0.94.718.9.9.0...0.0...1ac.4EaY8Bvp8kw#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=annie+leibovitz&oq=annie+leibov&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.247094.249422.5.252031.12.3.0.2.2.0.266.640.0j1j2.3.0...0.0...1c.nlWir9pt4pU&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=7eab6a032b8af5be&biw=1024&bih=536

Sally Mann

It seems like this photograph was taken with a bright disconnected camera flash focusing on the girl with the cigarette. The camera is situated a distance infront of the blond girl and is facing the back side of the second girl. Mann I believe is trying to show how young children imitate the gestures and lifestyles they see in their parents or other adults every day. If this is what she is trying to show than I find that it contributes succesfully to photograph since many people still smoke today and believe it to be fashionable or cool. I like how your eye gets attracted to the brightly lighted girl facing the camera in front of the quite dark and blurred out forest background. Therefore I find it to be a worthwhile photograph.

It seems like this was also taken simply with the light of a camera flash since the the background is almost pitch dark and only young girl holding some kind of a rodent against her chest is bright and in focus. The photographer is standing infront of her naked model while the girl is slightly turning and glancing to the right. I find that the dead rodent kind of represents the first forms of clothing and a protection for the girl to hide her bare body. If this is so then I believe the photograph to be a succesful description of what the artist is trying to show and once again I believe it to be a worthwhile photograph because of how the flash focussed on the young girl attracts rather to the subject than to the blurred and dark background.

It seems like this was taken again with flash like the two first ones too. The young girl is situated right infront of the camera. Mann is standing on her left side while she slightly turns her head to the left to glance at her mother. I find she is trying to show her children in the eyes, which have sometimes been naked as she also has done with most of the photographs of this series. I also like how the still wet hair from the water is pasted to the girl's skin. Therefore I believe that it contributes succesfully to the picture. I also believe this one to be a worthwhile photograph since your eyes first get attracted to the girl since she is sharper compared to the background of the blurry water which is in some parts also quite dark.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Mann

https://www.google.ca/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=536&q=alfred+eisenstaedt&oq=alfred+eis&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.719.3985.0.6219.10.9.0.1.1.0.94.718.9.9.0...0.0...1ac.4EaY8Bvp8kw#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=sally+mann&oq=sally+mann&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.65313.67000.7.68797.10.6.0.0.0.0.250.1031.0j4j2.6.0...0.0...1c.rxNbtrzHm9o&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=7eab6a032b8af5be&biw=1024&bih=536



I believe that a few contemporary photographers who borrow a bit of the photographic skills of early 20th century photographers would be Don Chick, Steven Gelberg and Herb Ritts.

http://www.portraitphotographersonline.com/gal_chickdon.htm
http://www.portraitphotographersonline.com/gal_gelbergsteven.htm
https://www.google.ca/search?q=Herb+Ritts&hl=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=s4U7UNSTN9K16AH0l4HoBQ&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=1024&bih=536