Portrait Photography
Background:
What is a Portrait?
A
portrait should capture the likeness and spirit of the subject. It should go
beyond the pleasing, the anecdotal. It should be a work of art. It should live,
not just for today, but for generations to come.
Portraiture
has always existed.
It is natural for people to record their presence, their image, for their time
and as a memorial to pass on. Portraits have been painted to honor those of
stature, from business leaders to political leaders to clerics. Portraits also
represent the love of one human being for another, the parent for a child, the
husband for a wife, a partner for their mate.
A
portrait will illustrate a moment or time in the life of a person. But it must
also incorporate the spirit of that person, something intrinsic at almost any
age.
A
portrait is a work of art. It takes all of the artist’s skills and vision to
incorporate the elements of good photography, color and design necessary for a
portrait that will invite viewing over and over.
Portrait http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait
Daguerreotype
Portraits (Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress)
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/daghtml/dagport.html
Daguerreotype info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daguerreotype
Portrait Artists:
Mary Ellen Mark
http://www.maryellenmark.com/
John Coplans
https://www.google.com/search?q=john+coplans&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1011&bih=539&tbm=isch#imgdii=_
Google Image Search
http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=1237
http://www.nordenhake.com/php/artist.php?RefID=3
http://www.solwaygallery.com/john_coplans_exhibition.html
Julia Fullerton
http://juliafullerton-batten.com/small.html
Hanaah Wilke
http://www.hannahwilke.com/index.html
Diane Arbus
http://diane-arbus-photography.com/
Nikki S. Lee
http://www.tonkonow.com/lee.html
Louis Camitzer
http://www.alexandergray.com/artists/luis-camnitzer/
Sleep of the Beloved:
http://www.schneggenburger.at/
Sleeping lovers over-exposed:
http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/28/sleeping-lovers-over-exposed/?hpt=hp_c3
New York Times
Photographer: Phil Mansfield
Simple Portrait Photography Tips
http://photo.net/learn/portraits/
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Portrait Lighting:
Lighting Basics
* Contrasting light creates a somber/serious mood
* Even lighting creates a balanced feeling
* Side lighting adds depth
* Flat lighting minimizes features
One Light setup: the closer the light source, the harsher the lighting
In-direct light creates a soft
light: the line between highlight and shadows softens and diffuses
2-Light setup: Second light fills
in the shadows
The farther away the fill light, the deeper the contrast and
shadows
The closer the fill light the more even the light
http://www.lightingdiagrams.com/Creator
Rembrandt Lighting:
Named after Rembrandt Van
Rijn
1606 - 1669 Dutch painter, draftsman, and etcher of the 17th century, a
giant in the history of art. His paintings are characterized by luxuriant
brushwork, rich color, and a mastery of chiaroscuro. Numerous portraits and
self-portraits exhibit a profound penetration of character. His drawings
constitute a vivid record of contemporary Amsterdam life. The greatest artist
of the Dutch school, he was a master of light and shadow whose paintings,
drawings, and etchings made him a giant in the history of art.
Self Portrait 1629, Rembrandt Van Rijn
Self portraits: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rembrandt/self/
Other work and info: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rembrandt/
Chiaroscuro is Italian, meaning, literally,
light/dark. In photography, it refers to the play of light and shadow in an
image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiaroscuro
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Create-Rembrandt-Lighting-165253626
Butterfly lighting:
Butterfly lighting is a
classic technique for lighting a model or sitter using just one light and a
reflector. This style is also called Paramount, after the Hollywood studio that
made this style popular. It is associated with the glamourous look of
black-and-white movies, and places a distinctive 'butterfly' shaped shadow
under the nose of the sitter.
To butterfly light,
put the key light with a softbox or shoot-through
umbrella directly above the model and high, then place the reflector at about
chest height, pointing up towards the face. This is easier with a modeling
light. To practice, you can do this using regular continuous light.
Note that the
position of the light needs to be such that the shadow under the nose doesn't
touch the lips. It's also common to use a V-shaped or U-shaped reflector to get
a more consistent distribution of reflected light under the eyes. A
high-contrast reflector, silver, for example, will product crisp and beautiful
images.
Edge lighting:
How to on Portrait
Lighting for Photography and Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmmZECtP3oM
Overview of all
lighting techniques:
http://digital-photography-school.com/6-portrait-lighting-patterns-every-photographer-should-know/
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For Natural Light:
Reflectors can be used when there is a large difference in intensity in
the highlights and the shadows
- Use reflectors to bounce back light and fill in the shadows
- If there are harsh shadows, you can add a diffuser to soften the light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tin5q2-yPew
http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=339/423&pq-locale=en_US
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Retouching:
retouching
retouching 2
Retouching everything away N.Y. / REGION | November 20,
2010
No Boo-boos or Cowlicks? Only in School
Pictures
By SARAH MASLIN NIR
The practice of altering photos has trickled down to the school portrait, as
more parents increasingly choose retouching.
Issues of Beauty:
What is beauty? Cultural, historical, ethical & economic considerations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty
Retouching all the originality out of us
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/fashion/09skin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Artists dealing with
issues of beauty and commodification
Nancy Burson
http://nancyburson.com/
http://www.nyu.edu/greyart/exhibits/burson/
Bobby Neel Adams Age Maps:
http://www.bobbyneeladams.com/age.html
Barbara Kruger
http://www.barbarakruger.com/
Cindy Sherman
http://www.cindysherman.com/
Coco Fusco
http://www.thing.net/%7Ecocofusco/
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The Unreal Person:
Lighting set ups in Blender:
http://www.petapixel.com/2012/03/07/how-to-visualize-photography-lighting-setups-in-blender/
Portraiture in the Digital Age, Irit
Krygier
http://strikingdistance.com/unreal/Pages/artists.htm
http://strikingdistance.com/unreal/Pages/irit01.htm
Making our Game Characters more real than we are:
http://www.webdesign.org/web/3d-graphics/tutorials/high-polygon-realistic-character-creation.5519.html
The New Face of America http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101931118,00.html
Dan Ostrov The Faces of RPI Project, IDI Sp’06
Open in IE browser only:http://www.arts.rpi.edu/~ruiz/IDI-spring2006/final/ostrov/realization.htm#