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Lightbox – The Portrait
Lightbox – The Portrait
April 15, 2019
“A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound,” French author Charles Baudelaire realised in 1859. Classically speaking, a portrait presents a bust of a person; in other words, head, neck, shoulders and chest to the top part of the arm. It is considered a half-close shot.
In a medium-close shot you can see more of the individual’s clothing and surroundings, and so the person’s impact on the environment becomes more obvious. If the background has a relationship to the person shown, then the picture can clarify further aspects about the life of the individual portrayed: a working place where they spend a lot of their time; their home; carrying out a favourite activity; or among family members.
If the portrait frames just the face of a person, so that the viewer sees only their head, then it is referred to as a close-up. In such depictions, the features of a person's face are at the forefront. Close-up pictures often have a neutral backdrop and are frequently taken in a studio. The degree of accuracy of the detail in a close-up portrait reveals the quality of the equipment in use.
Even when virtually no background is visible in a close-up, it is sometimes still possible to place the setting in relationship to the person portrayed. For instance, if the person works in a profession or activity that leaves traces on the face, then it is possible to say something indirectly about the photographic subject’s environment.
The more aspects and stories concerning a person's life that are reflected in a portrait, the more impressive and deeper it will be. It begins to speak.
Of course, there are also portraits that deliberately distance themselves from the usual intention of a portrait. In these cases, the refusal of (facial) information makes a statement about someone’s unconventionality, stubbornness or simple individualism. It is precisely because certain facial features are withheld that a portrait emerges that is open to the imagination. (Olaf Staaben)
In a medium-close shot you can see more of the individual’s clothing and surroundings, and so the person’s impact on the environment becomes more obvious. If the background has a relationship to the person shown, then the picture can clarify further aspects about the life of the individual portrayed: a working place where they spend a lot of their time; their home; carrying out a favourite activity; or among family members.
If the portrait frames just the face of a person, so that the viewer sees only their head, then it is referred to as a close-up. In such depictions, the features of a person's face are at the forefront. Close-up pictures often have a neutral backdrop and are frequently taken in a studio. The degree of accuracy of the detail in a close-up portrait reveals the quality of the equipment in use.
Even when virtually no background is visible in a close-up, it is sometimes still possible to place the setting in relationship to the person portrayed. For instance, if the person works in a profession or activity that leaves traces on the face, then it is possible to say something indirectly about the photographic subject’s environment.
The more aspects and stories concerning a person's life that are reflected in a portrait, the more impressive and deeper it will be. It begins to speak.
Of course, there are also portraits that deliberately distance themselves from the usual intention of a portrait. In these cases, the refusal of (facial) information makes a statement about someone’s unconventionality, stubbornness or simple individualism. It is precisely because certain facial features are withheld that a portrait emerges that is open to the imagination. (Olaf Staaben)
