TPA: Portraits
Introductions - backgrounds in photography, preferred genres, other hobbies/skills, and why portraits class
General structure of the class
1. Introduction: What is a good portrait?
2. The technical history of the portrait (optional pedagogical point)
3. The history of portraiture: the great representatives
4. The diptych and triptych form (optional pedagogical point)
5. Outdoor: learning and practical exercises
6. Outdoor: photographs of strangers (optional teaching point)
7. Review of the images
Pre-class Test - Take a portrait now
Either shoot right now, or at least discuss.
Assess where we are when taking a portrait currently.
Ex. What considerations do we make, what do we prioritize, settings…ect
1. Introduction: what is a good portrait?
In a very simple way, define the successful portrait as the combination of two factors: Aestheticism, and an "emotional return" of the subject.
Introduce this workshop as this dual purpose; mastering these two factors.
A very good illustration of this introduction would be to use the contact sheet of a famous photographer, annotated by him. In this way, you will present the series of successive images that were necessary to obtain a successful portrait.
Example:
Introduce:
Photographer Masatoshi Sukita's contact sheet: A portrait session with David bowie (illustration n°1)
A contact sheet of the photographer Réné Burri: A session with Che Guevara (illustration n°2)
These contact sheets show us a series of photos with successful lighting and identical on all the images, it is the first essential factor for the success of the portrait. The difficulty is then to obtain the right "emotional reference", and for this a certain direction of the subject, and a trigger at the right time is necessary.
2. The technical history of portrait (optional)
Nowadays, making a portrait seems obvious, and does not look like a technical feat. This has not always been the case.
However, technically, it has not always been possible to draw a photographic portrait (too insensitive and slow support, too dark optics).
A first revolution came about, when the technology was advanced enough to capture the human being, it still had to evolve in order to make the exercise less tedious (posting times remain long). At this stage, portraitists are exclusively traders, working in their studios.
The second revolution came about with the amateur portraiture, and a lot of advances made it even easier and more accessible, especially in terms of ergonomics and portability.
Example in some key dates:
1827: Nicéphore Nièpce takes the first photograph of history, the creation of this image requires 72 hours of exposure time. Its technology (photosensitive bitumen support) is not adapted to make a human pose.
1839: Louis Daguerre presents his process, modestly called "Daguerreotype". It is a support covered with silver iodide, which in contact with light becomes sensitized and creates a positive image.
In its early days, the invention makes it possible, under good light conditions, to take an image in just a few minutes. The process then evolves technically over the years, reducing the installation time to a few seconds. It is now possible to have the human being posed and draw his portrait.
1854: It is the invention of the "photo card", the first paper photographic print.
Based on a negative image on glass, the image is transferred to a paper medium. This technique is very economical, and the flexible aspect seduces in mass.
This invention will make the number of photographic studios offering "photo-cards" explode, it is the birth of a profession.
1870: This is the invention of the "Gelatino Silver Bromide" process, a solution much more sensitive to light than the previous ones; it is now possible to capture an image at 200th of a second, in full sunlight with a luminous optic. The process becomes industrialized and is made accessible to the general public.
1888: George Eastman (Mr. Kodak) makes two revolution: he adapts the light-sensitive support on a flexible roll (finish the heavy glass plate), and he designs and then industrializes the first portable and cheap device. the amateur now has everything in hand to make his own family portraits.
1900: This is the height of the Pictorialism movement, which deplores the unique use of photography to capture and make reality. Pictioralism attempts by a series of light effects and blurry kitschs, to imitate the beautiful art of painting. This movement gives birth to impressive portraits with mystical gestures
Beginning of the 20th century: The studios, which had previously been forced to make a portrait of themselves, saw their sales plummet. They can be adapted in different ways: they can be recycled in development laboratories, or they can offer sets of crazy shots (packed animals, exotic plants, backdrops).
(Optional) 1913: Oskar Barnack (Mr. Leica) adapts the film to 35mm format, making it possible to produce more portable cameras. It also provides its first Leica with a 500th of a second shutter and a very bright optic.
3. The history of portraiture: the great figures
Try to trace the history of the portrait through its great figures; from the oldest and classic to the most contemporary and innovative, passing through the main proponents of certain movements.
Example:
1. Nadar (1820-1910): He is the photographer of the great artists of his time. It uses wet collodion, a negative process. His photographs are mainly taken against a neutral background of three-quarters. Aesthetics is classic. (See illustrations)
2. Auguste Sander (1876-1964): He is considered the inventor of the documentary style.
From 1911 onwards, he began his huge project called "The People of the Twentieth Century". These are portraits of Germans of all social categories, which Sander categorizes into 7 groups (peasants, artists, women,...).
His style is neutral, objective and informative; the faces are unspoken, and the characters wear the tunic of their function or social rank. Auguste Sander does not seek to probe the soul of his subjects, his approach is serial and superficial. (See illustrations)
3. Lisette Model (1901-1983): Her style is radically different from that of Sander. Model caricature her subjects, she details the appearances, the faces, the curves of the bodies.
His photography is clearly expressionist. (See illustrations)
4. Anders Petersen (1944), Lehmitz Coffee Series: He is a notable pupil of Lisette Model, both using harsh lights to underline the expressionism of their subjects.
The integral attitude of the subject is fundamental in their portraits; the model should not pose for the photographer, but be himself. (See illustrations)
5. Richard Avedon (1923), series "In the American West": For his series "In the American West", he travelled through the USA and photographed the Americans of the low society (workers, vagrants, servers, miners,...). For each of his images he used a white background, set outdoors
Richard Avedon chose this united background to remove the subjects from their usual contexts. He also did not give any indication of investment or expression to adopt his models, he let them evolve freely within the framework.
The result of his methods is at the antipodes of his original profession, that of fashion photographer. In this series nothing is done to embellish the model, he's alone with himself, seems uncomfortable, he hasn't been directed, he hasn't been dressed or made up... The subject tells us who he really is. (See illustrations)
6. Philip-Lorca diCorcia (1951): He practiced an image called "documentary-fiction", two contradictory terms. Practically, the situations he photographs seem to be taken on the spot, but in reality everything is staged (subject, extras, scenery).
His portraits are characterized by "clairs-obscurs" lighting, and subjects with a melancholic and hagard look.
Many of his images only take advantage of the lights already present at the shooting location (a spotlight, car headlights, interior lights,...) (See illustrations)
7. Alec Soth (1969): American photographer of the Magnum agency. His portraits are marked by gentleness and honesty.
Alec Soth gives his subjects time to get used to his objective, and allows them to relax, the result is a more frank and relaxed expression.
In these images, the light contrasts are soft, and the colour ranges are pastel, resulting in a very soft tone.
He also systematically has the subject at the center of the image, in order to give it all the importance in the frame. (See illustrations)
4. The diptych or triptych (optional)
Starting from the idea, a little simplistic, that the portrait is the description of a character, approach the notion of - relating images - as a more complete descriptive form.
With the support of sample images, you will demonstrate that it is possible to describe the model in two or three images.
The interest of this combination of images can be purely informative, pictorial, of these two natures, or chronological.
Illustration n°1: example of an informative diptych
Illustration n°2: example of a pictorial diptych
Illustration n°3: example of a chronological diptych (before-after combat)
Discuss - When outdoors, invite participants to create a description of the model in two or three images using a relationship between informative, pictorial or chronological images.
5. Outdoor: learning and practical exercises
This first practical part, and outside, is dedicated to the teaching of certain techniques, and tips for making successful portraits. The model's leadership exercise will also be worked on.
During this first practical phase, participants will be invited to use their peers or the trainer as role models for their portraits.
It is imperative to address these technical points:
- The depth of field, which must be minimal if the will is to emphasize the subject. So advocate for broad aperture, and a closer position from the subject.
- The shutter speed should be sufficient to freeze the subject's face; to avoid blurring. A speed of 1/30th of a second is a minimum, for a person who does not move or very little.
- The focal length used should not be distorting. At too short a focal length (and close to the subject), distortion turns out to be a real problem for faces. Recommend a focal length of at least 35mm for APS-C sensors and 50mm for 24X36 sensors.
- Focus must be on the subject's eye. The gaze being the main diffuser of emotion, it must be legible. For a precise and unsurprising focus, recommend using the AF One Shot (AF-S) mode, combined with a single focus frame.
- Light metering must be done on the subject, in order to expose the face correctly. Recommend the use of center-weighted metering, that mostly takes into account the focus point to calculate the light, but also a little of the rest of the frame. The central weighted measurement will be more suitable than the Spot measurement, in the situation of a strong contrast between subject and environment.
Address these aesthetic points:
- Light should be used to highlight or beautify the subject. In this sense, a light reflected on the subject can be used (thanks to a reflector, or another reflecting surface such as a white wall).
A source of filtered light may be of the most beautiful effect (sun through branches, a window,...)
A "chiaroscuro" atmosphere can be created to dramatize the scene. It will be necessary to find a situation where the subject is strongly illuminated compared to its much darker environment (candlelight in a church, ray of light in a dark room, ray of light in a glade,...).
- Distinguish between two placements of the subject in your frame: The position at one-third of the image, which will give less importance to the character and create an image based on composition aesthetics.
The central position of the subject, which will give a prominent importance to the subject; it will be a simple composition, but at the service of the portrait.
- Distinguish between the different shots: tight shot, chest shot, American shot, Italian shot, and medium shot. Each of these shots will involve more or less working with the body gestures.
- The importance of the background and decor, which should not interfere with the readability of the portrait. Generally speaking, the eye should not focus on anything other than the human subject. To do this, a plain, neutral textured background will help distinguish the subject. The low luminosity of the background will highlight the model.
A shallow depth of field will blur elements that may distract attention.
Give your methods, and tips for leading the model. Like, for example:
- First of all, the basic information should be given to the model; position it in the desired decor and in the right lighting.
- Then, make your test images (light, depth of field, focal length, composition,...) by asking the model to adopt a different position for each image, or to move. In this way, the warm-up will also be that of the subject who will avoid stiffening and feeling just observed; on the contrary, he will feel like an actor in the photo session.
- Then comes the time of the session. Any unprofessional model will tend to inhibit itself from the beginning, and will acquire a "facade", a kind of fixed attitude that it is used to take in front of an objective. The challenge will be to cut down this facade in order to recover the natural environment. To do this:
* The model should be energized by asking it to adopt a series of very specific positions. In this way, the model will focus on its role and forget about its objective, and on your side you will find the most interesting postures.
* Indicate the point to be fixed by his gaze. Ask to look slightly above the lens, will give a more detached, deeper attitude to the "face-camera" look. A look inclined to the side will bring melancholy.
* Don't stick your eyes to the viewfinder, make sure you maintain a simpler and more humane relationship, in this way the model will relax. Discuss, ask if he has ever been photographed in this way, what he does in life, how uncomfortable you are also with yourself in front of a lens,...
* Another technique is to ask the model to perform certain mental gestures or operations that require concentration. Ask him to redo his hair, squat down and then get up, take off his sweater, put a mental calculus on him, or ask him what he was doing on Thursday at 6:30 p. m.,...
Each one of these things will lead the subject to concentrate, and thus to forget the instant that he is being photographed. The natural will reappear.
Also, the expression that we take during a phase of concentration, usually gives us a very photogenic air.
* Turn the feeling of discomfort to your advantage: Don't say anything and stare intensely at the model... The latter will find himself disconcerted, and will end up reacting to this absurdity by laughing.
In this way the tension is brought to its climax, and then transformed into complete relaxation.
* Ask the model to close his/her eyes. When these eyes are closed, move slightly. then ask him to open his eyes, and trigger.
In this way, you will capture the subject in a brief moment of perdition.
This technique also makes it possible to create the game with the subject, and to relax the atmosphere.
* Make the model physically exhausted; ask it to jump several times in a row, and as high as possible. At the end of this exercise, the subject will concentrate on his or her physical state, and will try to recover first of all. In this way, his attention will turn away from the objective, the natural will reappear.
* An infallible technique to make a model laugh is to ask him or her bluntly to laugh. Often the first attempt will sound very false, which will lead the subject to laugh at himself (for real this time).
Examples of exercises:
Exercise 1
For each point (mentioned above) that you explain, you will play the role of the model and arrange the students around you so that they can take pictures of you and apply the techniques and tips given:
- Minimum DoF, focusing, light measurement, focal length, speed.
- Lighting, placement of the subject, plan, choice of decor.
- Model direction.
Exercise 2
Form pairs, and on some of the instructions, ask them to make a portrait of the other member of the pair.
1. They will have to find the shooting environment, and make their technical settings (DoF, light metering, focal length, speed,...). Comment, and if necessary correct their choices.
2. They will have to make a series of test images, and try out different compositions, subject placement and shots. Comment, and if necessary correct their choices.
3. Each participant is free to conduct his or her session using the model leadership methods given earlier. Comment, and correct their images if necessary.
6. Outdoors: photographs of strangers (optional)
Ask participants to create a portrait of an unknown person, with the consent of the stranger.
The difficulty of this exercise lies in the rapid execution of the portrait; the student must be technically prepared, have an idea of the image he wants to obtain, and finally guide his subject effectively.
If necessary, you will not hesitate to assist the frightened student with the exercise. You will accompany him and make contact with the stranger.
The student will be able to repeat this exercise several times, in order to put into practice the various tricks seen earlier (technical, aesthetic, direction of the model).
7. Review of the images
- You will select a series of images "counter-example" and return to the chess factors (techniques, composition, direction of the model)
- You will select a series of successful images and detail the reasons for success (technical, compositional, model direction)
- Depending on the time remaining, you will create a diptych or triptych (see chapter 4). Participants will be able to appreciate the descriptive force of this kind of formatting.
- For each participant, try to highlight their qualities (in encouragement) but also their weaknesses so that they have something to work on.