Our first assignment was to post portraits that we think are successful:
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| Afghan Girl with Green Eyes - © Steve McCurry |
This image was shot in a photo-journalistic context; there is a feeling of a candid moment, but greatly magnified by the subject's gaze - she is looking directly at the photographer/viewer with a startling intensity. There are details of worn clothing, and dull background that hint at who this person might be, but the piercing, green eyes are an incredibly captivating element of this image.
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| Miles Davis - Album Cover "Tutu" - © Irving Penn |
Miles Davis was sometimes referred to as "The Prince of Darkness," and this portrait makes tremendous use of the element of "darkness." The deep chiaroscuro and tight composition are very dramatic, Davis's face is paradoxically calm and strangely intense, even in repose.
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| The Koralja Triplets - © Michael Yamashita |
The image of identical triplet police officers invites viewers to compare the similarities and differences in such "identical" subjects, and how they form a common subject together. The photo is staged, but conveys a sense of sincerity and honesty.
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| Rue Mouffetard - © Henri Cartier-Bresson |
This photo is a spectacular example of candid street-photography. In a moment, the photo seems to clearly communicate the subjects happiness and self-pleasure, while inviting the viewer to be interested in the scene and context. The subject seems totally unselfconscious.
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The Walk to Paradise Garden - © W. Eugene Smith
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The subjects are beautifully framed but the foliage and light around them; the image evokes a fanciful, storybook feel.
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| Country Doctor - © W. Eugene Smith |
This photo presents descriptive facial expressions, but a tremendous amount of visual context as well. The subject's dress, and the background seem to strongly root the image in time and place.
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John Fitzgerald Kennedy - © Aaron Shikler
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Though not a photograph, this portrait succeeds not only in a physical likeness, but seems to make a statement about the President's countenance and the weight of his position.
My apologies if the titles of some of the portraits are incorrect.
I love that first portrait of the Afghan girl. That photographer, and that portrait, were featured in a documentary about the National Geographic photographers which was great! I highly recommend it, if you haven't seen it already!
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