Читать книгу The Art Within Portrait Photography: A Master Photographer's Revealing and Enlightening Look at Portraiture - Klaus Bohn - Страница 14

Portrait of a Selfless Act

When this young woman came into my studio I immediately noticed her very short hair. She told me that she shaved her head to raise funds for the Cops for Cancer charity. Before her hair grew in any more she wanted a photograph for her wall at home. She didn’t want just a record keeping photograph but rather an image that had power. To this end she brought in some books with examples that we might explore in the photographic session.

She exudes strength, determination and power. The hand up to her face was more her idea than mine while the brown tone photo was more my idea. Exploring the image where only one hand is up, the composition is strong, framing her face, with the shoulder and arm like a triangle and her shoulder wraps around to produce a soft curve. Without a full head of hair it gives a fleshly feeling. There is nothing to hide behind, a sense of vulnerability and yet her strength lies within, in the body, in the flesh so to speak. Our true strength reveals itself in how we overcome a great deal of adversity! This image portrays real human strength with her hand flat against her head so nothing can come between. Look at her eyes, how focused they are and her lips are an echo of her eyes. For me a true portrait can be determined if the eyes and lips are in unison. Her eyes and lips are saying the same thing, there is no confusion here.

One ear, one hand, note everything is not visible in the black and white image, only what we wanted the viewer to see. The black background camouflages and makes it appear as though she is floating in space, darkness all around and yet the life within is so real and has great potential. There is a hidden expression, a feeling, as she looks right at you and beyond. Her head is straight up and down and her body is on an angle suggesting movement and life. What a privilege it was to photograph this wonderful woman. When working with a client I don’t pose them in the traditional manner because for me there is a flow, a rhythm like music that we see with our eyes keeping the flow continuous from one image to the next.

The brown tone image is softer, more playful and fun. Look at the hands, the shape of them lightly touching with gentleness and her expression has softened as well. See the angles her arms make with her body. This image seems freer to me somehow and the brown tone makes it warmer, while the little twist of her hand by her face opens up and gives an invitation to the viewer.