Portrait photography

-portrait photography developed from portrait painting, it was cheaper, quicker and easier.

-it came about in the mid 19th century

-the subject in portrait photography is a person/a group of people

-it is usually focussed on the facial features, but the whole of the body may also be in the shot

-it may display the expression/personality/mood of the subject.

MOOD BOARD

I collected these images, as they all entailed something weird and wonderful about them. I used them as a launchpad for ideas in this genre of photography. I liked a lot of them, as their eyes stood out. However, some also have distinct features which also stand out. 

SARA HAZELDINE

A portrait photographer from Nottingham, who also loves the city and countrysides.

I like Saras work, as she uses a low contrast in her images to make them look soft. This creates a nice feel the the photographs and almost enables you to make a connection with the subjects. This is also because, in each of the photos, the eyes really stand out, which brings out the emotion of the images.
Her work inspired me to want to capture feelings and emotions in a photograph. 

This is my favourite image of Saras, as it is in black and white and really makes the little girls features stand out. Your eye is first drawn to her eyes - The angle from which it is taken, makes them look big - and they are also dark in comparison with her skin tone, making them stand out. Being the subject, she is central in the image, and is the only thing in focus, as the background is blurred out.

JEFF WEINER 

A portrait photographer based in New York 

I like Jeff Weiners photography, as he uses imaginative ways to catch the viewers eye. His photos are very posed and some are quite random, which makes you question his intentions, and effectively gets you involved in the ideas of his photography. 

This is my favourite portrait picture of Jeffs.
I like how he has thought about what the man is wearing / the background, as his shirt is the same colour as the background, which makes it blend in. He is sat in a very posed position, which makes you wonder about him as a person, and what he does as an occupation etc. The white chair stands out, as it contrasts the colour of blue, but it almost looks as if it is fake. The embossed line around him helps you distinguish the colour of his shirt from the background, and makes him stand out more. Your eye is first drawn to the emotion in his face, which is a slight smirk, which makes the viewer feel slightly confused, as you are unsure of the purpose of the image, or what the story is behind it, which effectively engages you more. 

ORIGINAL EXPERIMENTAL SHOOT

In response to Sara Hazeldines photography -

I liked how she captured the true emotion of the subjects, and got up close to include every detail.

This is one of my favourite shots, as I feel it truly represents what Saras photos were about.
The colour, boldness and emotion of her eyes really draws you in. 

I used an umbrella to try and add 'pathetic fallacy' to the image. I felt that this could bring more emotion and a mood that the viewers could interpret and feel. 

On the images below, I used a slow shutter speed, and got the subject to move in a certain way to produce these images. I did this to try out different techniques, to see how they would appear, and to follow the theme of 'weird and wonderful', as it brings a creepy aspect to the photograph.

Photoshop experiment: 

What I learnt
From this process, I learnt about how portrait photography is based a lot upon the facial expression of the subject, as this shows their emotion, which the viewer interprets the meaning of the photo on.
I also learnt to use different angles to portray different emotions and characteristics of the image.