Emotional Portraiture

History

As well as in art form, portraiture has been admired in the photographic sense for many years. With the limitations of early black and white film, the ability to capture emotion was compromised as subjects needed to keep still for long periods of time in order to create a good photo. This is evident in the example of the Victorian carte de visite photographs. Also, these photographs were not able to capture emotion due to the cameras not being technically fast enough to capture a natural expression.

Carte de Visite by Murray and Campbell 1875

However, over time, technological developments in film sensitivity enabled images to be captured at a faster speed, allowing photographers to capture subjects in a less formal way, which communicated their feelings more effectively. An example included the work of Dorothea Lange whose iconic photograph of the Migrant Mother, evokes real sadness from viewers, as we sympathise with the children holding on to the woman, as well as the worried look on her face, which is shown below. This photo was taken in 1936 during the Great Depression of America; therefore it expresses the fear and worry of the hungry woman. However, this photo also expresses the trauma that those in camps had to experience.

Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange in 1936

Portraits have been a central part of the history of art, for instance, one of the most famous portrait painting of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da’Vinci has been admired and celebrated since it was created in the 16th century. As well as in art form, portraiture has been admired in the photographic sense for many years.

The Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry in 1984

One of the well-known portrait photographers is Steve McCurry, who is most famous for his portrait of the “Afghan Girl”. This image of the “Afghan Girl” was published on the front cover of the June 1985 National Geographic. This photograph by Steve McCurry is particularly interesting because the girl is making direct eye contact with the viewer with her bright green eyes, which also matches the green of the background. Whilst reviewing the lifestyle of refugees, McCurry came across a tent that served as a girl’s school, and met the ‘Afghan Girl’. From this image, McCurry was able to capture the fear and strength of the refugees living in this camp, just from this one portrait of this girl from the tent. This direct gaze provokes emotion from the viewers as it is like the girl is asking for help and to be rescued. In this photo, we can assume that the girl is quite scared due to the expression of her face; we are not sure why this is the case but this could be due to religious or cultural factors, as the girl was a refugee of the Afghan war. Even though McCurry has stated that he did not have any intention for this photograph to be any different, or any more popular than the other shots he captured the same day, it had a huge impact globally. Due to the depth of field, we can see that the background of the tent is blurred, so that the girl’s face is the main focal point.

However, Martin Parr also uses a different style of portraiture within his work as well. In the images below, we can see two different styles of photography. In the first image, it is clear that the main focus is meant to be on the female near the front, with the red headdress on. This is because the rest of the image is blurred. However, we can still see the other characters within the shot, but nobody is as noticeable as the woman at the front. Like most of Parr’s work, it creates the feeling of a candid shot, as none of the people in the photo are looking directly into the camera, even the woman in focus isn’t looking. I like this image because it is candid and ordinary. Yet because nobody is looking directly at the camera, it is interesting. There are some similarities between Parr’s informal photographic approach and Henri Cartier-Bresson, because they both take photos of strangers in the street that do not know they are having their picture taken. The viewer might be led to question what is

happening outside of the frame that they are looking at. I also like Parr’s use of over-saturated colour, which he is also known for.

The other image below is actually an image of an image being taken. This photo is from a series Parr started in 2015, whereby he captures multiple shots of people using a Selfie Stick. Therefore, in this image we can see a couple taking a ‘Selfie’ which is a modern term for self-portrait, in Rome. The couple in this particular image are pulling faces in front of a river, capturing themselves and the tourist attraction of Rome within the shot.

By capturing this moment, Parr has also captured the modern lifestyle of what picture-taking is like today, even though the main purpose is still the same, to record the evidence that they were there. Most people now use their phones and cameras are less likely to be used. Although the Selfie Stick is a new invention, it will be used for many years to come in order to take photos of moments and memories. By including it in the frame the viewer is reminded of the manufactured nature of photography and the way it is constructed.

These photos are completely different to the work of Steve McCurry, as he focuses on a much more emotional appeal, and this is important when depicting the horrors of war in the news and media, because it will help people to understand the severity and tragedies of such events. Whereas Parr is known for capturing portraits within public places, and of multiple people in a natural state, and most of his work is humorous. Parr’s style of photography catches a person unguarded, which allows his photographs to reveal social and cultural aspects about people which cannot always be seen, and this is a form of documentation.

In the last year, I have developed different skills within taking portraits, and have experimented with different styles as well as different photographer influences to develop different images. For example, much like Steve McCurry’s work, I have captured staged and well positioned photographs within a studio:

In these portraits, I have demonstrated different lighting techniques which each depict a certain mood. For instance, in the first image, I used the colour red, and asked my subject to look and act moody, so that I could express the feeling of sadness and anger within my image. Similarly, in the second image, I asked my model to look down at the floor, and adjusted the lighting so it was darker on one side, creating a shadow, so that I could also reflect a sad and depressing emotion, whereas, the third image is more of a fashionable style of Portraiture. This is because the model is looking at the camera, smiling slightly. This is a more usual use of portraiture, as it is ideal for the subject to look happy and attractive. For instance, fashion photographers focus on the way the subject looks and how they should be portrayed, which is usually happy, vibrant and confident. However, in other instances, not all fashion photography is ‘perfect’, such as heroin chic, which was popular in the mid-1990s.

This is an example of a heroin chic image by Imogen Morris Clarke. This type of fashion photography captured dark and disturbing images of women smoking, looking ill or distressed. Despite being fashion photography, this shows that there are many directions to take when shooting portraiture.

Whereas in other shoots, I have used a different style of portraiture, for instance, in a recent shoot I wanted to express thoughts and feelings of the subject of Mental Illness. This has also been expressed in paintings such as The Scream by Edvard Munch 1893:

This painting is very much like the Mental Illness shots that I have produced, as it provokes a disturbing and unsettling feeling.

Edvard Munch has painted a man standing on a pier, hands over his ears and screaming. Behind the man, are the sea and the sun, which is usually associated with relaxation and beauty. However, because of the man screaming, and the way it is painted, there is a most disturbing feeling to the image.

Much like Edvard Munch, I have tried to create photographs that resonate with viewers, and make them feel something, whether it be happiness or disturbance. I like to create questions within my work as well as producing art that people can relate too.

In these images, the concept was to express the feelings of Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness and Frustration. For instance, in the first image, I used multiple photographs of myself, and overlapped them to create one final photo. This is a photographic technique, as it sees what the eye cannot see, so this is a strength of photography as it can be used to portray ideas in a way that cannot be seen. The idea of this was to show multiple personalities within one body, as well as multiple feelings of

frustration. In each of the images which I have overlapped, I am literally pulling my face in different directions. This is to reflect the feeling of pulling yourself apart. For example, when somebody is unhappy with their image they begin to pick apart every negative aspect of themselves that they dislike. Within these there is a general unease, a feeling that something is not quite right. This is due to the many faces that are in the images, as there are more than there should be. This could be seen as a visual metaphor, that there might be more than one side to a mentally ill person, or indeed mental illness itself. These images are blurred and fuzzy in overall appearance, as it is not a clear cut or sharp. The subjects in the images are blurred, as the feelings are blurred. Therefore, there are not any clear cut meanings given to the viewer, they continue to be confused, as this may cause the viewer to feel slightly uncomfortable with that, as there is no easy resolution. Most people feel this way because of the media, and how celebrities are presented through photographs in magazines and in adverts on TV, overly-Photoshopped and unrealistic. Therefore, as media is becoming increasingly more popular, particularly social media, this has created a generation of young people who are unhappy about their bodies and the way they look.

This series of images I have created portrays those sort of feelings, and exaggerates the affect that the media can have on young people, which will resonate with those looking at them, and thus, making them difficult to look at, horrifying or misunderstood. The second image is demonstrating the frustration which comes from having a mental illness, which potentially has two meanings. The first being internal frustration, as sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to express how you feel inside, to somebody else who may not understand, or it could be due to the frustration of the stereotypical views against mental illness that are still around today.

There is still as much stigma for other illnesses, and homelessness in society today as well. For example, Gillian Wearing captured multiple images of strangers in the street, whereby she had asked them previously to write down something that was on their mind at that moment, on a piece of paper. One of these photographs featured a homeless man, and his message was “I signed on and they would not give me nothing”. This photo highlights the major discrimination issues that are in society today.

Society still has not fully accepted mental illness, as an illness, and this photo could be seen as an example of the type of anger this view causes to those that suffer. The third and final images were titled in a shoot ‘Drowning’, which is explicitly shown as the model in the image has water dripping from her face. However, this concept was to signify the drowning feeling unhappiness brings to somebody. For instance, when somebody is suffering from a mental illness or general sadness, it can feel draining, exhausting and can weigh that person down. Thus, these images show the ‘drowning’ ‘drained’ feeling that comes with this. These

portraits are very controversial, whereas Steve McCurry’s work and my work above is commercial and documentary.

Another use of portraiture is used within street photography, like Martin Parr I have also shot portraits of people in public and busy places.

This image alone, expresses the freedom and happiness that comes with being on holiday. As well as this, it provokes humour as the little boy in the shot, is sticking his tongue out at the camera.

This shot was taken with street photography in mind, as photographs in this particular style are less formal, therefore more natural. However, in some images the subject sometimes gets the chance to react almost instinctively to the camera, but still has less of a chance for adjusting their image and how they present themselves. Thus, images such as this include fewer smiles than in holiday snaps because the subjects in them are not trying to convince everyone that they are having a good time, including themselves.

Moreover, other portraits can be very surrealistic and editorial. These images below, I shot using Multiple Flash.

The concept of these images was to create separate or multiple identities. In the first image, as the model has moved, it almost looks as though she is wearing a mask. This could potentially be hiding her true identity. Whereas in the second photograph, I asked my model to smile and look directly into the camera, and after the first flash, then look away down at the floor looking really unhappy. The message behind this is that although somebody may seem happy and emotionally stable on the outside, they may not be the same way on the inside, and instead could be feeling incredibly sad. Again, photography as such can be used to express ideas, thoughts and show images that the eye cannot see simply because of the nature of photographic vision.

Conclusion

Ultimately, there are numerous ways of shooting portraiture, and most of these styles will overlap with each other to create such images. Overall, portraiture is mostly used to inform the viewer about the subject in that image, they are meant to express that subjects’ identity. Whether that is through a candid shot, or a more natural street photography style or studio shot. Portraiture is extremely personal, and by using it in many different ways, photographers can explore different techniques which allow each subject to be portrayed in a unique way, which will subsequently show their individual identity as well. Finally, I believe that I have effectively created portraits that provoke emotional responses, as the images are shocking.

Bibliography

1. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/migrantmother.htm 2. https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/12033123974031588/ 3. https://www.pinterest.com/makeupnerdjess/victorian-women/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scream 5. http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photographers/afghan-girl-

cover.html