Portrait Inquiry

We talked the other day about things to consider when creating a portrait photograph. Our list is below:

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Lighting
Expression
Background (location)
Body Posture
Focal point (usually the eyes)
Also colour/vibrance (unless it's black and white, in which case it might be about contrast)


INSTRUCTIONS FOR TODAY

1. PINTEREST BOARD Search for 20-25 portraits that really speak to you and post them on your Pinterest account. Make a board called Portrait Photography. Images can be anything from close-ups with studio lighting, environmental portraits with available light on location.

2. ANALYSIS ON BLOG Choose your favourite portrait (the one that speaks to you the most) to post on your blog and analyze based on the following questions:

Lighting: 
Direction (where is the light coming from and how can you tell?)
Quality (is it direct light with harsh shadows, indirect light with soft shadows like open shade or window light)
Artificial (studio flash) or Available (outdoor or indoor daylight) or other
Lighting pattern used and broad vs short or facing the camera

Expression:
What is the expression on the subject's face and what does this say to the viewer?

Background:
Studio or on location
What is the relationship between the subject and background? 
What does this relationship say about the subject, if anything?

Pose and posture:
Formal vs natural - how can you tell?
Close-up of face, medium shot, full body
How is the subject positioned in relationship to their environment and the camera and what does this say about the subject? Or the photographer?

Eyes and direction of gaze:
Are their eyes looking directly into the lens or away. What does this say about the subject?

Colour and Contrast:
Is this significant? Is colour a big part of the image?
What is the relationship between the shadows and highlights? High contrast, or low contrast?

What do you like about this photo?
Finally, conclude your analysis by discussing why you were drawn to this particular photo. What is it about the photo that speaks to you? Perhaps it's something beyond the analysis above. Sometimes there's a feeling you get, or a memory is sparked from looking at a photograph. Discuss.

Due by the end of class.