Likeness... portrayal... silhouette... spitting image... mirror... impression... reflection... these are just some of the words listed in the thesaurus as synonyms for the word portrait.
Used to be that when I heard the word portrait used in the context of photography, I automatically thought of an awkward middle school student head shot or something similarly painful.
I didn't realize that the "Humble Beginnings" photos I was taking left right and center (and sometimes way off center) as an eager beginning upstart camera-operator were also portraits in many ways.
I've learned a little bit about portraits since then.
Mostly I've learned about people since then.
People-watching, through the lens of a camera or through the lens of my own eye or through the lens of empathy, is a sure-fire way to learn more about capturing portraits of people (or animals - can't forget my "tunnel vision" photography over the years!) in their poignant moments, in their defining moments, in their every-day moments.
Now I'm not saying at all that I have learned how to take great portrait photos! Actually this blog post came about because I know I need to work on my portrait photography skills. I have taken photos of people in the past - photos that have some great strengths, but also some tremendous shortcomings such as lighting or composition or inability to find the right settings or even know what settings are available to bring out the best in the portrait, whether it's posed or candid.
From the very first photos I took as a child (see to the left), most of them were portraits of some sort - of my family, of my pets, of other people's pets, of the horse down the road...
I did not realize when I posed my dog on the fireplace and snapped a pic that I was practicing my portraiture skills. I had no idea when I caught my dad snoozing in the recliner or my grandmother relaxing in a chair that I had been participating in portrait photography.
I guess it wasn't until I had my own Canon AE-1 SLR film camera as a young adult that I really began to consider portrait photography, and that was mostly out of desperation and need. My AE-1 was my first camera with a timer, and I was working with an organization that required a portrait photo of some sort to put on a newsletter header. I did not have the money for a formal portrait sitting, and I did not have time to find someone to snap a photo of me.
So I grabbed a stepladder, a chair from the dining room, and my camera and went outside. I set up the ladder as a tripod and somehow balanced my AE-1 on it. I put the chair in front of the evergreen hedge, which I thought would be a good backdrop, tried to set up a shot in the viewfinder of my camera - hoping my guesswork would not cut off my head or half my face - set the timer to 10 seconds, ran back to the chair (tried not to trip, overshoot the chair and fall out!), tried to look natural rather than posed , and.... SMILED.
Since this was before digital cameras (and eons before camera phones and "selfies"), I had no idea if any of the dozen photos I took of myself would actually turn out. When I picked up the developed film, I was pleasantly surprised that two or three of the dozen photos were halfway decent and one was actually quite good and even almost natural-looking. The composition was right on - no limbs missing, top of my head intact. My face was in focus, rather than the evergreen branches behind me. The lighting was just right, with no weird shadows streaking across my face. I was very pleased (as was the organization that was waiting for this photo).
And I had found a new and fun toy for my photography tool belt - the camera timer and the self-portrait!
After this, there was no stopping me! Everywhere I went, I found a way to prop my camera up on some fairly stable yet precariously-leaning object and pose for a self-portrait. The photo above (also from my "Story Behind the Photo - Perth" blog post) was one of the many self-portraits I took during my years in Australia.
Here's another... sunset over the Indian Ocean at the beach four blocks from my apartment -
and another...sunset over the Indian Ocean at Fremantle Harbour...
And another... This one (with the flowers) was taken in Melbourne, Australia in the front yard of my rented house. I use this photo as my profile pic for my Gardens Calling gardening blog.
In each of these samples of my "self-portrait craze" over the years, I see flaws and much room for improvement on the technical side, the photography side.
But, as one who hates to have my photo taken, I am cautiously pleased with how I am portrayed in each photo. Unlike other "forced" photos of me that make me cringe every time I see them (school portraits come to mind), when I look at these I see a person looking at ease and enjoying herself in her surroundings. And that's how I felt about each of these surroundings. I can look at these self-portraits and know that I was successful in capturing a glimpse of who this person is in her life and world.
Now, when it comes to portraits of other people, that's when I am not so sure. I love to capture people in moments that show a deeper part of the person I see, the moments that open a little bit of the soul to the world, yet so much mystery and unknown remains.
The fun moments. The introspective moments. The melancholy moments. The sweet moments. The active moments. The quiet moments.
A friend, Dani, during a road trip in Australia.
Looking back, I wish I had moved the camera just enough to not get so much light reflection in her glasses.
A candid shot of a sister holding her little brother during an event in southern Mexico.
I have always been drawn by this portrait of a young woman. I chose black and white for this photo because the colors of her clothing and the bright green of the wrapper she's holding in her hand were distracting from the precious faces of her and her brother.
The photo below is of my friend Mon on a road trip through the Yarra Valley in Australia. Her ability to "commune with the cows" caught me pleasantly off-guard because I had only ever known her in urban settings before this.
Destiny, a teenage girl, poses with two children in southern Mexico. They were all three content to sit together and talk, even though they did not speak the same language.
Another candid portrait from my trip to southern Mexico.
This brother and sister spent much time together laughing and playing.
While I do like this one in black and white, I prefer color because the blue background, the light sand-colored soil and the muted orange of the wheelbarrow all serve to frame the two laughing children.
They were "helping" us mix and pour cement.
Ah yes...what would a photography blog post by me be without mentioning animals - or better yet, including a photo of an animal.
I definitely consider animals to be legitimate portrait subjects (although I'm sure some people would disagree with me on this point)!
This is Asha, the German Shepherd who lives with one of my brothers. This was a candid portrait, and the look on her face really does give a glimpse into her personality.
This is also a great photo in black and white (can you tell yet that I have a passion for black/white photography?). The decision to keep it in color comes from the bright pop of color that serves to frame her cute but ever-watchful face.
And now, since I have started to include animals in this blog post, and I might not be able to quit including animals if I don't sign off now -
I guess I'll sign off now!
I am attending a meeting of female photographers in central Oklahoma this week, and the topic will be a Children's Lifestyle Photo Shoot. I'm looking forward to learning and practicing some pointers on portraits specifically dealing with children. I'll let you know how it goes!
Til then...
Think Happy Shots!