Final Statement

The Photographer II

 

It has come to my attention that photographers are rarely found on the opposite side of the camera; as the sitter for a project rather than for use as a document. As the media increases, we have developed a need for more information on those around us, including knowing the identity of someone.

With the initial idea from the series Behind Photographers by Tim Mantoani with other inspiration gained from the Sky1 Arts series Capture, I have aimed to capture the identity of amateur photographers, such as my peers. Photographs have been captured in sharp detail, particularly in the eyes; the key to seeing and the making of a photograph, while exploring who the photographer is within a single photograph. It can be noted that key influences have included the close up headshots of Thomas Ruff and Martin Schoeller. The start of the project began by looking at the use of using the photographers as the sitter with their camera as a literal nod towards their identity as a photographer, taking different approaches and understanding the limits of the Mamiya 67 Medium Format camera, to then overcome any obstacles such as the view finder on top. The idea expanded to the simple, single portrait of the photographer without any props, subsequently removing the distracting idea that the camera is the only thing that defines the photographer.

Only a fraction of the reality and personality can be achieved within a single image. With perseverance and experimentation of props and expressions expressed by the sitter, the ability to capture a raw portrait of a fellow photographer has been enabled. The dull, detached stare of the subject, in recognition of the camera, allows for the eyes to be a window to the soul; the start of seeing the true identity of the subject. A journey of the unknown has been undertaken for this final image. With limited possibilities of expressing the identity of a person, particularly in a direct portrait which defines the image in which they appear, revealing the character of the sitter becomes a challenge, working with the still image and no words. The portrait is one which forces the viewer to ‘read a book by its cover’, yet the ideas upon the identity become monotonous.

Final Reflection

This project has been a journey into defining what a portrait truly is while experimenting with the idea of putting the photographers in front of the camera and being seen rather than always being hidden behind the camera when the only times they are recognised is when they are with a piece of work as documented by Tim Mantoani, the initial kickstart to this project.

The photographs produced in this series have been varied while having to understand and work with a Mamiya Medium Format Camera, a new experience in terms of camera and developing methods. Getting used to the camera was the first step in this project to which the pros and cons needed to be figured out, such as the need to be careful with each photograph captured while needing to manually change the shutter speed and aperture when the light changed. With the view finder and focus at the top of the camera, the height at which the camera needed to be placed had to be reasonable and a challenge unless a stepladder, chair or other height changer that I could sit/kneel or stand on was available. This was a limiting factor on some shoots but can be used to the advantage of keeping the perspective similar when producing a series of images or keeping a similarity and open choice of expression.

As the project developed the backgrounds and sitters varied depending on the availability and willingness to be put in front of the camera. The final prints convey different personalities and openness towards being in front of the camera with the more confident in front of the camera having expressions that may not be sincere towards who they really are as a person and a photographer. Tutorials along the journey have enabled the approach towards this project to differ and be approached in new ways to capture the essence of the photographer/person held within the frame.

The final print that has been produced is one which can be defined as having taken a journey to produce while being ‘technically perfect’ (by my opinion) whilst being raw in the expression and feeling evoked. The feeling is one which is undefinable and intriguing causing a stop and explore of the image and character expressed to which explores the emphasis upon the identity of the sitter.

With more time and availability of amateur (peer) photographers, I feel that this image could be the start of many, with knowledge of how this image has been captured which can be translated into other shoots. The way in which some shoots had been approached did not convey the same effect as the final outcomes, possibly due to an uncertainty in what I wanted to gain from the shoot even though the final image was idealised earlier in the process, the method in which to produce this was not as efficient. On reflection, I feel that a successful journey has occurred to produce a final print that I am happy with and would happily name as my own.

Project Proposal

Within this project, under the overall title of Portraiture, I aim to engage with the idea of photographing an “amateur” photographer, taking a photographer of the photographer. This aims to take the idea of seeing who the photographer really is, looking into who they are and what matters most in terms of underlying character of the photographer in the portrait. The work shall be photographed primarily in the studio with a focus upon consistency in no background distractions, lighting and would eventually create a series of portraits of the photographers taking a photograph.

In the initial stages the work of Kevin Bacon and Tim Mantaoni were the starting point for this concept of photographing the photographer with Kevin Bacon capturing portraits of fans photographing him at the same time he captures one of them, also known as a ‘shoot back’, even in the crude manner of using an iPhone, while Mantaoni has created a series using a Large Format Camera of famous photographers across America holding a print of their most iconic/favourite photographs. Further research into celebrity portraits will show an insight into character building in a photograph while also inspiring new ways of looking at creating the classic portrait while creating something bold and encapsulating.

Don Cheadle
by Martin Schoeller

Herman Leonard By Tim Mantaoni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this production, I aim to focus upon a couple of studio shoots where I experiment with different sitters and backgrounds with experimentation on how the sitter is portrayed, and focusing on the printing of the results of these films for the first hand in. After the first hand in I aim to take into consideration the different aspects of the shoots created and seek to refine the better qualities using many different sitters as each sitter responds to the camera differently some creating a ‘better’ atmosphere. The printing of each roll will require additional time for correct colour while each will be analyzed for development in future shoots where some sitters may be repeated with new ideas in mind.