KS4 Project: FACE VALUE
The Genre of PortraiturePhotography has many genres, some of which are borrowed from painting (e.g. still life, portraiture, landscape). Some are special to photography (e.g. photojournalism). Artists/photographers often play with our expectations about genre for creative purposes
What do we mean when we use the word genre? If we look at the Threshold Concepts for photography we will see that there are several different genres of photography. A genre is when photographs are placed into different categories. Portraiture is a genre that you can find in art and photography. This is one of the genres that was 'borrowed' or inherited from art, specifically painting. I think a good portrait empowers the subject, and is ultimately a collaboration between the subject and the photographer. |
What is a genre?
A genre can be described as a category, or type of photograph. It is a French word for branch, kind of species. Most of the genres used by photographers have already existed as genres which were formulated in painting, before photography was invented. Still life, landscape, portraiture. Generally a genre within photography creates an expectation for the meanings to come from that 'type' of photograph. Each genre creates an expectation for particular type of photograph, but this is not always the case as sometimes photographers interpret genres in their own way.
The elements of a portrait
Most portrait photographs are usually made up of four key elements:
- Face (including facial expressions, hair etc.)
- Pose or stance - manner and attitude
- Clothing -Social class, sex, cultural values or fashion
- Location - (or background) - social scene of the person in the photograph.
- Studio portraits
- Identification (passport photographs, driving licence etc.)
- Self portraits
- Family snapshots
- Police mugshots
Activity
Create a series of portraits, one for each of the categories above. Think about the photographs you may have seen, what are the elements of portraiture that you need to adhere to?
- The face: Will the sitter be smiling or have a serious, or angry or mean look? Think about the type of photograph that you are taking
- Does your subject need to look directly at the camera? Do the conventions or rules of the particular portrait that you are photographing require you or the sitter to look directly at the camera?
- How will the subject pose? Does the type or sub-genre of the photograph require a certain pose?
- What about their clothing? Do you want to depict the sitter in a particular way? Do you want them to look different from how they usually look? Will a change of clothing help you to do this? Will a change of clothing allow you or the sitter to be like another character?
- Will you use any props for your images? Will the props add anything to the images? Will they make the sitter, or yourself appear differently to how you usually look?
- What will be in the background? Will you photograph your portraits against a blank wall or against a coloured background?
- How will you frame the image? Will you include the head and shoulders or just the face? Will it be a close-up, or will you photograph from distance?
The first known photographic self-portraits
Compare and Contrast
- Add these photographs to your website.
- What are the similarities and differences between these two photographs?
- How do these images differ from the photographs that we see today in terms of the colour, tone and style?
- What can you say about the way in which they are composed? Look at the position of the face, torso or body within the frame?
- Do a little research into the process used for these images.
- What do you notice about the background within each image?
- Why do you think that the photograph of Robert Cornelius is just a photograph of his head and shoulders?
- Why do you think that the Hippolyte Bayard photograph is laying down? Why are his eyes closed?
- How would you describe the social status of the men in these photographs? ? Give reasons for your answers.
- These images are both self-portraits but they are presented in very different ways. Describe their posture, expression, gender and
- Which photograph do you prefer and why?
- If you could ask the photographer a question about their self portraits what would it be?
- Using the links highlighted in blue. Do some research about both photographers. What interesting facts can you discover about them? You could conduct your research with another student and compare your results.
The relationship between portraits in art and photography
Before photography was invented, people had their portraits painted, it was quite a large event having your portrait painted by an artist and this was something that was only available for the very wealthy. The invention of photography made it possible for more people to own a portrait, although initially it was still only for the very wealthy. Many photographers only had the reference of paintings, so many of the photographs looked like paintings. Here are a few examples. Tom Hunter is a contemporary photography who has also created photographs that are influenced by
Tom Hunter
Tom Hunter’s fictitious scenes are taken from the Old Masters’ tableaux paintings depicting epic scenes that portray exotic and mystical stories and people. Hunter uses this technique but his images are contemporary and based on real life events. He photographed these images in his neighbourhood of Hackney based on real life events, stories, fables and myths that people have told him. He transforms these ordinary stories into epic tableaux paintings, expressing how paintings were the photographs of the time. Hunter indicated that the exotic does not have to be something geographically distant, but rather a property that can be close to home.
The painting on the left was created by Johannes Vermeer during the years 1657-1659. The photographer Tom Hunter was influenced by this painting. They are both portraits.
- What are the similarities in each of the portraits?
- What are some of the differences?
- What aspects of the painting do you think Tom Hunter was attracted to?
- What are some of the visual elements that are in each of the images?
- What do you notice about the colour within each image?
This is another photograph from Tom Hunter. The painting on the left was created by Eugène Delacroix in 1827. The photographer Tom Hunter was influenced by this painting and he created Death of Coltelli 2010. They are both portraits.
- How would you describe the framing of the image on the right compared to the original painting. What has Tom Hunter focused on?
- Which words would you use to describe the painting? Which words would you use to describe the photograph?
- How would you describe this image as a portrait, using the elements of a portrait above?
- Describe the background and foreground in each of the images?
- What are the similarities in each of the portraits?
- What are some of the differences?
- Which aspects of the painting do you think Tom Hunter was attracted to?
- What are some of the visual elements that are in each of the images?
- What do you notice about the colour within each image?
Tyler Mitchell
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The images above are from Tyler Mitchell's exhibition 'Chrysallis' where he photographed people in various relaxed posed. The name of the exhibition is also the name of one of the images. The images are mostly from the imagination of the photographer and are quite painterly-they take inspiration from paintings. Tyler Mitchell make reference to paintings such as 'Narcissus' a painting by Caravaggio, the pose is different but the main characters dominates both the painting and the photograph with the reflection in the water. The colours within all of the photographic portraits are mostly earthy colours-browns and greens. Mitchell has deliberately worked with a particular colour palette within his photographic portraits. |
Tyler Mitchell research
Add a gallery of Tyler Mitchell's images to your website. Watch the interview with Tyler Mitchell and answer the following questions:
- What was Tyler Mitchell's inspiration for taking these images?
- Where were the images photographed?
- He said that the act of visualising and making these types of images, projecting that image for the world to see is an important act. What do you think the photographer means by this statement?
- He wants the normality of the lives of the people shown to exist in public places. He wants the images to have 'freedom'. What do you think he means by this statement?
- Tyler Mitchell also wishes to subvert the notion of hierarchy within art and photography.
- The images are autobiographical. He is telling his own narrative, a story from his childhood. Where and how does he do this with a single photographic image?
- His images are influenced by a trip to Cuba. How does he show this within his images?
- How is colour shown within his work? Why do you think that colour is important within his work?
- Why It is important that he works collaboratively with the person or people that he is photographing?
Activity
There are many other photographers who have recreated famous paintings with photography. Here are some brilliant examples. Most of the photographers have taken inspiration from the paintings, but they have recreated the portraits in their own way.
Peter Braithwaite
With this body of work, Peter centres Black figures whose stories have previously been marginalised or erased. These new images address social and political concerns, but also originate from his own identity as a performer. Through reimagining representations from the 11th century to the present day, he dares viewers to consider how people of colour have and should be seen and portrayed.
Visible Skin Exhibition 2021/22
These portraits are by the performer Peter Braithwaite who is an acclaimed baritone singer. He started these recreations of the black portrait within art. This was at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic where he responded to a challenge from the Getty museum to recreate well known artwork. He has continued as has exhibited widely. Note that some of the paintings that Peter Braithwate recreates are quite contemporary. He uses several household items that are to hand. Click on his name in the title to discover more of his recreations.
Suggested activity
Watch the video from Tyler Mitchell above on advice on how to tell your own stories through photographic portraiture. Make some notes as you watch the film and look at the paintings. View how both photographers have been inspired by the paintings. Note that the photographers have not just copied the work, they have used the paintings as reference, they may have taken inspiration from the composition, colour, framing, pose, action etc. They have then photographed their own photographic version.
- Choose one of the paintings above, or you may source an image.
- View the images carefully looking at all of the visual elements.
- In your pairs or small group recreate the images using the fabric and props provided.
- Pay close attention to the following:
- Composition
- lighting
- Background
- Foreground
- Face
- Pose
- clothing
- In your pair or group review the images that you have taken and choose the most successful one. You may need to edit this image by cropping, reframing or recolouring the image. You will need to agree in your pair or group and make any necessary changes.
- Evaluate your image. Write about how you found the task, the image that you chose and how you followed the advice of the photographer Tyler Mitchell.
- What went well with the image?
- What could you improve on?
- Independent learning: Find a painting from any era and recreate it by taking some of the elements of the painting-do not simply copy it. You may choose to photograph the image in school using the studio and the lighting.
Lighting Workshop
Portraiture in Photography-Breaking the conventions
People have portrayed one another for thousands of years as we discovered above. With the development of photography we have created a completely new language for capturing the human image. Portrait photography has come a long way since it's early days when people purposefully posed to have their portrait taken. Photography has now developed into a more complex and varied genre, there are now opportunities to photograph for a variety of different reasons. Photographers are now much more experimental. Photographers take portraits for a variety of different reasons such as: self-portraiture, fine art, identity, social justice, documentary photography, fashion, activism, story telling, even to communicate powerful ideas about the world. Below are some examples of the various groups
Self Portraits
People in general are often enjoy exploring their identity and photography is a great tool to do so. Self-portraiture is one of the most popular genres of photography in history and today. Do self portraits have to be in focus? Do self portraits have to have a true likeness of the photographer? Many photographers have chosen to depict self in a variety of interesting and innovative ways.
- Look through the images and choose 2 photographers whose photographs appeal to you.
- Research ( investigate and study various sources so that you can find facts and information about the artists-You could look at videos, articles from museums and galleries or read interviews)
- Add a list of at least 8-10 bullet points which you can add to later.
- Try to find out as much as possible about how and why they chose to photograph themselves?
- Part of your research could also be to experimental by taking your own images of people within your close network.
- Create a series of a minimum of 6 photographs inspired by your chosen photographer. Try to take inspiration from an element of their photographs, this could be photographing yourself in their style-editing techniques will be supported. You can also decide if you want to look at the camera, or perform in front of the camera. You can also make decisions on how you dress and if there are other people within your photograph, but you must be the dominant person.
Group Portraits
Is a portrait still a portrait when there is more than one person in the frame?
- Look through the images and choose a photographer.
- View a gallery of the work and choose 6 images to upload to your website. All the images should include more than one person.
- Research ( investigate and study various sources so that you can find facts and information about the artists-You could look at videos, articles from museums and galleries or read interviews)
- Add a list of at least 8-10 bullet points which you can add to later.
- Try to find out as much as possible about how and why they chose to photograph the people within their images?
- How would you describe the images in your own words. Are the images still portraits to you?
- If you could describe the images as a sub genre of photography, which genre would you categorise the images in?
- Create a series of a minimum of 6 photographs inspired by your chosen photographer. You could consider photographing your sitters in the act of a discussion, or playing a game or pretending to be engaged in an activity. Think carefully about how you compose the image, are your sitters engaged in an activity? Is there any movement within the activity? movement? Do the sitters have to be still and looking directly t the camera? You can also make decisions about your location and the background and foreground. Finally choose a colour palette for the set of images,
Alternative Portraits
“Just as the definition for photography is in transition today, the idea of what makes a good portrait is changing. There is no set rule to define portraiture anymore. It does not matter if the work is analog or digital, handmade or computer-generated. What is important is originality, mastery of one’s medium and being able to connect the viewer with the subject.”
Deborah Klochko Executive Director and Chief Curator, Museum of Photographic Arts LensCulture Portrait Awards 2019 Juror
The quote above quote reminds us that photography is ever changing and photographers are taking more creative risks. Many photographers are breaking away from the conventions or 'rules' of portraiture in photography. The selection of the photographs below is just a small selection of images from various photographers, some photographers could be placed in various categories such as documentary photography, fashion photography, editorial and art photography, some photographers would argue that there work can also be viewed in many genres. Some of the photographers, like Rhiannon Adam and Laura Pannack have experimented with various techniques and processes. Roger Ballan have incorporated drawings and props into his work, and Omar Victor Diop has created wonderful portraits by using some digital manipulation. There is no limit to how imaginative photographers can be in order to create innovative, creative portraits.
Straight portraits, emotional portraits, psychological portraits, humanising portraits, self-aggrandizing portraits, graphically-composed portraits, portraits of people pouting or looking ostensibly bored and inquisitive and enigmatic portraits have all been tried. What I find most effective are portraits that foreground simple compositions, uncontrived body language and minimal post-production. Sometimes bold angles and graphic lines, an unexpected body position, or a tiny, barely-detectable but telling and confusing detail will make the shot. But, above all, the portrait needs to elicit a reaction in me, be it joy, awe, unease or revulsion'.
Lucy Conticello
Task
- View the images on the above grid carefully and choose two photographers to research.
- Use the links on the image to find out more information about the photographer.
- Write at least 10 bullet points about their work to start with.
- Write up a plan, and create a drawing to describe how you want your portrait to look.
- Start to experiment in school with the portraits that you imagine taking.
- You may, or may not start to use your props of background, you might just like to experiment with your pose, or the colours, or the composition initially.
- You can use a partner, or you may like to experiment by taking a series of exciting, interesting self portraits which you may digitally manipulate later.
The 'whole' portrait
Hanna Lenz 'Else'
“Ninety-seven is an age to which you don’t congratulate. You shouldn’t become older than ninety at all!“ Else said, when photographer Hanna Lenz met her for the first time, a few days after her 97. Birthday.
“Today Else is 100 years old. She has been living in her two-room apartment in Aarhus, Denmark for 58 years now. Everything in this flat has its place and memories connected to it. And, to Else, everything in this 5th floor apartment tells a story. A little helping network makes it possible for Else to still live under her own roof and not having to move to a retirement home.
Nowadays Else spends most of her time sitting in her favourite chair by the window. She takes a lot of naps and in between follows her thoughts and memories. Not very long ago Else was reading book after book in this chair. But recently her eyes have become so bad that not even the huge magnifying glass, which she inherited from a departed neighbour, can make things better. Instead she now listens to the radio. It is on the highest volume all day long and keeps Else up to date with the world news or plays classical music for her.
Caroline Kurz Ignant
Julian Germain
“Published in 2005, For Every Minute You Are Angry You lose Sixty Seconds of Happiness by Julian Germain is a collection of 42 colour plates of a single subject, Charlie Snelling, an elderly gentleman living alone in a small house in Portsmouth. Germain first met Charlie by chance in 1992 and for the next eight years, until Charlie’s death in 2000, he visited him on a regular basis and, on some visits, just had tea but on others built up an intimate record of a man and his relationship with his environment. Charlie had lost Betty his wife some years earlier but he maintained a close link with her through his treasured collection of photographic memories. This is not a sad book, far from it, Charlie is alone but not lonely, he is surrounded by the things he loves, the photographs of his life with Betty, his colourfully decorated house and his small garden and greenhouse. Germain says that he just got on with life taking pleasure from these things.
Steve Middlehurst, 'Identity and Place'
Revisiting Every Minute now in the context of portraiture there are a few thoughts I can add. Germain himself offers the advice that photographers have no need to “to go hunting for dramatic subjects. If you deal with the ordinary and the everyday you have the opportunity to say something meaningful about our lives.” (2) Every Minute is a marvellous example of that idea; superficially Charlie Snelling was an unexceptional person, one of many widows or widowers living out their twilight years surrounded by memories of their soul mate. Germain describes him as a “simple, gentle man”, he was not lonely because he still had family in his life but lived alone surrounded by colour; the flowers he grew, his individualistic style of startlingly bright interior design, and the colour photographs of Betty, his late wife.
Steve Middlehurst, 'Identity and Place'
For discussion
These images are mini portraits containing many aspects of a persons life.
Could all the individual photographs still be considered as portraits? Give reasons for your answers.
Considering what we said at the beginning of the project about the elements of portraiture could we consider the photographs as portraits?
If we viewed all of the images together as a group of images, how could we describe the group of images?
Could all the individual photographs still be considered as portraits? Give reasons for your answers.
Considering what we said at the beginning of the project about the elements of portraiture could we consider the photographs as portraits?
If we viewed all of the images together as a group of images, how could we describe the group of images?
Compare and Contrast
Activity
The images above have been placed in diptychs so that we can see the photographs as short narratives, the photographs tell a short story about the sitters life.
- What are the similarities with the diptychs?
- What are the differences with the photographs?
- How might the still life photographs show particular identities, for example, can we see who the photograph is showing just by the group of objects?
- What does each still life remind you of?
- What do you like about each set of photographs?>
- What do you find difficult to view with these diptychs?
- What makes these diptychs go together? Which visual elements make the images easily form a diptych?
- If you were taking photographs like these, which still life objects come to mind which you could photograph?
- What are the visual elements that you would consider if you were creating a series of diptychs?
- Choose from the selection of images to create a set of still life objects.
Practical Activity
- Pair up with another student.
- Ask each other a set of 8 questions, for example:
- Hobbies
- Favourite football team
- Favourite colours
- Choose from the selection of still life objects to create a still life
- Photograph your still life against the backdrop
- Try to arrange your still life in an interesting way, put larger objects at the back, try to make the objects look natural.
- Now create a series of portraits in the studio of your partner or group.
- Use the lights as instructed to light your subject.
- Edit the photographs in terms of lighting, composition, framing and subject matter.
- Decide which photographs go well together. Think about visual elements, such as Light, colour, composition within each of the images.
- You can decide to use Photoshop to create your diptychs.
Suggested activities for an extended project.
- Where do you spend time with friends? The home of friends, a row of local shops, a particular architectural interest? This could be a block of flats, an estate, a set of shopkeepers perhaps? You could even start with the homes near your own, including your own home.
- You could start by photographing people that you have never had contact with before? An elderly neighbour?
- You could choose a backdrop from an area which you see everyday such as a wall covered with graffiti, a wall covered with hoardings which act as a reference point. This background could be used to capture friends or family.
- Could music be a starting point for your images? What kind of music do you listen to? Could your music influence the way in which you relate to the your subject? You could photograph your portraits whilst listening to music.
- You could also research a particular area using found images of an area and create a diptych of images by photographing a new portrait, showing the changes in the area. You could include portraits of old and new, you could add something from the archive with a young person or, you might decide to interview people who may have lived through the changes, what do they think of the changes? You could record conversations that you may have with these people. Your response might be a video-a moving image story of a group of people from an area?i
- Your images could be about a place in the community which is spoken abut but not actually visible within your photographs. For example you could interview someone about a building within the community that has some cultural significance. You could produce a set of images of portraits with quotes from the sitters.
- Alternatively you could take photographs of an area within your community and have a running narrative of a conversation between a young person discussing the community with an older person over a slideshow of images?
The family portrait
These photographs are amateur portraits, the kind of photographs that you will probably see if there is a family album at home We take photographs or our family members for a number of reasons, mostly of younger family members so that we can capture special moments as they grow. Or we may capture moments like these to keep as memories.
Trish Morrisey
My personal research has always been at the root of my work; it includes fields such as psychology, philosophy, biography, fiction and film. In the last 15 years, my work has played with the idea that photography is a language that can be translated and understood in different ways. I often play with the tropes of certain genres of photography and distort them to produce new meanings, and I sometimes use existing photographs as templates to make new work that transcends mere re-enactments. I try to embody real individuals who are more than just their snapshots.
Trish Morrissey, Lens Culture
Seven Years (2001-2004) aims to deconstruct the trope of family photography by meticulously mimicking it. In the series, the title of which refers to the age gap between the artist and her elder sister, Morrissey functions as director, author and actor, staging herself and her sibling in tightly controlled, fictional mis en scene based on the conventions of family snapshots. In order to construct images that appear to be authentic family photographs from the 1970s and 1980s, Morrissey uses period clothing and props, both her own and others, and the setting of her family's house in Dublin. They assume different characters and roles in each image, utilising body language to reveal the subtext of psychological tensions inherent in all family relations. The resulting photographs isolate telling moments in which the unconscious leaks out from behind the façade of the face and into the minute gestures of the body.
Trish Morrisey
Trish Morrisey
These photographs are amateur portraits, the kind of photographs that you will probably see if there is still a family album at home. We take photographs of our family members for a number of reasons, mostly so that we can capture special moments as we grow. Or we may capture moments like these to keep as memories. Describe your most memorable family portrait photograph. It could be one of your favourites from a family album or one that you remember seeing more recently. How would you describe the portrait as a list of 10 words. (You may use some of the words in your planner (Pg. 152)
Portrait recreation
Re-create the image of your own family portrait of yourself when you were younger. Pay close attention to the following:
- The facial expression.
- The posture.
- Head and shoulders, torso or full body?
- The background. Will you photograph inside, against a backdrop, outside in front of greenery, a brick wall or a window?
- The foreground
- Any other details that you can remember
Unconventional Portraits
Portraiture as social justice
'In the seemingly simple gesture of photographing Black subjects in everyday life, the artist helped to introduce Blackness in the context of fine art long before it was trendy, or even accepted'.
New York Times
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Interviews with portrait photographers
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- Watch the short films and embed one of them on your own website, explaining why you chose it. (Note: Remember to use the website Embed Responsively to create responsive embed code).
- What was it about the photographer's practice that you found interesting?
- How does your chosen photographer interact with their subjects?
- What are your initial thoughts on their photographs? What do you think about the locations that they are photographed in?
- How can you describe the composition of the person or people in the photographs?
- Are the photographs in black and white or colour? What can you add about the colour or the monochrome images?
- Choose 2 photographs from your chosen photographer and write about how the images compare and contrast.
- What similarities do you notice?
- What differences do you notice?
- What do you find familiar in the photograph? Are there any elements of the photograph that you have seen before?
- What do you find unusual or uncomfortable about the photographs?
- If yo could ask the photographer a question about the photographs, what would that be?