Introduction of Protraiture

A photograph is being considered as an portrait by the main focus, personality, and the mood.  From the subject focus, the picture can show an characteristic by following the basic rule of composition, which include using the technique of close-up and mid-shot to help to frame and organize the photo in the rule of thirds. Furthermore, the photograph may also show an characteristic with mood. Portraits are mainly focused on to convey with the emotions and feeling of the subject, which can help to create an connection between the audience and the photo. Overall, portrait is a distinct form of photography that focuses on capturing the essence of a person or group through a visual representation, what defines a photograph as a portrait were not only just facial expression; it also includes the context, emotions, and relationships that is conveyed through the image.

A self-portrait is “a portrait that an artist produces of themselves,” which present an interesting case of the portrait. Many people consider that selfies are an representation of the portraits since it often presents a personal context, which involve capturing the characters emotions and thoughts at a specific moment. However, the actual intention behind a selfie may be different from the traditional portraits, selfies may focus more on self-presentation, while portrait represents more through artistic representation.

While capturing a portrait, the different elements to include inside the image may greatly impact the outcome of the photo. A portrait often incorporates background settings, colors, and poses that enhance the subject’s story. The work of Richard Avedon illustrates the various elements inside portrait. The use of colors with high-contrast can remove distractions inside the images, which helps to focusing entirely on the expression and personality. By using the different element that was being mentioned, you can be able to capture a good portrait with an interesting composition that helps the subject to stand out and can show out the character’s features.

Furthermore,  portraits can generate connection with the audiences, by including small details in the portraits, it can evoke strong personal or emotional narratives. One of the small details that portrait can consist include close-up of a hand. A hand thats being include inside the portrait can convey a lot of information, which involve a person’s identity and emotions. Portraits can also be represented in a way of abstraction, images that involve blurred figure or a photograph that is torn or faded, can still be considered as a portrait. The key factors of abstraction elements is the creative intention behind the images, with the different element from abstraction, it can helps to evoke thoughts or feelings about the subject’s identity and essence. These factors may also shown by the work from Cindy Sherman, through her work, I noticed that she often uses abstraction to show the identity; which explores the roles of women in society.

In addition, it is possible for some portrait to be presented without the actual person being inside the image, elements or objects may also portray the meaning inside the image. One example that can present this is through the topics of Still-life, a still-life arrangement of objects can holds significance to the person can serve as a portrait. This type of portrait may capture aspects of a person’s identity, personality, or even life experiences, which allows the photos to be classified as a portrait even when the actual characters were not in the scene. Moreover, portraits does not have to be presented with only a single photograph, a sequence of images can build up a narrative or depict various aspects of a character, which can provide a deeper insight into the subject, allowing to capture different emotions or settings.