[Leica] IMGs: portraits of power

[imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser)]

I too appreciate stretching and testing the visual definition of  
"portrait;"
as well as the visual definitions of any of the other genres of  
photography.

Some of our most respected "portrait" photographers like Karsch and  
Hurell visually idealized their subjects bathing them in perfect  
light with flattering poses. Others, like Avedon, rendered them hyper- 
real yet on a hyper-neutral, out-of-context background. Arnold Newman  
perfected the posed, environmental portrait along with some wonderful  
experimental techniques.

Those who came before us left a legacy to be studied, honored and  
respected;
yet not necessarily to be imitated (except perhaps as a learning tool).

We're always left with the question,
"what do I have to say with my camera?"
about any particular subject or within a particular genre.

I really appreciated Philippe A. pointing us, appropriately, to the  
page of portrait "caricatures."

Someone will always come along and use the
wrong lens,
or
wrong light,
or
wrong film,
or
wrong sensor,
or
wrong pose
and show us that s/he
has something valid and beautiful to say visually.

While others will emulate the masters
and never achieve the masterpiece
because the master's voice
is not the imitator's voice.

Regards,
George Lottermoser
george at imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com/blog
http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist





On Dec 1, 2009, at 11:41 AM, Mark Rabiner wrote:

> On the camera lists we always still hear the half baked advice  
> about never
> using a lens younger than the model and the general advice that a  
> "portrait"
> lens is less corrected, lower contrast, less resolution than a general
> purpose lens. With the reality long being that you use the sharpest
> contrastiest best lens you can put your hands on and it doesn't  
> matter if
> you're shooing trees, clouds or faces.
> You want to see everything. The truth is in the details.