Portrait assignment

This can be the assignment you have been looking forward to or the one you have been dreading all semester, but you will never know what you are capable of until you try. If you are the type that finds connecting with people easy and natural, you may want to challenge yourself and photograph people you have never met. For many of you however, photographing family and friends is going to be the way to go. There are three types of shots I would like to see you capture with this assignment...

1) The window light portrait

2) Direct and indirect gaze

3) Non-traditional portrait ( a portrait which does not involve the subject’s face)

For the first shot, look for an ideal location. Try to find a window that lets in ample light and work at the time that is best for that location. You may want to use a reflector for this project.

For the direct/ indirect set, try shooting someone looking directly into the camera. Then try the exact same shot with everything the same except the direction of the subject’s gaze. This time have them look down, or up, or away, or anywhere except for into the camera. Keep all the other elements the same. It is interesting to see the difference such a small change can make in an image.

In the non-traditional portrait, think about what tells us something about this person besides their face or facial expressions. There are many ways to interpret this idea, one of the most successful has often been by photographing the subject’s hands. Besides the face, hands are one of the most expressive, and unique parts of our physical selves. Think about how you can communicate something about your subject by photographing a part of them besides their face.

As you shoot these images, think about the other concepts we have discussed and you have used in this class so far. Try to incorporate these elements into your work. Remember to watch for...

Rule of Thirds
Framing
Sweet Light
Selective Focus
Real Lines
Implied Lines

I hope you all have fun with this assignment and find the end results rewarding. I am looking forward to seeing what you create this time. Keep up the good work!

Class notes

We discussed story our story ideas this week in class. If you were not there, or did not have an idea, please be ready with an idea by Tuesday the 18th or Wednesday the 19th. The story will need to be completely shot by the first week in December. We will look at contacts in class that week, so have your images ready to view.

We also discussed the portrait assignment. The print from that assignment will be due on Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th.

I am really excited to see what everyone produces in these final projects. They should be a culmination of what you have learned so far. Have fun shooting!