The Commission - Portrait task

The Portrait Seminar task 

Finlay Mackay ' Changing Pace David Weir' For the Road to 2012
Ulrich Gebert, 'Freischneider' 2004
Toby Glanvile, 'Actual Life' 2002 ( no image available)

         

After studying the above photography I investigated each photograph and the similarities and dissimilarities found in the imagery. All three images have a clear connotation with the theme of uniform found in Portraiture they also connect with the idea of nature.

Image three by Glanville practically doesn’t connect as well as the other two images found together. The colours found in this imagery come across as very bland as if there is no life the colours feel as if they have been neutralised as if the colour has been removed.

All three images use a large depth of field in order for the whole photograph to be in focus. Even though the whole photograph is in focus the personality of the sitter comes through to the viewer which allows us to connect with the focal point. The narratives of each sitter photographed caught in the imagery and allows the viewer to understand the characteristics of the sitter. The camera positioning of the camera differs from each portrait. Image one an action photograph is taken from a farther distance compared with the other two portraits Mackay seemed to want to capture the environment the athlete was surrounded by through out training is this the mind set when it comes to competing.  I found the Mackay in particular had a certain style of producing his photography he wanted to incorporate elements outside of what the public usually see but portray the emotion of the athletes and the physical strain of the athletes up until competition time in June.