| Documentary
Portraiture Text And Pictures © Tom Chambers |
| To make a documentary portrait of an individual that
has impact is not as easy as some people might think. Numerous factors have to be taken
into account, and I hope I can convey this … textually and visually … in the
following lesson. Of course, the first thing that needs to be mastered is exposure in order to provide a fine print for viewing. My rule of thumb is to overexpose one f-stop, and underdevelop thirty to forty-five seconds. This approach will render a negative that is similar in nature to the Zone System. Putting exposure aside … since I'm mainly interested in helping you capture a portrait that has impact … let's take a look at four images from my 'Dyer Street Portraiture' series: These images would probably fit the 'street shot' category, but they are staged in the sense that the subjects are posed in relation to their surroundings. A 20mm lens (extreme wide angle) is used to 'condense' the view, and show the backdrop/background. The subjects' posture and expression come across as natural, but their 'look' is manipulated through constant encouragement. They're not smiling, and in my opinion, a documentary portrait should not include this kind of expression. As soon as a subject smiles for the camera, he or she breaks character. This action dilutes the nature of the image, and it becomes nothing more than a standard studio portrait. |
DSP-1
| DSP-1 shows a young woman wearing headphones, and tuned-out to her surroundings … oblivious to what's going on around her and possibly to the portrait session as well. She is Hispanic, and stands in front of a wall advertisement in Spanish. Her portrait is staged in front of this advertisement to enhance the ethnicity of the image. She's positioned right to allow the backdrop/background to come through with this ethnic message. The words in the advertisement 'race' across (left to right) the image to provide excitation. This image is not just a portrait, but also a visual statement about ethnicity and oblivion. |
DSP-2
| DSP-2 shows an old man in his failing nightclub. His business has dropped-off, and he feels isolated. His portrait is staged indoors, and he's positioned right-foreground to show the emptiness of his club behind him. He sits alone at a table that should be filled with customers, and his hands-posture conveys reflection and contemplation. This image is not just a portrait, but also a visual statement about isolation and loneliness. |
DSP-3
| DSP-3 shows a young man in front of his 'Headstand' shop. He's positioned low-center -foreground to allow the shop sign (above) to overpower the image, and convey the 1960s -1970s era. His posture and expression …attitude … are in direct relation to the word, 'Head' in 'Headstand'. He's making a stand as well, and the advertisement signs to his left and right convey sales to perpetuate a bygone era. This image is not just a portrait, but also a visual statement about attitude and perpetuation. |
DSP-4
| DSP-4 shows a young man in a blood bank. He's
positioned left-foreground to show the advertisement sign, 'This man is a paid blood
donor.' He's down-and-out selling his blood to survive, and his circumstance is in direct
relation to the sign. His posture and expression convey a sense of concomitant pride and
humility. This image is not just a portrait, but also a visual statement about survival. A portrait is just a portrait, but a documentary portrait makes a connection between the subject and his or her surroundings. And this connection conveys a visual statement about the social condition. Also, if you're interested in reading additional information about
this particular series, it can be found at: |
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