Castillo+Portrait

Portrait 1: Imogen Cunningham - //Martha Graham, Dancer, 1931:// [|Source]
This portrait uses dramatic lighting to have stark focus on the subject and the cast shadows to enhance the visual value. With composition, Cunningham nearly filled the frame, but the subject's arms and hands serve as leading lines to the subject's face. The most significant principle of design would be value and contrast between the dark and light tones that shape the subject's portrayal in the portrait. A spectrum from whites to blacks allows value to emphasize the subject's features cast in the light. The art of this portrait relies on the fact that there is intentional value, leading lines, and focus to craft a portrait to portray the subject, rather than taking a mere snapshot. Cunningham's art inspires me by matching the lighting to the subject such as with a dramatic pose paralleled with dramatic lighting and using shadows to your advantage for visual interest.

===Portrait 2: Richard Avedon - //Kate Moss and Aya Thorgren, Versace Spring/Summer 1993 campaign, New York, November 12, 1992: //[|Source]===

Avedon uses what appears to be studio fill lighting as the subjects' seem to be intentionally highlighted in ideal lighting that is artificial. The compositional techniques used are the rule of thirds and leading lines as the subjects are appropriately placed among the thirds but are connected by their link between the first subject's arms outstretched and hands grasping the second subject's hair. This allows the viewer's eyes to follow the image from the top left to the bottom right with appropriate use of space. Another element of design would be harnessing color for some contrast in an otherwise neutral environment. This was likely to promote the clothing on the subjects. However, the true art of this portrait is the movement and connection between the subjects with staged wind. Avedon intended to create an image with visual expression with color and movement about. The art of this portrait inspires my own work as having two separate subjects in a portrait can tell many different stories and convey different messages based upon their captured interaction with each other.

Portrait 3: Julia Margaret Cameron - Untitled: [|Source]
Cameron uses what appears to be natural lighting to capture her subject. Also, the compositional technique used was the rule of thirds as the subject's face is closest to the top right portion of the photo. In this photo, the lighting and the fact that this photo was taken on film offers an element of mystery, as the subject is looking off into the distance, but the photograph only captures her gaze towards whatever it is that lies ahead. A significant principle of design was value as the black and white film creates a scale of value from highlights on the subject's face to the shadows that fall around and on her. This interaction with light and the subject's environment is what welcomes the true art of this portrait. I most admired the element of mystery in this portrait as it tells of the subject's curiosity for the unknown ahead. I might aim to incorporate an element of mystery in my future portraiture.

In my own portraits, I hope to emulate some of the artists' mentioned aspects into my art, but hope to build on the concept of taking portraits of intriguing instances of everyday life, promoted with various props and lighting styles. I will enhance this concept by catching my subjects in a more approachable and candid manner to capture some of their own spirit combined with the facet of their personality that I choose to enhance with props or lighting, to portray the idea that everyone has unique edges of themselves in different lights, literally and metaphorically.