Weisensel+Portrait



The first photo is “William S. Burroughs” by Annie Leibovitz. The lighting in this piece is very dramatic as the only thing visible is the man's face/body and there’s nothing shown behind him. This piece is really focused on the focal point and filling the frame. His face is clearly the focal point as the photographer filled the majority of the frame with his face. This photo is a work of art, opposed to a snapshot because the photographer took the time to make sure every detail in his face was visible. Annie Leibovitz has influenced me to fill the frame with the person's face and use dramatic lighting when taking my portrait photos. "Celebrity Portrait Gallery." PBS. PBS, 3 Jan. 2007. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. < [|__http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/annie-leibovitz-photo-gallery/19/__] >

The second photo is “The 65-Year-Old Virgin” by Robert Bergman. The lighting in this piece is artificial because there are only two spots on his face that have spots from a light, perhaps a spotlight. Three compositional techniques were used in this piece are leading lines, rule of thirds and fill the frame. The man’s coat is leading the viewer’s eyes to his face, his head is in the top of the photo and his body is taking up the majority of the frame. Robert Bergman made this photo a work of art rather than a snapshot as he told a story with the piece. Although the photo is in color and the man is dressed in colors, his face appears sad and depressed. I think this is metaphoric as people may dress happy but they may be feeling the complete opposite. This piece will influence my portraits because I will make sure they tell a story. "The 65-Year-Old Virgin." NYMag.com. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. < [|__http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/61728/__] >

The third and final photo is by Diane Arbus. The lighting in this piece is a flash; I know this because their cheeks are reflecting the light as are the man’s glasses. This piece uses leading lines, fill the frame, rule of thirds and focal point. The woman’s arm and the man’s hand draw attention to their faces, they’re bodies take up most of the photo, neither of them are centered and there’s no background so the focal point if very apparent. This is a work of art rather than a snapshot because, like the second piece, it tells a story. By looking at this photograph you can tell that they are a wealthy couple. We know this as they're dancing together and the woman is wearing pearl jewelry while the man has a large ring on his finger. Diane Arbus’s piece is another that has influenced me to tell a story with my portrait. "DIANE ARBUS - THE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK." DIANE ARBUS - THE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. < [|__http://diane-arbus-photography.com__] >