3 Portraits, 3 Different People

For this project, I took photos of three different individuals: somebody I know very well (Elizabeth), somebody I had just met (Grace), and myself.  The photos will be shown in this order; I wanted to use this opportunity to find interesting ways to pose a portrait, as well as be striking with color and composition.  My reflection on the experience follows afterward.

“amber eyes”

“mona”

“grape leaves”

“denim scene”

“stretch”

“white strips at rite aid”

“juxtapose”

“couch potato”

“icey”

What I Learned as a Portrait Photographer

I’ve learned several things taking photos of myself and others recently.  First, just because you know somebody, that doesn’t automatically make it easier to take photos of them.  Luckily Elizabeth was a wonderful model, but there are others who struggle to pose or hold a position, or take direction when necessary.  The same thing goes for strangers, and it’s especially a gamble trying to find a stranger to pose because he/she may say no just because they don’t know you and are uncomfortable posing publicly.  Again I was lucky to find Grace walking by my local Rite Aid, and she was happy to be a model for me.  As for myself, it’s easier since I can pose or alter myself exactly how I imagine for the photo, but it’s also more difficult because naturally I want to look good in the photo, and pretty photos don’t equal interesting photos.  This was a great learning experience for me artistically, and I feel much more prepared for shooting portraits in the future!