Location portraiture

1. Location portraiture, Close up, wide angle.
Alec Soth, ( link to Soths photographic approach http://blog.art21.org/2010/03/05/the-process-behind-the-
portrait/#.Vjs1AXrcY5Q)
Though there are many ways of photographing on location we will start by
reviewing the work of Alec Soth.
in considering his work let’s think about the following
 Camera controls and available light.
 Interaction with the subject(s)
Interaction with the subject(s)
The artist Alec Soth‘s frank style of portraiture is realized through his ability
to make his subjects feel comfortable in front of his camera. In an article last
year in the New York Times, Julian Cox, Curator of Photography at the High
Museum, was quoted, saying that Soth “communes with his subjects and his
environment through the ritual of the photographic act. Although this is
one approachother photographers such as Diane Arbus .
Camera controls and available light.
Lghting on location can often influence the way a photograph is taken… You should
now be familiar with the way a camera is operated and be looking at using your
camera in Manual mode or Aperture priority.

2. Adjusting the aperture to obtain a shallow (narrow) depth of field is often used. This
has the following advantages
 Can be used to throw the background out of focus
 Will allow you to shoot in dimmer lighting conditions as the shutter speeds at
say f4.0, f 5.6, f 8 will be higher compared to shooting at f16, f22
 If you struggle with image blur change the ISO from 200 to e.g 400 or 800.
This will also allow you to operate at higher shutter speeds in order to freeze
movement.
 You may choose to operate the camera in manual focus mode and try to get a
sharp focus by focussing on the eyes or face.
 If you struggle with harsh shadows you may choose to use a reflector to
bonce light back onto a subject… this can be quite effective however you will
need to have an assistant working with you.
 Many photographers work with a tripod on location shoot, examples include
the above photographer Alex Soth, and Philip Lorca di Corcia.
Task list
Select a location
 Experiment with photographing at narrow to medium depth of field e.g. f4.0,
f5.6, f 8, f11
 Work with composition and try full body shots versus half body, and close –
up.
 You can also create photographs using wide angle and close up e.g. 28 mm
and compare this to 50 mm.
 Work with a tripod to frame your shots and discus the advantages dis-
advantages of this approach.
 Evaluate the outcomes and create an image bank, work diary, contact sheet(s)
 You may depending on your photography experiment with a reflector and on
camera flash.