Train Your Gaze - People at the Edge of the Margin

I was really quite enthralled by this chapter; The idea being to reject the need to place a subject in the center of the frame and the rejection of the assumption that the subject should be at the center of the frame. The latter is attributed to “photographic folklore” and is actually based on the way the camera design. The book refers to the focusing rectangle using located in the center of the frame. Typically you would aim that focusing rectangle at some part of the subjects face, focus and then take the picture. Interestingly enough I think that modern DSLRs, with their capability to move focus points around the frame, have allowed contemporary photographers to do away with that stereotypical framing. Having said that, I have recently acquired a range finder and found myself framing shots within the center of the frame because I could not technically figure out how to focus lock on the subject face and then reframe the shot. It’s something that I am still trying to perfect so I can fully understand how the tendency to place subjects in the middle of frame came about. Having said that, the reason why I am having trouble moving the frame around while using the rangefinder is because I want to try and make sure that the subject is sharply focused. Imagine my surprise when this chapter then wenton to challenge the concept of portraits where the subject is tack sharp. I find myself really liking the idea of framing people at the edge of the frame. It feels more dynamic, much more compelling compositionally.

I found the Jacob Riss example quite interesting. Although the composition was not deliberate, more an accident since Jacob Riss did not have an optical viewfinder which would have allowed him to compose the image more thoughtfully, the accidental capture of his hand at the edge of the frame results in an image becoming more meaningful especially in light of the subject.

The chapter then went on to discuss Cartier-Bresson’s work and his view of the “decisive moment”; Every street photographer worth his salt knows about the decisive moments and prays for opportunities where they are able to capture that moment.

I really enjoyed reading how Angiers deconstructed one of the most famous images captured by Cartier Bresson “Behind the Gare St Lazare 1932” ; He pointed out elements behind the image that I hadn’t really noticed before. For example, I had not noticed how the poster in the background showed a ballerina jumping and that the motion almost mirrored the motion of the man jumping over the puddle. I found it equally fascinating when Angiers likened the viewer in the background as a witness similar to the photographer himself. Layers within layers that I had not noticed before.

Prior to this chapter, I had read some material on deconstructing images and the importance of being able to interpret images especially in the context of where and how they are used but to be honest it’s not a skill that comes naturally to me or for that matter one that I truly appreciated.

I understand the need for it. I am not sure if I have the ability to do it without help but something about the way Angiers deconstructed this image clicked in my head.

Maybe, it’s because I love documentary photography and in particular street photography. For me, it’s real and visceral. It speaks to me, fascinates me and keeps me engrossed for hours. Maybe that’s why deconstructing these images makes complete sense to me.

Another point that really resonated with me was Angier’s assertion that Cartier-Bresson composed all this street shots. I have been researching various street photography websites and reading some books on it and so far no where have I picked up the fact that street photography can comprise of carefully composed images. I always got the impression that street photography was akin to hunting or quick draw (wild wild west) where you had not only be alert but quick to shoot and capture the moment.

I am not thinking of trying this approach. Instead of walking around trying to document the world as it passes me by, maybe I should find a location or spot, compose the shot and then wait. Much more Cartier Bressan…I think :)

Train Your Gaze 3 (People at the Edge of the Margin)

I was really quite enthralled by this chapter; The idea being to reject the need to place a subject in the center of the frame and the rejection of the assumption that the subject should be at the center of the frame. The latter is attributed to “photographic folklore” and is actually based on the way the camera design. The book refers to the focusing rectangle using located in the center of the frame. Typically you would aim that focusing rectangle at some part of the subjects face, focus and then take the picture. Interestingly enough I think that modern DSLRs, with their capability to move focus points around the frame, have allowed contemporary photographers to do away with that stereotypical framing. Having said that, I have recently acquired a range finder and found myself framing shots within the center of the frame because I could not technically figure out how to focus lock on the subject face and then reframe the shot. It’s something that I am still trying to perfect so I can fully understand how the tendency to place subjects in the middle of frame came about. Having said that, the reason why I am having trouble moving the frame around while using the rangefinder is because I want to try and make sure that the subject is sharply focused. Imagine my surprise when this chapter then wenton to challenge the concept of portraits where the subject is tack sharp. I find myself really liking the idea of framing people at the edge of the frame. It feels more dynamic, much more compelling compositionally.

I found the Jacob Riss example quite interesting. Although the composition was not deliberate, more an accident since Jacob Riss did not have an optical viewfinder which would have allowed him to compose the image more thoughtfully, the accidental capture of his hand at the edge of the frame results in an image becoming more meaningful especially in light of the subject.

The chapter then went on to discuss Cartier-Bresson’s work and his view of the “decisive moment”; Every street photographer worth his salt knows about the decisive moments and prays for opportunities where they are able to capture that moment.

I really enjoyed reading how Angiers deconstructed one of the most famous images captured by Cartier Bresson “Behind the Gare St Lazare 1932” ; He pointed out elements behind the image that I hadn’t really noticed before. For example, I had not noticed how the poster in the background showed a ballerina jumping and that the motion almost mirrored the motion of the man jumping over the puddle. I found it equally fascinating when Angiers likened the viewer in the background as a witness similar to the photographer himself. Layers within layers that I had not noticed before.

Prior to this chapter, I had read some material on deconstructing images and the importance of being able to interpret images especially in the context of where and how they are used but to be honest it’s not a skill that comes naturally to me or for that matter one that I truly appreciated.

I understand the need for it. I am not sure if I have the ability to do it without help but something about the way Angiers deconstructed this image clicked in my head.

Maybe, it’s because I love documentary photography and in particular street photography. For me, it’s real and visceral. It speaks to me, fascinates me and keeps me engrossed for hours. Maybe that’s why deconstructing these images makes complete sense to me.

Another point that really resonated with me was Angier’s assertion that Cartier-Bresson composed all this street shots. I have been researching various street photography websites and reading some books on it and so far no where have I picked up the fact that street photography can comprise of carefully composed images. I always got the impression that street photography was akin to hunting or quick draw (wild wild west) where you had not only be alert but quick to shoot and capture the moment.

I am not thinking of trying this approach. Instead of walking around trying to document the world as it passes me by, maybe I should find a location or spot, compose the shot and then wait. Much more Cartier Bressan…I think :)

Train Your Gaze (1 & 2)

I started P&P by reading one of the recommended books in the reading list, “Train your Gaze, A Practical And Theoretical Introduction to Portrait Photography” by Roswell Angier The book has been divided into 12 distinct chapters covering a range of topics with regard to portraiture.  Each chapter talks about photographing people from different perspectives, gives context and real world examples and then ends the chapter with an assignment. The book is more about process of shooting portraits than about technical skills, although those are covered in the three appendices at the end of the book.

It’s a big book. Literally. Lots of information to absorb and as I work my way through it, I have decided that I will reflect and write up my thoughts as individual posts so quite possibly I may have several on this subject.!

Introduction & Chapter 1:

It never occurred to me that circumstances around asking someone for permission to take their picture could be different depending on whether you are speaking to a stranger or to someone you know. I doubt very much that I would differentiate. I usually walk up to people I know and ask them if I can take their picture. I don’t really say, “ I would like to take your portrait”. Having said that I do agree with Angier’s premise in that the two statements, namely, “I want to take your picture” and “I would like to make a portrait of you” clearly have two separate and distinct connotations. The first being more playful while the latter has a more serious connotation and this, therefore, may influence the behavior of the subject.

Maybe. I am not so sure. It might be cultural phenomena. I find that depending on whom I speak with, the reaction is somewhat different. In the Middle East and parts of Asia, a request to take a picture immediately results in that person straightening him or herself in front of the lens and becoming very serious. Stoicism seems to be the mode. Exceptions are usually when friends are celebrating and very comfortable with each other and that usually results in “hamming” it up in front of the camera. Then there’s the “say cheese” category. The camera comes and they say “Cheeeeese!” I have never seen a good “Say Cheese” image. It often looks fake to me. Sometimes, the subject even looks like they are grimacing instead of smiling.

On the other hand, some cultures are quite comfortable with the idea of having their pictures taken and that comfort usually comes out in the picture. I won’t get into more categorization because I don’t want to be accused of stereotyping. I think it’s more about the how the “privacy” is defined. I love street photography but I live in the Middle East where the idea of someone taking pictures of people on the street especially if the subject comes from conservative [Muslim] backgrounds is seriously frowned on. In fact, depending on whom you take a picture of, it’s a finable and even a jailable offense.

But I digress.

Going back to the book, while there is reference to the process of taking pictures of people, there is also about the presence of the photographer and how he / she interacts with the subject.

Chapter 1, therefore, is entitled “About Looking”. What struck me about this chapter was the reference to a series of images taken by Richard Avedon called “The Family”. Images taken of very important and powerful people, mostly men. Images shot in a very deliberate and confrontational manner. According to Angiers, Avedon would not speak to his subjects while he was shooting. For the entire session he would walk around the room, with a cable release in his hand, staring at the subject but not saying a word. The result was a set of images where you could see the subject re-acting to the photographer’s gaze. Reactions ranging from defiance, seriousness, discomfort, maybe even nervousness. These portraits are referred to by Angiers as being “aggressive personal statements…. It ‘s more about confrontation with the subject acknowledging and returning the photographer’s gaze.” A very interesting concept; Angier’s relates this technique to the early days of photography when due to the slow speed of cameras the subject was to require very still for an extended period of time to get their image on film. Thus, the seriousness and the stiff poses. While that makes sense to me, it’s not something I would be comfortable trying out as suggested in the assignment.

I don’t want to take pictures that have that kind of confrontational element to it. I don’t like it. I don’t think I could stand in front of a subject for 15 minutes much less an hour and not make an attempt to put them at ease.  I thought about the assignment for quite a while. In my mind, I tried different alternatives for possibly completely this assignment but in the end I found myself completely overwhelmed by the whole concept.

Chapter 2: “Self Portrait, No Face”

This chapter begins with a short history of the practice of portrait photography. Angier’s narrates the practice beginning with Louis Daguerre’s announcement in 1839 of having invented a way of fixing an image in a camera. In all of the early explorations into portrait photography, the key element was the face, which had to be visible in all images. What was most interesting to me and very unlike what many contemporary photographers espouse, early portrait photography had very little to do with establishing the character or personality of the subject; rather it focused more on the concept of the persona as a mask. In all of the early portraits (both those displayed in the book and ones I have seen on the web), this is demonstrated by the gravity with which the subjects view the photographer. One has absolutely no inkling about who these people really are. Angier’s then goes on to talk about the work of various photographers who went on to try and reflect more than the outer façade that was presented to the viewer.

From that point he then begins a discussion on the concept of self portraits and examines the work of a number of photographers: Lee Friedlander, John Coplans, Jo Spence and Shirin Neshat. What is common in all of these bodies of work is that the self-portrait in itself do not reveal much of what is behind the image and often the viewers are left wondering about the meaning behind the image. There is ambiguity which “is supported by the absence of a complete face”. In short, according to Angiers, without a face, a portrait may evoke a strong reaction from the view and at the same time thwart any attempts to understand the image itself resulting in multiple interpretations and often leaving the viewer frustrated.

I found that I also had a similar reaction to the body of work discussed in this chapter. Some of the self portraits were quite compelling and intriguing, while others were a bit too graphic and evoked strong reaction from me (not necessarily positive in nature). I can’t say I liked the work of Coplans or Spence. I found their images too confrontational and somewhat disturbing.  On the other hand, I liked Friedlander and Nesbit’s self-portraits. I thought they were compelling enough without evoking over strong negative feelings.

Most interestingly, according to Angiers, if this concept of a portrait with no face is extended to self-portraits, you as your own subject are not in control of how that self-portrait will essentially turn out. You may end up with images of your own self that you do not like or even understand. This premise completely resonated with me. I don’t really like standing in front of a camera. Reading this chapter made me a bit introspective. Why don’t l like standing in front of the camera? I suppose it may be lack of courage to a certain extent (afraid of what I might see and not like) and perhaps to a certain extent also not liking the feeling of not being in control. Maybe it has something to do with self-esteem and confidence? What ever it may, reading this chapter has certainly put me in a very introspective mood.