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Photographer Creates Incredible Lighting Effects for His Portraits

Photographer Creates Incredible Lighting Effects for His
Portraits

By Anne Bowen

Portrait photography is again being scrutinized as an art form. In one particular case, the artist's portraits are a reaction to the character of portraiture being traditionally confrontational. This photographer tired of seeing careless characterization in the portraits he took of individuals.

He has a point here. Media portraiture is mistakenly perceived as cool when in reality, it's dull. Upon the instructions of the photographer, the subjects begin to take on different poses and gestures for unexpected settings.

His solution to the banality common in this type of work has been to engage the sitter in a more extensive way. On display at the exhibit were 13 portraits of people from Pittsburgh which were done in a collaborative effort. Each sitter can freely choose the setting and can contribute his or her own ideas. This is not a common practice in the profession.

The artist said that he does not have any preconceptions for any of his projects. Essential to the collaborative effort is a preliminary in which the photograph is conceptualized. Aided by the sitter, he begins looking for a site that would work perfectly for them. Using a mirrored glass box and steel sheet, an artist would usually have to construct a set where the photograph is to be taken.

For the photograph, a writer chose a bar scenario and a sculptor chose to be seen with his work. The idea of bridges was presented, but in the actual photograph it seemed circumstantial.

The photographs demonstrate his amazing skill in creating lighting effects that are not at all simple. The effects are not extra features added to the photograph during developing and printing. The effects of color become pervasive and appealing in the picture because he uses colored gels with his lighting equipment. Exposure of times for these photographs would be lengthy in duration. 15 minutes is the amount of time for the exposure of the portrait at night time, giving enough time to the sitter to actually walk into the camera's range and also walk out of it.

He can come back and form letters in the air with a wand of light, and it would be eerily captured on camera. During the exposure people entered and left the bar, leaving little or no trace of their presence on the film. A set of nocturnal photographs which were taken in a factory's garden reveals the simple and sensible effect of lighting.

All his photography education was self taught, yet he is very professional in his work. Often, collaboration becomes challenging since he seems to want to dominate the decision making process. The artist still has the last say in everything. The photographs on display are all professionally printed and are reversal prints.