Tough Guys
By John Leonard
3 November 2007
As a photographer I try to capture the essence of my subjects. Sometimes this can be hard with people. Incorporating props, backgrounds, and creative lighting can all help. But what about those people who do not normally lend themselves to being photographed? I have taken on a project to not only improve my photographic skills, but one which also shows the subjects how photogenic they really are.
Once I decided to work on the challenge of photographing slightly reluctant subjects I knew I needed a consistent theme. I started to think about what category of people I would find interesting and have some what easy access to. I realized that men generally do not like portrait sessions. While understanding that if I could get the entire family, not just mom, into the portrait session I could have not only an easier time, but possibly a larger client base. So I took the challenge of making men look like men. More specifically an image of a tough guy wither they were one or not.
All men like to look tough. So the first step was to think of how this image can be made. Dramatic angles, good light, and environments which lend to the feeling were all necessary. While taking all of this into account I still wanted to show who the person was. This really can become the more complicated portion of the creative process. It is easy to create an entirely fictitious environment as stock photographers do it every day. The aspect of portraiture is to create that fictitious environment in a way which looks to fit the person. This is what has been called creative environmental portraiture. Using the environment of the subject to create portraits with depth and character provides a way to accomplish this.
I began the project with a friend of mine who does not like to have his picture made. This was fun since we were friends, and provided me with a safe environment with which to experiment. The shots went well, and the results were just great in my opinion. I have received a lot of positive feedback from friends, family, clients, and potential clients. Even the reluctant friend now has ordered prints of the session for his family. He actually shows the photos off. Not only happy with his image, but as a way to show people how portraits do not have to be static poses with muslin backdrops.
My project has no real set end date or number of images. It is a way for me to think of new creative ways to photograph men. But while I am doing that I find myself thinking of the ways to make all of my portraits creative, subject oriented, and technically correct. I know that this sort of practice will carry over to the entire range of people I photograph. I would encourage everyone to start a portrait project to pursue the creative aspect of portraiture. If nothing else it gives you a subject when you feel blocked or at an impasse creatively.
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