Theme "Presences"

At the end of last year I planned a larger theme which I called "Presences".
This theme - a long running one spaning for about year - is about people who belongs to an Art Association from Setubal and their own work as artists.

I am planning to photograph each and every volunteer and at the end, I hope to be able to make an exhibition where I show, not only my own work but their own, with the publication of a book which will be able to be bought on line.

So far so good. Not very difficult as theme

What do you think about my first attempt ?

But who is this fine gentleman? You could link us to his art too!!

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

But who is this fine gentleman? You could link us to his art too!! Asher

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How naive I was...

I promise I' ll be back.

Antonio,

I'm the one that feels naive, as if I feel that perhaps I should have recognized the artist or said something more scholarly.

I like the portrait and there is, indeed, a "presence" about him that's enjoyable and confortable. He seems an agreeable sympathetic fellow. So you've succeeded in bringing him here as a person, sharing our living space.



I'd imagine you'd want to let us appreciate him as an artist too. Your portrait is fine as it is but, perhaps, introduce him with text, some of his artwork in the b.g or even several pictures?

From your extensive B&W portrait photography over the years, I already know your work is technically superb and esthetically impressive. You manage in each case to project the individuals presence. So it's not as if this work is different, so far. Yes it's excellent in quality and fits in with what we've come to expect and rely on.

However, perhaps you have thought of this as a new challenge. So I'm going to be watching and learning from now on, just how you tackle this wonderful and worthwhile project. If this new series meets the quality of your work to date it will be a success, of course. However, I think you can use the excellent opportunity to find more of each of them to show too.

Asher

There is here a misunderstanding which I am very pleased to clarify after a good night sleep.

I will rest my head on the pillow now...



(Why am I not receiving e-mail notifications ? Something I have done perhaps ...)

When I read Asher's comment I had already realized that the photographed was not in his best pose and composition for the theme I have in mind.

Asher's just made me think how wrong I was not only about what I mentioned but also because he - in fact - is a common unknown portuguese citizen like myself.

I was very naive when I thought this kind of portrait would somehow, respond to the purpose of my theme. The theme demands that portraits must have some kind of connection with the activity of the artist, what he/she does.

The pose is not the best solution which I think it is to photograph people "distracted"/involved in what they really do whatever it may be.

Anyway I had already considered to myself that this was a very trivial portrait that anyone could do. Nothing spice on it. Too common, too trivial, nothing exquisite in it. It looks like a picture taken at the photographer of the near street.

And there we are. These are the reasons why I starting all over this very afternoon, in a few hours.

Antonio,

I looked hard for this fellow in Setubal. could track him down. I thought he was someone I should recognize and then comforted myself that folk outside the USA don't know about Norman Rockwell or Edward Weston so perhaps I'm not outstandingly ignorant. I realize that with our obsession with North American culture, we assume too much. After all Portugal with Spain, Holland and Great Britain "the" centers of culture at one time. Even in Portuguese, it's likely that Brazilian art and literature is better known here in the USA. So I felt bad that I couldn't identify the fellow, even with his photograph!

Antonio Correia said:

When I read Asher's comment I had already realized that the photographed was not in his best pose and composition for the theme I have in mind.

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I still does not make me feel good about my own complete ignorance of modern artists from your country. It would help to give their names and a link to their work so we don't struggle.

Antonio Correia said:

The pose is not the best solution which I think it is to photograph people "distracted"/involved in what they really do whatever it may be.

Anyway I had already considered to myself that this was a very trivial portrait that anyone could do. Nothing spice on it. Too common, too trivial, nothing exquisite in it. It looks like a picture taken at the photographer of the near street.

Click to expand...

Let's look at your picture again. Wendy, my wife remarked that the picture seems "flat" but she really like the positioning of the subject and his pose. I felt that the "flatness" was in fact due to the image appearing on our screens rather dark and so the dynamics were not presented as well as the photograph would be printed. For sure, this could be one of the picture representing this unknown but apparently gentle and amiable artist.

I've put together some ideas on portraits of artists but do not know how it should be done to do full justice to the person and their lifetime of devotion to their work.

Asher

Asher, thank you so much for the lines you have written.
You could not know him because he is - like myself - an anonymous Portuguese withut any special relevance, people who live their lives quietly and calmly.

Your wife, Wendy is right about the picture. It is in fact too flat. I have re-adjusted it and here it is.

Today I have been taking photographs but this time I am not showing them to you at least yet.

If I have done this before why shouldn't I do it again ?