People in the public eye
DSC_0032, originally uploaded by Fadzly Mubin.
Chet - Zaha's mechanic
Taken with a Nikon D50 and AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G lens
"People in the public eye... pretty much know how they look and how to best to present themselves. Is that dishonest?... yes, I think it is, but that's just a persona they are presenting, one that is carefully cultivated and expected. In this regard, note the excellent work of Annie Leibowitz, who makes elaborate portraits of fictional characters, that sometimes contain sly references to the hidden character (as in Karsh's portrait of Krupp, consider Whoopie in a tub of milk, the comedian Steve Martin with paint brush and paint (he is an excellent artist) and many other deceptively honest illustrations of celebrity personas).
Contrast that with Avedon, who found a way to pull back the curtain and reveal, even in an atypical moment, the fact that celebrities have imperfections that make them seem more like the remarkable humans that they are, rather than elaborate "airbrushed" constructs of perfect archetypes and the collective imagination.
Yet another approach is the way Duane Michaels photographs famous people, as if they were the interesting face next door. See his early portraits for a refreshingly honest approach to portrait photography.
This brings me to the realization that dishonesty in a photograph doesn't necessarily mean successful dishonesty, in that the insightful viewer is not fooled by the attempted deception, but actually gains a greater understanding of the deceiver. The un-intended consequences of a too obvious diversion.
Labels: AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, Night, Nikon D50, People, Photography, Portrait
