Image Bank - Portraiture

Internet Images

This is a classic example of a portrait because it displays the face of a woman, close-up so we are able to see her expression, and as a result, we can feel the mood of the photograph. I like this image because it is in black and white, and so we can see the shadows of her lips and nose etc., but also, I like that her eyes are so shiny and sparkling, that it almost looks like they are coloured. 

Usually in portraiture, the person in the photograph is looking directly into the camera. However, in this image the man is looking away, but we are still able to see the details of his facial features, like his eyes, eyebrows, nose, lips etc. I like this photo because the background and the man's clothing is black, and his hair is dark as well, which means that his face and neck is emphasised even further, and we concentrate on it. 

So far I have only shown classic, normal portraits. However, this photograph is a portrait of an old man smoking. I like this photo because he is looking away from the camera, and it is natural. We can capture the mood from this as well. I like the concept of taking a natural photo of somebody, so they look completely oblivious to the camera, because it creates a true, realistic image. 

This portrait is of a woman, and she is looking directly towards the camera. The image is in black and white, which emphasises the shadows that have been created across her face, her chest and from her facial features. I like that this photo has clearly been positioned and staged, but it still captures the woman's expression and emotion.

This portrait is of two people, a man and a woman. The woman is sideways on from the camera, looking to her left, whereas the man is behind her but looking straight forward, towards the camera. This photo is creative as it has been carefully positioned so that the woman's nose covers the man's nose, and the same for their lips and eyes. I like that this photo is in black and white because it makes it look old, but classic. It also emphasises the lighting and shadows within the image. 

Lastly, I chose this portrait because instead of the woman sitting still, straight and looking towards the camera, instead, her body is slightly facing away from the camera, and her head is turned over her shoulder, so she is still looking at the camera anyway. Like the other black and white images, this photo has a black background, and the model has dark hair, which means we can completely focus on her face, expression and what emotion the portrait is meant to create.