Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> If you listen to the photographer's narrative and study the portraits, I think the concept and execution were brilliant. These famous or soon to be well known are shown "naked". No comfortable surroundings and no distracting context. It's just them! I think the photographer had to establish (quickly) a trust that let these people reveal themselves. I think we expect people in these positions to look confident and composed. Well, some of them don't and I think we feel a little uncomfortable looking at them and their vulnerability. Years ago I saw a slide show put on by Richard Avedon. His portraits against a white background were equally revealing. Michael > On Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 1:26 AM, Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > >wrote: > >> The New York Times magazine just ran a set of portraits of "Obama's >> People" >> >> >> http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/magazine/2009-inauguration-gallery/index.html >> >> It feels to me as though the photographer went out of his way to >> make all >> of his subjects look unnatural and bizarre. They are posed >> awkwardly, the >> lighting is very peculiar, the camera angles are unusual, and the >> subjects >> were usually photographed off-guard. >> >> What does anybody else think? Was the photographer here trying to >> create a >> negative perception of these people? >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information