Portraiture has never grabbed my attention like it did when I saw Richard Avedon's work. While no one can fill the void left after Avedon's death, we can all study his work to gain a better understanding of the relationship between a photographer and his subject.
I have avoided portraiture in all aspects of my passion for photography, and now I finally realize what I have missed. Superstitions led me to believe that landscapes were at the pinnacle of great photography: they don't talk back, they are very patient, and you usually don't have to ask their permission for anything. Our recent immersion in Richard Avedon's portraiture makes me reconsider my aversion to putting the lens in someone's face. Understanding now, what a portrait is all about, I can boldly pursue subjects that fascinate me.
If every portrait is truly a self portrait of the photographer, as Avedon suggested, I should take portraits with the same confidence with which I look in mirror. What I see may surprise or disgust me, but as I look more carefully, I shall see what many often miss.
Avdedon's simple methods are admirable and prove that what often is hidden from chaos of the public eye can be revealed in the clean environment of a photo shoot.
I have avoided portraiture in all aspects of my passion for photography, and now I finally realize what I have missed. Superstitions led me to believe that landscapes were at the pinnacle of great photography: they don't talk back, they are very patient, and you usually don't have to ask their permission for anything. Our recent immersion in Richard Avedon's portraiture makes me reconsider my aversion to putting the lens in someone's face. Understanding now, what a portrait is all about, I can boldly pursue subjects that fascinate me.
If every portrait is truly a self portrait of the photographer, as Avedon suggested, I should take portraits with the same confidence with which I look in mirror. What I see may surprise or disgust me, but as I look more carefully, I shall see what many often miss.
Avdedon's simple methods are admirable and prove that what often is hidden from chaos of the public eye can be revealed in the clean environment of a photo shoot.
Richard Avedon, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Monks, 1998
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