Pieter12
Member
A bit of a rant, so you can stop here if you'd like.
I have noticed lately (and it has probably been a bit of a trend for much longer, but has just started to irritate me) that a number of photographers have been making portrait series that are two steps above a mug shot or passport picture. Same angle, same composition, pretty much the same or very similar backgrounds. Bland expressions, bland lighting. Ordinary people, rarely with much of a clue as to personality or inner "soul" or vocation. This is not August Sander or Walker Evans, here. There are just so many empty expressions one can take, especially if that is not the intended message. Avedon's In The American West, although the background, scale and perspective was what linked the photos together, the people came through clearly. Sometimes grabbed you by the collar and yanked you in. In the work I am criticizing, what is the appeal beyond the first dozen shots? Am I missing something?
I have noticed lately (and it has probably been a bit of a trend for much longer, but has just started to irritate me) that a number of photographers have been making portrait series that are two steps above a mug shot or passport picture. Same angle, same composition, pretty much the same or very similar backgrounds. Bland expressions, bland lighting. Ordinary people, rarely with much of a clue as to personality or inner "soul" or vocation. This is not August Sander or Walker Evans, here. There are just so many empty expressions one can take, especially if that is not the intended message. Avedon's In The American West, although the background, scale and perspective was what linked the photos together, the people came through clearly. Sometimes grabbed you by the collar and yanked you in. In the work I am criticizing, what is the appeal beyond the first dozen shots? Am I missing something?