Ideas for Project #5 - Portraiture
My main inspiration for this project is going to be portrait photographers August Sander and Arnold Newman. They both include visual clues in their photographs that reveal something about the person in them. They link the person with objects that are tied to their profession or history in some way. Arnold Newman is know for “environmental portraiture” meaning that he photographs his subjects in their own environment, in settings that they are comfortable with. August Sander also does this to some extent, but some of his photos are also taken in a studio and seem very posed.
For my project I plan to do a miniature version of August Sander’s project in which he wanted to document the German population. Instead, I plan on taking photos that will document the student body of Beloit College. I will try to find people that represent different “roles” such as athletes, musicians, Greek organizations, international students, etc. I will try to mimic the style of August Sander and Arnold Newman; my subjects will be placed in familiar settings with objects that reveal something about them. I think I will want most of them to be facing the camera, but not smiling. I plan to shoot in black and white.
