Magazine Portraits

During the first part of People and Place, as well as researching photographers through books and the internet I have alaso used colour supplements for inspiration. I have been fascinated how many have the subject on the edge of the frame looking out of it and many with no eye contact.





This picture of Tim Dowling by Benoit Jaques was an inspiration both for assignment 1 and particularly for the photographs of my son in Exercise 1

This picture of Ciara Bradley by Crispin Rodwell is clearly a non-studio portrait. She is pleasingly situated in the frame but looking away from the camera.











Graeme Robertson's image of Simon

Pegg is an informal 'fun' portrait with unusual body position and framing, the subject being right at the bottom og the image. Again he doesn't look into the camera.







These two photographs of Stephen Lander and Stella Rimmington, both previous heads of MI5 are portraits in a very formal style with both looking directly into the camera.





















This picure of Lucy Mangan is taken in a much more informal setting. Yet again she is place to one side of the frame and is looking sideways out of the frame as if she has been caught unawares. I was thinking of this image when I took one of my portraits for assignment 1.





I really like this shot of Sheila Hancock by Amit Lennon. I like the relaxed pose and the dark, plain background. Again she does not maintain eye contact.










Another portrait with the subject on the edge of the picture looking out of the frame. This is Jean Louis Mazimpaka by Ivor Prickett. It illustrates an article telling how Jean survived the Rwandan genocide and so fits this treatment. It gives the impression of a man reflecting on the past.








This picture heads a regular weekly feature on motoring. I like the close-up effect and the fact that the subject is looking backwards over his shoulder. It gave me inspiration for the shots I took of my son in the car for Exercise 1.





I find this portrait of Cherie Blair by Martin Argles interesting because the doow/window has been used as a frame. It portrays a confident subject looking directly into the camera.









This image of Shao Jiang, Tiananmen Square survivor, by Linda Brownlee is another one that departs from a conventional portrait format. Here the subject is in the bottom right hand corner rather that central in the frame.









This is a more conventional portrait format but agai nwith the eyes looking away from the camera. The more I research this subject - the more I begin to realise that there is no 'correct' format. Perhaps we are all brought up on the conventional studio portrait!!








I particularly like this portrait of Jensen Button by Philipp Ebeling. I like the contrasty feel to it, the dark background and the way it is lit stongly from the left.









A more unusual portrait with Jensen in profile. This inspired me to try this style with my first assignment.










A portrait of Hugh Fernley-Wittingstall taken in the context of his kitchen. Again something that I kept in mind for my first assignment with photographs of my subject at work and play.







Again a fairly conventional portrait style by Peter Van Hatten of Jay McInerny although not in a formal studio setting.