For portraitists: initial thoughts on an approach to animated expression

[Ulophot]

I am trying to work mostly in natural light, though supplementary lighting is unfortunately required in many indoor situations with 4x5, unless a well-supported pose allows a shutter speed of 2 seconds or longer. I am finding my way into several means of achieving animated expression with a speed down to 1/2 second, perhaps 1. I am often in awe of the expressiveness of some 19th-C. portraits by Brady and others who had to pose their subjects with head clamps, yet managed to achieve remarkable animation in some cases (e.g., Jack Hayes).

Yesterday I conducted a session with an old -- in both meanings -- friend. In one setting, with him seated at his dining room table, I tried for the first time the following: with the camera set, slide pulled and shutter cocked, I sat beside the tripod with a 2-foot cable release in hand on my lap, and we engaged in conversation. At various points I would say "Hold," meaning he should freeze just long enough for my 1/2-sec exposure, and then we continued speaking while I reset the camera. I made 10 exposures, not yet proofed to see results, but the negs look good.

What I learned from my initial experience yesterday:

A visual signal -- raising my free hand to a "stop" gesture -- helped. I can probably improve how I do this to make the reflex faster.

As in small-camera work, such as 35mm photojournalism, anticipation is key; otherwise, the expression is gone, due to the time-lag between seeing my the expression, effecting the signal, my subject perceiving the signal and then freezing. It's similar to what one learns in driving lessons about why tail-gating is a poor choice.

Obviously, this will not work with everyone. Even if the photographer is successful in engaging the subject's ready cooperation, a subject who stiffens in anticipation of freezing on time, who speaks very quickly and has eyes darting around, who is uncertain or shy, will probably not suit this approach. My subject yesterday, in addition to being a friend, is a also a photographer as well as a veteran of many battles, so our conversation was relaxed as I asked him about some of his travels and experiences photographing. I'll be please if one of the images turns out well; most are probably "just after" the expression I wanted. In any case, the approach can certainly work.

[BrianShaw]

I'm watching this thread because it raises a very important topic that seems rarely discussed. Portraiture is, for me, at least, the most fulfilling yet most frustrating type of photography. As you write... anticipation is key... anticipation by the photographer more than by the subject. Often the anticipation by subjects is problematic. Frankly... some subjects are just easier to work with than others.

[jnantz]

there has to be a symbiosis between the person tripping the shutter and the person. the person behind the shutter has to be able to direct as well as do everything else... before 1920 people were used to sitting still because there were no fast films. sometimes just having someone close there eyes for a few seconds and to think of something else is enough to take the edge off. not an easy task with kids...Alfred Hitchcock, and WC Fields got annoyed with young humans as well...

[Mark Sampson]

To go back to the "modern" era, photographers got around this issue by using a reflex camera. E. Weston, Strand, Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham all used Graflexes for portrait work. Probably with a "bag-mag" for faster film changing.
Personally, I was trained in studio portraiture in my early 20s; the lessons I learned in how to deal with portrait subjects have stuck with me for over 40 years. (In those days I used a 70mm long-roll camera that was a twin-lens device.)
But then, I don't like view cameras for portraits anyway; a foolish prejudice perhaps, but there it is.

[Tin Can]

I prefer strobes and a smart sitter. My best so far. I asked sitter undo her bun and show the Afro. I shot D750 as fast as I could

We also shot 8x10 slow with flash 2 sheets

I have posted them many times

[Ulophot]

Tin, strobes solve various problems, but I decided on my return to photography to work on location and use natural light as much as possible. Inspired by various such photographers, I needed to clear my mind of the "commercial" posing I had done for years and try to entirely rethink what I wanted to achieve. As you will undoubtedly appreciate from your long experience, that took several years. Now I have a general but fairly clear idea and just need to do the work to see what I can do with it, how I can shape it, vary it, etc. to better mold to each sitter.

[Torquemada]

perhaps one should concentrate on activities that have long pauses built in.

Bowling

Baseball

flying a kite

watching tv

sleeping

[Tin Can]

My current and always variable plan is

2fer

Strobes in studio and daylight under my long and tall covered porch

I have big waterproof V-Cards

and as soon as I finish my old and rare 8X10

I have NOS Slider bought for a song on this forum

Shoot one, sitter thinks it's over, slide to next shot in a moment

[jnantz]

Even if the photographer is successful in engaging the subject's ready cooperation, a subject who stiffens in anticipation of freezing on time, who speaks very quickly and has eyes darting around, who is uncertain or shy, will probably not suit this approach.

have you considered NOT freezing time in the traditional sense? instead of using short exposures use longer ones. if you are contact printing instead of enlarging you can get away with 1/30 or 1/15 ( or less, I've had sitters strike a pose for 45 seconds ) with dim and available light. your portraits will have a fluidity to them and your eyes will be led to the composition of the image as much as the portraits themselves. I'd typically suggest using paper negatives instead of film ( fresh regular photo paper in mid day light is ISO 24 ) but paper is getting kind of expensive these days, and dependent on mainly blue light so different times of the day and location (open shade bright sun, shadow, snow, water sand indoors &c ) will vary the amount of blue light that hits the paper, and I'd suggest coating your own since bulk emulsion is cheep by comparison to paper ( 30bucks for 2KG last time I bought it ) , but unfortunately bulk emulsion is chlorobromide usually, and about ISO 1, and a slight learning curve to coat paper so it might not be best ( iso 1 converts to 1/15thS at f2 in bright mid day light )... good luck with your project!

[Pieter]

The big advantage of LF for portraiture is the photographer is not hiding behind the camera and can engage directly with the subject. This is also possible with other formats, but usually doesn't occur except with a medium-format TLR or SLR with a waist-level finder where a quick glimpse down can verify the composition, but the photographer can comfortably look up and be face-to-face with the subject.