Portraits: how can you make people sitting still? sharing your method(s)

[r.e.]

I'm attracted to Richard Avedon's approach, which becomes apparent in the film below. The film was part of the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service's American Masters series.

Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light





I think that it's also worth looking at his book In the American West, and Laura Wilson's Avedon at Work: In the American West.

[Bernice Loui]

Previously discussed on LFF, much of that discussion applies here.
https://www.largeformatphotography.i...in-portraiture


Bernice

[Michael Wellman]

Yousuf Karsh made the portrait of Churchill you describe.

The story I heard about it is when Churchill walked in to have his portrait made, he had a cigar in his mouth. After setting him up for the portrait, Karsh went over to where Churchill was sitting and, without asking, took the cigar out of his mouth. Hence the look that Karsh captured.

Info on Karsh, including the Churchill portrait:

Correct, Karsh only had a few minutes given to him to take the image so everything had to be done before he arrived (lighting, focus, etc). Churchill came in and at the last moment he pulled the cigar from his mouth and he took the image. This is where a great photographer knows how to get the image they are looking for. Most of Karsh's portraits are posed and I think you would be hard pressed to find an image that wasn't a wonderful portrait.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yousuf_Karsh

https://karsh.org/

[bobpin]

How do you interpret the meaning of "decisive moment"? How can you "capture" the unique image of the sitter with your large format camera?

I captured them in my mind, here are two samples of my work:

Ebony RSW45 camera
Dallmeyer 1B Petzval lens
Ilford HP5 processed with 510-pyro




Ebony SW810 camera
Hermagis 300mm Petzval lens
Ilford HP5 processed with 510-pyro

[r.e.]

Do you have a website or other page on the internet that has more of your work on it?

How do you interpret the meaning of "decisive moment"? How can you "capture" the unique image of the sitter with your large format camera?

I captured them in my mind, here are two samples of my work:

Ebony RSW45 camera
Dallmeyer 1B Petzval lens
Ilford HP5 processed with 510-pyro




Ebony SW810 camera
Hermagis 300mm Petzval lens
Ilford HP5 processed with 510-pyro

[bobpin]

Do you have a website or other page on the internet that has more of your work on it?

Part of my works putting here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobpin/albums

Pls comment.

[jnantz]

it really depends what sort of photograph/portrait it's going to be.

[Tin Can]

A big help for me, is only do them 1 on 1 with no distractions

and I need to not talk too much, I get lost in my patter

[bobpin]

A big help for me, is only do them 1 on 1 with no distractions

and I need to not talk too much, I get lost in my patter

Agree.

Ebony SW810 camera
Darlot 250mm Petzval lens
Ilford HP5 processed with 510-pyro



Making of...