Upwardly Global Portraits

[Ben Syverson]

I'm finally wrapping up a portrait project I've been working on for the past few months, in cooperation with a nonprofit named Upwardly Global.

If you're in or around Chicago on October 15, and feel like contributing to a worthy cause, consider attending the one-night exhibition and fundraiser which showcases my work.

The exhibition prints were expertly printed to an impressive 40x50" by LFF's own Bill Peters.



Larisa



Helen



Nelson

[Ben Syverson]

Two more...


Sarah and Tiago



Ethel


4 more to follow tomorrow

[JamesFromSydney]

Nice -- I like the subtle lighting.

[BarryS]

Wow--very nice work. Wish I was around to see those huge prints.

[Ben Syverson]

Thanks guys!

[Ben Syverson]

4 more as promised



Najim



Gaby



Achille



Monica

[bvstaples]

I like them all very much, but the one thing that bothers me is the inconsistency in the lighting (which I'm bad at, so who am I to criticize). For instance, Nelson shows what I'm talking about best: See how dark the background is on the lower half of the picture. Anyway, despite my critique, great set of photos.

Brian

[Ben Syverson]

Thanks Brian!

Yeah, Nelson's portrait wound up pretty underexposed -- it was on location so I didn't have the control of the studio. I should have pushed in for more of a close-up.

Overall, I didn't want the lighting to be 100% identical between portraits because I was worried it would be too cookie cutter or mugshot-like. Instead, I tailored the light for each subject, hoping that the direction of the light and neutral background would provide some unity.

[mdm]

Thank you for posting. They are wonderful. I think simple, honest and dignified portraiture is the best of what photography offers the world, everything else is just a pretty picture in the end.

David

[tbeaman]

I honestly look forward to seeing new LF images from you, Ben. These don't disappoint.