How do you see and appreciate a large format Portrait?

[diversey]

When you see a large format portrait, how do you appreciate and comment it?

[Tin Can]

I have seen very few LF portraits in person, mostly at ARTIC

I buy books, my Karsh book is magnificent and I found it cheap in a Chicago hipster bookstore

Every page a portrait that could be framed

https://karsh.org/bibliography/faces-of-destiny/

I look for an expression that defines the person, I do better with DSLR than LF

[Vaughn]

I tend to think of E.W. and his "No retouching".

[Tin Can]

Like this story

https://pcnw.org/files/Weston-on-portraiture.pdf

[Peter Lewin]

I probably see actual prints primarily in museum or gallery shows. I don’t pay much attention to the format, since what gets my attention is the expression on the subject’s face. By that I mean a show of emotion, rather than a straight-ahead “say cheese” smile. The exception might be “environmental portraiture” such as the famous image of Stravinsky (?) at his grand piano, where his face is not the sole center of attention. IIRC, many of Penn’s famous portraits were taken with a Rollei (medium format).

[Jim Jones]

I have seen very few LF portraits in person, mostly at ARTIC

I buy books, my Karsh book is magnificent and I found it cheap in a Chicago hipster bookstore

Every page a portrait that could be framed

https://karsh.org/bibliography/faces-of-destiny/

I look for an expression that defines the person, I do better with DSLR than LF

In 1959 Karsh published Portraits of Greatness, a giant step forward in reproduction of fine photographs. Karsh closely monitored the publication to ensure the best possible quality. The printing was done in the Netherlands and is far better than any other book of that time that I've seen. The pages measure about 9.4x12 inches, and can easily be removed for framing. They are sheet fed gravure with a delicate matte finish. The first edition is still occasionally available online for a wide range of prices. I don't know if subsequent reprints have retained such quality.

[Tin Can]

I have that exact Gravure 1st edition.

Somewhere Safe

Too safe as I can’t find it right now

In 1959 Karsh published Portraits of Greatness, a giant step forward in reproduction of fine photographs. Karsh closely monitored the publication to ensure the best possible quality. The printing was done in the Netherlands and is far better than any other book of that time that I've seen. The pages measure about 9.4x12 inches, and can easily be removed for framing. They are sheet fed gravure with a delicate matte finish. The first edition is still occasionally available online for a wide range of prices. I don't know if subsequent reprints have retained such quality.

[Tin Can]

Just to be honest, a phrase I hate as it usually is a lie

I have posted before about Karsh portraits, even admitting I copied 4 from my personal Karsh Gravure book

The copies hang on my walls, to study, never to be sold, no digital images of the CRIME were made

I learned from this forum I had committed a huge CRIME and was thrashed for admitting it even though I did not POST any images

Thought Crime

My LF goal was personal learning

Learning how to make an excellent COPY on 4X5 film

Learning how to ENLARGE them to 11X14 on archival FB paper with mounting

I am not REPENTANT as what I do in my hovel is private

and learning what a good portrait looks like

no retouching required in any way

[Paul Ron]

ya step back n say... not bad, not bad at all.

[ic-racer]

I don't follow portraiture, I think the 20x24 Polaroid stuff is all I can recall off hand seeing in person. On the internet, everything looks to be digitally manipulated so I usually think 'what is the point, why not just ray-trace the whole thing from the start and do away with the film.'