Environmental Portraits

 #1 Use the environment to explain the reason for the person in the photograph.

#2: Home or Workplace

Todd EberleJulius Shulman, Photographer, Palm Springs, California, 2003

Example - Home

Example - Workplace: "Artists on Location”An environmental portrait project focused on local artists and creatives. This collaborative effort introduces artists in their own work or home environment to portray them in a specially honest and natural way.

Master Woodworker

Introduce subject (the person) in their own work or home environment to portray them in a specially honest and natural way.

Photo by Gary Joseph Cohen

In their natural surroundings, you will be able to better illuminate their CHARACTER, and therefore portray the ESSENCE OF THEIR PERSONALITY, rather than merely a likeness of their physical features.

#3 Example: Workplace

• In their natural surroundings, the subject will be more comfortable, and so be more likely to expressing themselves.

• A studio can be a rather intimidating and artificial experience

#4.

#5. “Examining the conversation between person and place.”-Gary Cohen

#6. For your project, you will choose 1 of the 2 ways to feature person:

1. Job/Workplace2. Interests/Hobbies

A. Eye contact with the viewer.

Ezra Stoller, New Lebanon, New York, 2003American architectural photographer

7. Strategies for taking environmental portraits

B. Lighting and drama

C. CANDID (natural, not posed, honest)

Robert Novak

Don’t Forget….Capture the person’s personality….the everyday

"Little" Jimmy Scott, Newark, New Jersey, 1997jazz vocalist

D. More than one subject(Power in numbers)

Darwin Deason, Katerina Panos & Crew, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 2004Founded Affiliated Computer Services Inc.

E. Capturing actions to portray person

Nigel Parry, PhotographerMariano Rivera, Baseball Player

Illuminates the subject's life and surroundings.

F. What about everyday people?

The tattoo artist The florist

The Fire Fighter The Chicken Farmer

The CoachThe Fisherman

Now, who will you photograph?Think of someone that maybe you admire and would

like to capture them in their working environment.Friend, Teacher, Coach, Relative, Family Friend?Maybe someone you have never talked to? Step outside your comfort zone.

DUE DATES 

Tuesday, Nov. 17th – Brainstorm 5 ideas for this project. Use graphic organizer

above.– Find 5 examples of other environmental portraits that

you like and would like to try a similar style.– 5 photos due by Friday, 11-20.

Thursday, Nov. 19th – Warm Up during class – Bring in a prop for your partner

to use. Stage a photo with the prop you bring.– Work day on photo.– Teacher review of web portfolio.

 Friday, Nov. 20th

- FIVE photos due - Work day on Photo.- Teacher review of web portfolios.

Monday, Nov. 23rd - Final photo due

- Class Critique 

Student Examples