The brief is to find six very different settings or backgrounds which could be used effectively and attractively for either a whole body or torso portrait.
First, I am supposed to take reference pictures of the locations, without people.
Finally, choose one of them and return with a portrait subject and photograph them.
Following Exercise 1, where I took Matteo, my younger son as subject, I have been repeatedly accused to be unfair vis-à-vis of Max, my older boy. Therefore, in order to reestablish an equal treatment and my reputation of Solomonic father, I decided to take Max as subject for this new exercise.
As a first attempt, I tried to find a peaceful background, a sort of bucolic imaginary place where a young boy could find himself at ease and express his nature at best.
Looking on the border of the Moselle river, I found the place I was looking for in the first fantastic day of spring.
Image 1.
f 11, 1/90 sec, ISO 200, 18 mm
The little French heaven with its long charming shadows looked interesting, but rather distant from Max's nature. I am not sure this set would fit to my subject.
So I tried to find a place with a minimum of photographic charm that could fit better to a nine years old boy. And I found my second possible location.
Image 2.
f 11, 0.3 sec, ISO 200, 34 mm
I like this shot for few reasons.
First of all the light which gives a sort of theatrical atmosphere to the kicker, which is, in itself, a very simple object.
The kicker, representing an old fashion toy, is still very much loved by my child.
The location, a sort of cave, underlines the fact that children can enjoy despite the basic location.
Going forward on this "minimalist" wave, I found my third possible location.
Image 3.
f 4.5, 1/15 sec, ISO 200, 18 mm
I believe it could be interesting to have a strong contrast between the young boy and such a background.
The narrative of such a photo could raise several questions in the viewer's mind.
Where is the child? Why is he playing in such a location? And according to his facial expressions: why is he happy/sad?
Coming back to the nature of my subject I thought that a playground could be a natural location for Max's portrait.
Image 4.
f 22, 1/500 sec, ISO 4000, 24 mm
f 22, 1/40 sec, ISO 125, 70 mm
I consider the portrait and the location interesting (that's the reason why I post both), but still a bit to "easy" and not very original.
Moreover, technically, I do not find the shots very fine due to the excess of light and movement. Probably I should have taken a quicker shutter speed.
Image 5.
f 8, 1/250 sec, ISO 125, 24 mm
f 8, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, 24 mm
Max himself suggested the location depicted in Image 5.
It is a hill few minutes walk away from our house where he often enjoys playing with his brother during our Sunday's afternoon usual walk in the nature.
Despite to fact it is a very simple place, they spend long moments of leisure there and, after having explained him the aim of my photo exercise, he told me that his portrait could very well fit this location.
Of course I like this shot for this reason and I think it is worth to post not only the location, but also the final portrait.
Image 6.
My final choice went back to a rather neutral background: a fireplug in the city centre of the French city of Metz.
I believe that the tonal and textural simplicity is indeed a reliable quality of the location.
Moreover, in the portrait, the fireplug standing alone in the picture fits to Max attitude and expression.
In my opinion, also his long shadow adds interest to the final shot.
f 11, 1/500 sec, ISO 200, 26 mm
f 6.7, 1/350 sec, ISO 200, 18 mm
I like very much this portrait of Max.
I am persuaded that it manages to show the inner nature of his character: his great sensitiveness and introspection that sometimes can seem to be introversion.
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