For this exercise, I was asked to set up a portrait session in which the face is prominent (and so perhaps head-and-shoulders or torso), and over the course of the shooting direct my subject to, at times, look towards me and away.
The brief also asks to use a tripod in order to be able to talk directly to the subject without having to look through the viewfinder.
Giordano is simply unpredictable.
The sparkle of his creativity is always ready to lit his world of ideas and surprise everybody.
Born in Milan, he is another Italian working with me in Luxembourg.
Giordano, his humour, a bit British, a bit offbeat, always ready to depict a world to discover.
Giordano is a referee.
Being a Torino FC supporter, I am persuaded that all referees, at least in Italy, are under the "spell" of Juventus FC.
Giordano is the only person who could explain in depth and comment the details of the rules governing football.
Thanks to Giordano I really understood how Juventus could win the last matches against Torino...
Being a open minded and generous friend, he immediately accepted my request of help for this exercise and, after having discussed the brief, we started our session.
I chose a neutral background, I set up my tripod and my camera and I started to shoot.
I have to admit that I was was rather at ease with Giordano and we started to speak about our lives.
Trivial and deep concepts were addressed all wrapped in the reassuring noise of the shutter release of my camera.
After a while, I understood that the only thing that was "disturbing" us was the tripod. A sort of foreign body between us.
Therefore, I decided to start shooting without it and I really enjoyed the regained freedom and dynamism of my movements.
In my view the results are self explanatory: Image 3, 4 and 8 are taken without the tripod and in my view are the three best pictures of the series.
More spontaneous, dynamic, intense. The touch of the photographer is there, I can feel my presence, there, with Giordano.
During the shooting I tried to ask Giordano to pass me on different expressions.
EYE CONTACT.
Image 1.
f 5.6, 1/4 sec, ISO 200, 55 mm
Image 2.
f 5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO 3200, 55 mm
In Image 1 Giordano is sort of gobsmacked, while in Image 2 he is surprised.
Technically, the two photos are similar with side light and the same background.
The only thing I decided to change is the shutter speed ( 1/4 sec and 1/60 respectively) and therefore the ISO to balance the change.
Image 2 seems to me technically better.
Image 3.
f 5.6, 1/45 sec, ISO 1600, 24 mm
Image 4.
f 4.5, 1/45 sec, ISO 1600, 18 mm
As already mentioned, Image 3 and 4 are taken without tripod.
I like them more than the first two.
First of all, I naturally got closer to my subject and I managed to grab his intense look.
Second, my presence was clearly perceived by the subject who, consequently, is less formal.
Therefore, he does not pose for me, he is with me.
The eye contact is more intense, in a way more sincere.
AWAY.
I like them more than the first two.
First of all, I naturally got closer to my subject and I managed to grab his intense look.
Second, my presence was clearly perceived by the subject who, consequently, is less formal.
Therefore, he does not pose for me, he is with me.
The eye contact is more intense, in a way more sincere.
AWAY.
Image 5.
f 5.6, 1/6 sec, ISO 200, 55 mm
Image 6.
f 5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO 200, 55 mm
Image 7.
f 5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO 200, 55 mm
Within the "Away" series, Image 5 is supposed to depict astonishment, while Image 6 and 7 are respectively authority and doubt.
All three are taken with the help of a tripod.
The last two have been shot with a flash.
I believe that the flash helped to fill in the light of the portrait and considerably improved the result of the portrait.
Personally, I also appreciate the the vertical, very graphical lines in the background.
Image 8.
f 5.6, 1/45 sec, ISO 1600, 28 mm
Image 8, taken without the tripod, is a sort of mystical vison: Giordano's Conversion on the Way to Damascus.
Personally, I like the light, the look, the perspective.
I very much enjoyed this exercise too.
Despite the fact that this kind of photographic activity is rather far away from my usual street photography way to take photos, I enjoy to share my passion with friends like Giordano and I really appreciate the outcome of the exercises.
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