This portrait is by Arnold Newman of the famous Alfred Krupp Essen, an ex-Nazi that killed hundreds of thousands of people during WWII. The composition of this image is excellent, adding to the sinister look and feel coming from the subject. I especially like the lighting of the subject, a light coming from either side of the frame lighting the sides of his face but leaving the front significantly darker. This technique adds a lot of moodiness to the image, complimenting his dangerous gaze and folded hands; as if he was plotting the next world war. I would like to try and experiment with this technique in the studio to see if I can't create some interesting variations. The composition of the image is great. With leading lines and several geometric shapes, it is pleasing to the eye to look at. The warehouse that this was shot in also adds a lot context to the subjects personality and history. Arnold was presented today in class and something that he tried to incorporate in all of his portraits was a great sense of composition and context. Arnold took his time to become comfortable with his subjects and he would try and find a composition that helped describe his subjects.
This is an oil painted portrait from the famous 1700's painter, John Singleton Coplay. The reason why I chose to add this to my photo journal is because of the composition of the subject and the way that the artist lit the subject. It is a painting, but I had an epiphany about lighting and compositional detail. For instance, in this image "The Boy with the Squirrel", I was able to study the composition and lighting of the subject and figure out how to apply some of these details into my own work. The background has two different layers with a brown layer in the back and a red curtain or sash draping down adding depth to the image. Next, the subject is posed in a casual way gazing dreamily off into the distance. I found his hands to be the center of the image, with the gold leash that he is holding and the way that he is holding it. The table adds more depth to the image by adding a foreground to the shot. I want to try and recreate this set up in the studio incorporating the layered background, detailed props and fancy hair and clothes.