LC PortraitGuide FA02 - PhotoPedagogyor a portrait in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria on or a...
Transcript of LC PortraitGuide FA02 - PhotoPedagogyor a portrait in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria on or a...
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P101. M
ake remarkable portraits 02. Share rem
arkable portraits 03. Inspiration
LensCulture’s essential guide to m
aking and sharing remarkable photographic portraits
Po
rtrait
Ph
oto
grap
hy
© Maxine Helfman
01. Make rem
arkable portraits 02. Share remarkable portraits 03. Inspiration
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P2Introduction
Wh
at is it a
bo
ut p
ortra
it p
ho
togra
phy th
at m
ake
s it so
spe
cial fo
r bo
th p
ho
togra
ph
ers
an
d o
ur a
ud
ien
ce?W
hy do some portraits m
ake themselves a perm
anent hom
e in our visual mem
ory? And w
hat makes the
difference between a decent ordinary portrait and
an extraordinary one?
In this guide, we attem
pt to find some answ
ers! Through conversations, advice and tips from
some
of the best portrait photographers today and other experts around the w
orld, our aim is to unravel som
e of the m
ystery around portraiture.
Introduction
P3LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
With
in th
ese
pa
ges, w
e’ve
cu
rate
d fa
nta
stic inte
rview
s, stu
nn
ing p
ho
to e
ssays a
nd
lists o
f he
lpfu
l reso
urce
s to
arm
you
with
info
rma
tion
an
d
insp
iratio
n. O
ur h
op
e is th
at
this gu
ide
will h
elp
expa
nd
an
d
cha
llen
ge yo
ur o
wn
po
rtrait-
ma
kin
g, no
w a
nd
in th
e fu
ture
.
© H
arris Mizrahi
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P4Table of C
ontents
03. IN
SPIR
ATIO
N
Project Spotlight
Book R
ecomm
endations
Film R
ecomm
endations
Portrait Projects
01. M
AK
E REM
AR
KA
BLE
PO
RTR
AITS
The Secret Sauce: W
hat Makes A
Good Portrait?
There’s No M
agic Formula: Interview
w
ith photographer Richard R
enaldi
Charge The A
ir: Interview w
ith photographer Todd H
ido
Creative Instinct, D
iscomfort,
and Discovery: Interview
with
photographer Maxine H
elfman
8 10
17
23
30
31
34 41 46 51
60747678
02. SH
AR
E REM
AR
KA
BLE
PO
RTR
AITS
Submit Your W
ork: Deadlines for
Portrait Aw
ards and Com
petitions
The Secret Sauce: What M
akes A
Strong Submission?
Show Your W
ork In Progress:
Interview w
ith Karen McQ
uaid, C
urator at The Photographer’ Gallery
Photography As A
n Expression of Indulgence: Interview
with
photographer Sarah Bahbah
Feedback and Review
s: The key to grow
th, connections and finding your voice
Get O
ut Of Your H
ead: Interview
with N
adav Kander
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P5
A p
ortra
it! Wh
at
cou
ld b
e m
ore
simp
le
an
d m
ore
com
plex,
mo
re o
bvio
us a
nd
m
ore
pro
fou
nd
?”
“
— C
HA
RLES B
AU
DELA
IRE, 1859
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
01
. M
AK
E
RE
MA
RK
AB
LE
PO
RTR
AITS
© Kensington Leverne
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
If you’ve downloaded this guide, you know
that creating portraits isn’t as sim
ple as it sounds. Portraiture is a tricky beast. When w
e’re starting out, know
ing and understanding the traditional rules of portraiture - soft directional light, an engaging expression and posture - can help us im
mensely. B
ut it doesn’t always result in an im
age that moves our
audience. Breaking the rules and experim
enting can do the same, or not!
Conscious or unintended, or just plain lucky, som
etimes w
e manage to im
bue that indescribable elem
ent into our process and it results in a remarkable
image. W
ith time, practice and reflection, the frequency of rem
arkable work
only increases. Some photographers succeed w
ith such consistency that w
e can only assume they’ve w
orked out a few things about portrait-m
aking w
orth sharing - so we asked them
!
In this chapter, read interviews w
ith recognized portrait photographers to discover their tried and tested personal approach to creating com
pelling portraits. D
ive in and take some tips for yourself, there are plenty to find.
Go
on
, get o
ut th
ere
a
nd
ma
ke re
ma
rkab
le
po
rtraits.
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“ I think a good portrait em
powers the subject,
and is ultim
ately a collaboration between the
subject and the photographer. T
rying to im
pose
too much on the subject oft
en creates a forced-
looking im
age that the viewer can’t relate to.
Makin
g a conn
ection and allow
ing the subject
to present them
selves to the camera is oft
en
all you need for a good portrait.”
JEN
NIFER
MU
RR
AY
Executive Director, Filter Photo
LensC
ulture Portrait Aw
ards 2019 Juror
“ I think a good portrait says a lot m
ore
about the photographer than about the
person portrayed. The subject or person
you choose to photograph, the place where
you position someon
e, the mom
ent you
capture, the selection, the editin
g, the use of
light—all of these elem
ents are the choices
of the photographer. I think w
e are all
(uncon
sciously) searching for recogn
ition,
for somethin
g we kn
ow, som
ething about
ourselves. I think that is havin
g your ‘own
style’ within the m
edium; the refl
ection of
the photographer can be seen in the work.”
R
OB
IN D
E PU
Y
Photographer
LensCulture Portrait A
wards 2018 W
inner
Wh
at m
ake
s a
goo
d p
ortra
it?
THE SEC
RET SA
UC
E:
P901. M
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“ I look for authenticity, en
gagemen
t, a
tender an
d compassion
ate point of view
,
and sen
suality. I think it’s about a sen
se
of presence, w
here you feel like the subject
is not on
ly looking at the photographer,
but looking at you. It’s about som
e sort
of deep looking—
a presence rather than
self-consciousn
ess. Sometim
es it’s about
quality of light, or mood. If a portrait has a
narrative, I’m
usually drawn to it. I don’t
necessarily m
ind if som
ething is staged,
but when thin
gs start to feel too artificial,
I think it’s a crutch.”
R
ICH
AR
D R
ENA
LDI
Portrait Photographer
LensC
ulture Portrait Aw
ards 2019 Juror
“ Just as the defin
ition for photography is in
transition today, the idea of w
hat makes a
good portrait is changin
g. There is n
o set
rule to defin
e portraiture anym
ore. It does
not m
atter if the work is an
alog or digital,
handm
ade or computer-gen
erated. What
is importan
t is originality, m
astery of one’s
medium
and bein
g able to conn
ect the viewer
with the subject.”
D
EBO
RA
H K
LOC
HKO
Executive D
irector and Chief C
urator, Museum
of Photographic Arts
LensC
ulture Portrait Aw
ards 2019 Juror
Wh
at m
ake
s a
goo
d p
ortra
it?
THE SEC
RET SA
UC
E:
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
INTER
VIEW
WITH
PO
RTR
AIT
PH
OTO
GR
AP
HER
, RIC
HA
RD
REN
ALD
I
The
re’s
No
Ma
gic Fo
rmu
la
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Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Questions by C
at Lachowskyj
Answ
ers by Richard R
enaldi
C_ I w
ant to speak a bit about how you started w
orking w
ith portrait photography. I think there are a lot of m
isconceptions surrounding the genre—people w
rite it off as an easier m
ethod to tackle. Because portraiture is
so historical and all around us, dabbling in and focusing on that genre actually takes a lot of guts. W
hat first drew
you to portraiture?R
_ It’s interesting you say that, because I hear it a lot. A
nd, as you said, it is quite the contrary. When I teach
photography, people have a lot of anxiety about photographing strangers and approaching portraiture. I think portraiture is a lot m
ore complicated than w
e give it credit for—
especially street portraiture. I’ve always
been attracted to the genre because I like people—I like
to look at them, observe them
—and the cam
era is an extension of the eye that legitim
izes that stare.
I w
orked as a photo researcher at Magnum
in the 90s, so I saw
a lot of photos in a reportage style, and I think that inherently gave m
e the desire to slow things dow
n and engage w
ith my subjects. W
hen I started using an 8x10 view
camera, that really allow
ed me to reinvent m
y process and start from
scratch. I could really dig into what
it meant to m
ake a portrait of a stranger on the street.
In th
is inte
rview
, Rich
ard
R
en
ald
i spe
aks a
bo
ut
disco
verin
g large
form
at
ph
oto
grap
hy, wh
at in
spire
s h
is nu
me
rou
s po
rtrait se
ries,
an
d w
hy po
rtraitu
re re
ma
ins
such
a p
erva
sive fo
rce in
ou
r p
ho
togra
ph
ic wo
rld.
Cover im
age on the left: Portland, ME, 2018. From
the series Hotel R
oom Portraits ©
Richard R
enaldiC
over image on the right: Jared and Seth; N
ew York, N
Y, 2013. From the series Touching Strangers ©
Richard R
enaldi
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C_ H
ow did the idea for Touching Strangers com
e about? Was
it an experiment you w
ere thinking about for some tim
e?R
_ Definitely. I w
anted to engage with ideas about groups
on the street, and touch on that unseen adhesive tissue linking us all together. I w
anted to physically merge people
into one frame. W
hen I was thinking about how
to do it, I w
as shooting people on comm
unal benches at Greyhound
bus stations for the project See Am
erica by Bus. I started
encountering that same scenario, w
here I wanted to
photograph two or m
ore people—strangers—
in the same
frame. The extra challenge of coordinating this interaction
really appealed to me.
C_ W
hy is the relationship between photographer and
subject in portrait photography so important? H
ow do
you personally approach that dynamic?
R_ It depends on w
hat I’m looking for in each project.
When I w
as casting for Touching Strangers, I was thinking
about cataloguing different types of Am
ericans. But w
hen I w
as shooting Manhattan Sunday, I w
as thinking about approaching people w
ho were putting on that drag of
glamor, so to speak. They w
ere presenting this sort of ideal self to the w
orld for night life, so I was looking for
people who w
ere self-possessed.
Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Aaron and Ava; C
incinatti, OH
, 2014. From the series Touching Strangers ©
Richard R
enaldi
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C_ A
s a teacher of photography, are there certain things you find yourself telling people over and over again w
hen it com
es to approaching the medium
? What’s a lesson you
find yourself returning to with each student?
R_ A
lot of people think that there’s some sort of m
agic form
ula, but no such formula exists. People just w
ant you to tell them
what to do, but you’ve got to go out
there and do it yourself. The only way you’re going to
get comfortable is if you do it on your ow
n. People want
to know how
to approach strangers. They want to know
w
hat to say, how to do it, and w
hat you need to do to m
ake them relax. For a lot of young photographers, it’s
really anxiety-inducing to approach somebody. Try not to
be thwarted by that experience. It only gets easier w
ith practice, and thinking about w
hat you can do to relax yourself first. That’s a big one.
C_ You m
entioned discovering a view cam
era, and how that
changed the way you approached the m
edium. H
ow so?
R_ I love w
orking with a view
camera because it slow
s things dow
n. It’s cumbersom
e, and becomes a conversation
piece in and of itself. People are a little mystified by it,
and their curiosity in it becomes an icebreaker. It’s a
formal portrait experience, but the w
hole process of it is a little m
ore casual. People can just relax because of the tim
e involved, and they have some tim
e to shake out their giggles and be m
ore present.
Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Left: 08:23. From the series M
anhattan Sunday © R
ichard Renaldi
Right: 06:41. From
the series Manhattan Sunday ©
Richard R
enaldi
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C_ A
nd what do you w
ant people to take away from
your work,
no matter w
hat platform they encounter it on, w
hether Instagram
or an exhibition, or in one of your books?R
_ I want to leave that up to the audience. I just hope
I somehow
move them
to feel something. A
rt is very interpretive, and it should rem
ain that way. O
f course if you create som
ething with a certain intent, and people com
e aw
ay with som
ething completely different, you m
ight have to rethink w
hat you’re doing. But Touching Strangers w
as so broadly interpreted, and people projected their ow
n ideas onto the pictures—
their ideals and fantasies about w
hat was happening in that w
ork. I’m not overly conceptual.
I like to work on them
es and projects where I think there
are stories I’m telling and feelings I’m
exploring, and I like to leave those interpretations m
ore open.
C_ You’ve got a substantial Instagram
following, w
hich allows
you to share your dynamic w
ork with a w
ide audience. H
ow do you see Instagram
playing a role in the career of photographers today. Is it necessary?
R_ I’d like us all to m
ove away from
it, to be honest. I don’t think it’s necessary. Social m
edia is a double-edged sword.
I’ve definitely gained things from it, but screen tim
e is changing us, and its effects are profound. I don’t even think w
e’re fully aware of w
hat’s going on. I have a growing
concern about it. I think it’s changed the industry and made
photography too accessible, so that it’s harder to make a
career out of it. But I also think it’s m
ade great photography that m
uch more obvious. It’s brought m
ore people into the m
edium, so that’s am
azing. But based on w
hat we’ve
learned in the last couple of years, especially regarding the nefarious uses of the Facebook corporation, I think there are legitim
ate concerns. Instagram fam
e, as they say, is not terribly deep.
Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Left: Daw
n, Grand R
apids, MI, 2006. From
the series See Am
erica by Bus ©
Richard R
enaldi. R
ight: Kerry and Jason, Evansville, IN, 2007. From
the series See Am
erica by Bus ©
Richard R
enaldi
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C_ I think it’s also im
portant to ask why you think portraiture
continues to be such a pervasive genre in photography. It’s been there since the very beginning—
it’s one of the first things w
e did with the m
edium, and it’s probably one of the
last things we w
ill do with it.
R_ Exactly. It’s because of hum
anity and our interest in ourselves—
our interest in the human figure. W
e’re interested in w
hat we do, w
here we are, how
we feel, how
w
e dress. We’re interested in the surface of ourselves, and
we’re also interested in the interior life of ourselves. There’s
interest in human psychology. A
ll of these things are within
the human shell, and our shell is very dom
inant when w
e’re alive, sitting in front of a cam
era.
—Excerpt from
interview w
ith Cat Lachow
skyj
Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Ekeabon and Andrew
; Venice, CA
, 2013. From the series Touching Strangers ©
Richard R
enaldi
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“ There is som
ething un
deniably m
agnetic
about photo portraiture that defies easy
explanation
. I often w
onder w
hose identity
is revealed to me in a portrait that speaks to
me. Is it really the sitter, or is it som
ething
intern
al to me, that m
aps onto m
y mem
ory in
a powerful w
ay? Maybe a fragm
ent—
a mere
mom
ent in tim
e— is, aft
er all, the best way
to fin
d conn
ection with an
other person.”
P
HILLIP
PR
OD
GER
H
ead of Photographs, National Portrait G
allery
Nakisha. Im
age by © Tam
ara Dean - from
the Taylor Wessing Photographic P
rize 2016.Tam
ara Dean is represented by M
artin Brow
ne Contem
porary
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
TOD
D H
IDO
’S AD
VIC
E FOR
P
OR
TRA
IT PH
OTO
GR
AP
HER
S
Ch
arge
The
Air
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Re
no
wn
ed
Am
erica
n
ph
oto
grap
he
r Tod
d H
ido
ha
s m
ad
e a
care
er o
ut o
f crea
ting
ima
gery th
at sticks w
ith yo
u.
In th
is gen
ero
us in
tervie
w,
he
offe
rs valu
ab
le in
sights
for p
ho
togra
ph
ers w
ishin
g to
ma
ke co
mp
ellin
g po
rtraits.
Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
J_ In your opinion, what are som
e of the qualities that make
some photographic portraits stand out and apart from
ordinary photos of people? C
an you offer some exam
ples of great photo portraits that hold pow
er for you?T_ R
ichard Avedon’s portrait of Marilyn M
onroe. For me, it’s
the epitome of an unguarded portrait. It w
as apparently taken at a m
oment w
hen she didn’t realize she was
supposed to be “on,” and it shows w
hat I gather is the exact opposite of w
hat it was she w
as trying to portray, m
ost likely your typical flirty persona. But w
hat it actually show
s is a person who seem
s to be lost within herself
and looking very much inw
ard.
N
ow, of course nobody know
s what M
arilyn was feeling
at that mom
ent, and we all know
that photography is the best truth-teller and the best liar all at the sam
e tim
e. And things m
agically appear different when they’re
photographed, as Mr. G
ary Winogrand used to say. So
that leaves us with w
hat I believe is the most im
portant part of photography: that w
e, the viewers, fill the
photograph with m
eaning and bring our own issues
and concerns with us.
Questions by Jim
Casper
Answ
ers by Todd Hido
Cover Im
age top: From “Intim
ate Distance: Tw
enty-Five Years of Photographs, A C
hronological Album
” © Todd H
ido C
over image right: Selections from
a Survey: Khrystyna’s World, 2015. C
ourtesy of Alex D
aniëls Reflex A
msterdam
and Todd H
ido © Todd H
ido. Cover bottom
image: Selections from
a Survey: Khrystyna’s World, 2015. C
ourtesy of Alex
Daniëls R
eflex Am
sterdam and Todd H
ido © Todd H
ido. Image this page: ©
Todd Hido.
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J_ As a teacher, w
hat advice do you give your students when
it comes to preparing for, and m
aking, successful portraits?T_ To be kind is m
ost important. A
fter that, be prepared with
a plan for how you’re going to m
ake the picture. An exam
ple in m
y case would be, every tim
e I photograph somebody,
I always scout out the spot I’m
going to photograph them
in and try to anticipate what the light is going to be like
and modify it if needed.
Som
etimes there is value in com
municating w
ell with the
person you are working w
ith. I have also found, however,
that not giving specific direction yields something that
seems to be very believable and less scripted, w
hich ultim
ately makes for a better photograph. I alw
ays avoid things that couldn’t have possibly happened, because I w
ant a sense of reality to permeate m
y work, w
hether I have com
pletely constructed the image or not.
Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
© Todd H
ido
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T_ One other thing that is very im
portant is what the person
will w
ear in the photograph. Wardrobe is obviously a very
important com
ponent in photographs. You could go with
whatever it is they’re w
earing if you’re bound to reality, but if you’re not, it’s very good to have the person bring several different things to w
ear, because having the right clothing m
akes a tremendous difference. I usually opt
for dark solids because it highlights their face in the resulting portrait.
J_ When you are w
orking with m
odels for your own
photography work, do you consider those im
ages to be portraits, or self-portraits, or som
e other kind of art altogether?
T_ I would consider the w
ork I do with m
odels to be a partial hybrid betw
een who they actually are and w
hat persona m
yself and the subject jointly decide we w
ant to create. Very often, the kind of w
ork I do lends itself the opportunity to explore m
emories of people w
e used to know
or projections of people we m
ight want to be.
Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
© Todd H
ido
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J_ Much of your artw
ork seems infused w
ith psychological pow
er and mysterious im
plications. The exterior of a home
at night could in some w
ays be considered to be a portrait of those people w
ho inhabit it. Can you talk about how
a photographer can infuse his or her im
ages with em
otions and a heightened sense of being in a charged m
oment?
T_ That is a complicated question to answ
er because for every person it w
ould be different. As an artist, I have
always felt that m
y task is not to create meaning, but to
charge the air so that meaning can occur. In all m
y pictures of people or places, I see som
ething of myself. It is no
mystery that w
e can only effectively photograph what w
e are truly interested in or—
maybe m
ore importantly—
what
we are grappling w
ith, often unconsciously. Otherw
ise, the photographs are m
erely about an idea or concept, and that stuff eventually falls flat for m
e. There must be som
ething m
ore—som
e emotional hook for it to really w
ork.
—Excerpt from
a conversation with LensC
ulture’s editor-in-chief, Jim C
asper
Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Selections from a Survey: Khrystyna’s W
orld, 2015. Courtesy of A
lex Daniëls R
eflex A
msterdam
and Todd Hido ©
Todd Hido
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019 LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P22
“ I like people of flesh an
d blood. An
d I look for
the mom
ent that it appears that som
eone is
present w
ith their appearance an
d absent in
their min
d. It fits m
y personality that I like
people as they are: without a fuss an
d with all
their struggles. I think that a good portrait
has the personality of the m
aker in it.”
Koos B
reukel Portrait Photographer
Taryn Simon, A
msterdam
2008 © Koos B
reukel
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Cre
ative
instin
ct, d
iscom
fort, a
nd
d
iscove
ry
INTER
VIEW
WITH
MA
XIN
E HELFM
AN
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Interview with Maxine Helfman - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
C_ B
efore we get into the im
ages, maybe you could tell us
a little about yourself—w
here you grew up and w
hat got you into photography.
M_ I grew
up in the 60s in Miam
i. My parents divorced w
hen I w
as 7. Divorce at that tim
e was not civil or w
ell-accepted in society, so I w
as a bit of an outcast. I pretty much drifted
with no direction until I discovered m
y creativity in my
mid-thirties. Through a job, I talked m
y way into store
display, then into styling props and sets for photo shoots. I eventually taught m
yself to shoot, which led to com
mercial
still life. I branched out into fashion and portraiture. In 2012, I decided to begin m
aking personal work.
Ma
xine
He
lfma
n h
as va
riou
s se
ries o
f com
pe
lling p
ortra
it w
ork
, all o
f wh
ich a
re in
spire
d
by Flem
ish p
ain
tings. W
ha
t a
t first a
pp
ea
r to b
e sim
ple
im
age
s be
com
e la
yers o
f co
mp
lexity, roo
ted
in e
mp
athy
an
d vu
lne
rab
ility.
Questions by C
ollier Brow
nA
nswers by M
axine Helfm
an
Cover im
age left: BIR
MIN
GH
AM
© M
axine Helfm
anC
over Image right: EXIT 219B
© M
axine Helfm
an
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Interview with Maxine Helfman - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
C_ You’ve said you get inspiration from
paintings. A
re there particular painters you return to?M
_ Certain painters inspire m
e: Michaël B
orremans, R
adu B
elcin, Lucian Freud, and Egon Schiele to name a few
. I’m
attracted to the awkw
ardness they depict. I like the challenge of transcending traditional photography to achieve som
e of the more unnatural qualities, in term
s of gesture and expression, that painters have the freedom
to explore.
C_ Your photographs suggest isolation on a larger scale
too. Racial diversity and adversity, especially, feature
powerfully in your w
ork. How
did that come to be a focal
point for you?M
_ I grew up during the civil rights m
ovement. M
y m
other embraced those of different racial and ethnic
backgrounds. I have a deep respect for the courage it took them
to fight for their rights. When I look at im
ages from
that time, I am
still deeply disturbed by the brutality w
ith which peaceful, hard-w
orking people were treated.
Sadly, we are w
atching history repeat itself. Through my
work, I connect current events w
ith the past to create conversation. A
rt allows us to have that voice.
HISTO
RIC
AL C
OR
REC
TION
© M
axine Helfm
an
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Interview with Maxine Helfman - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
C_ That really speaks to the atm
osphere you create in your w
ork. M
_ That is what I am
attracted to. I like things that feel uncom
fortable, the mom
ents and feelings that we all try to
avoid looking at: vulnerability, loneliness, fear, melancholy.
That’s where I find beauty, and I don’t w
ant to disguise it by m
aking the image feel com
fortable. I also prefer images to
be timeless, w
ithout distinct locations or props. I think it keeps the story uncluttered.
C_ It sounds like you trust your intuition a great deal w
hen it com
es to making photographs. A
ny final thoughts on that balance betw
een instinct and technique?M
_ I discovered my talent late and have a deep sense of
gratitude to have found this passion. When you absorb
yourself deeply in something, it becom
es your way of life;
it becomes essential. B
eing self-taught, mine is a process
of instinct rather than intellect. I totally let go. I don’t try to control the outcom
e. It is truly about the discovery.
–Excerpt from an interview
with C
ollier Brow
n.
UN
TITLED ©
Maxine H
elfman
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“Portraiture is diffi
cult. Interactin
g closely with
someon
e, especially if that person is someon
e
you don’t know
, can be a nerve-w
racking an
d
confron
tational experien
ce, on both sides of the lens.
As the photographer, you have to be a quick reader
of people, and be able to pick up on sm
all details that
individuate the subject: the w
ay they gesticulate, and
so on. It’s all about chem
istry, whether it be good or
bad. Interestin
g things can com
e out of both kinds.”
SIO
BH
AN
BO
HN
AC
KER
Senior Photo Editor, The N
ew Yorker
© Paul D
’Am
ato
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
02
. S
HA
RE
R
EM
AR
KA
BLE
P
OR
TRA
ITS
© Mauro De Bettio
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
So
me
time
s it’s tem
ptin
g to ke
ep
ou
r be
st p
ortra
it wo
rk clo
se to
ou
r che
st, wa
iting fo
r the
righ
t time
to sh
are
, or th
e righ
t mo
me
nt to
com
e.
In this chapter, we encourage you to share your w
ork with the w
orld, with your peers
and mentors, and w
ith your online comm
unity. Why? B
ecause sharing is the best w
ay to build relationships within the photography com
munity. Sharing allow
s you to access different perspectives, w
hich can both give you new ideas or cem
ent your ow
n. Sharing can open doors for growth and for exposure. A
nd sharing can result in a boost in confidence or an injection of m
otivation to keep going, keep creating, and keep learning.
When looking at the volum
e of images shared today, it can be overw
helming to try
and work out w
here your own w
ork fits. Our aim
with this chapter is to highlight w
ays in w
hich you can navigate sharing your portraits in a manner that w
orks for you.
P3001. M
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Su
bm
it you
r wo
rk
JAN
UA
RY
World P
ress Photo Aw
ards - Portrait C
ategory
Photographer of the Year (PO
Y)
- Portrait Category
Sony World Photography A
wards
-Professional Portrait C
ategory
Portrait of Hum
anity
FEBR
UA
RY
LensCulture Portrait A
wards
Head O
n Photo Aw
ards - Portrait C
ategory
MA
RC
H
iPhone Photography Aw
ards - Portrait C
ategory
AP
RIL
Kuala Lumpur International
Portraiture PhotoAw
ards
MAY
Martin Kantor Portrait P
rize* M
ust be of a prominent A
ustralian
Portrait of Britain
* Subject must live in England, Scotland,
W
ales or Northern Ireland
JUN
E
Taylor Wessing Photographic
Portrait Prize
OC
TOB
ER
Travel Photographer of the Year A
wards - Faces, People and
Cultures category
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“ Be thoughtful in your editin
g process. It is better to
have less work that is carefully selected an
d works
together, than a variety of differen
t projects. I am
looking forw
ard to viewin
g works that challen
ge
our ideas around portraiture.”
D
EBO
RA
H K
LOC
HKO
Executive Director and C
hief Curator, M
useum of Photographic A
rts
LensCulture Portrait A
wards 2019 Juror
“ When you are presen
ting your w
ork, you have to be
your own toughest editor. D
on’t add more just to
show that you have don
e more. A
good sequence is
like music—
one photo should take you to the n
ext
and the n
ext. Sometim
es these links are chrom
atic,
sometim
es geometric. B
ut don’t be overly rational
about it. Fun
damen
tally, it should be a sensation
and a feelin
g that guides you.”
A
LESIA G
LAVIA
NO
Senior Photo Editor, Vogue Italia LensC
ulture Portrait Aw
ards 2016 Juror
Wh
at m
ake
s a
stron
g sub
missio
n?
THE SEC
RET SA
UC
E:
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“ Start with a very stron
g photo—on
e that grabs the
viewer’s atten
tion and forces him
or her to stop and
study the image, to read the caption
, to wan
t to see and
learn more. You n
eed to hook the viewer right aw
ay!”
JIM
CA
SPER
Editor-in-C
hief, LensCulture
LensC
ulture Portrait Aw
ards 2019 Juror
“ Put your best pictures up fron
t—don’t try to
tell a nuan
ced narrative or sequen
ce here. It’s
more about m
aking a good fi
rst impression
with killer photographs.”
D
ENISE W
OLFE
Senior Editor, A
perture
Wh
at m
ake
s a
stron
g sub
missio
n?
THE SEC
RET SA
UC
E:
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P33LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“ The n
umber of photographers out there is equal to the
num
ber of valid approaches to portraiture, so, you
should submit som
ething that represen
ts your point of
view, your aesthetic. L
et life happen in front of you,
follow w
hat’s there, and the w
ork will com
e.”
ELIN
OR
CA
RU
CC
I
Photographer
“ Be clear an
d direct with how
you describe the work to
the jurors. There are diff
erent con
texts where you can
be more playful w
ith language an
d style of writin
g, but
from m
y point of view
, an onlin
e submission is perhaps
the context w
here clarity of comm
unication in term
s
of inten
t and con
cept are most useful.”
K
AR
EN M
CQ
UA
ID
Curator, The Photographer’s G
allery
LensCulture Portrait A
wards 2019 Juror
Wh
at m
ake
s a
stron
g sub
missio
n?
THE SEC
RET SA
UC
E:
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Sh
ow
you
r w
ork
in
pro
gress
THO
UG
HTS FR
OM
KA
REN
MC
QU
AID
, C
UR
ATOR
AT THE P
HO
TOG
RA
PH
ERS’ G
ALLERY
Installation view. The Photographers’ G
allery, FreshFacedandWildEyed, 2012 ©
Kate Elliott
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Interview with Karen McQuaid - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
C_ W
hat is the history of portraiture like at The P
hotographers’ Gallery?
K_ Interestingly, as the gallery approaches it’s fiftieth
birthday, we are re-engaging w
ith our own exhibition
history in a variety of ways. W
e’ve shown som
e artists and photographers over the years w
hose work has had a huge
impact on the thinking about portraiture in w
ider culture and art, such as A
ndy Warhol in 1971; R
ineke Dijkstra
in 1997; Sally Mann in 2010 and Zanele M
uholi in 2015, to nam
e a few. A
ll of these artists have very different relationships to portraiture, the act of photography and their w
ider practice.
Ka
ren
McQ
ua
id, a
lon
g-time
cu
rato
r at Lo
nd
on
’s lea
din
g p
ub
lic institu
tion
de
dica
ted
to
ph
oto
grap
hy, offe
rs insigh
t a
bo
ut p
ortra
iture
at Th
e
Ph
oto
grap
he
rs’ Ga
llery, a
nd
a
dvice
for p
ho
togra
ph
ers
loo
kin
g to sh
are
the
ir wo
rk.
Questions by C
oralie Kraft
Answ
ers by Karen McQ
uaid
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K_ Eva and Franco M
attes, who have w
ork in our current A
ll I know Is W
hat’s on The Internet exhibition, stretch the edges of w
hat constitutes a portrait at all. They are exhibiting stock avatars in place of individuals to protect their anonym
ity.
C_ H
ow does your audiences respond to portraiture?
Is it more captivating than other w
ork?K
_ I can’t really get behind the idea that one sub-category of art or photography is m
ore ‘captivating’ than the other. O
f course there is something in the fact that figurative
or facial representation, in any visual art form, provides
an easy way to draw
people in. But that in itself is not
enough. The content and the context must also challenge
and fit. Cuny Janssen com
es to mind—
we show
ed her portraits of children and young people from
conflict regions back in 2005. H
er work alw
ays combines portraits w
ith environm
ental or landscape shots from the sam
e regions.
C_ H
ow does TP
G approach the genre of portraiture, and
what do they look for from
portrait photographers?K
_ One of the m
ost ambitious public art projects w
e’ve ever undertaken w
as a portrait comm
ission called The W
orld In London. In 2012, The Photographers’ Gallery
comm
issioned 204 photographers, both established and em
erging, to take portraits of 204 individual Londoners who
were born in countries com
peting in the Olym
pics. It was
a celebration of London’s cultural diversity, and indeed of portraiture itself. The range of photographic approaches w
as really satisfying.
In term
s of an approach to portraiture specifically, we are
led by the individual projects and the artists we w
ork with.
I’d say in terms of installation and form
at, we also look
for new and interesting w
ays that people are making and
showing portraits. V
ivienne Sassen’s Anelem
ma (2014)
installation had two large rolling projection scrolls full
of her figurative fashion images, m
ixing light, reflection and sound.
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Interview with Karen McQuaid - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
C_ In your opinion, w
hat steps have the most im
pact on a photographer’s career? Should all photographers aim
to sign to a gallery or publish a photobook? A
re competitions
and portfolio reviews critical for exposure?
K_ Sadly, there is no one answ
er to any question that starts w
ith “Should all photographers…?” G
etting your work seen
is crucial, that’s a given. How
ever, sometim
es I feel a real im
balance between a photographer’s focus on prom
otion and circulation and their focus on the w
ork itself. The strongest im
pact on your career that you can make is
concentrating on making the best w
ork/project/book or exhibition you can. That has to com
e before everything else. I urge photographers to be choosy about w
hich prizes and portfolio review
s they enter—don’t feel pressure to
overspend and attend them all.
K_ Portraiture is com
pletely central to what she does, but
there is extra strength when she interm
ixes it with other
genres. Bettina Von Zw
ehl showed A
lina in 2004—portraits
taken of young wom
en all listening to a composition by
Avro Part. The sitters, mostly m
usic students, were left in
the darkened soundproof room w
ith the piece of music, and
the artist captured the image via flash w
ithout warning.
The resulting portraits were very m
uch about the idea of absorption and captivation, and the audiences really added to that charged exchange in the exhibition space.
C_ A
s a curator at The Photographers’ G
allery, you have a unique perspective on com
petitions. Is there anything you w
ish you could comm
unicate to the photographers about how
to create a compelling subm
ission?K
_ It is very different to encounter work through a subm
ission site than through the intim
ate space of a photobook, a gallery or a bespoke digital presentation. You don’t need to be overly descriptive; just be sure that judges w
ho want
to know m
ore about the project and your intention for the w
ork can get that information via your text.
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Interview with Karen McQuaid - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
K_ You should budget annually for these sorts of
opportunities, much as you w
ould for a studio or equipm
ent—it is an investm
ent in your work. Select one
or two key aw
ards or reviews, and don’t do m
ore than you can afford. A
s a reviewer I try to ensure that the
competitions or review
s that I take part in are good value for photographers. I also say that the younger festivals are often the ones w
here the contact time betw
een photographers and review
ers is more relaxed
and generous.
C_ You’ve been a frequent portfolio review
er around the w
orld. What are a few
pieces of advice you find yourself offering m
ost frequently to aspiring or emerging
photographers who are looking to break through in
their careers?
I w
ould say be open to sharing work in progress in a
portfolio review session. It is often m
uch more beneficial
than sharing work that you feel is already very finished.
If you have made every decision about the w
ork, reviews
can be a bit of a wasted opportunity.
Installation view. The Photographers’ G
allery, Lorenzo Vitturi: D
alston Anatom
y, 2014 © Kate Elliott
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Interview with Karen McQuaid - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
K_ I w
ould urge photographers to consider reviews as a stage
for presenting work before publishing and exhibiting—
not everything has to be tied up. That w
ay you can actually consider feedback and have som
e space in the project to respond.
A
lso, be sure to think about a few key questions that you
want answ
ered about the project before you head into any review
session—perhaps in relation to sequencing, form
at, production, accom
panying text, etc. It’s good to have a few
concrete questions ready and waiting in case the
conversation doesn’t flow naturally.
Furtherm
ore, when you are at these m
eetings, it is so im
portant that you spend as much tim
e sharing w
ork and ideas with other photographers as w
ell as w
ith the “experts.” Keep an open mind. R
eally valuable collaborations and connections can com
e from all
directions at these events—not just from
across the review
table.
–Excerpt of an interview by C
oralie Kraft
Installation view. The Photographers’ G
allery, Rosangela R
enno: Rio-M
ontevideo, 2015 © Kate Elliott
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“ Win
nin
g this prize and bein
g selected by Phillip
Prodger, H
ead of Photographs at the N
ational
Portrait G
allery, not on
ly made us happy an
d gave
us intern
ational recogn
ition, but it also en
couraged
us to contin
ue inn
ovating, thin
king an
d doing,
going beyon
d established models an
d boundaries.”
A
LBA
RR
ÁN
CA
BR
ERA
LensC
ulture Portrait Aw
ards 2017 - Juror’s Pick
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
©
Albarrán C
abrera
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
INTER
VIEW
WITH
PH
OTO
GR
AP
HER
SA
RA
H B
AH
BA
H
Ph
oto
grap
hy as
an
expre
ssion
o
f ind
ulge
nce
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Interview with Sarah Bahbah - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
A_ The them
es in your work are sim
ultaneously complex
and familiar. W
hat inspires these topics?S_ The them
es I work w
ith are inspired from a real place, and
learned on the back of living. I have learned to completely
imm
erse myself in w
hatever situation I am experiencing,
be it good or bad. I take on the experience of great highs know
ing very well that w
ith them com
e deep lows. I can’t
romanticize logic, and subjectivity helps m
e create.
It sounds tragic and rom
antic, but I feel more inspired
when I am
wholeheartedly experiencing everything this
world has to offer. I delve heart-first into these offerings
from the universe, because it is a part of m
y process tow
ards liberation. As a form
of control, the patriarchy has conditioned w
omen to find sham
e in their indulgences. I express m
y indulgences through my w
ork as a way of
reclaiming m
y female identity. This is w
hat stimulates
my conceptualization.
Me
rging cin
em
atic p
ortra
its w
ith a
chin
gly-ho
ne
st su
btitle
text, Sa
rah
Ba
hb
ah
’s p
ho
togra
phy exp
lore
s e
mo
tive n
arra
tives o
f love
, sex, a
nd
rela
tion
ship
s from
a
wo
ma
n’s p
ersp
ective
. In th
is in
tervie
w, sh
e reve
als th
e
insp
iratio
n b
eh
ind
he
r insta
ntly
reco
gniza
ble
ima
ges, a
nd
h
ow
sha
ring th
em
on
line
ha
s co
ntrib
ute
d to
he
r care
er.
Questions by A
lana Holm
bergA
nswers by Sarah B
ahbah
Cover im
age © Sarah B
ahbah from her series Love You M
e Neither
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Interview with Sarah Bahbah - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
A_ I feel your aesthetic is like a photographic version of a
graphic novel, or a series of film stills. Som
etimes the
expressions and close-ups remind m
e of Roy Lichtenstein
illustrations. How
did you arrive at combining text and
images in this w
ay?S_ M
y style of photography has definitely been inspired by cinem
a. I am really draw
n to foreign films because of the
way I experience m
y interaction with them
. While the
beauty of foreign films are kept at bay because of cultural
incompetence, the translated subtitles are an active
attempt at understanding them
. In my tum
blr days, I was
always captivated w
ith screenshots and snippets of foreign film
s, and I found myself interpreting the subtitled im
ages w
ith my ow
n narrations. That’s when the idea occurred to
me - how
unique it would be to create a story that appears
as film, but w
as in fact, a series of cinematic photographic
stills. Paring subtitles with still im
ages has been a powerful
to personalize my w
ork while still keeping the them
es approachable and interactive.
A_ W
hy do you think your work has resonated so w
ell w
ith your audience, particularly on Instagram?
S_ I think my art resonates because I produce w
ork that is accessible and extrem
ely relatable. My w
ork is based on engaging honestly w
ith the self, emotions and relationships,
and a lot of people find my expression of these them
es com
forting and empow
ering. In some w
ay, Instagram is like
a shared visual diary or dream board, so aspirational w
ays of being can be posted as encouragem
ent.
© Sarah B
ahbah from her series I could not protect her
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Interview with Sarah Bahbah - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
A_ W
hat role does your Instagram account have in your
career? Can you describe how
your efforts or experiences on that platform
translate into your client work and your
artistic practice, or vice versa?S_ Instagram
is what helped launch m
y career as a recognized artist. M
y first series Sex and Takeout received so much
love on Instagram, and since then m
y audience and attention have kept grow
ing. For this reason, I am still really
active on Instagram, and I do fram
e my w
ork to fit into the Instagram
format, but I do this so I can stay connected and
personable with m
y audience. The platform itself does not
inform m
y practice or art.
© Sarah B
ahbah from her series I Love You M
e Neither
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Interview with Sarah Bahbah - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
A_ Instagram
provides an unmediated connection betw
een the photographer and their audience. H
ow have you
found the experience of having such a large comm
unity that is invested in your w
ork, right there on your phone? H
as anything surprised you? Are there parts of that
accessibility that you find challenging?*S_ M
y relationship with Instagram
is double-edged. On
one side, I feel truly blessed to have an international com
munity of people invested in m
y work and supportive
of me. It has been a really incredible process to open up
like this, and to be received so well. B
ut on the other side, I am
quite a guarded and introverted person. I am som
eone w
ho regenerates by taking time out for them
selves and turning inw
ards. What has been really challenging
for me is being constantly present and “live.” I am
still learning to find the balance betw
een these two seem
ingly contradictory w
orlds.
–Excerpt of an interview w
ith Alana H
olmberg
© Sarah B
ahbah from her series D
ear Love
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
THE K
EY TO
GR
OW
TH, C
ON
NEC
TION
S A
ND
FIND
ING
YOU
R V
OIC
E
Fee
db
ack
&
review
s
© Mirjana Vrbaski
© Donato Dicamillo
P4701. M
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Feedback and Reviews - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Po
rtfolio
Revie
ws
Many photography-related events and festivals offer
20-minute portfolio review
sessions for photographers to show
their work to influential experts in the industry and gain
valuable feedback. This is an excellent way to m
ake in-person connections w
ith people who can help you in your career.
He
arin
g or re
ad
ing a
no
the
r p
erso
n’s p
ersp
ective
on
yo
ur w
ork
can
be
on
e o
f the
b
est w
ays to
furth
er yo
ur
ph
oto
grap
hy, refi
ne
you
r a
pp
roa
ch, h
ave
you
r wo
rk
see
n, a
nd
con
ne
ct with
o
the
rs in th
e in
du
stry.Tip: O
ver prepare. Research the review
ers and determine
which are the best fits for your w
ork. Know
a few questions
you want to ask each review
er. Present your portfolio
professionally, in a manner that is easy to carry, open and
show w
ithout hassle.
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Feedback and Reviews - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Co
nn
ect w
ith Yo
ur C
om
mu
nity
Reach out to other photographers and arrange a tim
e to specifically look at each other’s w
ork in person or online. Many
other photographers are going through similar challenges to
you. Sharing feedback and experiences with others can help
you (and them!) m
ove past creative blocks.
Len
sCu
lture
Pro
fessio
na
l R
eview
sD
id you know that by entering a series of five or m
ore single im
ages in any of our awards, you can get a free w
ritten review
of your submitted w
ork? This is a unique opportunity for you to receive critical and constructive feedback on your photography from
top photo editors, curators, publishers, gallerists, educators, critics, consultants, and other industry professionals.
“I definitely needed a review like this. It’s exactly w
hat I was
looking for: a real critical, clever, and incredibly accurate review
. You’ve enlightened me about m
y weak points,
but instead of feeling hurt, it gave me the w
ill and the acknow
ledgment to w
ork on them and im
prove.” Giulia Parisi
Tip: Not all feedback is helpful. R
each out to people you respect and trust to provide honest and constructive criticism
. Be w
illing to show w
ork in progress.
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Feedback and Reviews - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Me
nto
ring
Many of the w
orld’s leading photographers mentor other
photographers, whether that be through a form
al, paid arrangem
ent or a free exchange of feedback and ideas. D
on’t be afraid to email and ask.
Pro
fessio
na
l Deve
lop
me
nt
Wo
rksho
ps
Keep an eye out for interesting workshops taking place near
you. Some of the w
orld’s best photographers offer tailored w
eek-long or weekend education experiences for sm
all groups that include review
s of participant work.
Tip: Do your research. not all photographers m
ake good teachers. C
heck reviews and talk w
ith others who have
participated before.
Tip: Respect others’ tim
e. Be clear about w
hat your are asking. W
ould you like a one-off review of your w
ork, or an ongoing relationship? O
nline or in person? What are your
goals for the mentorship?
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P5001. M
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“ Since the L
ensC
ulture Portrait A
wards, on
e of the
photographs from m
y book ‘Great In
teractions: L
ife with
Learn
ing D
isabilities and A
utism’, published by D
ewi
Lew
is, won silver at the R
oyal Photographic Society.
Aft
er the Len
sCulture com
petition, the G
uardian
weeken
d magazin
e ran an 11-page spread on the work,
and also in
cluded two dedicated photo galleries for the
series. Addition
ally, David C
ampan
y and I published
a book called ‘Adven
tures in the Lea V
alley’; that series
was also published by the G
uardian. I am
now
workin
g
with the arts organ
ization MultiStory on a book an
d
exhibition called ‘Fit to P
lead’. It’s about people with
learnin
g disabilities and autism
, specifically their
journeys through the crim
inal justice system
.”
P
OLLY
BR
AD
EN
LensCulture Portrait A
wards 2016 - Jurors’ P
ick
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
© Polly B
raden
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
INTER
VIEW
WITH
NA
DAV
KA
ND
ER
Ge
t ou
t o
f you
r h
ea
d
Robbie Williams © Nadav Kander. Courtesy Flowers Gallery.
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Interview with Nadav Kander - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Nadav Kander never received a university degree and
attended no formal, aesthetic schooling. R
ather, his autonom
ous pedagogy occurred at the beloved (and now
long-gone) Zwem
mer’s, a bookshop on C
haring Cross R
oad in London. Spending any spare m
oney he had, he gradually built a library of inspiration that he continues to reference today.
“All the w
ork I’ve ever seen that has sunk deep into me sits
on my shoulders like a rolodex. I see som
ething through my
camera, or think about som
ething, or start to print, and these im
ages pop into my head: Edw
ard Weston. Francis B
acon. Joel Sternfeld. D
iane Arbus. C
indy Sherman. H
iroshi Sugimoto.
Jeff Wall. Thom
as Dem
and. John Deakin. Jan Saudek. B
ill B
randt. Bill H
enson.
When this happens, I have to reckon w
ith these figures and contend w
ith their work. D
o I move tow
ards or away from
a particular im
age, a certain influence?”
Na
da
v Ka
nd
er sh
oo
ts cove
rs o
f som
e o
f the
wo
rld’s m
ost
imp
orta
nt in
divid
ua
ls. Tho
ugh
h
is style se
em
s so cle
ar
an
d w
ell-d
efi
ne
d to
da
y, this
ap
pa
ren
t certa
inty o
nly ca
me
w
ith tim
e, a
jou
rney h
e sh
are
s in
this exce
rpt o
f an
inte
rview
w
ith Le
nsC
ultu
re.
Cover im
age: Yibin I (B
athers, Sichuan Province. From
the series “Yangtze, The Long R
iver” © N
adav Kander. Courtesy Flow
ers Gallery.
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Interview with Nadav Kander - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Kander recognizes that outside forces must be dealt w
ith thoughtfully. N
egotiating with truly dom
inant figures is one thing, but Kander suggests there is a m
ore pernicious and increasingly unavoidable problem
: the influence we
feel from the im
ages that are surrounding us every day, the constant visual bom
bardment w
e are receiving on a m
inute-to-minute basis.
“People don’t look deeply enough anymore because there’s
too much to look at. Everyone is flipping, flipping, flipping.
I don’t think we can absorb w
ork of this level at such fantastic speeds.
“I don’t feel good when I see a w
hole bunch of work. I
feel like I’m sw
imm
ing in a dirty ocean. I need to be more
mindful of w
hat I’m doing and w
hat is authentic to me. I do
what I can to slow
down. I carefully choose w
hich galleries to visit. I rem
ind myself that I don’t have to see everything.
I try to stay true to myself.”
This adherence to mindfulness, and consideration in term
s of how
to spend one’s time, extends beyond w
hat images
Kander looks at. It also applies to the pace at which he
makes his w
ork.
Eddie Redm
ayne (Forest), 2016 © N
adav Kander. Courtesy Flow
ers Gallery.
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Interview with Nadav Kander - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“When I give m
yself time, I create the space to ask m
yself questions: am
I being too clever? Am
I being too influenced by those around m
e—from
market forces to gallery trends to
the artists I’ve mentioned? I’m
very conscious if something
is taking me aw
ay. When I get taken aw
ay, something is lost.
It’s as if I don’t like myself, as if I don’t feel good about m
yself because I’ve allow
ed myself to be w
eakened by external forces. It m
eans I haven’t found that charge in the work.”
To combat this com
promised feeling that Kander describes,
he arrives at his studio at 4 am each m
orning. There, he feels he can do all the things that keep him
centered.
“I look at the work, I edit it, I think. These are the tim
es that I can really center m
yself and be quiet. If I have three solid hours to focus, that’s usually enough to get back on track.”
Audrey w
ith toes and wrist bent, 2011. From
the series “Bodies.
6 Wom
en, 1 Man” ©
Nadav Kander. C
ourtesy Flowers G
allery.
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Interview with Nadav Kander - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
With this im
age in mind, it’s hard to im
agine another, significant part of his life coexisting: at the eye of a hurricane know
n as a magazine photo shoot. Surprisingly,
though, Kander considers these two environm
ents not in tension or conflict, but in harm
ony.
“Making m
y own w
ork, when it is really m
y own, is such
an insular and lonely time. In contrast, I love w
orking w
ith people, collaborating with assistants, engaging w
ith m
y subject, working under pressure. The tw
o balance beautifully.
“I believe there’s no difference in the end result. In every case, I’m
looking for my view
er to be really excited by the im
age I have made. For the person and the picture to
meet... W
e have wide tastes in w
hat we look at—
so why
should we lim
it ourselves in the work w
e make?”
To maintain the energy for one’s personal journey tow
ards authentic self-expression, Kander’s drive is one of the key ingredients. In fact, he doubts that people get discovered. R
ather, those who fight to have their w
ork seen are the ones that succeed.
Barack O
bama I, 2009 ©
Nadav Kander. C
ourtesy Flowers G
allery.
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Interview with Nadav Kander - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“Today, it’s really hard to be seen among the
unbelievable amount of popular im
agery that is being show
n these days. There are so many m
ore opportunities than there once w
ere, but it’s never been harder to be seen w
ith coherence and impact.”
When Kander w
as starting out, the challenges were
different. If photographers succeeded in being shown,
it wasn’t w
ith the speed that images are being seen
today, as a magazine spread or being profiled in a
newspaper w
as a much slow
er vehicle than appearing on som
eone’s phone.
“That’s why I alw
ays tell young artists: print out your w
ork. Don’t just look on a screen all the tim
e. Make
your images tactile, m
ove them around. Your w
ork w
ill become m
uch more hum
an as a result.”
—Excerpt from
a feature by Alexander Strecker
Changxing Island III, Shanghai. From
the series “Yangtze, The Long River” ©
Nadav Kander. C
ourtesy Flowers G
allery.
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
©
“ I think above all, a photographer in
terested in
a career in portraiture should be doing as m
uch
personal w
ork as possible to fully develop their
visual language. F
eedback and exposure are also
importan
t, but having a clear photographic voice an
d
an understan
ding of w
hy you are shooting an
d what
draws you to your subjects is even m
ore essential.”
JEN
NIFER
PASTO
RE
D
irector of Photography, Wall Street Journal
© Vasantha Yogananthan
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LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
03
. IN
SP
IRA
TION
© Claudio Rasano
© Owen Harvey
01. Make rem
arkable portraits 02. Share remarkable portraits 03. Inspiration
P5901. M
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P59LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
P59P59
Ma
ny ph
oto
grap
hy pro
jects gro
w fro
m a
spa
rk o
f a
n in
itial id
ea
, ignite
d fro
m a
pe
rson
al exp
erie
nce
, co
nversa
tion
s in th
e ze
itgeist, th
e w
ork
of a
no
the
r a
rtist, or so
me
thin
g else
from
the
myria
d o
f hu
ma
n
expe
rien
ces w
e e
nco
un
ter eve
ry da
y.
When you’re stuck for an idea, or unsure how
to visually approach a new
idea, it can be helpful to dive into the work of others for inspiration.
In this chapter we’ve built a list of thought-provoking and varied resources
to stir the portrait photographer within. Pour over stunning features on
prize-winning projects from
previous Portrait Aw
ards, then make your
way through our curated list of notable and interesting books, film
s and projects related to portraiture.
P60P60LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
01. Make rem
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P60 Ra
nd
yP
roject Spotlight
RO
BIN
DE P
UY
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P61Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
One night in 2015, as she rode her m
otorcycle through the expansive N
evada landscape, Dutch photographer R
obin de Puy stopped outside a casino in the sm
all town of Ely. That
evening she met R
andy, a teenage boy who w
ould become
the subject and inspiration behind a powerful, long-term
portrait series.
Cover Im
age: Randy #
5524 © R
obin de Puy. Left: R
andy #017101 ©
Robin de Puy. Top: R
andy #017005 ©
Robin de Puy.
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P62Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Over the course of their friendship (three years and
counting), de Puy created a raw, revealing portrait
of Am
erican adolescence. The setting is sparse and unrem
arkable: an arid landscape punctuated by spindly tow
ers, or a car’s shiny, plasticky interior. Randy and his
brothers cavort through this terrain, their wiry bodies and
sharp, angular limbs stretching across the fram
e of de Puy’s photographs. R
andy himself is m
agnetic. The veracity (and intensity) of his em
otions translate seamlessly from
reality to im
age; rarely are we, as view
ers, presented with a subject
who is so vulnerable and unreserved.
—C
oralie Kraft
Left: Randy #
017429 © R
obin de Puy. Middle: R
andy #029454 ©
Robin de Puy.
Image on the right: R
andy #027826 ©
Robin de Puy.
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P63Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“ In the end I w
anted to m
ake this homage to R
andy.
All these pictures. A
ll these film
s. I just wan
t people
to be overwhelm
ed by him, an
d hopefully fall in love
a little bit. Actually, at this very m
omen
t, people are
writin
g me letters or poetry or son
gs, only for R
andy.
An
d that’s pretty cool.”
- R
OB
IN D
E PU
Y
Image left: R
andy #1231 ©
Robin de Puy.
Top: Randy #
8230 © R
obin de Puy. B
ottom: R
andy #028564 ©
Robin de Puy.
P64P64LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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P64 The
Bo
mb
s Th
ey Ca
rried
AD
AM
FERG
USO
N
Project Spotlight
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P65Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Taken in Maiduguri, the capital of B
orno State in Nigeria,
these portraits feature young wom
en who w
ere forced to carry suicide bom
bs by Boko H
aram, a m
ilitant Islamist
group based in Nigeria. C
aptured by the militants at an
early age (sometim
es as young as 13), these girls were
made to transport explosives in the hopes that they w
ould carry out suicide bom
bing missions in busy urban areas.
And yet, they survived.
Cover Im
age: Balaraba, age 20, stands for a portrait in M
aiduguri, Borno State, N
igeria on Sept. 22, 2017 ©
Adam
Ferguson. Image left: Falm
ata, age 15, stands for a portrait in Maiduguri, B
orno State, Nigeria on
Sept. 22, 2017 © A
dam Ferguson. Top: M
aimum
a, age 14, stands for a portrait in Maiduguri, B
orno State, N
igeria on Aug. 29, 2017 ©
Adam
Ferguson
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P66Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
The New
York Times com
missioned A
dam Ferguson
to take portraits of these young wom
en for an article about the horrific practice. To protect the identities of these young w
omen, Ferguson obscured their faces in
his photographs—som
e of them conceal their faces
with thin fingers and others hide their eyes in the deep
shadows surrounding their bodies. A
s single images,
they are affecting. As a series, they cut to your core.
Ferguson’s story was aw
arded first prize in People, Stories at the W
orld Press Photo A
wards, and an im
age from
this series was nom
inated for the World P
ress Photo of the Year.
Aisha, age 14, stands for a portrait in M
aiduguri, Borno State, N
igeria on Sept. 21, 2017 © A
dam Ferguson
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P67Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
“ I try to come up w
ith an idea that acknow
ledges the subjects’ journey as som
ething that
intersects w
ith the arc of history. I’m lookin
g for an image that show
s a facet of the sitter that
can act as either a symbol or m
etaphor for this intersection
. I always have an idea, a startin
g
point, then the in
tuitive and un
expected unfolds.”
A
DA
M FER
GU
SON
Image left: M
aimuna, age 16, stands for a portrait in M
aiduguri, Borno State, N
igeria on Sept. 21, 2017 © A
dam Ferguson.
Right: M
aryam, age 16, stands for a portrait in M
aiduguri, Borno State, N
igeria on Sept. 20, 2017 © A
dam Ferguson.
P68P68LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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P68
Ge
ntle
me
n’s
Clu
bC
RISTIN
A D
E MID
DEL
Project Spotlight
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P69Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Traditional photographic and media coverage of prostitution
has focused on only one half of the business. If aliens came to
earth and tried to understand what prostitution is about, they
would believe it is a business based on naked w
omen staying
in dirty rooms. W
ith Gentlem
en’s Club I tried to give visibility
to the other 50 percent.
Cover Im
age: New
ton, 43 years © C
ristina de Middel. Im
age left: Silvio, 28 years. © C
ristina de Middel.
Top left: Luis prefers not to say how old he is ©
Cristina de M
iddel. Top Right: M
arcus, 22 years old. © C
ristina de Middel.
P70P70LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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P70
In June 2015, I put an advert in a newspaper in R
io de Janeiro asking for prostitutes´ clients to pose for m
e in exchange for m
oney. My intention w
as first to see w
ho these people were, and to also invert the roles of
the business, as the clients would be selling part of
themselves. The response w
as massive. This is a
selection of the men w
ho accepted the deal.
Image left: C
harles © C
ristina de Middel. Im
age top: Maginô, 46 ©
Cristina de M
iddel. Im
age right: Luis prefers not to say how old he is ©
Cristina de M
iddel.
P71P71LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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P71
Co
me
He
ll Or
High
Wa
ter
CO
CO
AM
AR
DEIL
Project Spotlight
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P72Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
The youth of today live in a time w
here uncertainty about the future—
fuelled by a distrust of politics, institutions and the m
edia—has reached epic proportions.
The mass of contradictions created by past generations
has left them w
ith a lot of grey areas. As a result, they are
overcome w
ith apprehension and anxiety about their place in a confused and changing w
orld—a w
orld without any
reliable points of reference and a thousand different forms
of violence.
Cover Im
age: Antoine ©
Coco A
mardeil. Im
age left: Ana ©
Coco A
mardeil. Im
age top: Theo © C
oco Am
ardeil
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P73Portrait Spotlight - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
It is this mom
ent in life, a time of soul-searching and self-
discovery, that I wanted to capture through this series of portraits.
This generation—the generation that w
ill make up the w
orld of tom
orrow w
ithout having much of an idea of w
here they are going or w
hat they want—
is just trying to keep their heads above the sea of stim
uli that surrounds them.
Image top: A
ske © C
oco Am
ardeil. Im
age bottom: C
amilla ©
Coco A
mardeil.
P74P74LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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P74
Bo
ok
reco
mm
en
da
tion
s
AU
GU
ST SAN
DER
: PER
SECU
TED/
PER
SECU
TOR
S, PEO
PLE O
F THE
20TH C
ENTU
RY
(2018)
Featuring images, contact prints,
letters and more, this new
book show
s specific chapters of People of the 20th C
entury, August
Sander’s life work that paints a
photographic portrait of Germ
an society under the W
eimar R
epublic.
DEA
NA
LAW
SON
: AP
ERTU
RE
MO
NO
GR
AP
H (2018)
Embracing the black body as
the central feature in her work,
portrait photographer Deana
Lawson upholds dom
estic scenarios as m
agical environments,
emboldening her subjects to be
comfortable in their ow
n skin as they pose in front of her cam
era.
DIA
NE A
RB
US: A
N A
PER
TUR
E M
ON
OG
RA
PH
(2012)
Universally acknow
ledged as a photobook classic, “D
iane Arbus:
An A
perture Monograph” is a
timeless m
asterpiece with editions
in five languages, and remains the
foundation of her international reputation.
FAZA
L SHEIK
H, LA
DLI (2007)
An aw
ard-winning book published
by Steidl focusing on the situation of young w
omen living in India.
MA
RY
ELLEN M
AR
K O
N TH
E P
OR
TRA
IT AN
D TH
E MO
MEN
T (A
PER
TUR
E, 2015)
Learn about Mary Ellen M
ark’s creative process for portraiture, covering issues such as gaining trust, taking pictures that are controlled but unforced, and com
pelling composition.
P75P75LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
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P75
MIK
E DISFA
RM
ER, TH
E H
EBER
SPR
ING
S PO
RTR
AITS,
1939-1946
A fascinating collection of studio
portraits of the townspeople of
Heber Springs, A
rkansas.
NA
N G
OLD
IN: TH
E BA
LLAD
OF
SEXU
AL D
EPEN
DEN
CY
(2014)
An em
otive and confronting visual diary chronicling the struggles for intim
acy and understanding am
ong the friends and lovers of N
an Goldin. First published in 1983,
this monum
ental work rem
ains relevant today.
PIETER
HU
GO
, THER
E’S A
PLA
CE IN
HELL FO
R M
E & M
Y
FRIEN
DS (2012)
A series of close-up portraits
of the artist and his friends, all of w
hom call South A
frica home.
REA
D TH
IS IF YO
U W
AN
T TO
TAK
E GR
EAT P
HO
TOG
RA
PH
S OF
PEO
PLE (2015)
This practical book features technical tips as w
ell as starting points for those new
to the genre. R
eaders are given practical insights into the ideas and techniques of a w
ide range of historical and contem
porary photographers.
ZAN
ELE MU
HO
LI: SOM
NYA
MA
N
GO
NYA
MA
, HA
IL THE D
AR
K
LION
ESS (2018)
This monograph by A
perture features over ninety of M
uholi’s evocative self-portraits, each im
age drafted from m
aterial props in M
uholi’s imm
ediate environment.
WILLIA
M EG
GLESTO
N
PO
RTR
AITS (2016)
This book features Eggleston’s m
asterful portraits, including the artist’s first color photograph. There are m
any other familiar
and beloved images as w
ell as som
e previously unseen photographs from
his long and productive career.
Bo
ok
reco
mm
en
da
tion
s
P76P76LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
01. Make rem
arkable portraits 02. Share remarkable portraits 03. Inspiration
P76
Film re
com
me
nd
atio
ns
WH
AT R
EMA
INS: TH
E LIFE AN
D
WO
RK
OF SA
LLY M
AN
N (2006)
One of A
merica’s m
ore remarkable
photographers uncovers the details of her life and creative process as she begins w
orking on a photo series on death and decay.
RIC
HA
RD
AVED
ON
, ON
DA
RK
NESS
AN
D LIG
HT (1995)
Helen W
hitney’s documentary film
about an artist w
ho revolutionized the very concept of fashion photography.
AB
STRA
CT: TH
E AR
T OF D
ESIGN
: EP
7 PLA
TON
(2017)
Part of a Netflix O
riginal Series, this episode follow
s portrait photographer P
laton, giving an insight into his unique studio shooting and printing process.
AN
NIE LEIB
OV
ITZ: LIFE THR
OU
GH
A
LENS (2007)
An A
merican M
asters documentary
about celebrated portrait photographer A
nnie Leibovitz, through the eyes of subjects including W
hoopi Goldberg, Kiera
Knightly, Mick Jagger and m
ore.
GU
EST OF C
IND
Y SH
ERM
AN
(2008)
Cindy Sherm
an talks about being the m
aster of disguise through her photography role-playing, and delivers an intim
ate look at her artistic m
ethods.
THE W
OO
DM
AN
S (2010)
A peek into the life of Francesca
Woodm
an, a young photographer know
n for her self-portraits and photos of other w
omen,
usually nude.
P77P77LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
01. Make rem
arkable portraits 02. Share remarkable portraits 03. Inspiration
P77
Film re
com
me
nd
atio
ns
CH
EVO
LUTIO
N (2008)
A docum
entary about the famous
portrait Cuban photographer
Alberto D
iaz made of C
he Guevara,
one of the most recognizable
snapshots in photography.
NA
N G
OLD
IN - I R
EMEM
BER
Y
OU
R FA
CE (2014)
Docum
entary filmm
aker Sabine Lidl observes photographer N
an Goldin
through interactions with the
friends who becam
e her subjects.
P78P78LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
01. Make rem
arkable portraits 02. Share remarkable portraits 03. Inspiration
P78
Po
rtrait P
roje
cts
AN
ASTA
SIA TAY
LOR
-LIND
Stay
AN
YA M
IRO
SHN
ICH
ENKO
Ana loves you
ALIC
E MA
NN
Drum
mies
ALM
A H
ASA
RC
osmic Surgery
ATO
NG
ATEM
Self-Portraits
BIEK
E DEP
OO
RTER
Night W
alks With A
gata
CLA
UD
IO R
ASA
NO
South Africa Everyone Live
In The Same P
lace Like Before
Black W
hite &
DA
NA
LIXEN
BER
GIm
perial Courts (2003 - 2015)
DELP
HIN
E BLA
STC
holitas, the revenge of a generation
EMILY
BU
RL
Marilyn
ERIC
A N
YH
OLM
We are Tem
porary Reality
HU
MA
NS O
F NEW
YO
RK
HA
RU
KA
SAK
AG
UC
HThe O
riginal New
Yorkers
HEN
DR
IK K
ERSTEN
SPaula: Silent C
onversations
P79P79LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
01. Make rem
arkable portraits 02. Share remarkable portraits 03. Inspiration
P79
Po
rtrait P
roje
cts
HO
DA
ASH
FAR
Under W
estern Eyes
ING
VAR
KEN
NE
Citizen &
New
Citizen (from
2012)
JRInside Out
KA
TERIN
A K
ALO
UD
IG
enogram
KR
EMER
JOH
NSTO
NC
raigslist Encounters
LISE SAFA
RTI
She
LI KEJU
NThe G
ood Earth
JON
O R
OTM
AN
Mongrelism
MA
SSIMO
GIO
VAN
NIN
IH
ENKO
Variable Light
MED
INA
DU
GG
ERC
hroma: A
n Ode to J.D
. Okhai
Ojeikere
OLIV
IA A
RTH
UR
Jeddah Diary
PIETER
HU
GO
1994
PIX
Y Y
IJUN
LIAO
Experimental R
elationship
RA
PH
AELA
RO
SELLAYou D
idn’t Take Aw
ay My Future,
You Gave M
e A N
ew O
ne
VASA
NTH
A Y
OG
AN
AN
THA
NA
Myth of Tw
o Souls: H
and Painted Photographs
LensCulture Portrait Guide 2019
Len
sCu
lture
is on
e o
f the
mo
st po
pu
lar
an
d fa
r-rea
chin
g reso
urce
s for
disco
verin
g the
be
st in co
nte
mp
ora
ry p
ho
togra
phy a
rou
nd
the
wo
rld.
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Go
on
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