Lesson video

Hello, my name is Miss Tipping and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today about portraits and figures in photography.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in this lesson.

So shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to review the range of ways photographers have been inspired by portraits and figures in photography.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some key words we'll be using during the lesson.

A subject is the focus, topic, or image of an image.

For example, in a portrait, the subject is the person who has been photographed.

Narrative refers to the story or message that a photograph communicates about the subject.

And symbolism is the use of objects, colours, or imagery to suggest deeper meanings.

Pause a video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you're ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson, Looking at a photographer spotlight in portraits and figures, photographic deconstruction in portraits and figures, and also personal connection in portraits and figures.

So in this first learning cycle, we're going to explore a photographer spotlight within portraits and figures.

Why do you think people have always been such a powerful subject in photography? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, photographers across history and cultures have been inspired to create portraits and depictions of people.

Photographers take different approaches to the exploration of portraits and figures in their work using different techniques and themes.

Some themes and techniques artists might use are documenting sociocultural histories, symbolism, life experiences, and social commentary, abstraction and narrative and storytelling.

Some photographers focus on the accuracy of their work, aiming to achieve a highly recognisable likeness of their subject using natural lighting and choosing not to digitally edit the photographs.

This kind of representation is common when documenting social histories, cultures, or specific people.

Photographers who focus on creating accurate depictions of the subject include George Hurrell.

He is known for creating high-contrast Hollywood portraits featuring dynamic lighting and a distinct visual style.

Campbell Addy's bold photographic portraits explore identity, beauty, and representation.

Martin Schoeller is known for extreme close-up portraits attempting to capture every detail of his subject's faces.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What is the main aim of a photographer when creating a realistic depiction of their subject? To create a lifelike photo of the model, to experiment with dynamic lighting effects, to express concepts through symbolic objects, to digitally edit and stylize photographs using filters.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question.

A press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said it's to create a lifelike photo of the model, you're absolutely right.

That's the main aim of photographer when creating a realistic depiction of their subject.

Cameras and photography equipment were not readily available for most people before the 20th century because it was so expensive.

This meant that many people, including those from marginalised groups, the working classes, and everyday life were often excluded from representation unless through documentation by the wealthy and powerful.

What kind of stories or people might photographers choose to highlight today? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your peers and press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, Jacob says, "Photographers could choose to make photos about marginalised people and groups." Alex mentions that photographers might explore global traditions, especially, from their own heritage, and Sofia mentions photographers might portray the real lives of diverse people, not just the wealthy and powerful.

In some cultures, symbolism has been used to denote specific people or their character.

It may be more important than recognisable facial features.

Jun says, "Kings of Benin are represented in stylized bronze works with elaborate regalia, coral beads, and facial stylization to show status and power." Izzy says, "Portraits of Chinese ancestors often blended realism with symbolic elements like traditional robes and objects to show rank and status.

It is about honouring status and legacy." Photographers can use depictions of people to show life experiences and these may be their own or those of others.

Through portraiture, photographers may reflect real life, examine past experiences, challenge misconceptions, and advocate change through social commentary.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of the following is not a reason a photographer might depict people in their work? To avoid making any form of social commentary, to challenge stereotypes or misconceptions, to examine personal or cultural identity, to show real-life experiences, their own or others.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question and press play when you are ready to continue.

If you said to avoid making any form of social commentary, you're absolutely right.

That is not a reason a photographer might depict people in their work.

Photographers who document their life experiences through their work include Ingrid Pollard's photography that examines race, identity, and landscape, often exploring people's relationship to place.

Maud Sulter combines portraiture with historical research to highlight gaps in European history and cultural representation.

And Joey Solomon creates intimate self-portraits and images of friends which explore their LGBTQ+ identity, disability and the intersection of vulnerability and strength.

Photographers sharing social commentary and challenging misconceptions in their photographs.

To highlight issues include Heather Agyepong, adopts a technique of reimagination through photography to explore personal and collective histories.

Claudia Andujar devoted decades to documenting and advocating for the Yanomami people, blending portraiture with activism to protect their rights and culture.

Lee Jeffries creates monochrome closeups of homeless individuals, capturing intense emotions and human dignity.

Some photographers depict portraits and figures using an abstract or experimental approach.

They might use dynamic lighting or compositions, blurred or out-of-focus shots and digital photo manipulation tools and edits.

What meaning could this add to the work? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your peers and press play when you're ready to continue.

While Sam says, "Using dynamic or experimental lighting and using digital edits could create a clearer link to the emotions of the artist or subject." Andeep says, "It could also be used to share deeper meanings or ideas.

Photographers can use a combination of realism and abstraction in their work." Photographers using abstraction and experimental techniques in their portraits and figures include Babak Haghi whose moody, cinematic imagery often blends cultural heritage with modern narratives.

Dora Maar's portraits often combine surrealist symbolism and experimentation with psychological tension in her photos.

Pixy Liao produces stage portraits often featuring herself and her partner, playfully subverting gender roles, exploring intimacy and power in relationships.

Photographers often use portraits and figures to tell a real or imagined story.

This is called a narrative.

Why might a photographer choose to convey a narrative in their work? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

A narrative can only be created through use of text in an artwork.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said that's false, you're absolutely right, but why is that statement false? Can you explain it? Pause the video here and explain it to your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Well, perhaps, you said something like, photographers use imagery in a wide range of ways to communicate different narratives and themes.

They may adapt the pose of the subject, background objects and lighting techniques to express a narrative.

Well-done.

Other themes and techniques photographers might use are beauty ideals, power and status, distortion, text integration, and social commentary or propaganda.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to select two or three photographers or specific photographs and compare them.

Consider these questions.

In what ways are the photographs visually similar or different? Think about subject, composition, lighting, focus, exposure, colour and style.

What themes, symbols, or ideas do the photographs explore? Are there any connections between them and which techniques, processes or creative choices in these photographs inspire you and how might you use them in your own work? So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at this learning task and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you find that? Well, let's have a look at an example.

Lucas says, "Both Martin Schoeller and Lee Jeffries have created closeup portraits which capture details of their subjects.

Jeffries creates more dramatic photos through contrast, lighting, and exposure, which reveals more emotion.

Aisha says, "Claudia Andujar documents the everyday moments of people to highlight cultural differences, while Pixy Liao intentionally stages scenes with people in them to craft narratives and weave layers of meaning." So looking at these photographers here with Pixy Liao and Babak Haghi, we've got emotional and psychological depth that is very similar between the two, but Pixy has stage situations, explores dynamics between two figures and has natural warm lighting, whereas Babak has high-contrast, dramatic lighting.

There is a tension built through physical postures of subjects, and it's also very moody and cinematic.

So well-done for comparing two or three photographers.

This now brings us to the second part of our lesson.

We're going to look at photographic deconstruction through portraits and figures.

What is the first thing you notice about this photo? Pause the video here and have a quick discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

What's the first thing or perhaps for you, it was the silhouette of the person or maybe it was the moon, or maybe there's a contrast between the dark and the light.

Photographers use various techniques to communicate in their work, composition, focus, lighting and exposure, the element of art, the line, tone, colour, pattern, shape, form, and texture.

Digital photo manipulation tools or other camera techniques, imagery and subject.

And we can deconstruct these techniques to understand the work more deeply.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of the following best explains why we might deconstruct a photographer's techniques and creative decisions? To copy the exact style for our own work, to decide if the photo is realistic or abstract only, to identify which cameras were the most expensive.

To understand the meaning behind the photo.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said that, it's to understand the meaning behind the photo.

You're right.

Well-done.

How are photography techniques used in this work? Well, we've got a nighttime shot with minimal lighting and exposure to create this silhouette figure, the cool colours and muted tones create quiet, tranquil image.

The composition is aligned with the figure and the crescent moon in the centre.

The light in the lower part of the photo suggests dawn, early morning, suggesting hope and new beginnings.

The subject is photographed from below, looking upward, exploring the scene and inviting us to do the same.

Laura is describing the imagery and subject in this work.

"I noticed the crescent moon and low-light around the subject." "There is no direct gaze as the subject is looking away and the low lighting creates a silhouette." "The open expansive sky helps to add narrative." Photographers can use gaze, pose, and body language of their subject to communicate a sense of power and social status, emotion or mood, confidence of vulnerability, relationships between subjects in the work and interaction with the viewer.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding, which is the most likely term to fill the gap.

A seated figure looking directly at the viewer can suggest boredom, confidence, or fear.

Pause the video here and have a discussion with your peers and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said confidence, you're right.

Gaze that meets the viewer's own can create a sense of control or assertiveness.

This brings us to our second learning task.

I'd like you to select one photograph and describe it.

Describe what you can see in the photograph, the composition, focus, lighting and exposure, the elements of art, the digital photo manipulation tools or other camera techniques, the imagery and subject, and also how the photographer used these techniques to communicate with the audience.

You might want to record this as an idea shower around an image of the photo, write a paragraph or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

To pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at this learning task and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did that go? Well, let's have a look at this example here.

So we've got strong shadows to create contrast, lots of space around the figure to create an expansive composition.

There's no direct gaze, but a confident physical pose.

Soft, out-of-focus lines from a window or railing give the sense of looking through to reveal narrative.

The photo is in black and white, which adds atmosphere, mood, and drama.

The straight lines are contrasted with the curved, sweeping lines on the ice and the subject is positioned in the centre.

Let's take a look at this other example here.

The space in the top third of the composition draws the eye down to a busier scene.

This double exposure technique through digital manipulation and overlaying images, the subject he's looking off to the side may be contemplating or reminiscing.

There is a relationship between the subject and trees, which suggests a connection to nature, place, and environment.

There are controlled colours that deepen the emotion in the work, and there are different degrees of focus between trees, subject and sky to create a visual range.

So well-done for having a go at selecting one photograph and describing it.

This brings us to the final parts of our lesson.

We're going to look at personal connection through portraits and figures.

How can looking at a photographer's work help us develop our own work? Well, Jacobs, "As I look at photos with similar themes, exploring portraiture or meanings to help give me new ideas." Alex, "As I'm inspired by the techniques photographers use and try to apply these to my theme", and Sofia mentions "Work that has similar imagery or figures can inspire new work even if the concept is different.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

We can only take inspiration from photographs that are exactly like ours in imagery, theme, and technique.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said that's false, you're absolutely right, but can you explain why that statement is false? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner to explain why this is false and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said something like, you can select the elements of a photo that inspire you and consider how you might use similar elements in your work.

You could find a technique inspirational, even if the photo has a different concept or theme to your own work.

Well-done.

There are a number of things which can cause us to have a personal connection with a photograph such as techniques or themes.

We can identify and interpret symbolism or narratives in a photo to examine our personal connection to the themes of the work.

What symbolism or narratives are in this work? Well, the semi-visible subject suggests depth and mystery.

The high contrast between red and black creates intensity.

Immersed in written characters.

This photograph suggests a dynamic relationship being explored or experienced between culture and individual.

Have you noticed different symbolism or narratives? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner and press play when you're ready to continue.

Well, different people find different personal connections to photographs leading to varied ways of developing ideas from the same work.

How could this work link either thematically or technically to your theme? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think and press play when you're ready to continue.

While Andeep says, "This work could inspire my theme of emotion and loneliness through the subject's pose and isolation." Jun says, "My theme is identity and environment, so I could highlight how the world around us can influence our sense of self." And Izzy mentions "I wanted to look at celebrations and consider how they might be different for individuals and groups of people." Can you think of any other thematic interpretations from this piece? Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Why can the same photograph inspire varied themes and ideas for different people? Photographers usually follow one shared way of thinking.

Everyone interprets photos in exactly the same way, people form a connection based on their own experiences.

There is only one correct theme in any given.

There is only one correct theme in any given photograph.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about the answer to this question and press play when you're ready to continue.

If you said people form a connection based on their own experiences, you're right.

Well-done.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to select one photograph and consider your personal connection.

What themes, symbols, or ideas does this photo explore? Are there any symbols, imagery, or connections that help create a narrative or show meaning? What techniques, processes, or creative decisions in this photo inspire you and how you might use them in your own work? And you might record this as an idea shower around an image of the photo, write a paragraph or create an audio or film recording of your ideas.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at this learning task, and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did that go? Shall we take a look at an example? So you might have said for this image, theme, dreams and imagination, "I'm drawn to the high contrast black-and-white tones that creates atmosphere and mood.

Obscuring the subject communicates the idea of separation from waking reality as they enter a daydream or drift off to sleep.

The non-direct gaze, fabric, and starry sky adds to this feeling of the subject being in a dreamlike state." I will create a similar composition using symbolism, lighting, and exposure to experiment with surrealist imagery in my own work.

For this photograph here, the theme is change in transformation.

This work creates a narrative of a person undergoing a transformation.

"This is suggested by the subject who is obscured by a net with butterflies on, symbolising a chrysalis.

The dark clothing and simple neutral background divides the composition and draws attention to the subject.

I will create my work by photographing self-portraits that invite the sense of change.

I'll use a direct gaze to show the idea of looking confidently towards my future." So well-done for having go at selecting a photograph and considering your personal connection.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about portraits and figures in photography.

Portraits can show us subject's identity, including culture, gender, age, social status, and background.

Portraits can tell stories about people's lives and experiences reflecting relationships, emotions or history.

Photographers often use portraiture and figures to tell real or imagined stories, and this is called a narrative.

Photographers often use their work to share views on society, culture, or document important issues.

Portraits can go beyond what someone looks like.

They can show who they are and what they stand for, sometimes, using symbolism.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.