One of the marks of a good portrait, versus a fashion, beauty or snapshot, is the successful capture of emotion. It’s much harder than you would think, even for a seasoned professional, and even harder with virtual strangers but it’s what I attempt to do every time. And some times are more successful than others.
Cartier Bresson called his photography ‘the decisive moment’ but he was a street photographer. In the case of portrait photography I’d like to call it ‘the elusive moment’. Naturally I should have everything set up perfectly, (the lighting, the framing and the posing) but it is that extra element that the subject brings into the studio that I cannot plan.
Occasionally what at first might appear to be a misfire in terms of the moment can turn out to be the best photograph of the session. In this particular case I was actually shooting my two daughters as part of a family shoot but Pandora, the elder sister, decided to kiss the back of her sister’s head obscuring half of her face. At the time I just moved on with the shoot capturing many more shots of them together- including her entire face.
However when it came to editing the this photo jumped out at me immediately. The fact that the lower half of her face is obscured brings so much more attention to her eyes and it is the obvious love for her sister there that makes this photos the strongest one. That is something that I cannot direct but can thankful to be there to witness. Of course it doesn’t hurt that the pose makes for an excellent classical triangular composition but is only secondary to the emotional element.
Half of a face missing might be considered a crime in more pedestrian studios but in mine it makes it the pick of the bunch. And I hope for many more such chances in the future for my clients.