The Art Within Portrait Photography by Klaus Bohn

Author:Klaus Bohn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9780978116248
Publisher: CCB Publishing
Published: 2010-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

My Dog and I

When I had the consultation with this young woman it was evident that the dog was a very big part of her life and the emphasis needed to be on the dog. He was a fun loving dog and like so many pets they have a purpose to make us love them back in an unexplainable way. We chose the outdoors because they would often go for walks in this place; it was familiar and the dog was so content to be there and have fun. I hardly existed as far as he was concerned and that was just what I wanted.

I explored the photographs and started to see the possibilities: cropping, printing on watercolour paper and visualizing a panel shape. It may be easier to take in an image with this kind of format because we are used to movie screens in theatres and the format of new televisions and computer monitors. Since our eyes are side by side we see so much more horizontally than vertically. Whenever possible I prefer using the so-called landscape format because it can be soothing and peaceful as in this image.

The relationship these two have is evident in the expression on the dog’s face: pure happiness. There was no need for me to include the woman’s face because what the dog was saying in his body language and facial expression could not be improved upon. I cropped the photograph because we need to be careful not to compete for the viewer’s attention or distract from a strong look that says too much.

I like the movement of the dog curling around his mistress in a loving way. All that was important to the dog was the one he knew and wanted to be with. The body of the young lady shows us movement in a straight line as she chooses the direction and is still in control. This dog is mesmerized by his beloved owner and wants to be close and in sync at all times.

Looking at the work print on the next page, the lines can help us see what is and what can be when we allow the subject free rein and the photographer waits for the right moment, also known as the decisive moment. French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) pioneered the art of street photography and his image Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Paris is the epitome of the term the decisive moment.

Expectation, anticipation, waiting for the right moment and thinking ahead; so often as photographers we are impatient and premature when it comes to pushing the button on the camera. In another book I will show more of this kind of photography: waiting patiently and reading the situation, allowing our intuition to rule.

Study the old master photographers because they will open your eyes to the birth of photography. We sometimes take for granted and have no understanding where things originated. If we don’t understand the past we may lack understanding or display ignorance. In all other disciplines the past is well known to the practitioner.

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