Category: Portraiture

One of a Kind: Hand Tinting

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This is my first crack at hand tinting a photograph, using special transparent oil paints made for the purpose. I made a conventional black and white print on matte paper in the darkroom, then applied the oils. This process was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, before colour photography was widespread and practical. It’s amazing that the materials are still available. What I like about hand tinting (in addition to the look) is that each print is unique, like a painting. I gave the original to the model Emily today, so all I have left is the scan. I can (and likely will) make another, but it won’t be the same, and I like that.

My first hand-tinted photograph

Slow Down!

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I’ve been asked recently why I like ambiguity and subtle facial expressions in my portraits, and the reason is simple: we live in a very black/white culture, prone to snap judgments and instant categorizations (good guys/bad guys, cool/uncool, attractive/unattractive, etc.). We are encouraged to make decisions and interpretations of people, situations and issues based on shallow criteria, anything to keep people from actually thinking for themselves.

Ambiguity and subtlety force people to slow down and consider more than one possibility, and this will always be a goal of mine.

Channeling the Mona Lisa

(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Delta 400 film developed in HC-110 Dilution B)

There Are Seven Lights

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Today’s image is called “There are Seven Lights” and features model Arnicka holding 5 old, expended flash bulbs.

Unlike the modern electronic flash, these old flash bulbs could only be used once, and then were thrown out, viewed as discardable. Arnika herself has had a difficult life, and has gone through difficult situations in which she was likely regarded as discardable by those around her.

She has however landed on her feet, and is in the process of overcoming challenges and obstacles to make use of her talents. The lights in her eyes show that she is not discardable, and even the spent flash bulbs find a second life as props in the photograph.

There are indeed seven lights.

There are 7 Lights

The Hands

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This image is of Emily, a woman who spent four years in Japan teaching English, and learning to play the koto (pictured in the image). During the shoot, Emily told me of the etiquette and rules about learning to play the koto (e.g. showing proper respect to one’s teacher, NEVER stepping over the instrument, which is played on the floor, etc.). I got the sense from Emily that to play the koto is as much about understanding the Japanese culture, as it is about learning how to play the notes. Emily has a lovely expression in this image, but my favourite part of the image is her hands, and how they are positioned holding the instrument: her right hand in particular shows the grace of a dancer. From the way she is holding the instrument,I get the sense that for Emily the koto is more than an instrument; it is a friend, and a conduit into the mysterious beauty that is Japan.

Emily and Koto #2

All About the Eye

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This is a concept I’ve wanted to shoot for some time. I have this old shutter from a Polaroid camera. I bought it to use on my 4×5 with old lenses that do not have any shutters, but thought that coupled with a cable release it would look great as a monocle. The idea is that the most important photographic gear is one’s eye, brain and heart; everything else is an intermediary.

Shutter Eye029

(Mamiya M645, 80mm f2.8 lens, single strobe through umbrella. Shot using Fomapan 100, developed in Blazinol (Rodinal) 1:50 for 8 minutes)

Props

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This image is from a recent session with a great model, and features a couple of props. She is using a vintage phone receiver (1940’s vintage perhaps) I picked up for a song, and she brought along a jewelry box. Together with her great pose and expression I think everything works together to tell a story.

Phone Heartache

(Mamiya M645 with 80mm f2.8 lens, single strobe through umbrella. Shot on Fomapan 100, developed in Blazinol, a Rodinal clone 1:50 for 8 minutes)

Concealment

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Today’s image is from a shoot with Pash, a local actress/model of Iranian descent. She has long, exuberant hair, and in this image it was arranged to conceal much of her face; I was trying to create a sense of exotic mystery. After the fact, I started thinking about the tradition in Iran of women wearing head coverings (and in other Muslim countries where the requirements for female concealment is even more extreme). To me, I cannot help but see these mandatory coverings as symbols of subjugation; in this picture, I hope I am creating a feeling of power emanating from the emodel, with a different kind of concealment.

Pash

Mamiya M645, 80mm f2.8 lens, Ultrafine Xtreme 400 film, developed in HC-110 Dilution B

Revisiting

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Back in the early 1980’s I shot this picture of an antique piano stool belonging to my parents. Fast forward about 30 years: I inherited the piano stool, and now it is a favourite prop/support for portraits — I love it!

Christina Mallais029

Mamiya M645, 80mm f2.8 lens with 25A red filter, one strobe through umbrella. Ilford SFX 200 film, developed in HC-110 dilution B for 9 minutes

Yet Another Happy Accident

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Old cameras are many things, but often “idiot proof” is not one of them. Today’s image is from a roll of Delta 400 shot about a week ago. While unloading the film I noticed I had set the aperture incorrectly for the flash, and I overexposed the film by around two stops. I decided to underdevelop, or “pull” the film, so instead of developing for a full 15 minutes in HC-110 (Dilution H) I just did it for 12 minutes. The negatives are still overexposed (I probably should have tried 10 minutes or so). but what a great vintage look! When I scanned the negatives, a slight colour cast was left; more often than not I remove it (or replace it!) as it is not attractive, but this time it was perfect! I’m going to experiment with this workflow so more, that’s for sure! 🙂

Vintage glow

Vintage Colour

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Recently I’ve been enjoying reading a book called Color Photography: The First Hundred Years, 1840-1940. I love the look of the old colour processes that preceded the advent of Kodachrome in the mid 1930’s.

Today’s picture is another digital lighting test from a recent shoot. The model really liked the tests, so I took this one and applied a duotone effect that reminds me of the slightly faded, not quite real look of the dawn of colour photography.

Vintage Colour Look