For thirty years I photographed in a more structured, formal style, utilising the posing, lighting and clothing requirements that all portrait photographers (and painters) used for centuries. The problem with formal portraiture is that it seemed to strip the individuality from the people I photographed. The closeness of one family member to another and their personalities seemed to dissipate into the rules and expectations of the photographer.
For the last twenty years I have still used those rules, but only if those rules did not interfere with the overall personality of the subjects. I have used the word personality a couple of times and it is that that has made a huge difference to my portraits. To the outside observer the personality is not always evident in any single photo, but to the family it should be obvious. It may be the twist of a lip or a raise of an eyebrow, the favourite location as a background, the placement of a three year old's hand upon the cheek of her dad, that defines a closeness that cannot be posed in a formal portrait.
Those stiff, formal portraits of the Captains of Industry that we see in the boardrooms across the world, usually convey little or nothing of the real person. Those that are remembered are the momentary slips from their public persona into an instant of an unusually insightful demeanour. E.g. Einstein poking his tongue out; Winston Churchill after Karsh snatched the cigar from his mouth.
This change of attitude on my part has enabled me to drift into a blend of an almost documentary style while retaining most of the formal rules. This also means that at times there will be a winnowing of the exacting lighting requirements or the relaxation of posing rules. E.g. "do not show the back of the hands when near the face"; "do not allow the nose to break the line of the cheek." To insist on taking the time to correct these mistakes may lose the spontaneity of the original image.
This does not mean that all rules can be ignored. Composition, lighting, posing and expression all go toward a successful portrait, but losing one of them for the sake of spontaneity or personality is acceptable.
I'm not out to win awards. Been there, done that, all in the name of pleasing the judges. I'm here to preserve the memories of the families I photograph. An errant whisp of hair or a misplaced foot does not preclude the overall portrait from forming a lasting and pleasurable memory in the minds of current and future generations.
https://rheyman3582.
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