Nat. Geo portraits

[shaloot]

<p>I just got the latest issue of Nat. Geo and was stunned by the portraits of the Hadza tribe members. Just a full large in your face experience. I came across this feature about the photographer:<br>

<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2009/12/schoeller.html#more">http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2009/12/schoeller.html#more</a></p>

<p>Interesting read, esp. the bit about what the Hadza actually think of photographs (they don't). I also didn't know they were shot in film, and so of course I wonder what film camera he used. In the slideshow (worth to make it large) it's kinda funny going from the Hadza girl to Britney Spears I think... talk about being on a different spectrum!<br>

There's also a link to his work in the latest Nat. Geo.</p>

[luis_g]

<p> Martin Schoeller used to be one of Annie Leibowitz's assistants (which means he really knows his lighting and works like a dog). He uses Mamiya RZ67's, and a Texas Leica Fuji 6x9W for double page spreads. He uses Kino Flo and Profoto for lighting. In an interview, he claimed to have a repertoire of 44 lighting set-ups for portraiture (!).</p>

<p> He says his close-up faces were influenced by August Sander.</p>

<p> </p>

[starvy]

<p>i absolutely love the very last picture in the slide show! wonderful find.</p>

[bobcossar]

<p>They didn't work for me! Just big, round, Drivers Licence photos. Physiognomy is detailed....but character is utterly absent...Robert</p>

[rossb]

<p>Pretty neat. Nice to see film is still being used by a high level photographer. I will pick up a copy of the magazine tomorrow. </p>

[shaloot]

<p>Thanks for the bit of info Luis, very interesting.</p>

[luis_g]

<p> Note the similarity between Schoeller's portraits and Thomas Ruff's. Not identical, but similar. Both were heavily influenced by Bernd and Hilla Becher (who in turn were influenced by August Sander).</p>

<p>http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=Thomas+Ruff+portraits&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=EmUcS472L8aVtgfdwZD4DQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB4QsAQwAA</p>

<p> </p>

[unangelino]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"They didn't work for me! Just big, round, Drivers Licence photos. Physiognomy is detailed....but character is utterly absent...Robert"</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>I agree completely. The end effect is to make the faces looks more alike than unique. Just what I <em>don't</em> enjoy in portraiture.</p>

<p>Perhaps the time spent coming up with the 44 lighting configurations wasn't time well spent.</p>