At 10:29 AM 07/31/2002, you wrote: >Robert Meier wrote: >Who says that for a good portrait the whole head has to be in focus? If the >nose is out of focus it usually looks a bit funny but having the ears, neck, >etc out of focus can make a great portrait if done correctly. > >- ----------------------------------------------------------------- > >Richard Avedon, Yousuf Karsh, Edward Weston, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Dorothea >Lange, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Annie Liebovoitz, Halsman, and many many >portrait photographers who have done so over the years. Please take a look >at any of the famous portraits and I doubt that you will see any where the >nose and/or ears are not in focus. If so it is a snapshot and not >necessarily a "planned" portrait.
I am sorry, but I REALLY have to dispute this. Each of the venerable individuals mentioned above made portraits under a variety of studio and unstaged situations and each was capable of using a variety of techniques to render each individual photographed in a way that both complemented the photographer's individual style and the specific person being photographed. To suggest that each of these individuals (or any portraits, pro or not) is obliged to limit the expression of the human face to one which retains focus from the tip of the nose to the front of the ear is as antiquated and hide-bound a requirement as would be the suggestion that any lighting other than 3:1 or any lighting scheme other than short-light is unsuitable. Further, the list above includes a range covering almost the entire 20th Century, and a is group which encompasses fine art, commercial, journalistic, and more traditional photographers. Comparing Karsh's work to Liebovoitz's is like comparing great French cooking to fine sushi. Other than the fact that both go in the mouth and accomplish the twin goals of tasting good and providing nutrition, they're as different as, well as Karsh and Liebovoitz. <<MY OPINION, not my employer's>> hp * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
