radiojohn

Most of the loosely moderated FB pages for portraits are hit with semi nudes, heavily tattooed glamor, staged model shots and other sexually charged images.

As one poster said, "A portrait should let you see something of a person's personality regardless of what that may be. A glamor or cheesecake shot is meant to display sexy or attractiveness regardless of what a person's personality may be."

Has there been a blurring of types of photos or just sloppy admins. Your thoughts?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Well, I suppose they are portraits.....
(define portrait)

srt101fan

srt101fan

I tend to agree with the poster you quoted. And I don't think there has "been a blurring of types of photos". Maybe the admins can make it a little clearer as to what they are looking for in the "pages for portraits".

I'm looking forward to comments from Ed Shapiro...

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

NOT playing games.....

Too many people are narrow minded and only accept THEIR definition/interpretation of things.

radiojohn

While I do understand that portraits, model shots and centerfold type photography each require skills, I am reminded of the [alleged] comment from Truman Capote about some manuscript, "That's not writing, that's just typing!"

srt101fan

That's good!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Where do "portraits" of people on the street fit in? Is that a fourth sub-category?

User ID

It should portray someone somehow, like "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog".

User ID

Or you could look backward as well. Theres already way more than plenty to mine.

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

During WW II there was a portrait made of the European Babe-A-Luscious Margret Bourke White. She had gone on what was suppose to be 'A milk run' over Germany, Of course she was Ikes main squeeze and got anything she wanted, even beyond reason, like flyingin a B-17 bomber over Germany. She got some standard photos but stood shooting snaps when the bomb group came under heavy fire, it turned out to be less than a 'milk run', the two waste gunners died and Bourke-White took over the fifty cals and returned fire taking out several Me-109s that were attacking. Almost everyone on that bomber died or was wounded.

The image you see is of her as she exited the shot up B-17 after it landed made by her assistant photo guy. This ran in as the center fold in Stars and Stripes for the rest of the war as the replacement to the 'girly' center fold because the GIs in Europe wanted it as the center fold pin up, so many requests were there made. She would sign autographs of all ranks from these center fold pin up prints out of Stars and Strips, some while across from German troops in the fox holes of American and allied soldiers in the front lines between fighting.

Portrait or pin up? Sexy? Hot? Babe! In her era Margret Bourke White was the shining center of being a sexy hot babe to women and men alike in a world dominated by the male gaze. Guess what, the world has changed and men are beginning to understand that women are becoming powerful beings in many respects to any and all things that men can imagine. If you think that women don't know just how powerful they are by using there sexuality, the raw power that a necked woman's body is to the males around them then you have missed the boat and are lost in a past that will not be returning if the women have anything to do about that.

Women DON'T need to be nude to have power, it's just that many women love to be nude, and they really do like being ogled by men in or out of their clothing! Live with it.

(Download)

MJPerini

There are pictures with people in them, and then there are portraits.
Portraits tend to be a serious attempt to reveal a bit of insight into the person.
They can be serious or light hearted and even occasionally accidentally revealing.
Look at great portraits. They can be formal, or informal, extensively lit or taken in open shade, but the net result attempts to be a photographic insight into the person.
A professional Model shot is something different. You hire a Model because they are skilled at being in front of the camera, you discuss what you want the end result to be with the model, and work on Ideas until you get a money shot that nails the concept
Re Glamor & Cheesecake (a term that no longer really works) Both of them tend to mean sexually suggestive pictures. These terms have been largely supplanted in recent years by the rise of Boudoir Photography. Still sexually suggestive, but now usually done by a wife or girlfriend as a gift to husband or boyfriend. Even couples occasionally.
If done professionally they are often story-boarded so everyone is clear on exactly how the shoot will transpire and what the final work product will be. These should ALWAYS be client directed.
On an Amateur basis these can often turn into Guy with a camera giving Photographers a bad name.

Can a 'street photograph' be a portrait, not usually but I suppose it might be possible as a happy accident.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

So how come a nude photo of an attractive 21 year old woman is considered sexy but if I put my naked wrinkly old carcass on display I’d either be arrested or thrown into a nut house. It just ain’t fair!

MJPerini

@bikinkawboy
Just remember there is a key for every lock (somewhere) or a nut for every bolt, I suggest you go for it........elsewhere.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

There are numerous styles and approaches to photographic (people) portraiture. Someof the categories are classical/traditional, theatrical/glamour, abstract, candid journalistic, or whatever you like or can conjure up creatively. Each has many sub-categories and stylizations.

If I had to come up with a simple definition it would be"an image that makes a VISUAL statement about a person". The system is in the hands and eyes of the photograher. For example- low key portrait of a lovely lad- dark dress- dark background, etc- hs emphasizes the face and perhaps the body. The statement is perhaps "A lovely lady". If we were to change the dress to a bright fluorescent red dress or a more revealing outfit, the STATEMET may change to "a glamourous red or sexy dress, with and lovely lady in it- perhaps an entertainer or a model" The latter may be considered by some a "glamour" portraot or starting to look like a fashion shot. Ain't anythg wrong with that interpretation unless she was using the image to accompany her application for the position of a school teacher or a nurse? Tattoos, untraditional clothing, whatever, are all part of a person's personality self-image, or image they wanted to project.

Props, and background details, are elements that help tell a story about the subject.

In traditional portraiture, the subject (client) usually wants a flattering interpretation. Therein lies the artistry! It's hard work and ain't for the impatient or faint of heart. I can write a book but my typing in lousey!

I have been in the portrait business all my working life and have never had a client ask me for anything that would be considered pornographic or in poor taste.

For me- a good portrait consists of a good likeness, a natural expression and pose, and effective lighting.

If anyone out there is interested in fine portraiture- don't bother to define it. Bone up on your people skills, lighting, and camera technique, and photograph PEOPLE- as many as you can! Make those statements!

"Cheesecake" is good eating! A "hot babe" is an infant running a fever! STOP Already with the outdated lingo- what is this- the 7th grade?