I think there’s more difference than similarities between Demi Moore’s and Beyoncé’s maternal shoot. First is the time these were shot. They are almost two decades apart. Demi Moore’s photo is simple and minimal but it is very strong. It’s only the subject’s nude body and the plain background. There is no distraction. I like lighting as well. It highlights the different areas of here body and it’s easier to see on a bare skin. This photo was controversial at the time because this photo was taken in 1991 and the world was completely different than how it is now. They thought different and this was basically new to them. Especially how women were viewed back then and this photo broke the norm. This photo would’ve been easily accepted today. May be if the photos were switched with its time, it would’ve matched. Beyoncé’s photo isn’t strong as Demi Moore’s to me. Beyoncé has lots of props and there are lots of colors which creates distraction but I like the playfulness. I like the composition and the pose. I like that the subject is centered on this photo and it works well and the light is equally distributed. On Demi’s photo, she’s is off centered and it is quite pleasing to the eye in this composition. Her pose is perfect. I like that she tilted her head up a bit and didn’t look straight in the camera. This picture looks even better in the vanity fair magazine.  

Yousef Karsh is known to be one of the greatest portrait photographer of 20th century. He shot portraits of many renowned celebrities, leaders and scientists. He worked with large format cameras. He used tungsten lights during his shoot because it was easier for him how the photo would come out before he even shot the picture. He only worked with one assistant wherever he was because he didn’t want anybody to disturb his concentration to his subject. He preferred to take portraits of people in their own environment where they can be natural. He would then consider the subjects body languages, gestures and facial expression to capture their personality in the picture.  

Nadav Kander is another Known Portrait photographer born in 1961. His works appear in popular magazines like time, rolling stone, New York time. His idea of keeping the props and background simple matches with Yousef Karsh. Looking at his work, they don’t look like regular portraits. They have a underlying creative idea. They look more of a fine art portraiture. The use of lighting are very dramatic because of the harsh shadows.  

I like Sir Winston Churchill portrait by Yousef Karsh. I read the story behind this photo thought it was quite interesting. Yousef Karsh perfectly snapped this portrait right after he snatched Churchill’s cigar.  The picture came out perfect. The pose, the expression, the lights is on point.  I like how the light is focused on the face with a shadow on the edge of his face.  

I like Barack Obama’s portrait by Nadav Kander. I like the black and white contrast. It adds drama and mysterious mood. This portrait doesn’t approach the subject for what everybody knows him as but approaches in personal level more like who he is as a regular man.

Yousuf Karsh and Nadav Kandar are two photographers who have documented some of the many faces of historical figures throughout our lifetime.  Karsh was actively documenting public figures and icons through the 20th century, and Kandar began shooting in the mid to late 20th Century to present day.  Both of them use exciting and dramatic lighting that really help evoke emotion as well as mood and are great tools to be aware of in one’s own photography.

Yousuf’s photos are primarily shot in black and white and for that matter are very contrasty which emphasize the shadows on his subjects very well.  The shadows seem to really highlight the subjects facial expression and really gives them a specific identity. His photo of Nelson Mandela really emulates exactly how one could imagine Nelson Mandela being.  He is a positive and glowing icon. And that is how Karsh manages to capture him. There is backlighting sort of glowing off of his shoulders that gives off this angelic feel. Mandela is posed with his head resting on his hand and he has a relaxed smile on his face.  The lighting highlights his smile and cheeks which emphasize his friendliness and caring attitude. It sort of captures a overall mood of optimism and hope.

It is almost as if Nadav picks up where Yousuf has left off.  He continues to document our present day icons but this time bringing in a new dimension which is color.  Color can really evoke mood and emotion and Nadav has done so in using color in his portraits. Using washed out blues in some of his portraits bring in an element of cool gloominess.  His portrait of Obama has similar characteristics to Yousuf’s photo of Mandela. Using a sort of glowing backlight to give a highlight to the figure. Obama is facing down and you are only getting a side view of his face.  Obama has a stern and concerned look on his face. It is as if the photograph is trying to speak on how 8 year of serving the United States has aged him.

Dawoud bey has a simple yet sophisticated style when it comes to his portrait photography. Sophisticated as in his uses of the poses, lighting, expression, and composition which gives a very natural feel with a bit of drama. In his series of class pictures, the subjects cover most of the composition with a softly blurred background that gives a hint of the place where the picture was taken. He doesn’t shoot his subjects on a flat background. Each of the pictures on this collection has a space behind the subject which gives viewers a sense of perspective.

The expression on each of the subject is quite unique. Each expression tells a different story. Their expression also directs the mood of the picture. Their expression and their poses add drama to the picture. Dawoud bey said he had only 45 minutes to work with the students so he had to think through everything quickly. At the start of 45 minutes, students were told to write a brief statement about themselves. when he took the pictures he didn’t tell the students to pose. He told the students just sit where they are directed be comfortable and Dawoud bey would carefully watch their gestures. Bey used studio lights to control the lighting component of the picture. He used the main light and a fill light to soften the shadows on the sides. the main light is coming through between the front and the side of the face. The one side of the face looks well lit and another side of the face has a soft shadow.

Dawoud Bey’s classroom series is an excellent photo series that captures the absolute essence of honest expression.  Each of the images that are shown on the site have a very individualistic quality about them. Bey uses posing as well as framing to emphasize the expression of each of his subjects.  None of the subjects are placed up against a wall and shot straight on. Instead they are carefully placed about the classroom, framed in the center but their posture differentiates which adds an interesting quality to the photo.  The background is out of focus and changes with each subject, but helps to draw interest into the focus of the subject which tends to be there eyes. And each subject seems to speak something different through the language of their gaze. The photo of “Antoine” shows a somewhat optimistic look in his eyes and his overall posture seems relaxed.  While on the other hand “Kevin” leans in to the camera with a strong sense of sterness being said with his eyes.

Bey has a great way of capturing the descriptions of the students through the images.  Shalanta speaks on the importance of positivity surrounding her, and from her look you may be intimidated but she’s truly a “fun-going” person.  This is completely understood from the image itself. Without even reading the description the image describes her as confident from her expression and the way she carries herself.  Yet her smile emphasizes that behind the confidence she is also a caring and kind person.

Aside from the subjects. Dawoud uses lighting that really highlights the subjects face.  The emphasis of each of the photos lands on the face, which is the most important part in each of these images.  Since the facial expression, and eyes are what immediately tell us a story.

I think what interesting about his photographs were the positions he had the students in, the time he had to set everything up and take the picture, how he position his lighting in specific ways depending on the subject. In some of the pictures the some of the subjects depending on what they are wearing it will compliment the background, moreover the lighting he use for some of them will be brighter or darker for some of them. In one picture a girl with dark clothes had lighting that focused on one side of her body and the other side had a lot of contrast to the light. the background also followed this as well. In another picture a girl was surrounded by lighter colors so Dawoud  didn’t use a lot of lighting, most likely he used soft lighting for her.             In Dawoud photos of these kids another interesting aspect is the facial expressions each of them give. Some give a pose that more expressive than the others but the all portray something in a unique way, moreover some of the subjects are posing very differently compared to one another some are standing, others are leaning against a table, one was posing on top of a table. There were a lot of very different poses he had them do and depending on the poses was how the lighting was set up. Another thing about his photo was the depth of field in his photos, all of the background was blurred but not to the point where you didn’t know where the setting was and what was in the background. However it was still blurry enough so that the subject and their surroundings are clear which also put more focus on them in addition with the lighting he had hon them.