Q1: HOW DOES THE SUBJECTS’ BODY LANGUAGE ETC INFLUENCE WHAT WE READ OF THEIR PERSONALITY?
Sergei Eisenstein 1930
Photographer: Barre
This photo was taken in Paris just prior to the Russian film director Eisenstein’s departure to America where he worked also as a film director. He looks like a larger than life character, but in this photo, as he looks straight into the camera, I feel that we are looking into his soul & that he is fed up. To me it certainly doesn’t look as if he is optimistic about his future in America.
Helen Mirrin 1995
Photographer: Snowdon
Taken while Mirrin is applying make-up for a stage show, she is looking quite business like. There is no deep emotion in the photo –this is just part of her daily routine. It does not appear to be a staged photo, though I’m sure it is. Perhaps she is reciting some of her lines.
Q2: COMPARE THE PHOTOGRAPHIC STRATIGUES (LIGHTING ETC) IN THE 2 ERAS.
The lighting in the 1930 Barre photo does not seem too old fashioned. He has used several sources of lighting. Eisenstein is lit from the left mainly, but there is also a secondary light on his right hand and perhaps fill-in reflector lighting on his face. It looks as if he is in a theatre setting backstage. This is a real life setting for his line of work – it is not especially illuminated to highlight it. The black and white photograph is not huge in keeping with the technology available at that time.
In Lord Snowden’s photograph, it appears that the lighting comes from the stage lights around the mirror although most of the light shines on the right side of her fact (in the mirror). The whole of the dressing room is quite brightly lit so there is a lot of detail of what is behind her (stage clothes) & her make-up in front of her. Snowdon has made sure that everything in the photo is reasonably neutral in colour except Mirrin herself and this directs the observer to look at her. The 3rd image – a mirror image of the mirror image comes from another mirror at right angles to the other mirrors. It is a large very colourful image very akin to most portraits in Vanity Fair in the 1990s.
Q3: HOW DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY?
Barre has taken the photo in what looks like the backstage of a theatre or film studio. Eisenstein being a film director fits into this scene very comfortably. Snowden likewise has photographed Mirrin in her place of work – the theatre. Certainly Snowdon’s choice of lighting reflects the natural dressing room lighting. The double reflection adds to thoughts about Mirrin playing a number of different characters as an actor.
Q4: IS PORTRAITURE OF ‘CELEBRITIES’ TRUTHFUL IN ANY WAY, OR IS IT JUST PORTRAYING THE ‘CHARACHER’ OR ‘MASK’ THEY INHABIT?
Celebrities want the public to notice them. They are actors. So the characters that the portray is part of the who they are. They dress up (or undress) to be photographed and so to be noticed. They throw their bodies into all sorts of positions to get photographed in order to startle the public in ‘Look at me’ clothes & positions etc.
So I think that these portraits are not 100% truthful, but they are partially truthful.
