Portrait Inspirations

Steve McCurry

McCurry was born in 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied film at Penn State before going to work for a local newspaper. Two years later, he went to India for freelance work. This was where he has captured most of his famous/recognizable work. He has had numerous publications and exhibitions, and has won many photography awards. He shot on film until 2005, where he switched over to digital for convenience.

His most famous photo-"Afghan Girl" (1984). The lighting he used is short, because the side of her face turned towards the camera is in shadow. The portrait was taken outside, with natural lighting. The photographer most likely posed the girl directly, as the photo does not look candid. Her pose (having the right side of her face in shadow) creates a dark and mysterious mood. The background and her clothing is important to the photo, because they both complement her eyes and face (where the eyes are drawn to initially). The photographer definitely did a good job at eliminating distractors and getting only the subject in the photo.

Other famous photos:

 

Douglas Kirkland

Kirkland was born in 1934 in Fort Erie, Ontario. At 24, he was hired as a photographer for Look Magazine. He works around the world, and has even worked for the film industry. His illustrated book, "ICONS: Creativity with Camera and Computer" was published in 1933 and consisted of 66 photos of famous Hollywood actors.

His most famous photoshoot was "In Bed with Marilyn"(1961). The lighting was very soft, and looks like it was coming from the front of the picture, probably from a window. The location was obviously inside, but used natural light, and little to no synthetic light. The way he posed the model made it look like we found her in the morning as she just woke up. He was up above the bed in this shot, probably on a ladder. The only clothing/props relevant to the photo was the white sheets and pillow. The photographer used rule of thirds. He could have had her lie in the middle of the bed, but he placed her off center.

Other famous photos:

Greg Gorman

Gorman was born in 1949 in Kansas City, Missouri. He studied photojournalism at the University of Kansas and completed his studies at the University of Southern California in 1972. He only became interested in portraiture in the 1970s, after taking a series of photos at a rock concert in the late 1960s. He is known for taking photos of almost every famous celebrity. His style of portrait is a moody black and white, with harsh lighting and shadows. His books, Greg Gorman, Volume One, Inside Life, and In Their Youth: Early Portraits, showcase his personality portraits, works from 1968-1996, and unpublished works, respectively. 

One of his most famous photos is "Andy Warhol" (1985). The lighting is split, hard, lighting that creates a large shadow over the right side of his face. The photo was most likely taken in a studio, because the lighting is so particular and the background is plain. The photographer had the model face the camera straight on, as to create a more dramatic photo. The sunglasses and jacket are important to the picture because it helps sell the mood of the photo. 

Other famous photos: