On Portrait Photography:
On Portrait Photography: by Ohio photographer henrY Leiter
"I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you." - Frida Kahlo
Beatrice. March. 2017
i have been making photographs for over 20-years of just about every subject matter one can point their camera at. But at the core of all these different subject matters is simply the human experience. This is why i feel making portraits is one of the most important jobs a photographer can do.
A landscape can be beautiful, and people may admire what you have captured because it either gives them a feeling of nostalgia or inspires a fantasy of where they may wish to be at some point in the future. i feel as though this kind of photography is more about the photographer's perspective they are trying to force through the composition, lighting, and subject matter.
A portrait is all of those things and also something else. Not only is it the photographer's perspective of the subject, it is the subjects story trying to come out. When these two-worlds collide and join forces true magic and beauty happen. When making a portrait the photographer must know how to seduce this energy out of their subject and be ready when people reveal themselves to them.
Over time i'm sure every photographer develops their own technique to bring this energy out. i can't speak to what works for them, but for me it is trust.
My clients trust me, and i trust them.
My view of the world can be looked at as William Butler Yeats said,
"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met."
If you would like to see more photography work by : henrY Leiter Foto please visit the portfolio pages at: www.henryfoto.com