Portriats (not by me)

We have been studying portraits, which are all about light, which is the focus of our Advanced Techniques in Photojournalism class. Light is where it's at. For this assignment we were simply tasked to find a portrait that utilized good studio lighting to reveal the character of the subject.

This is a photo of Corazon Aquino taken by Diana Walker for Time Magazine. In 1986, Aquino ran for president of the Philippines against Ferdinand Marcos after her husband, a politician and leader who opposed Marcos, was assassinated. She ended Marcos' 20 year term when she became the nation's 11th president. She was chosen as Time's Person of the year for 1986 - the first woman since Queen Elizabeth II in 1952.

I think chair in the portrait tell a great deal about Aquino's personality. It seems almost like a humble throne, fitting for a woman as honored and revered as she was. While the flag on the left displays the presidential seal, the one on the right is the nation's colors. She worked to lessen the authoritative role that the president plays in the government, so the presence of both flags is important. Her posture communicates a formal and elegant person, yet her slight smile looks ready to break into a grin at any moment and her left hand rests on her lap completely relaxed. She's serious and capable, but not at all untouchable.

The key light seems to be coming from the just over midway elevation and on the right side. There's some sort of super soft fill on the left. The reflection of these lights in her glasses show that the light sources are fairly large. There's also a hair light to help set her forward from the background.

I originally wanted to find a studio portrait of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the current president of the Philippines, to use for this assignment. I was excited to find this image by Melvyn Calderon, but unfortunately I could not find the photo in any publication, so we're stuck with the watermark. I'm not sure if the fist under the chin is supposed to be vaguely reminiscent of Aquino's portrait, or if it might be a somber spin on the "pogie points" pose (the thumb and index finger framing the chin) that Filipinos know and love. Maybe it's just coincidence. The painting hanging behind her is an image of her father Diosdado Macapagal, who was the president 40 years before her. Interestingly, he lost his bid for a second term to Ferdinand Marcos.

The portrait was made in October 2000, before the Edsa II demonstrations removed Joseph Estrada from the presidency and installed Arroyo (who had been vice president) in 2001. In this image she is young and very soft looking. If I were to photograph a portrait of President Arroyo now, after she was sworn into office under such tumultuous circumstances and has survived several coup attempts, I would not see a soft, green woman. Her father's painting in the background is significant as well. She has earned her own stance as an enduring leader in the past decade, yet she is still known as Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (or GMA). Her heritage has undoubtedly affected her success. Lastly, her very polished appearance is characteristic of her identity as a Filipina. Her nation is composed of people who remain extremely clean and well groomed despite limited access to running water and reliable electricity. Their president embodies this character in her immaculate hair, make up, and dress.

As far as lighting... I almost wonder if there is a window off to the left? If not than the studio lights do a very good job of replicating the soft, even spread that a close or large window would offer. Then again, the shadows falling from her vertical arm indicate a high light source maybe 3/4 back. That sounds more like studio lighting than a window to me. The fill on the right side keeps the light ratio in the image low.