Portrait

Good portrait comes from looking beyond the obvious, it comes from looking for that illusive clue that gives us access 'in to' the subject.


  Identity or personality can be a fleeting, impalpable expression or body posture, or it could be astonishing and strikingly obvious, clues may be found in environment, personal belongings or props, - tiny subtleties beyond ''the skin that they wear''.


    A successful, descriptive or beautiful portrait should never be about isolating or emphasising any particular facet or facets of subject, rather a whole story a melding of  all of the elements within the picture that describe the entire person,body and soul.


   For me, there is no mathematical or magic formulae, no predictable course to be steered  toward these moments. they quite simply appear, unfold and just happen.


  If we let go the rudder and drift - opening ourselves to the possibility of catching these elusive and transitory moments - if we can watch with our eyes, heart and intalect, and wait for our subject to just be, then we just might catch and preserve the person - the 'moment.'

Shallal