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The Art Within Portrait Photography
A master photographer’s revealing
and enlightening look at portraiture
by Klaus Bohn, MPA, F/SPPA, A Feeling more deeply about photography www.photographicartvictoria.com Foreword by Ken Whitmire, M.Photog., CR, FASP
The Art Within Portrait Photography: A master photographer’s revealing and enlightening look at portraiture
Copyright © 2007 by Klaus Bohn, MPA, F/SPPA, A
ISBN-10: 0-9781162-4-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-9781162-4-8
First Edition
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Bohn, Klaus, 1945-
The art within portrait photography: a master photographer’s revealing and enlightening look at portraiture / by Klaus Bohn; foreword by Ken Whitmire.
Also available in printed format.
ISBN 978-0-9781162-4-8
1. Portrait photography. 2. Photography, Artistic. I. Title.
TR575.B57 2007 778.9'2 C2007-901364-3
Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
Photo credits: All photos contained herein are copyright Klaus Bohn except the following: Mitch Hippsley
Publisher: CCB
Publishing British Columbia, Canada
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my family and especially to my mother Elli Bohn as she is the one who we all go to during our time of need. My mother is a real Mom. You can talk to her about anything and everything, whatever may be on your mind. I remember as a very young child racing with her and at that time I would lose. She never gave me a cheap victory but there came a time when I could out run her and I know I can out run her now. There are things she will always be able to do that will out perform my efforts even to her dying day. She earns my respect each and every day as it streams from her charisma. I’m amazed how everyone, both young and old wants to hug her, even strangers. I don’t know how she does it; it must be in her spirit!
To my mother who is so easy to LOVE.
My Mom, circa 1972
Other books by Klaus Bohn 50 Principles of Composition in Photography
“Fantastic book!”
Clay Blackmore Photographer LLC
Giclee Prints by Klaus Bohn
Giclee prints of the images presented in this book may be purchased directly through Klaus Bohn’s web site:
www.photographicartvictoria.com
Foreword by Ken Whitmire
Portraiture is described in most dictionaries as first, a likeness of a person, especially of the face as a painting, drawing, photograph, etc. and second, a verbal description usually, but not always, of a person. To portray is to represent by a drawing, painting, carving or in more modern times, the last 165 years, with the medium of photography.
Photography, the word, is of Greek derivation: photo meaning light and graph meaning drawn or written. The generally assumed definition is “drawing with light,” “painting with light” or “portraying with light.”
Photography ushered in a new era of recording images in that it records them optically, mechanically, chemically and/or electronically; much as the typewriter and subsequently the word processor changed the logistics of writing by mechanical and electronic means. Both the typewriter/word processor and the camera, of course, record exactly what is put into them. If anything creative, perceptive or otherwise worthwhile comes out of either, it must be placed there by the artist.
Just as there are precious few literary masterpieces produced on the average keyboard day in and day out, it follows that the recording of images in general, is just that: the camera records the likeness of what is put in front of it. The process of producing creative or perceptive manuscripts or images is pretty much the same as it has been for many hundreds of years. It must come from the minds of the artists.
We in the portrait photography profession are gradually coming to the realization that we have inherited this profession from the brush artists, painters and sculptors of a hundred or so years ago. It behoves us to occasionally stop and think, “What have we done with it?” Is our emphasis on recording or do we strive for portraits with essence, created and presented in a manner that first attracts the eye, and then makes a lasting impression on the mind?
It is portraitists like Klaus Bohn who have helped retain the artistic essence of the profession during the drastic logistical changes of the last couple of decades. Not only has Klaus produced a great body of portrait work, he has developed the talent to put into words the deeper meaning of his portraits: Why were they commissioned? What were they intended to accomplish? How did he arrive at his perceptions? and How did he logistically transfer these perceptions into reality “on the canvas,” so to speak? Then finally, what mood or feeling did the finished portraits present to the viewers?; not only to the clients but to total strangers, who by just walking by become captivated by the essence and power of the presented imagery.
The Art Within Portrait Photography will not only be cherished by the general reader; for those in the profession of portraiture it is an added educational tool to gain knowledge and inspiration.
Ken Whitmire, M.Photog., CR, FASP
Contents
