Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, 1957
Gelatin silver print
© The Irving Penn Foundation
What makes a portrait effective? Irving Penn spend a majority of his career focusing on crafting the perfect portrait. Many of his portraits represent effective strategies for a well-taken portrait. I specifically chose this one because of the focus on the subject and the blank background. Also the horizontal depth of this image is also quite intriguing. The person in this photo is seemingly holding on to something outside of the frame, so not only does it make the viewers interested in what is actually framed, but also what is going on outside of the shot. Implementing techniques that may trigger the curiosity of the viewer is an effective way of shooting eye -catching portrait shots.
The shoulders of the person are also turned away from the camera, giving a more natural look to the subject’s positioning. The black and white layer goes along with the person’s solemn expression keeping the theme consistent in its dramatization.
Yes, this is an unusual pose for a portrait bust that approaches a three quarter view. And I also wonder at the choice to crop the hands.