Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Philip-Lorca diCorcia | MoMA

Out of all the portraits provided in the lecture, this photo stuck out to me very much. When I should have been focusing on other school work. I would go back and stare at this photo. It is both visually interesting and very well done technically. While I am aware that Philip-Lorca diCorcia stages these photos with professional lighting, there is some element of naturalness and surprise that is portrayed in this photo. The shallow depth of field tells me that he used a low aperture. I think having a clear focal point adds a lot to this photo specifically. The person behind the main subject is blurred just enough to hide their identity, but you can still see their facial expression and see that their focus is also on the main subject. 

The direct eye contact with the camera makes you feel like you are directly interacting with the subject. The placement of their hand almost makes them seem like they are uncomfortable or nervous, and adding the subject in the back staring at them adds to this feeling. Also, having the direct and bright light on the subjects face almost washes them out. With the context that these people were found on the streets and then posed for the photo, rather than being professional models, adds a lot of mystery and makes you wonder more about these people and their daily lives. 

What initially drew me into this photo was the beauty behind the subject and how drag is really an expression of the person. When I went to take my portraits, I had planned for my friend to be in drag, since he has done so in the past, but we were very unprepared and did not have the makeup or clothes to put together on such short notice, so we are planning to do another photoshoot in the future with more planning and effort put into the preparation. Instead, for my makeshift photoshoot, I took the inspiration of being in a city or urban area at night and tried to mimic this eerie, mysterious element present in the photo. 

Even looking at some of Philip-Lorca diCorcia's other works, I am very inspired by the almost perfect and cinematic feel to all of his photos. 

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