In purusing some of my favorite teachers websites I came across this 8 WeekPortrait Workshop from Don Giannatti. Although the portrait class was full, and seems to consistently be full I thought I would try to learn a little bit on my own. I have always been a self-taught person so what the heck, I will jump right in. I'm kinda bummed I won't be getting the feedback I would get if enrolled, but hey maybe someday I can actually make the enrollment.
So the basis for the assignments, from what I see on the description page, is that you study the portrait work of various photographers and let that inspire you. The first one on the list in the course outline is Victor Skrebneski.
Victor Skrebneski is a prolific fashion photographer from Chicago, IL. He started his photography career at an early age after finding a camera in a park. His career soared from there. You can find a nice biography about him if you click here. In the beginning he used a lot of motion in his photography because "no one told him not to move" while taking pictures. He kept that motion going forward in his personal work and exhibitions. One of his well known series the "black turtleneck series" featured a collection of writers, actors, musicians and other artists portrayed in a black turtleneck. These photographs were moody with harsh lighting and prominent shadows, what seems to be a staple of his portraiture work. These photographs, like many of the portraits he took, were captured using only one light and a grey background. Keeping it very simple so he can concentrate on the subject.
Most of his portrait work is toned in black and white and grey, his favorite colors. It is clear that his work is defined by the use of light and shadows. Skrebneski veered from the norm with his photographs, from the intentional soft focus and blur to the unconventional cropping methods he used.
With that being said, the lessons I learned: less is sometimes more. I was making this way harder than it needed to be. Lighting really is an art form.