MAKING PICTURES IS A KIND OF TOUCHING SOMEONE - A FORM OF TENDERNESS

Nan Goldin

Portrait is probably the most generic of art genres. Painters and sculptors have made portraits for ages. Characters of novels and films are kind of extended portraits. And photography of course has it too in it's library.

There are several approaches. At simplest portrait is just a picture of a person - this is how he/she looks. Some portrait photographers put themselves in their their portraits so much that they are getting closer to fashion and glamour genres.

In my approach the point always is the person. Portrait should bring up something of his/her personality. Or it should  catch an emotion typical for portaitee. Or it represents the mood, thinking, values - something that comes out of that person. Portrait should not be just a flattened copy of the looks of the person.

Portrait photographer should leave him/herself to the background and at the same time be sensible to find out what kind of person portaitee is.

This gallery consists of selected portraits from years 1999 to present.