*ooof*: Gritty Port(e)rait

And now for something completely different… After two weeks of “Armitage as Armitage”, I think it is time to switch to Armitage in character. This *ooof* has been circulated on tumblr a while ago, but for m+r this is a revised and extended version with apologies from Guylty: I have been landed with a great photography-related job that has played havoc with my schedule and thus keeps me from writing a completely new *ooof*. I hope you have not seen my *ooof* before and find this new. As always I am delighted to hear your thoughts on this!

The hardened soldier?
Richard Armitage as John Porter in Strike Back, Series 1, 2010.
Image sourced on richardarmitagenet.com

So let’s take a look at Johnny here. Interesting lighting in this shot, isn’t it? I initially chose this image as an*ooof* because I noticed on tumblr that Armitage fans (a) seem to prefer dramatic shots to the softly lit clear ones and (b) it gives me opportunity to drone on about photography – and my favourite nerdy part of it: lighting – a bit.

If  this isn’t dramatic lighting, then what is? We have Mr Porter standing in front of a dark backdrop. He is lit up by sidelighting from either side. It is extremely harsh, resulting in strong, hard shadows on his face while leaving highlights where they catch the facial skin. At first sight, it appears that the flashes have both been set up at 90 degrees either side. However, there is a subtle difference between the two sides: The left hand side appears to be slightly darker, hence I am assuming that the flash on the left is actually at less than 90 degrees but slightly further back, possibly 80 degrees. It therefore manages to catch Porter’s left ear in sharper relief. Most importantly, however, it results in the left half of Porter’s face being in much darker shadow than his right side.

This makes for an interesting effect that pushes an implied interpretation on us: Porter as a dichotomous man. He is a Special Forces Soldier, a good guy – but he occasionally uses unlawful means to do the good that he wants to do… Light – and some shade. The light reflects these two sides of the same man effectively.

This is, of course, very unusual lighting to use. In all honesty, while I can wax lyrical and theoretical about it, I actually do not think it is particularly great, even if effective. It is gritty, for sure, and in that sense it is appropriate for a character like John Porter, who himself is unusual, gritty, and dangerous. But it is ultimately unrealistic lighting. Lighting usually mimics light as it would appear in real life – whether it is the sun or a situation where there is artificial light. The kind of harsh lighting from two sides that you see in this shot, featuring a soldier in some sort of combat gear, does not really make sense. Even for interrogation purposes, the light would not be from the sides but from the front.

Moreover, it lends an air of menace to the man – because one tiny little detail is missing due to the strict sidelight: There are no proper catchlights. (Catchlights are the reflections of the lightsource in a sitter’s eye). No catchlight = no sign of life in the sitter. Surely that is not really true for Porter, who is very alive and not necessarily a menace: He has proved in most of his deployments, especially the very one that landed him in all his subsequent trouble, that he is a thinking soldier and not a killing machine. He is an intelligent strategist and improviser who is capable of reacting and problem-solving rather than a robot who follows order unquestioningly. Porter is a man with morals, on a mission – not a menace without morals.

Interestingly, even in this representation of a hardened, uncompromising soldier who is willing and able to make use of violence when needed, we come across a typical “Armitagism” – the slightly inclined head. It is almost unnoticeable – but Porter is looking down just a tiny bit, and his head inclines also to his right. For me, this is a trace of Armitage in the shot – the sign that the actor himself has left an imprint on the image/character. Surely, Porter is anything but submissive? Or is this Armitage interpreting Porter as the “good soldier”? Is this a conscious act of Armitage, making Porter appear more human? We will never know…

To end on a drool note, however: Hasn’t Armitage got the most beautiful eyelashes??? I mean, they have occurred to me before, but in this shot they are just so pronounced! And so pronouncedly blond! It may just be a trick of the light – the harsh flash light being caught and reflected as highlights on his lashes. For me, these little hairs, are the dealbreaker: They soften the whole image – from hardened soldier to beautiful boy in 5 millimeters. Only an Armitage can do that!

PS: Not quite appropriate in the context of talking about soldiers – or maybe even more so: Have you thought about gift-bombing Mr Armitage? Read about this great idea here on me + richard or head over to Richard’s JustGiving Pages.

All text © Guylty at me + richard armitage, 2012. Please credit when using excerpts and links. Images and video copyrights accrue to their owners.

~ by Guylty on November 26, 2012.