*ooof*: Shadow Man

The first *ooof* of the new year. And Guylty was momentarily bled dry. No idea which picture to choose. Frankly, there are too many of them no, never enough! So here is my appeal to you for help. Suggest something for me.

Eye see you, Richard Armitage
Armitage in a portrait by Sarah Dunn, 2013

A classy shot of a classy man. Photographed by Sarah Dunn, Armitage poses for a head-and-shoulders portrait that has been post-produced in b/w (I presume). He is formally dressed in suit and knitted shawl – I think my fashion-resistant SO has been wearing the same since 1994 (not kidding!) tie and gazes into the camera with an intense look. The head slightly and characteristically inclined to his right, the intensity of the stare is lessened, yet the message of the image is intensified. While the sitter ostensibly takes back some of the challenge that comes with a direct visual connection (usually denoting confidence, self-assurance, even assertiveness), the image does not convey a sense of aggression, but of thoughtful deliberation. Much of that is caused by the focussing on the eyes. They are almost always at the centre of an image. Not in the literal sense – the physiological arrangement of the eyes in the upper third of the head does not allow for that – but in the sense that a clear, unobstructed look at the eyes is central to our interpretation of a portrait and of a person. These eyes are clear and bright, the catchlights evoke a sense of life and liveliness in an otherwise static pose.

This emphasis on the eyes is further reinforced by the lighting of the portrait. The fail-safe lighting employed in studio portraiture is usually three-way-lighting in which the sitter is set in scene with three lights ( a) key light to illuminate the face of the sitter, b) fill light to light surrounding room and bring up the light in general and c) accent light that can be used to lighten up the background or to place accents on the sitter). However, to me the lighting in this image looks as if only two lights have been used. There is an accent light that brightens the background and thus separates the sitter from what is behind him, preventing his dark clothing to melt into the otherwise dark background. The keylight has been used very cleverly here. As is pretty conventional, it is placed at about 30 to 40 degrees to the right side of and a little bit above the sitter. However, Dunn manages to direct Armitage in such a way that the light from the flash does not just illuminate his right side of his face, but it very cleverly just about manages to light up the left eye as well, while leaving most of left half of his face in shadow. That way, both eyes shine brightly in this image lending a more open and friendly look to the face. (A half-obscured face, in contrast, would indicate ambiguity.) The dark shadow that is created by the nose serves to add three-dimensionality to the image, as does the lucky little streak of light that graces Armitages nasolabial fold.

Mr A has continuously pointed out that his inherently evil features suit the dark of shadow better than the light of day. His Army continuously refutes this. We are probably blinded by the light of his handsomeness. As a neutral observer and photographer I have to agree that his characteristic facial features – the Armitage proboscis nose-jobbed or not, the angular forehead and the projecting lower lid folds – work really well with strongly directed light. He creates beautiful shadows, and his expressive eyes can make use of the dramatic ambience caused by half-light, adding overtones of menace, doubt, fear or worry very easily. However, as a fangirl *and* photographer I would like to say to Armitage: Bullshit! In the bright lights of the red carpet *I* observed him at, the “menacing” face looked rather unthreatening and friendly. The difference is not caused by light or no light – it is caused by the facial expression that good Mr A puts on his mien. If he cared to smile more in his images, he’d soon be Hollywood’s go-to man for happy daddies, hot heros and sweet sweethearts. He probably won’t hear me say this, though, because his ears are permanently damaged by the din of blasting ovaries that surrounds this man *huffs*. I do not blame the photographers for basking Armitage in shadow, either. That face is just hard to resist – how could we fangirls refute that – it begs for strong light. And strongly lit portraits always have an air of classiness, especially when post-produced in the contrast paradise of b/w…

Photographer Dunn certainly also brings her own classy photography skills to the table here. Her fake LF (?) Elvis shot was subject to an *ooof* in December. She has also proven herself to be quite fan-friendly in that she has held little polls for followers to decide of which of her many sitters she may post another shot. I have heard much criticism about the use of Social Media for self-promotion, i.e. bargaining with the public and promising images in return for new followers on FB or Twitter or whichever platform the respective artist is using. Frankly, I do not think this is an issue that we can complain about – especially as the outcome was always in favour of Richard Armitage’s followers in that the overwhelming response was for another shot to be published of him. We got what we wanted – and in return we had to give something back to the photographer; we had to click “like” and subscribe to her on FB. Which is free. (And which could easily be revoked without any repercussions.)

The images, however, are not free. Upon the danger of repeating myself: The images are the photographer’s capital. The currency for them is real money. Or in lieu of that – widening her reach by gaining more followers. This is important because even photographers with regular gigs such as Sarah Dunn – she is a regular photographer for Warner Bros. and does a lot of their promotional stuff – are free lancers. They get paid only if their images are used. Or if they have been booked by an individual, a studio or a magazine for a shoot. In this business, networking is everything. With every shoot you have done, you have made another connection. With every celebrity you have photographed, you have got another endorsement in your portfolio. Dunn should have no worries when it comes to that – she has photographed so many acting superstars, her portfolio blinds you. All the more reason to like the way she communicates on her FB page. Very modestly she has placed herself firmly in the dark. When she shows up in a BTS video or a photo, she is in the shade or shown from behind. Essentially she lets the imagery speak for herself. That is an attitude I very much like and identify with. If you would like to see how she works, check her FB page which also contains a number of BTS clips where you can see her in action and imagine her shooting RA.

 

The man felt close to cardiac arrest when he turned the corner into a dark alley off the Boulevard. Had he not been so out of breath, he would have sighed with relief, when he spied the shadowy doorway in the gloomy shadow. He slipped into the entrance, leaning against the inconspicuous door and to his surprise the wood gave way. Just what I needed, the stranger thought, and made his shaking legs walk into the gaping darkness beyond the door.

He found himself in what could only be described as a sleazy dive. Thank God it was so dark in here, noone could see him – he immediately went to his right where he had noticed a flickering neon sign indicating the jacks, clutching a soft bundle to his chest. No sooner had he entered the grimy dungeons of the men’s toilet, he could hear muffled shouts and conspicuous kerfuffles out in the bar he had just vacated. He hurried into one of the wooden stalls, locking the door behind him and taking care not to touch the splintered wooden walls and soiled tiles behind the loo. Where the hell had he landed? And for fucks sake, where had that momentary madness come from?

He strained to make out what was being shouted outside. Moments later the hubbub on the other side of the toilet doors had died down. This time the sigh came from the depth of his stomach. They had not seen him nip into the jacks, he was safe. The man busied himself with the bundle. Thank God he still had everything. His hands ached from the iron grip in which he had clutched the bundle. He untangled his things and then balanced on his toes, trying to make himself half-presentable again. There, the tie was last. All in place. He took a deep breath. I have to get out of here. He opened the door of the stall and stepped back into the toilet. Stepping up to the dingy hand basin, he caught his reflection in the spotted mirror. The light from broken lampshade cast an eerie light onto his face. Richard peered at himself. Naked Day on Wilshire Boulevard. Never again.

~ by Guylty on January 7, 2014.