The idea that a portrait uncovers something about the person being photographed never really resonated with me. I always felt it was the other way around, the choice of lens, angle, light, and the interaction with the subject was really a reflection of the person behind the camera not the person in front.
In 2010 I began playing with the idea of creating a dual self-portrait project. Over the next two years, I would invite other photographers to my studio to sit as my subject while afterward, I became their subject. The rules were simple - I would photograph all my subjects (the photographers) the exact same way, using the same lens (24-70 mm), the same aperture (f/8), the same light setup (three lights, one large reflector). I even approached the interaction the same way, (focused, and serious). They could photograph me anyway and at any location they wanted.
In 2019 while I was creating a website to collect all my personal work (you’re looking at it right now). I looked through my archive and re-discovered this project, The Portraitist. Some projects don’t age very well but this one felt different, the portraits had become more interesting over time. Not only because of the way I had photographed or been photographed but also because the portraits marked the beginning of events that at the time of capture were still unknown.
Monika Sziladi's portrait of me was captured at a bar where I had invited a girl on our first date (the girl later became my wife). Some of the invited photographers became close friends others I haven’t seen since the portraits were taken.
But what’s perhaps even more interesting, has the extra decade of experience (both professional and personal) changed how they capture their portrait?
See for yourself
