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Can you tell a person's character by their photos?
Kind of a wide-ranging subject, but I was just pondering on this today... Some portfolios (or lists) I see here on MM, I just know I would never get along with the owner. But if somebody likes the same kind of images I do, I feel there's a much bigger likelihood we will be alike in other ways too, and will probably get along. What do you think? Ciao Stefano www.stefanobrunesci.com Jan 27 13 10:41 am Link I actually agree with this in terms of personal taste and interests BUT you asked specifically about character which I don't think is the case. Jan 27 13 10:43 am Link Yes. Taste is one's style. Personal style is one's motivation/muse. One's muse is one's creative heart. One's gravitational pull is one's mind. I adore beauty. The eyes & mind. It is what I see. Jan 27 13 10:45 am Link I think there's a massive amount of information you take in and apply to the people you've met previously to decide what you think of the person you're seeing. Half of it is subconscious connections. Yes, in some cases, I can see I'd dislike someone just by their photos, but no, I can't tell their character or a lot about them as a person. This is why I don't see a lot of portfolios where I *know* I'll like them, just if they have attributes that annoy me or I would dislike being around, or if they have attributes I would like. In order to really like someone, I have to like all of their attributes, while I only have to dislike one to not like them. There's a difference between realizing you'd dislike someone and knowing their character or who they are. Jan 27 13 10:45 am Link Cait Chan wrote: "Personal taste and interests" wouldn't fit in the thread title Jan 27 13 10:48 am Link Jules NYC wrote: It was your comment in another thread that set me thinking Jan 27 13 10:49 am Link I think it's natural to feel that way but not always a fair assumption. I know that in the past people have made a lot of conclusions about me based on my body of work or my appearance and they are not always correct. Jan 27 13 10:49 am Link I think it's exactly the opposite for me lol, very sad. Jan 27 13 10:50 am Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Interesting. Jan 27 13 10:54 am Link Jules NYC wrote: Jan 27 13 11:00 am Link I've noticed that cranky or generally disagreeable people tend to have people with stoic looks on their faces for their avatars. Jan 27 13 11:06 am Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: In my experience people have a way different expecation of who I am, judging from my portfolio alone, before they talk to me. Jan 27 13 11:09 am Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Stefano, I'm glad you asked this because this goes back to something that has always fascinated me about photography . . . . if the way we shoot (style, subject matter, point-of-view, etc) is shaped by our life experiences, what is that we see in our subjects that causes us to be interested in certain faces to photograph? Are we able to pick up on certain similar life experiences by looking at them? Jan 27 13 11:35 am Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: I disagree Jan 27 13 11:39 am Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Absolutely. The photographs one makes are a reflection of themselves. This is more so for personal work, but can be so for work we do for clients--depends on how much we are shooting our vision vs. their vision. Jan 27 13 11:48 am Link Jules NYC wrote: Exactly. What people say and how they say it are also glimpses into their personality (or, broadly speaking, character). Jan 27 13 11:52 am Link Andialu wrote: I've noticed that photographers who seem to have those old, stereotypical views of women (as shown in forum posts) tend to have photos in their port where the expressions on the models' faces show a fair amount of anxiety. Jan 27 13 11:56 am Link i'm curious if you'd get along with me based on my portfolio, lol I don't feel that it's a universal judgement, personally. Jan 27 13 11:59 am Link Russian Katarina wrote: I can see it being a bit different for models. Often the model is trying to express the vision of the photographer (taking direction from the photographer). Jan 27 13 12:01 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: SPRINGHEEL wrote: There's that ---which effectively kiboshes many superficial assumptions people make--- and there is also the concept of intentionally manufacturing a creative persona and associated body of work specifically designed to elicit reactions from others... a very interesting sociological experiment that also undermines and even exploits certain assumptions. Jan 27 13 12:03 pm Link kickfight wrote: I'm beautiful, not smart, so I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about Jan 27 13 12:06 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: In their Professional work, NO Jan 27 13 12:09 pm Link Jan 27 13 12:09 pm Link SPRINGHEEL wrote: Oh. Sorry! Jan 27 13 12:10 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: I agree with music, but I don't see the correlation through art (wallhangings) t so much Jan 27 13 12:10 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Wouldn't this be the same as judging a book by its cover? Jan 27 13 12:11 pm Link kickfight wrote: Jan 27 13 12:12 pm Link Jay Edwards wrote: Not really. Jan 27 13 12:13 pm Link I think you can tell a lot about how some men view women by their " gaze" but I don't think I can tell whether I would get along with someone based on their work alone. I think I can tell people I would not get along with but I have met some artists in person that had beautiful work that did not give me ( or too many other people either) a warm fuzzy. I am not sure if that answers your question or not but I enjoy looking at your work. Jan 27 13 12:16 pm Link Jan 27 13 12:16 pm Link Karl Johnston wrote: That's a question that probably needs to be answered in a Critique thread... Jan 27 13 12:17 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Interesting. Best thread of the week. Probably should throw in the towel now. Jan 27 13 12:21 pm Link From a model's perspective, there is no way for me to even know what the photographer looks like and acts like unless you meet before the shoot. I am very easy going and very rarely do I not get along with someone. I have been on sets since I was 8 years old, so I have literally grown up in the industry with professional etiquette. So, for me as I started doing more artistic stuff and collaboration I had to learn to relax and let my personality shine and it's worked out really well for me. My favorite photographers are now my closest friends because there is nothing that can come close to touching the intimacy and chemistry between a photographer and model when you hit gold. I have been moderately selective though and if anything was off in any way I wouldn't even consider a shoot. Model mayhem is it's own creature... If the "about me" has an undertone of negativity ranging from "no llama herders, no this no that, no "flakes" and it becomes apparent that to them, a model is a walking talking sex prop, I won't even bother. I saw one profile who specifically stated that they work with less attractive models because the "10"'s are raging b*tches...he proceeded to message me for a shoot and I had to let him know that I would never work with someone who A. rated women to photograph on a scale of 1-10 and B. referred to any woman as a "raging b*tch". That's how a lower standard of men talk about their one night stands and ex wives, not how a photographer should talk about a model. What it has all come down to is face to face communication and I will incorporate that as an integral part of shoots I plan in the future. Jan 27 13 12:25 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: hahaha, why not Jan 27 13 12:30 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Interesting thought... actually... based on the photos or portfolio... there is nobody that comes to mind where I would say I wouldn't be able to get along. Jan 27 13 01:12 pm Link What I've observed is that many of the hardcore conservative togs active in SB and OT have ports full of bondage shots. That's kind of funny given their political stance. Jan 27 13 01:33 pm Link Russian Katarina wrote: Don't tell anyone, but I think they are twisted up in knots over that irony. Jan 27 13 01:52 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Not really. Jan 27 13 03:01 pm Link Agree. Jan 27 13 03:03 pm Link -B-R-U-N-E-S-C-I- wrote: Hello Stefano, Jan 28 13 10:36 pm Link |