Portrait of Jaime
This is a portrait I took of my friend Jaime. I was taking B&W photography in college and had decided to do a series of portraits of my friends as a final project. My intent was to show how the diverse talents found among my friends. My plan was to follow each friend for part of a day as they went about their activities - band practice, choreography, etc. Toward the end of the project I invited my friends over for a dinner at my house and then, when we were outside goofing around, asked each of them for a fairly quick informal outdoor portrait.
Jaime's image was the most intriguing of the group. Not only is she very photogenic, but her gaze is unflinching with little identifiable expression. Is she beginning to smile or cry? Or it she relaxed? We cannot see her body posture for more clues.
Meanwhile in the background are several people engaged in what appears to be potentially violent behavior in a very familiar suburban setting. The viewer cannot really tell what's going on because the short depth of field makes the background appear very blurry. What is the relationship between Jaime and the figures in the background?
The dichotomy between the calm focused foreground and the active blurry background gives the perception of two images placed one on top of the other. However the shadows on the ground let you know that the foreground and background are happening in the same space and time. The intense contrast of the image makes the situation appear stark and uncertain.
Clearly, what one includes - and especially excludes - in an image or portrait changes the meaning entirely.
-Adrienne