Search for content, post, videos

Book: Portraits by Michael Halsband

Preview
“From the start, I was obsessed with the mechanics of what it took to create an iconic image and ended up making a few photographs the world has embraced as such, including one of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat standing side-by-side, wearing boxing gloves with their arms crossed. I am not sure when my thinking started to evolve but for the past eight years I have dedicated myself to making portraits of friends and people that interested me, using an 8 x 10 inch film camera in my studio with one artificial light source and a solid backdrop. My idea was to remove any dramatic effects that many people rely on with or without awareness. I had the person face the camera straight on with no expression and at eye-level to the lens. I eliminated any contextual background and theatrical lighting and used a normal lens and a camera that renders an image sharper than the human eye can fully appreciate. As soon as I felt the subject was totally relaxed and had given up on being anything other than him or herself, I would make the exposure. Assuming the role of the camera operator without any directions or pretenses gave me greater freedom and clarity to notice that moment when we had together achieved a pure portrait.
 
The more I continue to work this way, the more I let go of any fixed ideas of what a portrait will be. And the less concerned I am with the identity of the people I am photographing, the more powerful the images are. My pictures are very personal, whether or not I always realized that, it has always been that way. In a sense, they are all self-portraits.
 
I love the traditional photographic process and continue to feel there is an endless space to explore within it. Nothing is automatic or remains set for the next exposure—everything has to be reset from focus, composition, shutter, aperture and loading a new sheet of film, one picture at a time. This process takes time, but it lends gravity to the image. The only way to keep exploring this path is to keep making portraits.
 
In the end, I have no idea where I am going in life and work and that is fine with me. I am excited to wake up every day just to see what is going to happen next.”
 
Michael Halsband  
 
BOOK
Portraits
Photographs by Michael Halsband
10.5 x 8.5 inches (26.67 x 21.59 cm)
96 pages Fully Illustrated
83 Plates Black & White / Color
Published by Michael Halsband Studio
Printed and bound in New York
ISBN: 978-0-9962329-0-6
First Edition Printing 1000 copies

To purchase the book :
www.michaelhalsband.com/store

http://www.michaelhalsband.com

Create an account or log in to read more and see all pictures.

Install WebApp on iPhone
Install WebApp on Android