Portraits

I would say that these photos are portraits and I can identify the subject of the portrait easily as Abby. The real portrait does give you some sense of who she is while the ideal portrait is much more superficial but that is what makes it an idealized image. It does not show true emotion and reality but rather strives for perfection, void of the unwanted traits and emotions that mare reality. Because portraits are posed it is difficult to truly capture reality but what is actually captured is a performance of a perceived reality. In both the real and the ideal portraits the subject is wearing the same outfit. It is a simple solid red/pink shirt but it is removed of its color in the ideal portrait due to the black and white effect on the photo. The lighting in the real portrait is bright and broad. The lighting in the ideal portrait is narrow which adds to the idilic quality of the photo because it a more flattering light. I think the camera is female because both portraits are taken straight on and portray the subject simply. I think that true self is incredibly difficult to capture in a portrait. I think that it requires that the subject be totally comfortable in front of the camera and that the photographer know the subject's true self. A false self is much easier to portray because while true self is the one thing that the person is the false self can be anything the person is not. I captured what I perceived to be Abby's true self in the real portrait but only she knows whether that is in fact her true self.     

I am easily identifiable as the subject of both of the portraits. As far as a depiction of my personality each portrait captures a small part of me. In this portrait a bit of intensity comes through. The real portrait captures a more athletic side of me while the ideal portrait shows a friendly outgoing side that is dressed more formally. The portraits convey a social designation as a typical college student. In the ideal portrait I am standing in front of academic looking building in preppy clothes. I am also laughing and socializing which also contribute to my appearance as a college student. Athletics also contribute to the idea of a typical college student and the real picture captures that. I think that each of these photos shows a bit of reality along with a bit of fantasy. The black and white effect of the ideal photo adds to the ideal quality of it because it smooths everything over and makes it seem much less natural. The coloring and lighting of the real portrait make it believable and tangible. Also the wardrobe is in the real portrait is thrown together and the outfit is not dressy making it feel more real. I do not think that these portraits connote a gender of the camera. True self and false self cannot be fully portrayed in a single portrait but pieces of each can be conveyed. As I said previously each portrait has a little bit of my true self as well as a little bit of my false, or ideal, self.