Assignment I: Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus’ work is one of the most original types of portraiture I have yet seen. What sets her apart from the majority of portrait photographers is that she does not shoot to flatter her subjects- not in the least. It is very clear that that is not what she is after.
She tends to generally shoot head-shot type photographs, the shoulders are sometimes visible but not often. So they are pretty close up, in you’re face. It definitely seems like she shoots when her subjects are caught off-guard, either they are looking a little past the camera, or straight at it but with the ‘deer caught in headlights’ type of expression. There isn’t even any type of controlled lighting, she just seems to shoot with either natural light or with a mounted flash.
What she is after is the very character and nature of her model. They are stripped of their outer layers and left stark naked for everyone to see. You almost feel like a voyeur when observing these photographs, they are so raw and real; every single one of her portraits are striking, they make you stop and stare.
