Mapplethorpe portraits - image bank

Mapplethorpe portraits - image bank:

The pictures below that i have chosen are all examples of Mapplethorpe portraits. The pictures that i have chosen so the range in style of his portraits. it shows how some of his our very serious and some are not, some are full face some half face and also his use of tone. I think that the picture below show how a portrait can be used to show a certain mood or effect, i think that Mapplethorpe is a clear example of this.

In this image the use of tone helps to highlight the skin of the person which takes up the majority of the frame. It also helps to highlight Mapplethorpes technique as the person is taking up the whole frame and is photographed in the style of a portrait.

In these two self portraits Mapplethorpe is using his arm to take up a lot of the frame, this gives a focus to the image as well as being a different approach on a self portrait. This is able to give Mapplethorpes perspective as he felt it was a good direction to style his shoot.

In these two shoots, the direct eye contact with the camera helps to add some emotion to the photo. While no actual emotion is visible, when looking at the image it is wondered what they are actually thinking and feeling. This helps to add some deeper meaning to the photo with it not always being as it seems.

In this image, the by having taken the photo with him standing at the side of the frame, Mapplethorpe is able to be more diverse with his self portrait and is able to add in his style of photography.