Portrait Project Paper

                          Philip Lorca DiCorcia is a huge inspiration to myself and many others in the photography world. He creates unique and interesting images that each have their own story. He doesn’t necessarily create the most lighthearted/ feel-good images, but he does show emotion and experience in each of them. 

            

He is a portrait environmental photographer, meaning he captures photos of people out in their element rather than in a studio. Although, most of his work is posed and planned out. A standout factor of his photos is that they are usually taken at night or just before then sun is all the way down. He does this while also using another artificial light source, which creates a very dreary and intense look with moody shadows. He does a great job of matching the mood of his subject to the mood of the background. 

            

I chose this image as my inspiration image for many reasons. For starters, I love the colors. They are very dull but still give this image the perfect touch. Without the blue on the wall this piece would look very bland and would carry less meaning. Blue is the color of sadness and to me that is what it seems like the subject is feeling. It seems as though he is sitting and reminiscing in his sadness but sees a light at the end of the tunnel (the light above his head). 

 

Another great touch to this photo is the composition. The man standing right in the middle with a light source directly above him is such a beautiful way to frame this image. The way that the sky is still visible in the background, and you can see the side of the building as well as another light source really keeps this photo interesting and eye catching. The third light source coming from the left side of the photo is also a very impactful way to create this image. It gives it more dimension and depth.

            

Something I find very impactful about DiCorcias work is that he finds beauty in things that aren’t traditionally beautiful. He takes pictures in ally ways, at gas stations and in cars. These places aren’t usually places photographers think to go to create their art, but he does it perfectly. He does the same thing with his subjects. He doesn’t put his focus into making them seem attractive he puts his focus into making them look real. 

 

In a lot of his images, you can see the raw emotion on the subject’s face. It looks as though he captures images of people who have lived through some very challenging obstacles. For me, his art reminds me that everyone is dealing with their own internal battles and that we aren’t alone. His images all show such a strong sense of individuality and loneliness even if there is a crowd of people around.