Portraits

David Bailey

David Bailey is an English fashion and portrait photographer. His portraits are consistently imaginative and thought-provoking. The rapport that Bailey enjoyed with his models ensured that his images unfailingly carried a warmth and intimacy that was unparalleled in the work of any of his contemporaries. His people seem to really mean something to him.

Most of the images are abbreviated to harshly lit, tonally compressed, head-and-shoulders framings, the jagged rhythms of the outlines accentuated by the stark white background.

Reference: Martin Harrison. (1999). David Bailey: archive one: 1957-1969. London: Thames & Hudson.

The reason I chose David Bailey was mainly, because I liked that warmth and feeling which is spreading from his portraits and the eye catching lighting.

Federico Fellini, Vogue, December 1965

Mick Jagger, December 1964, David Bailey’s box of pin-ups

Kate Moss, 2013

Susan Murray, 1965, David Bailey’s box of pin-ups

Jude Law, 2004

My response to David Bailey's portraits   

My own pictures have been all staged, I tried to create idealized portrait. I took pictures of people that I well know including myself. I was using similar lighting like David Bailey.

Paulius Gailius

In the very first photograph is my brother in law. First of all I tried to create similar lighting at home, so I used floor lamp which I placed near my model. His expression reminds me of Federico Fellini. Looking at his wrinkled eyebrows it seems that he is in his deep thoughts. Moreover, the white hood and his hands creates like a frame and leads the eye to his face.

In order to create plain white white background like in David Bailey portraits I decided to use studio. 

Viktorija Smidtaite

The second one is self portrait. With this picture I tried to replicate David Bailey's portrait of Susan Murray. I used one source of light to create strong shadows, also I needed to use white background and wide lens. Even though I still got the shadow on the background I believe that this picture is close to the original. 

Viktorija Smidtaite

This one is similar to the second picture - white background, one source of light. My both self portraits was cropped to square, head-and-shoulders framing.  I tried to create carelessly look with smile on my face and messy similar to Kate Moss hairstyle. 

Joe Gregory

To create last shots I asked for a help one of my classmates. In this picture I used Rembrandt lightning and stark white background. His look straight into camera reminds me of Jude Law. 

Joe Gregory

In this portrait looks like Joe is expressing deep thoughtfulness. His wrinkled eyebrows and his expression is similar to the picture that I took at home, just this time I was able to do this at studio and create better lightning.   

To cap it all, this portrait project helped me to try new type of lightning and I am thinking of using similar in my family project. Furthermore, family portrait will consist me and my sister, so I am happy that I had opportunity to try to take pictures of myself.