Best M portrait lens?

[pico]

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What is a portrait lens? What is a portrait?

 

Is a portrait's purpose to isolate the person from his environment? To compress features to head and shoulders? Formula stuff. That's what many of us have been led to think. In that case a normal focal lens plus 30%. That points to 75mm.

 

If a portrait is to include the subject within his environment, then the possible focal lengths are from 10mm to 50mm.

 

One must decide how he understands 'portrait'.

Edited January 22, 2018 by pico

[michaelwj]

What is a portrait?

 

 

 

An image that portrays a person. A person can be portrayed in many ways, some of which don't include the face, head, or even the person.

 

A portrait lens is one that you use to take the image.

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[geetee1972]

An image that portrays a person. A person can be portrayed in many ways, some of which don't include the face, head, or even the person.

 

A portrait lens is one that you use to take the image.

 

I spent some time thinking about that and my first reaction was to agree with the statement that a portrait is simply a picture of a person, but then I realised that a picture of a person is just a picture of a person. In order for it to become a portrait, it has to tell you something about that person as well as tell you that the image is of a person.

 

For that reason I don't think a picture of a person's possessions can ever be considered a portrait though those images might still be interesting and informative (and important) in the context of a body of work. For example I saw a photograph for sale in a local  gallery recently, that featured the flat cap, coat and walking stick of the artist L.S. Lowery, hanging in the hall way of his house. The photographer had been there shortly after Lowery's death and snapped that image just before he left the house. It was poignant and memorable and instantly recognisable in the context of the story. As such it was an 'important' and communicative image, but it wasn't a portrait.

 

I'm almost equally as dubious of images that don't show a person's face and their eyes in particular. I think those kinds of images can work as portraits in very exceptional circumstances but I've seen very few images like that. This one does spring to mind though as the obvious excellent example:

 

Edited January 22, 2018 by geetee1972

[elmars]

I totally agree. For a portrait I want to see the face of a person. Although a photo of a person, on which You can´t see the face, can be a very good photo.

[pgk]

From: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/portrait (worth a look):

 

'A portrait is a representation of a particular person. A self-portrait is a portrait of the artist by the artist'

 

Seems reasonable to me and is still sufficiently vague to allow for considerable interpretation.

[geetee1972]

I totally agree. For a portrait I want to see the face of a person. Although a photo of a person, on which You can´t see the face, can be a very good photo.

 

What did you think of the decision to not only include, but actually award second place, to a picture of a robot/manequin/doll (or whatever you want to call it) in this year's Taylor Wessing prize?

[elmars]

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For me it is not a portrait in a narrower sense (right word?) because it is not about a person. But it is about us, the human condition, and about creation a roboter to look and behave like a person, so that we accept it like a person. For that reason it is ok for me to give a price for such a picture.

 

Sorry, this is very complex. My English is bad, I can´t say it better.

[geetee1972]

For me it is not a portrait in a narrower sense (right word?) because it is not about a person. But it is about us, the human condition, and about creation a roboter to look and behave like a person, so that we accept it like a person. For that reason it is ok for me to give a price for such a picture.

 

Sorry, this is very complex. My English is bad, I can´t say it better.

No you make perfect sense. I agree with your point here entirely. It's an interseting question to explore (sort of like a Turing test for photographers!) but it's not a portrait.

[mich]

Can a picture of a dog or a cat be a portrait? Some owners place great confidence in their pets being persons with very own characters.

[mich]

From: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/portrait (worth a look):

 

'A portrait is a representation of a particular person. A self-portrait is a portrait of the artist by the artist'

 

Seems reasonable to me and is still sufficiently vague to allow for considerable interpretation.

I would replace 'presentation' with 'artistic interpretation'.

[Alberti]

Gimme the best APO's any day. None of them are too sharp for portraits.

You can easily slide the sharpening slider to the left. Specifically on Capture one with the monochrome 1 the picture sometimes greatly improves. This can be applied on import too but will affect other pictures then too ... Edited January 22, 2018 by Alberti

[geetee1972]

Can a picture of a dog or a cat be a portrait? Some owners place great confidence in their pets being persons with very own characters.

A picture of a dog or a cat is a picture of a dog or a cat. You can say it's a portrait of the dog or the cat if you want but it's categorically not a even a picture of their owner let alone a portrait of them.

[michaelwj]

@geetee,

 

Yes, a portrait must be more than just a picture and must tell you something about the person, else it is just a picture of a person. I tried to covey that sentiment with "a picture that portrays a person", rather than a picture of a person.

 

I don't think you need a face, person, etc in the portrait. But it's very hard to make a compelling portrait of someone without including their open eyes.

[mdemeyer]

I liked the phrase, “...a particular person...”. That captures to me the idea of saying something about the person because it implies recognizability. I don’t think that requires any particular part of the body, but it requires some recognizable part of the individual. Whether that can be distinctive and unique attire, etc. I don’t have a definitive point of view about at this moment. Have to look at images and ponder that...

Edited January 22, 2018 by mdemeyer

[Exodies]

are there any un-particular people and how would they go about having their portrait made?

[DwF]

I put this out there as an "environmental portrait"....of course open to disagreement (just don't dis the martini!) But in responding to the OP "Best M Portrait Lens would by no means consider the 35 Summicron a portrait lens.

 

 

M6, 35mm Summicron ASPH

[geetee1972]

 

Best M Portrait Lens would by no means consider the 35 Summicron a portrait lens.

 

Ironcically my answer to the question, 'which is the best M Portrait Lens?' would be the 35mm and 50mm summiluxes. I think 35mm is a great portrait focal length.

[lct]

No problem if you like big noses . Just kidding.

[DwF]

Ironcically my answer to the question, 'which is the best M Portrait Lens?' would be the 35mm and 50mm summiluxes. I think 35mm is a great portrait focal length.

I might be inclined to agree with you at least on the focal lengths but would be less inclined to argue the point!

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[pgk]

are there any un-particular people and how would they go about having their portrait made?

 

Fussy or nondescript? Easy enough either way.