Portrait Photography
Assignment #1 – The Self-Portrait


Please hand in this sheet in a protective plastic sleeve together with your proof sheet(s), your print, and a piece of acid-free conservation board.

Assignment Description:
Take a photograph of yourself.  Endeavor to share something private about yourself with the viewer.  This public disclosure of the self can range from a highly refined mask, to an indefinite stare, a cathartic expression, a dramatic ecstasy, a comic exultation, or a rare and raw openness.

Related Reading Assignment:
Self-Portrait by Herve Guibert
extra credit:
After You, Dearest Photography:  Reflections on the Work of Francesca Woodman by David Levi-Strauss

Assignment Objective:
You begin to respect others by showing respect to yourself.  By putting ourselves in front of the lens we can more clearly understand issues regarding the self-conscious pose, and the feeling of a living and breathing subject becoming a fixed object.

Suggestions:
Employ either a self-timer, long cable release, or work with an assistant.  Alternatively, photograph your own shadow, a reflection in a window or mirror, or wear a mask.  Be mindful of the background and the environment that surrounds you in the picture.

Evaluation Criteria:
Craftsmanship - Sharpness
Exposure (full shadow and highlight detail)
Contrast (a solid black, a bright white, and a full range of gray values)
Value (appropriate lightness / darkness)
Needs dodging and/or burning
Cleanness (no dust, water spots, scratches)
Print damage
Aesthetic / Conceptual refinement (accomplishes assignment description and meets objective)


Grade ___________


Student Name_______________________________


Teacher Comments:

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