Thirty Rock had a great early episode about Jack and Kenneth. Jack, the boss who knows everything, brags that he always wins at poker because of his ability to spot the “tell” — the gesture which betrays someone's hand. Ironically Kenneth can beat him because, of course, he completely lacks deception and the signs which reveal it.
As a sometime portraitist, I am on the hunt for a different kind of “tell” — the look that hints at that person’s essence. You rarely find these in a studio photograph, although exceptional photographers like Yousuf Karsh and Tony Hauser come to mind. Perhaps it is because we are most ourselves when doing what we love. Neither Rachel nor Leslie, the two musicians, were thinking about anything but the music.
The "Tell" need not be a facial expression. My “Reading the River” series created itself. I began to notice that simply being on a river was sufficient for many to show themselves. Here are three with a common element -- the presence of a fishing rod, a directional bias in the posture, and the complete absence of photo-shyness.
As a sometime portraitist, I am on the hunt for a different kind of “tell” — the look that hints at that person’s essence. You rarely find these in a studio photograph, although exceptional photographers like Yousuf Karsh and Tony Hauser come to mind. Perhaps it is because we are most ourselves when doing what we love. Neither Rachel nor Leslie, the two musicians, were thinking about anything but the music.
The "Tell" need not be a facial expression. My “Reading the River” series created itself. I began to notice that simply being on a river was sufficient for many to show themselves. Here are three with a common element -- the presence of a fishing rod, a directional bias in the posture, and the complete absence of photo-shyness.
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