At a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery I came across this exhibition. Although I am not really a fan of the Royal Family I decided to have a look as I have heard so much about the photographer Mario Testino.
The display consisted of images of Charles and Camilla, William and Kate and Harry. What struck me first about the images was Testino's use of colour and black and white.
The first images are of William and Kate's engagement - one formal and one informal. The colours and crops are interesting in both. In the informal shot the colours are weaker, faded and the focus is soft, and the crop tight. This introduces a level of intimacy to the image and its subjects - an intimacy that you would expect in an engagement shot.
In contrast the more formal shot has strong colours, the crop is not so tight and shows some of the background which appears to be a room in the palace. They look less like young lovers ans more like the married couple they are due to become. It has a stately and official feel to it.
I found the black and white image of Charles and his sons very refreshing, casual and intimate. The image is high key so therefore bright and the pose suggests a close bond - a natural one between a father and his sons. The black and white conversion is also interesting as it suggests timelessness - similar to the bond between father and son.
The official portrait of Charles shows a different side to the future king. The colours and setting are very regal,l he is in military uniform and very serious, contemplative and focused. The image says - I am important, I am a leader.
There are two images of Charles and Camilla one more formal than the other. Again strong colours are used for the formal shot with Testino opting for a soft focus for the informal one.
Testino shot both William and Harry on their 21st birthdays. William's portrait shows him in a tuxedo a young man coming of age. Testino opted for black and white here which I feel adds to the tone and focuses the viewer on the prince and his expression.
In contrast, Harry is shown working on a motorbike on his 21st birthday. We can easily see who is destined to be king and who has the freer life, less weight on his shoulders and the pressures of life as a leader ahead of him. We are given an insight into the playful and daredevil nature of Harry but we are not allowed to see beyond the layer of sophistication for the future king.
Through looking at Mario Testino's work I can see the effect colour, focus and pose has in portraits. I particularly found this display interesting as he worked with four subjects and showed the viewers the different sides to these characters and their relationships to each other. This was something similar to the first assignment on my course - shooting one subject in a number of ways - which is something I found challenging. Moving forward I would like to introduce more of my subject's character into my work and also the relationships which exists between people.
I will also think more about colour and how I can use it to improve my portrait work.
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