As we conclude "Student Appreciation Week", I thought it only fitting to share a few images with you from one of our recent graduates, Michael Taulton! These images from his final portfolio focus on the genre of Portraiture but more specifically, on the sub-genre of Horror Portraiture. It's important to keep in mind that for every genre of photography, there are many sub-genres that follow.
The images that you see on this blog post were all taken by Michael for a series titled The Masks We Wear. In his artist statement written for this body of work, Michael noted "I’ve come to find a great
deal of beauty in the darker areas of our imaginations. We, as human beings,
have always been obsessed with the unknown and the macabre. Through the
expression of emotion, mood, and the use of metaphorical imagery, I express my
appreciation for these darker areas of our conscious minds. The use of black
and white editing helps to improve upon the dramatic effect of the subject, as
well as support an appropriate sense of mood and emotion" (Taulton).
One of the highlights of Michael's work as a photographer is how he interacts with his clients. Michael goes onto say in his statement, "I feel that it’s important
to build a professional relationship with my clients to better understand the
photographic potential that we can accomplish together, as a team. I am more
than willing to take on projects based on the ideas of clients, as well as
recruit models within my network for my original ideas. I am very willing to
incorporate the ideas of clients and succeed by intertwining such ideas with
those of my own to create more intricate collaborations" (Taulton). As a professor, I encourage my students to photograph many different models to have the experience of doing so. I think learning the fact that photography is a collaboration - when shooting portraiture - is a skill that cannot necessarily be taught in class but
one that must be acquired through practice!
Taulton, Michael. "Michael Taulton on Behance." Behance. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.
Taulton, Michael. "Michael Taulton on Behance." Behance. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.