Portrait of my brother, nieces and I

Reflecting on the genre of Portraiture - 
I like this photograph because I have a connection to the people who are in it. I love the excited and gleeful expressions of my nieces wearing their princess dresses. My brother too, is captivating in his own expression of happiness. I have been thinking about what makes a good portrait. Some portraits I have viewed on the intranet look so 'set up' and unnatural (photo shop effects, background staging), where there is not much appeal for me in the individual on display. Is it because I don't know that individual or I have been exposed to so much commercialism? However, there are some portraits that are great in the way that the photographer captures a person in a state and perhaps, as the viewer, there is something I can relate to in that individual and or somehow they come out as 'real'. The above portrait does not have a great background by any means, but I think the group of us stand out from the black fireplace set into the rock.


This past Saturday, I took pictures using the 4 x 5 camera of my 88 year old 'Great' aunt. I struggled to find expressions of her that were her and not just get a pose of her. I don't know that I was successful in what I planned in the studio, but I have a greater appreciation for the work and skill of photographers to capture individuals or groups of people in a way that gives meaning and expression for viewers to enjoy and reflect.