The famous
late-19th century portrait photographer Nadar said, "The portrait I do
best is of the person I know best." To capture the essence of someone in a
portrait is no small task by any means. However, in photographing those you
know well, it is much simpler to find those particular sets of characteristics
you want to reveal and present in your photograph than it is to try and reflect
all of a stranger's character in a portrait. With this in mind, I chose the
effervescent character of Shihoko (Cindy) Nakamura, a person whose fun
and bubbly personality is sure to leave an indelible impression.
In going into
this portrait, it was important to me to show that Cindy is not at all afraid
to play for the camera. The first photo I’ve chosen is that whose format
reflects a traditional flattering portrait, except for one small detail: a seemingly
missing tooth. With the small piece of nori
covering it up, what would have been a pleasing but banal portrait has instead
transformed into a comment, a reflection, of Cindy as a person: naturally wonderful with a few funny spots.
In the second
portrait, I also wanted to show that Cindy exhibits an astonishingly high
amount of work ethic and studiousness. In this photo, Cindy has set up her
photo nest which represents all the effort that goes into being a student and
the determination to wade through what would seemingly hinder and delay her in getting
to life after college. In so conquering what literally and metaphorically lies
before her, she exhibits an ambition that not many students endeavor to match. Despite
this being the subject of the photo, one can also glean a few other personal
details. The presence of a camera suggests that Cindy loves documenting the
world around here, while the neat folding of her hoodie and blankets shows that
Cindy is not lazy or messy, but rather tightly organized in life, as she must
be to juggle the many duties of being an RA and student.
