Persona Presence in Photography: Examined

The idea of being in two places simultaneously has been a great plot for several great sci-fi movies. Remember 'Back To The Future' when Michael J. Fox travels back in time to play match maker to his parents - before he was born? The movie was a hit and transformed the single blockbuster into a trilogy.

Science fiction gives audiences the opportunity to suspend plausibility, and at the very least, to be entertained. Photographic self-portraiture presents itself as an opportunity for photographers to be in two places at once, and in some cases, to recreate themselves as fictional characters.

Cindy Sherman dubbed 'Queen of the Self-Portrait' by the New York Times, creates masterful images of herself posed as unique fictitious characters. Each image in 'Untitled Film Stills' series is Sherman's interpretation of female personae that she crafted. Using clothing and props to further capture the essence of a character, Sherman embodies the imaginary world. The camera acts as a stage and the resulting portraiture, is a host of women that sometimes resemble Sherman.

What is striking about Sherman's photography is it transforms a traditional genre of self-portraiture into something entirely different. By using herself as both model and photographer, Sherman's work is sometimes referred to as self-portraits. Because of the nature of Sherman's process (dressing up in character for the photo) the resulting images Sherman created is more accurately known as conceptual photography.

A traditional self-portrait might otherwise depict the subject as a representation of who that person is, not a charade of characters. What is clear in Sherman's work is her purposeful intent to present a story  about women that highlight various themes of female stereotypes in society.

Sherman's work encompasses the power of an image to tell a story. Photography doesn't propose, in and of itself, to be truthful, but rather it is an expression of what the image maker intends to tell. In Sherman's work, the artist wants the viewer to determine what the images mean. Sherman proposes she merely produces the content, 'Untitled Film Stills,' for which dialogue can potentially take place.

During a 2012 New York Times interview Sherman said her work is not meant as self-portraits, "None of the characters are me. They're everything but me. If it seems too close to me, it's rejected." The question remains then, who is Cindy Sherman? Does the viewer get a sense of who the artist is her works? Sherman uses the photographic medium to express her ideas of what it is to be a woman during a specific time and place. We don't see Cindy Sherman, we see symbols of women as character. Sherman's work raises the question, do her images tell us what we want to know?

That question can only be answered by each viewer and what they bring to the experience of looking and seeing. An image after all is a reflection, not a totality of being. Photography is visual expression of something and by no means, is it an end all absolute, only one-meaning, type of work. That is the beauty of art - to be many things to many people.

Using photography as a medium to tell stories works any way the image maker chooses. In photojournalism the idea is not to manipulate the contents within the frame. When documenting live events, a news photographer attempts to capture what is happening in an objective way. Objectivity is after all the idea that the event IS the story, whether it's a war or wedding taking place.

A camera is merely a tool. It is the photographer's vision, impression, emotional reaction and skill of capturing the decisive moment that determine which image best tells that story. A combination of skills that employ editing in camera, meaning which frame to snap, and editing again in post process after the photo is taken, is what makes great photography.

'Self' © Margaret Waage

In some ways photographers are in two places at once when making images. With camera in hand the photographer surely should be present in operating the equipment.

The mechanics of any machine require the user to familiarize themselves with the tool. With digital cameras there are specific light settings: daylight, tungsten, florescent, flash that actually change the color of light on the resulting image file. While shutter speed and aperture have always been integral to proper exposure, these settings are critical when working with film cameras.

Film cameras don't have immediate 'playback' as digital cameras do and require users that shoot film to know the parameters of film types to match the light situation. For example, in a low light situation a higher speed film is necessary to allow for capturing more shadow detail. These details are part of a photographer's mindset during the shoot.

The photographer isn't alone in making an image. The subject is part of the equation, and therefore requires thought on being present and attentive to the needs of that second part of the equation, even if it's a still life! The photographer has to pay attention to the subject, to see what is there to be photographed.

'Self' © Margaret Waage

The act of being photographed or photographing  can be an engaging activity. It's something that requires focus of mind and attention from participants (not just by the lens). 

Whether attempting to capture the essence of a person, place or thing, or attempting to express an idea through conceptual portrayal, photography as visual medium, loans itself to self reflection and that of the world we inhabit.