Portraiture photography

Diane Arbus was a portraiture photographer who had made portraits for some of the most wealthiest people. In 1969 Diane accepted a private commission to photograph a wealthy family who were connected in the art industry. Diane was considered a risky choice but photography itself was at a radical point in the revolution of a new era of photography. Diane had spent time with the children which she took numerous pictures of them. The parents had been impressed with her work and once they had been given back the photographs they thought they were quite extraordinary. Diane didn't just do portraits but she also took pictures of landscapes and peoples devastation during the Vietnam War, she also took pictures of people that would be considered psychically not normal, some of the images would be considered as vouyerism. Diane knew the power of photography and how it can not only expose people and their lives but it can also expose what the subject doesn't want to be shown. Diane Arbus took her own life in 1971.

Richard Avendon had earned his success in the fashion industry as a photographer, Richard was also recognized as a celebrity in the photography industry. In some respects modern portraiture was considered impolite, Tony Viccaro had also decided that they wanted their opinions reflected in the photograph rather than the actual person in the photograph. Tony Viccaro suggested that when someone has their portrait done he feels that one word should define that person. However Duane Michals says that he likes taking portraits but he feels that people are not who they are in portrait. Picasso was very hesitant about having his portrait taken but this had all changed when Picasso had heard of Tony and decided that Tony should take a photograph of him in 1968.

Larry Clarke was also an important figure in the photography industry, his photography themes usually consisted of youth, teenagers taking drugs and underage sex. Larry Clarke made a book called Tulsa of photographs the he took himself, the book was published in 1971. Larry Clarke was considered an nsider not an outsider unlike other photographers and saw that photography was personal. Clarke would photograph images that would be consider vulgar, impolite and a nasty genre itself and no other photographers had picked up on what was happening in the darkest areas which made Clarke original. I think what made his work even more shocking is the fact that the people in the photos were not considered as "drugies" but just ordinary and polite people were the subjects of Clarke's work.

I think in someways anyone can have their portrait taken, as it shows in the film a photographer goes up to a group people and asks if he can take their portrait, I think that this fact reflectgs on how usually only the rich people could have portraits of their families and how society has changed in that perspective. However it also talks on how people in the depression era had their portraits done but I feel that it was mainly to show how much they were exposed in that period of time. I feel that anyone can easily have their portrait taken of them.