BEN GRANT

As an artist, I wanted to portray human moods and faces. I believe that photography can bring people closer together as it works on trust. It also improves confidence and patience. Most of the photos I have taken are people in thought, happiness, seriousness, and creativity because those are my favourite moods to depict. I also chose to explore painting because it is another form of photography, but drawn with a brush, just as our moods are brushed with feelings. I chose doing digital photo collages because it gives me a chance to put my photos together into one big portrait. When I started studying art, I had less knowledge of artists, how they describe themselves and their artwork. This past year I have I also learned about different mediums of art and art in other cultures and countries.

My photography portraiture is inspired mainly by Yousef Karsh. The way he ignited human moods naturally is fascinating. Annie Lebovitz portrayed a person's personality and made them look natural. It was a big inspiration for how I wanted to take photos. Another photographer that inspired me was Nadav Kander, whose portraits (especially of Obama) portrayed the sitter's personality. Some of the challenges I faced with my sitters was lighting and technology. 

All these photos were taken using an iPad and natural lighting in the classroom. We struggled to find backdrops that were complementary to each sitter. Sometimes we took photos on out-of-uniform day, and other times with school uniform. The clothes and backdrop changed the mood of my subjects considerably. To edit the photos, I used an app called 'Youcam Perfect' and a cropping tool. I smoothed the faces of the sitters at most, in case they had blemishes but in general, did not alter the images more than that. 

My biggest challenge has been being able to get a good portrait of the sitter where all my goals are achieved. I have learned to conduct these mini-photoshoots with confidence and patience, as it helps with the sitter’s behaviour. I have noticed that over the course of months, my subjects became more comfortable with me as they watched me take photos of other classmates. I think the smiles and expressions I have been able to capture are more natural than our class photos or other photos taken by Ashbury College faculty and staff. I think this is because I am a peer and so students can relax around me. 

I hope that my viewers will experience happiness and joy and are able to have an appreciation for life by looking at my photographs.