The club welcomed Tom Peck, who came to tell us what portraits really were, and it became clear that portraits are a far cry from the full face/looking straight at the camera images normally expected. The talk took us from Rembrandt to selfies, and all in between, with special emphasis on the development of the portrait.
In addition to his own work, he covered the pioneer photographers such as Daguerre and Julia Margaret Cameron, through to the many experimental and adventurous workers of the 20th century. Images included Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana and more, some examples could possibly not be classed as portraits, such as hands, babes in arms etc. He stressed that portraiture is a “social reality” and there is often a story or a deeper meaning behind the images, that the viewer needs to think about and possibly wonder, and not dismiss as just a record shot. Tom dealt with several interesting questions at the end of the session.
