Fred Goldsmith is a passionate guy. That passion shows in his everything from his forum posts to his photography. Sure, passion can anger the blood, and I’m not going to pretend that he and I haven’t butted heads more than once in the past. But passion is also what drives us to create these images that we all chase so fervently. Passion and creativity will be forever intertwined in the lives of those who strive to create art.
Fred has a particularly impressive gift in his eye for portraits. Portraits are something that even the most experienced photographers may never get totally comfortable doing. Anyone who wishes to conquer that challenge would do well to listen to what he has to say about his photographic process.
What attracts you to make portraits?
Fred G.
FRED: I’ve always been a people watcher. When I first got serious about photographing, I took candid, clandestine shots on the street. After a while it made me feel isolated, like everyone else was doing something and I was hiding behind a camera. I decided I wanted to engage more. Making portraits seemed like a way to connect more and put myself out there. I can bring intimacy both to the relationships and to the photographs themselves. I like the combination of having someone reveal them self to me and directing them. It’s a dance. There are so many human expressions to be captured and to be made. I feel like I give as much in a shoot as I get from the subject. I’m often creating and proactive in my shoots. I’m aware of the empathy I establish with the people I photograph and am now aware of a similar kind of empathy with viewers. Not only are my portraits bringing me closer to my subjects, they’re bringing me closer to people in my life and even strangers who view my work. Good portraits, for me, speak to a shared energy. They can be about an individual while transcending that individual, reaching each of us because of something universal we all recognize in body position, gestures, expressions, and fleeting glances.
Portraits are especially difficult for some photographers because they have the twin challenges of creating an image that tells the story about the subject that the photographer (or subject) wants to be told and also requires the photographer to be able to guide the subject as far as pose and expression to achieve that goal. Talk about how you have addressed this challenge and what you learn from your interaction with your subjects.
FRED: For me, it’s about a combination of spontaneity and pose. I don’t usually plan ahead specifically, but when I’m shooting, I can be deliberate and intentional while being fluid and adapting to what comes along by accident. I try to be aware and responsive. Just as I try not to over-define or box in friends, family, and acquaintances, I don’t slot subjects into my own expectations. I try not to restrict how I see someone. I may purposely go against type in my approach and that can lead to unexpected results. If a person strikes me as “out there” I may look for traditional or conservative setups just to play with the dynamic. When the feeling has moved me and the light has been right, I’ve photographed men in the style of female Hollywood glamour and have photographed kids in a more adult or dramatic way than is typical. If I do that not to be cute or clever but because something in the moment speaks to me, it makes a difference. I try not to force a vision but rather to discover ways in which we each defy predefined roles. That can liberate the subject . . . and me.
Fred G.
Many of my photos were created just walking around town with someone, talking, getting to know each other. I am inspired by noticing gestures that turn me on visually. I pay attention to light and look for compelling backdrops and locations. A lot of photographers talk about wanting a natural feel to their photos. I prefer to call what I’m after “genuineness.” I may have people do very unnatural things â poses and gestures â in order to get what I want. I will exaggerate poses and expressions, which can loosen people up, change the dynamics of an expression, and read well in a photograph. I play with facades and personas. We all adopt them so why avoid them? People strike poses all the time. Lovers emulate couples they’ve seen in movies, looking longingly in each others’ eyes, clasping hands, embracing like Bacall and Bogart. A lot of outward behaviors are learned. Ever watch a guy smoking a cigarette? It can be a very posed look, down to the flick of the ash. Being in tune with that makes me realize that poses and gestures, even staged ones, have a genuineness and even an unconsciousness that can express a lot. These ways of carrying ourselves have a universality. If I can imbue such a familiar pose with individualism, I may hit on something significant. So, my stuff can be theatrical. Why not? The theater offers a lot of truth. Sparks of spontaneity on stage are powerful. I use the street, my house, my studio, the park, museums, buildings as a stage. I like being a director. I photograph movement, too, so having someone run down the street or throw their arms up in the air with abandon can be just the ticket to something exhilarating.
Portraits can range from simple “head and shoulders” ID card images to full body studies of light and form. Where do you see your images fitting into this spectrum and why do you choose to work in the style that you do?
FRED: I do mostly individualized and creative portraiture. I like having the freedom to try different styles and approaches. I allow myself to be influenced and even to directly imitate favorite photographers, conscious that I’m also bringing my own vision and sensibility to the work. I do it this way because I have the luxury to do so. My idea of “flattering” a subject is not to make them look like a magazine ad or an Abercrombie and Fitch model. It is to tell a story about them, to flatter them by imbuing their portrait with personality, not just “good looks.” Everyone has a visual story to tell, something that shows on their face or in their body. You mention light and form. We get caught up, naturally, in faces and expressions. We seek out depth in a subject’s eyes. At the same time, there is an abstraction that can take place in a photographed portrait. There is a sense in which light, composition, perspective, etc. become part of the expression . . . every bit as much as a smile or a loving glance. I work a lot with environment and atmosphere. I think about visual and emotional depth a lot. There’s something like a musical counterpoint at play in what I see and in the portraits I do. There are independent yet interrelating voices. The voices of content and form, story and style, main subject and supporting cast. The supporting cast can be color, contrast, reflected light, blur, movement, even empty space. Each photograph can be created with the fullness of a symphony orchestra . . . with harmonies, rhythms, dynamic variations, and an incredible richness of texture.
Fred G.
As I alluded to before, portrait photography can be difficult for some people because of the interaction that is required with another human being. The same can be said about subjects who are uncomfortable with the camera’s lens being pointed at them and them alone. How do you overcome uncomfortable situations and put a subject at ease? In what situations is this harder or easier?
FRED: People are uncomfortable in all kinds of situations, not just when their pictures are taken . . . parties, elevators, on public transportation, almost everywhere. Picture-taking is just another life event. Some people are definitely photogenic, loved by the camera. I’ve had a couple of Marlene Dietrich’s of my own. I’m not just being humble when I say they are as responsible as I am for some of my better photographs. “Comfort” isn’t always necessary for a successful portrait. There’s a great Annie Leibovitz portrait of Queen Elizabeth, who is not the most “comfortable” looking lady. Annie’s got her dressed in full regalia, poised, sitting in a staged way in the middle of a great room in the palace, chair unnaturally placed, with windows opening out to a barren landscape and brooding sky. It’s a great setup for someone who’s not exactly going to relax on the couch with her feet up! I tap into different energies, depending on who I’m with. Someone uncomfortable may find it a burden to be made comfortable. By honoring their discomfort and even looking for ways to capture it, I may strike at something that becomes more their essence. Even in discomfort, there are moments of revelation. Viewers often say that it looks like a subject was feeling this or that. What they’re perceiving can happen quite fleetingly. The subject may well have been feeling uptight, but even uptight faces ease up and, in the right light and at the right angle, can reveal other emotions. We are complicated beings and a lot is going on all the time. It’s rare that only one emotion takes over us completely. My job is to catch instants of openness and also to create them. Sometimes the instant is even more powerful when it is revealed against a backdrop of discomfort. Rainbows come out after the storm. Lighting breaks through clouds. We’re a mixed bag. There’s that wonderful moment when the actor on stage flubs a line and brilliantly recovers as if saying the line for the very first time. Those are the moments that reach us deeply and personally.
While there are few rules for portrait photography, there are often a lot of “what do I do” questions by photographers who are trying to learn to make intimate portraits. If you were going to give some advice for a photographer who had never specifically tried to make portrait images, what would you say? What starting point or learning path would be helpful?
FRED: I learn the craft so I can use it to my advantage. I’ve learned the effects different lighting has on a face, when it’s flattering and when it’s dramatic or mysterious. I’ve been encouraged to learn about my tools while I’m using my imagination, so technique and creativity have grown up together for me. I don’t find “art” trumping “craft.” I am open to learning. I don’t use “creativity” or “art” as an excuse not to learn technique. I look at books, go to galleries, and admit there’s a lot I don’t know or understand. I talk to people more experienced than me. Art and craft (technique) feed each other. Craft has as much potential for expression as the human face. Eyes can show vulnerability and vulnerability can be expressed with technique. I use so-called rules as guidelines. They work and they have exceptions and nuance.
Fred G.
I start by talking with someone, often not taking my camera out right away. I will keep us mobile, so we’re not just sitting and staring at each other. Hands can enrich a portrait. The tiniest gesture makes a big difference. An angled shoulder reads energetically. I can be passive or active. I can confront a subject and I can lay back. I will use my camera sensuously just as I might expect sensuousness from a subject’s body or pose. I vary perspective. I’m tall and my first photographs were often from the same angle, a little downwards. Now I kneel a lot and I’m happy to sit or lay on the floor sometimes. I’m conscious of what’s not in the frame. Even if I’m shooting someone from the waste up, I don’t disregard the importance of the position of their legs to the way they hold themselves. I’ve gotten some of my best head shots when doing nudes, working with vulnerability, freedom, even a little discomfort, even if the nudity itself never gets shown. Depth is moving. Focus, lighting, composition, shading, all draw me into photographs. I can be bossy. I adjust hair, make clothing suggestions, ask people to remove jewelry or add adornments for more visual excitement. I tell people to remove shoes and socks a lot. I’ve rolled up pants cuffs. I play set designer by moving furniture, bringing a knick-knack into view, putting a prop in someone’s hand. It’s really cool to work with two people even when I’m only shooting one. I get the person engaging with someone else and that affects how they relate to the camera. I like making stuff happen.
And finally, the question we ask everyone: While this article is primarily about your portrait images, those aren’t the only genre represented in your portfolio. In that light, what would be your ‘dream project’ if you could work on anything in the world?
FRED: To be honest, I am working on my dream project. It’s documentary. My nephew lives in an alternative special needs community in New Hampshire. I’m helping them document their lives by creating images they can use on their web site, in mailings to families, and may eventually put together a book about life there. It’s a dream come true because it combines my aesthetics with a more grounded, practical, and relevant opportunity. I thrive on the sense of community. I can offer something of social and emotional value. I like the enhanced sense of collaboration in working with others’ goals for the project. It’s not a pie-in-the-sky dream but rather something down-to-earth which also has a transcendent quality. This work is less about each individual photograph and more about narrative and photos in context. It’s a wonderful combination of photography and humanity. For me, photography is about a process and about my evolving as a person. As important as the framed prints are, the new places photographing takes me, the situations it brings into my life are profound. What I’ve gotten from spending time with people of such varying abilities, first and foremost, is coming as close to pure genuineness as possible. The openness I’ve encountered has rarely been matched in other experiences. This is not idealism. It is the most practical form of what the human spirit has to offer.
Some Examples of Fred’s Work
Fred G.
Canon 30D, EF24-105L lens, 1/800 sec hand held at f/5.6, ISO 200, 32mm. This is outdoors in a filtered light situation where strong direct sun is coming through an overhead structure. The extremeness of the lighting and Ian’s look suggested treating this as a Hollywood-style portrait along the lines of George Hurrell. The post processing was crucial to make the most of the dramatic lighting while keeping the skin feeling elegant and the shadows feeling rich. I had fun using such a “feminine” style and applying it to a man. I appreciate the strength of character this style can accomplish as well as its striking high contrast and “graphic” appeal.
Fred G.
Canon 30D, EF24-105L lens, 1/100 sec hand held at f/13, ISO 200, 45mm. This is outside on a foggy (but bright) very windy day. I was taking photos of Scott with the intention of getting the church and cross in the background. He was exaggerating prayer with his hands and body language. As we were about to move on, the wind got to him and I snapped quickly as I noticed the tear in his eye. A friend suggested this severe crop because the story seemed to be told with the eye, the tear, and the cross, without any more information being necessary. This is about one-eighth of the original frame. It’s a case where an accident nicely comformed to my own intentions and I’m glad I was quick on the trigger.
Fred G.
Canon 30D, EF24-105L lens, 1/20 sec hand held at f/13, ISO 400, 35mm. I saw something over-the-top in this. Gerald’s hair, the decor of his bedroom, a bit garish, his look imposing, real, enigmatic, but a real sense of sweetness in his overall demeanor. He struck me as a character and he has an edge. The colors were strong in his room, as was his presence. I felt confrontation and connection. I pumped up the post processing on this one to express something very palpable from the shoot. There’s another of Gerald in my portfolio, casually lounging on the couch with a beachball. He is multi-faceted. That one is more like a snapshot, quick, spontaneous, and real.
Fred G.
Canon 30D, EF24-105L lens, 1/50 sec hand held at f/18, ISO 200, 24mm. As we turned the corner onto this downtown San Francisco alleyway, I thought of the paintings of Edward Hopper. It’s probably my most previsualized photo. There were wildfires burning in the nearby hills so the afternoon light had a strong orange glow. The street seemed like a staged set. The colors lent themselves to the look I felt and wanted. I love the style and the overall feel but I wish I had forced Scott a bit more into a role. I told him to be casual but I think that comes across as a bit awkward and self-conscious (my fault as the photographer), not as genuinely theatrical and “on” as the moment and the rest of the piece seem to call for.
Fred G.
Canon 30D, EF24-105L lens, 1/40 sec hand held at f/6.3, ISO 200, 47mm. I call this “Found.” There is no post-processing manipulation here, other than levels and curves adjustment and some selective dodging and burning. The subject was sitting on my couch with his legs under a glass coffee table. I am shooting directly into the top of the glass table top. So we are seeing the very clear upside-down reflection of his face in the table at the same time as we are seeing through the glass table to his actual legs and feet. This is one of those cases where I wouldn’t exactly say I flattered the subject but we were both thrilled with the product nevertheless.
Fred, all I can say is thank you. You have been a wonderful friend and mentor and for that I am honored to know you. I like what it says here. "I’ve always been a people watcher." Well I found some of the pictures that you posted just entrancing. Your self portrait (if anyone is looking for it I am sure he doesn't have it up so sorry guys you missed it) is one of my absolutely favorite pictures of all time. I have missed my PN friends but had to move on with my life and actually work as a photographer. When anyone asks me what I miss most all I can say honestly is FRED.
I say thank you John Wright for quickly sending me this link about you so I knew about your feature. It's funny because everyone knows how much you and your pictures (your style of pictures) mean to me. You have touched many people with your life through what you do. I wish you only the best as always. Keep taking pictures in the shadows and making music with the light.
Now this doesn't surprise me that your work should be featured in this way. Your images have that perfect "Fred Goldsmith Stamp", unique, eclectic and sooo damn well done! Although we don't spend much time on PN, the "Warriors" are a still a group and although we may not critique each other as much, we are like family now. In fact Anthony Deffina is here in ONtario Canada, up from California and Leslie Battjes is arriving on Thursday and we will be celebrating the marriage of two other PN warriors, Darren Henry and Nicki Kane!! So in fact your name came up last night among the group and how helpful you were to all of us and how much high regard and respect we hold out for you and your work. And here you are, proving that our "critique" of your work was well founded! Congratulations on making this feature! Well deserved!
Fred, very richly deserved. You excel in a particularly difficult genre because of honesty (sometimes brutal) with yourself and your subjects, and for this reason I think you will also be outstanding in Documentary. Of all the photographers I have seen on photo.net, I would say that you are the most likely to be remembered in fifty years.
Darren, Micki, Jan, Thanks so much for your kind words and for having been there from the beginning of my PN experience. Yes, things change over the years but having the camaraderie we did in those days, and being able to volley ideas back and forth as we did was extremely helpful and fun. Even just the social aspect of this site has been rewarding to me as a person and has had an effect on my photography. Knowing that I have an audience willing to accept, respond, and give me honest impressions has provided such a great backdrop for growing as a photographer. Watching all of you grow and change, explore and be excited about what you're doing has also been a real joy. A special congratulations to Darren and Nicki on their marriage.
Roger, Though you are much less active now on PN because you've found a good niche for yourself in other communities, you've been a very special friend and compatriot as time has gone by. I've so enjoyed looking at your photos and the many in-depth discussions we've had about so many things. You have your nature specialty but have dabbled so well in so many areas. You bring a very personal vision both to your own work and to your comments toward others. You've always been up front and expressive. So I'll toss that "honesty" compliment right back at ya.
A well deserved honor for you Fred. I know that I, like so many others on Pnet have learned a great deal from you, and value your unerring eye whenever we garner your attention. You are a huge asset.
Fred, congratulations to you. I haven't been on photo.net for a while now, but after seeing your name on the first page, I just had to sign in and comment.
In the recent months, despite being busy with other things, whenever I thought of portraiture, I was catching myself trying to look at people through your eyes. The "portrait photographer" so well describes your work. Your images have stories and multidimensional backgrounds behind them, and your models are participating directly with you, and -- via your eyes -- with the audience. This is, in my humble opinion, the gist of portraiture. Some may attribute to talent, but there must have also been a lot of intellectual and emotional work on your part to achieve this success.
I am very happy a photographer like you made it to the first page.
Fred - Such well deserved recognition. As a great admirer of not only your work, but your vision and passion, I've followed discussions you've had regarding your photos and those of others. I've come to respect your thoughtful opinions and your extraordinary work a great deal. Congratulations! Regards, ~~~~~~~Linda
The combination of your aesthetic/dramatic sense of the world and your philosophical approach to photography make you an asset to this site. It's always such a joy to read your comments and when time permits engage in agreement or argument about some astute observation you have made. Either way, the outcome is always growth as a photographer and appreciator of art. You have a knack for stoking the fire. Congrats.
I agree with much of what's already been said about your (portrait)work. To me, the way you seem to approach your subjects is with an equal fascination for both the mind and the body, this is apparent by just looking at the photographs, and it is an admirable skill that's needed for this mind / body play to come through as much as it does in your work. I don't have much experience with portraiture myself, haven't yet build my foundation in it, but looking at your portraitwork and the way you talk about it, I hope to achieve an equal psychological depth ( of and through body-language ) in my own portraitwork some day. Thanks for the inspiration.
Absolutely fantastic Fred. Well deserved. You have one of those rare eyes to see more than just what the camera "captures". Your use of the camera as a tool for your vision is simply inspirational to me in the way that Newman and Karsh were to my own portrait work.
I offer my sincere congratulations for your being selected "Feature Photographer" for your portrait work. Your photographs are honest, meaningful, thought-provoking, and guaranteed to wake the rest of us from our dogmatic slumbers.
about time because it's a pretty interesting journey you've taken us on. And actually one of Sam Abell's quotes seems to fit perfectly here:
"Actually, ambition will not get you that far. You will shift gears. You will see something that is shinier. But if you believe, then you are the long distance runner"
I am not at all surprised to find your images and ideas gracing this page, the honour is well deserved.
The ever shifting forward motion of your restless creative spirit is a continuing pleasure to witness .
That you strive to challenge both yourself and the viewer with your work is evident in each and every one of your carefully crafted photographs.
Fred is a perceptive portraitist, bold in his subjects, and definitely eloquent about them. A gifted combination. Nice piece,this interview. Congratulations, Fred, for recognition as a "regular' in the net community.
Fred's portrait photography is most well deserving of this honour. His carefully crafted and continuously edited portfolio reveals a photographer with a profound interest in creating art through his photography.
The portraiture that Fred shares with us usually succeeds in this endeavour. His images almost always manage to transcend the limitations of working with individual subjects. His photographs engage the viewer in a consideration of the universal – we are interacting with the broader emotions and psychological situations alluded to by his photographs, as much as we are simply responding to the subjects depicted. In this way, Fred's images often are as much about what he has brought to the work during its creation, and as much about what we as an audience bring to the images as part of our own personal response, than they are about what the subject provides. This does not belittle the importance of the subjects and Fred's rapport with them, but, rather shows how much more Fred manages to add into the resultant images from both himself and his audience.
It has been an honour to share in Fred's development as an artist here on Photo.net. His willingness to discuss his creative process and allow us to share in it has been a privilege of the highest measure. I have learned so much from the discussion around each of Fred's images. Partaking in these has been like taking a workshop. Reading and discussing Fred's development of his own style and approach has been a great help on my own path to a personal style (or styles) even though our subject matter could hardly be more different.
Beyond this, Fred has been a tremendous contributor in so many other photographers' work through his carefully considered critiques. He seems to have a great ability to identify with, and consider photographs from within, the aims of the original artist. Such an empathic ability to relate to other photographers is a rare gift. None-the-less, he is willing to push us when we have been less than rigourous in meeting our own standards and goals. Even if I tend to find my inspiration for new work elsewhere, it is hard to think of anyone else who contributed so much to my own development as an artist as Fred.
Congratulations, Fred, so well deserved. You constantly take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me with your images. Your work is special. You are special. You are a true genious.
Good to find your interview / presentation here. I appreciate you photos (even the ones I don't like so much) - they have a story telling capacity (i.e I can make a story). Look forward to your work of the community. best regards Peter
In the very short time I have indulged in photography I have immensely enjoyed your colloquial opinions on ethics and aesthetics of the craft. Your photos have been an inspiration as well since they are thoughtfully rendered and wonderfully easy to understand and relate to.
I will finish with: "Kali sinehia" which translates from Greek as "Good Continuance"
Congratulations, Fred, on a well deserved honor. I learn a lot from studying your work. I am inspired by your descriptions of how you manage your shots. You make me think.
Hi Fred. Congratulations...It's been awhile since I've been on photo.net and I miss it very much. Life has become so hectic. You were one of the first people to take me under your wing and offer outstanding comments and helpful suggestions on my shots..You opened my eyes with your photography and it has been an honor to "know" you. My Best
Marjorie Smith
How did I ever miss this! A well deserved spotlight on a visionary photographer and a generous human being. Sorry I am so late on congratulating you. Congrats Fred, and thanks for all you've done for me here.
