THE VOYEURISTIC PERSPECTIVE IN A PORTRAIT

As I expand my shooting to include more on location work, I am exploring shooting from a voyeuristic perspective. In this portrait, the indivdual or couple might appear as if they are unaware of the presence of the photographer and they're caught in the moment. The setting could be in nature or at an indoor location such as their home or industrial/office setting.

When shooting nude poses, this perspective may enhance the feeling that the viewer gets as they study the image. They can imagine being in the room or the area around the model and may enjoy seeing a scene that was not intended for public view. While a shot where the model is peering directly into the camera can still provide an interesting image for viewers, the perspective of the unaware model takes on a new dimension. I am guessing that some voyeurs prefer to believe that the person they're watching is unaware of the viewer's presence.

For a recent shoot at a model's home, I purposely looked for some angles where I was shooting through items such as a wine glass in the kitchen. This further increases the perception that the image is caught spur of the moment and not planned. Natural lighting is also helpful for conveying the appearance of a realistic scene vs. a controlled studio lit portrait. Light coming in from a window can be combined with an on location studio light to fill in areas such as the eyes.

Poses can range from daydreaming, house work, reading, or self pleasure. In all cases, the goal for a voyeuristic portrait is to give the viewer the impression that they have a view point they were not invited to see and depending on the pose, could be embarrassing for the subject.