Shooting portraits during COVID-19 and the redefinition of intimacy
The COVID-19 crisis has made almost everyone change at least one aspect of their daily lives in relation to work, entertainment, or social life. However, some people have had to adapt much more than others, such as musicians who weren’t able to play live for a long time, comedians who had to cancel entire tours, and portrait photographers, who usually need to be in close proximity to their subjects… usually.
Shortly after the pandemic forced us to shelter in place, some photographers were already deciphering how to photograph people without being near them, which resulted in the global experiment of using Facetime, Zoom or other video call platforms to snap a shot.
Photos by Bảo Ngô
The photos above were taken by the photographer Bảo Ngô using Facetime. Ngô commented in an interview that she got the idea for the photoshoot while video chatting with her sister who had a colour changing lamp. “If I have decent lighting and a willing subject, there might still be a way to continue taking photographs,” said Ngô.
Photo by Tom Kershaw
Every photographer who has tried this method works in a different way. Some of them opt to point their cameras directly to the computer screen, but others, such as Tom Kershaw (above photo), prefer to let the subject take the shot from their own phones with the timer setting.
Kershaw wrote a detailed article about his experience where he summarized three things he learned doing virtual portraits:
#1. “Everything is different now, so we're all adapting” — Things are changing, but that is in itself a huge opportunity for new ideas.
#2. “These remote sessions are a collaboration between photographer and subject” — The person being photographed remotely is no longer just the subject. They are now active participants in the creative process.
#3. “Distance can feel intimate too” — Because of COVID these sessions don’t take place in studios, but in people’s houses, living rooms and backyards. Physical distance, in this case, has made things more intimate, in a way, and had offered new spaces that challenge the usual photoshoot dynamics.
Photo by Tom Kershaw
Virtual photography has been a technological solution for a temporary problem, but if it sticks around, it could provide a different approach for those who have not tried it and keep opening new doors for creative experimentation.
