There is something immediate and intuitive about Platon photographs that really inspires me. The way everything from the pose, to the props, to the subject's eyes contributes to the overall mood and tell different stories about the subject is really fascinating. All politicians and important people’s portraits look for example powerful and intimidating and show confidence, on the other hand artist’s portraits are quiet moments, where the subjects are relaxed and contemplating. Every feeling, every atmosphere is often magnified by the use of perspective distortion (like foreshortening) thanks to the use of wide-angle lenses.
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| Platon, Leonard Cohen, c.2010 |
I usually prefer street photographs - like the ones of Lee Friedlander - where the subject and the surrounding landscape blend together; photographs dense of objects that require the viewer to look harder and longer. I also appreciate the honesty and authenticity of these photos where the subjects don't pose and often don't even know they are being photographed (like in Friedlander and Cunningham's compositions).
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| Platon, Wycleaf Jean, c.2010 |
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| Platon, Tony Bennett, 2015 |
But I've never shot in a studio, nor have I ever experimented with studio light and different types of lenses. Having a studio with a wide array of lenses and studio equipment fueled my curiosity and my wish to discover a new part of photography. I'm looking forward to use different studio setups to achieve different atmospheres and feelings and different lenses to achieve those characteristic distortions of Platon. I'm also intrigued by the interaction and communication with the model that's going to pose. The photographs that will inspire my photo-shooting will definitely be the portraits by Platon of musician, artist and sport-celebrities that feature contemplative movements or in general more dynamic and playful poses, than the ones he's most famous for.
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| Platon, Wynton Marsalis, c.2010 |
