Jamil Hellu – Sitters
“Considering our collective growing self-consciousness about photographic cameras and the fast pace present in today’s point-and-shoot digital technologies, I am interested in the history of photography, particularly as it relates to portraiture. Inspired by early portrait photography when long exposures obliged subjects to remain still for extended periods of time, I started this series of photographs thinking about the active role of the sitter during the photographic process and ways to intimately explore her/his interactions with the camera. Using a large-format view camera and natural lighting, I deliberately choose to prolong the exposure time of each shot, taking only one or two pictures per sitting. I ask my subjects to think about something specific about their lives, hoping to attain not only a physical expression or an intimate gaze but also a sense of connection in the photograph with something deeply personal. My intention resides in exploring the complex interweaving of emotional presence, the psychology of the pose in relation to the photographic camera, and the involved dynamics that take place between the sitter, the photographer, and eventually the viewer of my work.”
more images on Jamil Hellu’s website; found on Feature Shoot