Portraits of Figures

The stark dynamics implicit within a portrait surrounded by an all-black background is - paradoxically - illuminating. Portraits of figures backed by black bring easy focus to the subject, while portraying him/her/them with sleekness and mystery, like you’re coming from out of nowhere but you’ve got places to go.

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Take a gander at this pic here - pinterest.com/pin/408138784952654528 - and tell me there’s nothing immediately dramatic about it. (It wouldn’t be quite the same if the background were plaid.) Or this one here - modernluxury.com/manhattan/features/bluemercurys-barry-beck-unveils-plans-manhattan-takeover - and say you’re not struck by the confident optimism of the man’s expression. Or look at this one - pinterest.com/pin/504473595741153202 - and see if her story, even if it’s a sad one, doesn’t come to mind.

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Portray people in their best light. For best results, give them (or yourself, when doing selfie-portraits) a black background. Surely Snapchat’s got a filter for that.

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You may also see, Barry Beck for more information.