December 2019 Monthly Creative Photography Exercise: Environmental Portraits
At Documentary Family Photographers Worldwide, we strive to continually provide educational opportunities for the Community in our DFP Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfpcommunity/). The Monthly Creative Assignment program launched in December 2019, in hopes of encouraging photographers to shoot for themselves on a monthly basis. Each month an exercise is chosen from ‘The Photographer’s Playbook’ - a book that features over 300 photography assignments, as well as ideas, stories and anecdotes from many of the world's most talented photographers and photography professionals.
Once the assignment is chosen, the photographers have approximately one month to shoot and execute the creative exercise to the best of their abilities. After all of the submissions are received, an anonymous voting process ensues to determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Each winner receives a prize from the Documentary Family Photographers organization, as well as a feature on the DFP Blog.
December’s assignment was written by none other than Henri Cartier-Bresson. Cartier-Bresson was considered a master in candid photography, however his achilles heel was environmental portraiture. Environmental Portraits have long been a discussion within the documentary photographer community, so it seemed appropriate to make this assignment our very first within the group. Here is the exercise, in Cartier-Bresson’s words:
“The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. It’s a question mark you put on somebody. The difference between a portrait and a snapshot is that in the portrait, the person has agreed to be photographed.
I like to take pictures of people in their environment - the animal in its habitat. But you have to be like a cat; not disturb. It’s like a biologist and his microscope: when you study the thing, it doesn’t react the same way as when it is not being studied. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt, which is not an easy thing.”
We received 22 submissions from our extremely talented photography community, but unfortunately only 3 could be recognized. Without further adieu, here are you 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of the Environmental Portraiture assignment.
1st place
Portrait by Documentary Family Photographer Ewelina Strzelczyk
Here is a little about Ewelina, and the story behind this image.
Name: Ewelina Strzelczyk
Location: Krakow, Poland
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ewelina_strzelczyk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EwelinaStrzelczykFotografia/
Ewelina’s Photography Journey: I have started to learn photography 2 years ago and since then there was no single day without my passion. I was either making or post-processing images, reading books or watching online courses to improve my photography skills. After 1 year I have met Kirsten Lewis and fell in love with documentary work. I am still struggling when to start my own business as there are still so many things to learn.
The story behind this image: "Untouched room" is a story of Mother left by her daughter. She lived in the room with her children next to mother after running from her alcoholic husband. One day she decided to get back to her husband. Mother never refurnished her room.
One interesting fact about Ewelina: I was playing in amateur theater and movies.
2nd Place
Portrait by Documentary Family Photographer Gretchen Yost
Here is a little about Gretchen, and the story behind this image.
Name: Gretchen Yost
Location: Pinedale, Wyoming
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchen_yost/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GretchenYostPhotography/
Gretchen’s Photography journey: I have been in love with photography since I was 9(?) and got a Polaroid. Then in fourth grade, my social studies teacher transformed his supply closet into a darkroom and we made shoebox pinhole cameras, took pictures at the playground, developed them, and I was hooked. I didn’t get to explore photography much further until high school, when I skipped calculus to spend more time in the darkroom. It was always “just a hobby" until 2018 when I *finally* (33 years later!) started a business. I think I’ve always loved documentary. My dad is a hobbyist, and I remember as a kid we never posed for a picture. Often, he would set up a tripod (while camping, for example) and randomly fire off a shot of our family with a remote. I think my dad’s love for candid photography informed my own journey. I tried “lifestyle” photography for three families and immediately hated it. I knew it wasn’t for me. My own kids literally don’t know how to pose for pictures and have even told me, “You mean people want you to smile and pretend to be happy for a picture, even if you aren’t? That’s weird, mom.” I know, babe. I know.
The story behind this image: This picture was made a short walk from our house in western Wyoming. My two girls, husband and father-in-law were all ice-fishing. (I had been away, but skied in to meet up with them). My older daughter was more interested in drawing pictures in the snow, but my youngest (8) was obsessed. She caught many of the fish herself, it was bitter cold, the sun was setting, and she did NOT want to stop fishing until everyone had caught their limit. We had to make her leave so we could get out before dark. She happily strung all the fish on that iron gaff (her idea), after breaking their necks for a quick, humane kill. She was very proud of herself!
One interesting fact about Gretchen: I once hopped a freight train in Oregon to see the Grateful Dead in California. It didn’t end well, but it was a life-changing adventure. I also play the mandolin, though badly, ha ha ha!
3rd place
Portrait by Documentary Family Photographer Erin Ingraffia
Here is a little about Erin, and the story behind this image.
Name: Erin Ingraffia
Location: Main Line Philadelphia (Havertown, PA)
Website: www.eriningraffia.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eriningraffiaphotography/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eriningraffiaphotography/
Erin’s Photography Journey: I’ve been shooting since the days when film was the only option, in my high school dark room. I opened my business 3 years ago when I decided to stay home with my then 1-year-old daughter. My personal work has always been more documentary in nature, but when I started my business, I felt pressure to give people what they wanted and to try to match what I saw in other photography groups. I’m still offering both lifestyle and documentary sessions and trying to get more people interested in having me photograph their real lives, because it’s what I love.
The story behind this image: When trying to capture an environmental portrait of my daughter, her room seemed like the obvious location. She had already dressed herself up and when I asked to take a picture of her, she grabbed the lightsaber. The posing is all her and she’s surrounded by her favorite things. The unicorn in the background was a custom piece by a fiber artist friend (http://ernieandirene.com/) and she spends hours playing at that play kitchen. She’s a little girl with a big brother, and while she loves pink, stuffies, princesses and playing pretend, she also has fire hats, light sabers and wants to do whatever he is doing. I’m a little sad about the princess turn of events, as she used to love only Doc McStuffins and want to be a doctor, but this photo feels very much like who she is at this moment in time.
One interesting fact about Erin: At the age of 8, I won a twist contest at my friend’s mother’s work picnic. I’m still proud.
January 2020 Assignment winners will be posted in late February. January took the assignment from a single image submission to a short series, all shot during the month of January, so stay tuned!
Lisa Winner is a documentary family photographer that resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to her family photography work, she is also the DFP Education Blog Coordinator. In her spare time she obsessively rides her Peloton in hopes of looking like Jennifer Lopez before the age of 45. She also binge watches 5-10 minute interview snippets of the Graham Norton show, and hopes to one day be on the Ellen DeGeneres show before she retires. Only 3 years left to get there….