What do you think is 'Photographic Portraiture' ?

[bobt]

So where's the universally accepted answer?
And yet again the photographic definition de jour comes down to the answer "whatever you want it to be"
Anyone else seeing a pattern....?

Yup .... the universally accepted answers are kept in the same box as the more general answers such as what makes a good photo, which is the best camera and how did millions of people vote for Donald Trump. Personally, I'm more distressed right now at the shrinking size of Tiny Teddy biscuits. Those who seek answers are better off contemplating their navels, which is probably why Buddha has a very large stomach. I'm thinking of using the same excuse to justify my own.

I think I may have forgotten to take my meds .......

[Hamster]

Well, there isn't a universally accepted answer, but that doesn't mean that a portrait is whatever you want it to be. I have a fine award winning photo of a hoverfly buzzing some flowers that I'd be keen to submit, but I'm pretty sure that even the Olive Cotton Award wouldn't accept it as a portrait.

In fact I refer you to my first post on this thread as the definitive standard. Trust me.

funny you say that. There was a recent weekly comp with the subject of portraits. Two images entered were of animals. A bird (surprise surprise) and a turtle (IIRC). They both received average scores in the 5s, even though the scoring guide gives a score of 1 for an entry that doesn't fit the theme. TBH I'm not sure I scored them 1 either, so maybe I too should have refreshed myself on the scoring scale but my point is, there is a pretty broad range on the subject of portrait. Sounds like that insect shot of yours may "fly" in a portrait comp after all.

[arthurking83]

Yup .... the universally accepted answers are kept in the same box as the more general answers such as what makes a good photo, which is the best camera and how did millions of people vote for Donald Trump. Personally, I'm more distressed right now at the shrinking size of Tiny Teddy biscuits. Those who seek answers are better off contemplating their navels, which is probably why Buddha has a very large stomach. I'm thinking of using the same excuse to justify my own.

I think I may have forgotten to take my meds .......

Maybe we should petition Arnotts to rename Tiny Teddies as Tinier Teddies ... may end up reducing stress levels and .... produce tinier tummies too!

As for which camera .. easy peasy .. the one that 'other photographer' is using.

I have two navels .. in the fridge at the moment cooling off until it's the right time to be eaten. The correlation made from 'contemplation of a citrus fruit' to the 'size of Buddha's belly' was an abstract adventure.
The only recent contemplation of a navel on my part has been whether it's best juiced or eaten whole

On the topic of DT .. well, quite a number of people also thought that HC operated a child sex slave ring out of a pizza shop too .. and 18% of those that did believe this report still voted for her!
For the typical, delusional, rightwing freak (and we know that 'the world is full of them') it makes sense for them to be attracted to a rightwing xenophobic, rambling lunatic with no understanding of reality and speaks in the kind of gibberish hyperbole that attracts those RW loonies.
But for 18% of a group of people to vote for someone that believed to be in control a child sex slave operation .. especially one run out of a pizza shop! ... now that made no sense.

ps. I reckon you don't need the meds too. That portraiture prize is proof that the world is seriously messed up much more so than yourself .. and they're not taking meds(I think).
OTOH, maybe they missed their meds too and that's why things got so messed up.

The point here being that your reply made sense .. so meds don't seem to be a valid reason to assume anything out of the ordinary with your state of mind.
Their assessment of a portrait is messed up tho, so we can only assume they missed their meds or something else to that effect.

[Ionica]

Their definition of a portrait is only relevant to their competition, though.

Agree - as stated " and this is their definition ".

[bobt]

On the topic of DT .. well, quite a number of people also thought that HC operated a child sex slave ring out of a pizza shop too .. But for 18% of a group of people to vote for someone that believed to be in control a child sex slave operation .. especially one run out of a pizza shop! ... now that made no sense.

Personally, I think they'd be better off just choosing one state to vote on behalf of the whole country, and for the majority ethnic group in that state to determine the next president.

The state I'd choose would be Montana. The dominant ethnic group there is cows - they have three times as many cows in Montana as people. I'm sure they could produce a better option than the trump!

However, you're right - when there are Trumps in the world it does tend to make the rest of us feel sane by comparison.

[ricktas]

However, you're right - when there are Trumps in the world it does tend to make the rest of us feel sane by comparison.

On no you didn't... I am sitting here in my madness and you collectively call 'us' sane?

But to assist you with the Trumps of the world and give you a giggle.

[bobt]

On no you didn't... I am sitting here in my madness and you collectively call 'us' sane?

But to assist you with the Trumps of the world and give you a giggle.

https://youtu.be/U2LACM55JFA

Love it! One thing we're going to miss when he self-destructs is the 'bleedin great target on his head. A bit like Joe Bjelke Peterson (for those who remember him). A satirist's joy.

I've even started looking forward to the morning news to see what pothole he's stuck his foot into next.

[Cage]

The latest giggle in this fiasco is whether Ms Varga actually owns the copyright of the entry.

From The SMH today ....

Photographer North Sullivan, former president of the Australian Commercial and Media Photographers association and judge of the 2008 Moran photographic prize has questioned whether Varga, or her grandmother, was the owner and creator of the work.

"I believe there is a very real concern that Ms Varga has misappropriated her vulnerable grandmother's copyright in a work the old lady reportedly created, at Ms Varga's behest, using pens, crayon and spit on a sheet of plastic film," he said.

Oh dear, this is turning into a big pile of dog's dooey.

[Cage]

At least sanity still seems to prevail in the Archibald and Wynne Prizes.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/...31-gxm0ec.html