The Commission- 'The Portrait Issue'

These three images by photographers Finlay Mackay, Toby Glanville, Ulrich Geber all focus on the working class. The photographs look at the subjects daily routines by photographing them whilst there at work, and in the work clothing. By capturing the subjects in there daily routine allows the audience to identify with the characters in the image. In the series that these three photographs came from they look at the individual subject as well as the group of people who work with them or who work in the same type of job. Each image also looks at the environment in which they work at which creates a personal feel to the images. 

Finlay MacKay, ‘Changing Pace, David Weir’ for ‘The Road to 2012’

Toby Glanville, ‘Actual Life’, 2002

Ulrich Gebert, ‘Freischneider’, 2004

Finlay Mackay’s series is titled ‘Changing pace, David Weir’ and is for ‘The Road to 2012’. This series was commissioned by ‘The National Portrait Gallery’ and captures the journey towards the London 2012 Olympics. It’s aim is too record all the people who have contributed to the London Games such as world class athletes, builders who contributed in the making of the site, people who live in the Olympic host boroughs and people who work behind the scenes. Mackay’s images are unique compared to traditional sports photography as he captures athletes in the locations where they train, as well as people who support their ambition. A Paralympic double gold medalist is pictured on a starting block by a swimming pool with her trainer, Mackay adds an intimate feel to his pictures by including the trainer as you can see the team work that goes into preparing for the olympics. This series by Mackay tells a story of the athletes and of the olympics as you can see the build up to it as they are preparing and training for it. A large depth of field has been used in all of Mackay’s images which allows you to see all of the environment in which the athletes train.The subjects are central in all of the pictures which gives them a dominant feel and emphasises there power.

‘Actual Life’ is a series by British photographer Toby Glanville that was taken between 1997 and 2000. This series looks at ordinary people going about there everyday life, Glanville focuses on subjects that would normally be overlooked however he captures them in a way that catches your attention and makes them stand out. Adam Phillips a Psychologist and writer said this about Glanville’s work ‘one of the many striking things about Glanville’s portraits of people – apart, that is, from their unstartled stillness – is that his subjects are revealed but never exposed. His photographs seem to give people a sense of themselves, without exploiting their self-consciousness in front of the camera.’ This is true as his work takes a sensitive look into the life’s of people but never reveal to much about the character. In each picture of this series the subject is looking directly into the camera which creates an intimate feelings because of the connection it creates between the viewer and the model. The connection with the character makes you feel as if you know them especially as Glanville has photographed them in there everyday life as it makes you feel as if you are getting a private glimpse into there world. Glanville has given his images a very natural feel with the way he has used natural lighting and with how his images aren't staged. The images in ‘After Life’ are cropped to only include the subject and a part of the area around them to set the scene, this creates a more intimate feeling as you feel closer to the subject. Each image has a large depth of field which allows you to see the location that the subjects are working in and gives you an insight into there life. 

‘Freischneider’ which is translated to ‘bushcutter’ in English is an image of a man in protective gear

by photographer Ulrich Gebert. In the image the worker is not photographed at eye level which makes you look up at the man making him seem more powerful and inferior. Even though he doesn’t show the environment in which the man works at he isn’t shown in this image in his exhibition he places his portraits next to images of tree’s so you can see the location he works in. Gebert has used a close up crop so only the face is in the picture, this emphasises the workers facial expression which looks deep in concentration and enables us to analyse the man so it feels as if we get an understanding of him. The mixture of the workers clothing and the mans facial expression gives the man a very powerful feel. By having the portrait pictures separate from the landscape images suggests a conflict between man and nature. 


When comparing all three images they all have an intimate feel because of how personal they are as they show you the subject whilst they are at work. However Glanville’s and Gerbert’s images feel as if they have a more intimate feel because of the tighter crop they have chosen which makes you feel more connected to the subject. However the lack of the subjects gaze in Gerbert’s ‘Freischneider’ image means it stops a relationship forming between the subject and the viewer so you start to form an opinion on the mans job more then him personally. The subjects in Glanville’s series look directly into the camera and at the viewer which creates a connection between the viewer and the model. In Mckay’s series the connection between the viewer and the subject isn’t as important as we already know they are athletes training for the Olympics and therefore already have a connection with them. Both Glanville’s and Mackay’s images show the areas in which there subjects work by using a composition which shows there work space around them wheres Gerbert uses separate framed photographs to show the mans work area which creates a conflict between the subject and his work environment. A large depth of field has been used in all of the images to emphasise the subjects work space so you have a look in to there everyday life which makes you feel personally connected to them. Each of the photographers have chosen subjects who have completely different jobs however they are all similar in the way they give you a personal insight into some one else’s every day life.