Polo Portrait

Jeanine Jackson · 10-09-2002, 05:04 PM

The client supplied a number of professional photos and this is the source we agreed upon for a surprise commission, 40" x 30" oil on linen. Other images of the subject in action on a pony obscure his face. This picture best captures his expression and character.

The challenge for me is to make something important out of a casual pose. When I posterized this for scale, he appears to be slouching. Nothing classic in that! I think if I can straighten his posture a tad, the portrait can succeed.

What do you think? Thumbnail follows.

Jeanine Jackson · 10-09-2002, 05:06 PM

This is my idea for a composition in which the lightest lights and darkest darks are all on the subject set against a middle value of suggested activity.

Sharon Knettell · 10-09-2002, 06:18 PM

Jeanine,

I have a suggestion for you. Many times we are put in position to work from inferior material. This often does not reflect our vision of the subject. It puts talented people in the position of producing a picture far below their skill levels. All that remains is the picture. You are not there to defend yourself.

This looks like a good potential area for future portraits. I realize that it is to be a surprise. Can't you tell these fellows that the material will hamper your efforts and you would like to shoot it yourself? Suggest the friends take you and the subject out to dinner. Have a drawing prepared from the photo. Present that at dinner and then his polo pals can tell them that they are sporting him to a portrait with Stamfords' leading portrait artist. Then you would have a really good chance to do a magnificent painting of a polo player, a great portfolio piece.

Jeanine Jackson · 10-09-2002, 07:01 PM

Dear Sharon:

From your comments, I presume you do not think this photo source is a good one. Looking at your awe-insipring website, I can see why!

The wife of the subject is fully aware of my preference for taking my own photos. However, the total surprise is of utmost importance to her.

I found the expression and lighting on the face here worthy of my best effort. This is clearly a departure from a classic pose. Partially because of that, it is one the client believes will hold the most meaning for the man.

I must confess, I am strongly attracted to this composition from an artistic standpoint. In the spirit of Degas, I am going for a behind-the-scenes pose versus an "on stage" look. If I were photographing him, I would pose him very similarly, just ask him to sit up a bit.

On the bright side, the quality of the original image is excellent. (A reduced-in-size scan is posted above.) I can count the freckles on his arms!

I plan to paint a small study. Any additional comments are welcome!

Mike McCarty · 10-09-2002, 08:30 PM

Jeanine,

Could you bring this gentleman over to our right a bit and include his pony coming in from the our left in the background? Eliminate the standing subject in the background. Add a few other artifacts here and there to balance the composition on the high right. The slouching might suggest an end of day, satisfyingly worn out look.

Jeanine Jackson · 10-09-2002, 10:39 PM

Dear Mike:

Thank you for the terrific suggestions!

The scene is the members' tent after a game. The ponies don't go there. I could rework the background to have a trailer and put his pony in that way.

My idea here is to suggest the buzz of players (from the field and off) behind him. I did plan on adding elements as needed on viewer's right such as two female figures, lemonade pitchers, tablecloth, riding crops, and a chukka sitting on the grass.

Here it is full size. Next is cropping as you suggested. Which do you think is better?

Jeanine Jackson · 10-09-2002, 10:41 PM

Here is the tighter version.

Alicia Kornick · 10-09-2002, 11:17 PM

Hi Jeanine,

I definitely like the cropped version, the second one much better. As for the slouch, it doesn't bother me. It obviously shows a man who has played hard and is resting for a bit. What about putting in his polo stick (or whatever they call them) leaning against the bench coming in from the lower left, leading the eye to him. I would also try to put the polo hat on the bench. Like the idea of the horse in the background too that Mike suggested.

Alicia Kornick · 10-09-2002, 11:19 PM

Sorry, went back and looked at it and see that the polo hat IS on the bench!

Mike McCarty · 10-09-2002, 11:20 PM

There is an active polo crowd in my hometown of San Antonio. Retama, I think is the name of the field. I watched a few matches there between some Florida teams and a team from Argentina. All I really know about polo is that you don't have just one polo pony, you better have about five.

When I said move him a bit to the right, I was seeing a more horizontal composition with the horse (maybe not the full horse) coming in from our left, nuzzling his shoulder as he looked the other way.

I think your idea sounds fine. The tighter version seems a little too tight for all that you want to include. I would ask if, to the layperson, those things which you would include would give enough to explain "polo", or maybe that's not even important.