Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. 1928 - 1998

[Elizabeth Schott]

Very nice Garth!

I am interested in your lighting. Is this something you shot, or did they supply the picture? I looks like two light sources or a filler on just his face.

[Garth Herrick]

Hi Beth,

Unfortunately this was a posthumous portrait. I never met him in life. The Federal District Court supplied me with a couple dozen official photographs in 2000 for the first portrait, which I dumped as digital scans into my computer. Of those were several similar photos from the same photo shoot, and I took the best head, hands, robe folds, etc., from them and combined them in Photoshop. Since I already had these image files, it was simple to do this second portrait. It never feels right to work from someone else's photography, but there was no other option. Beth, I think you are right in your analysis of the lighting. One light off to the side, and a large softbox light in front near the camera. The light had to be interpreted because, for example, the hands were so brightly lit, they appeared more or less in a caucasian tonal range. One of the toughest aspect of this posthumous interpretation was how to determine his correct skin color and tone. I did not trust the photos, with their magenta cast, so I interviewed many people who knew him, and took reference photos of people with a similar complexion to guide me. His son, who has a recording studio, coincidentally lives just a block from me, but he is very light skinned, and has little resemblance to his father. While he couldn't sit in for the portrait, he offered insight and nodding reassurance of my efforts to get the likeness right.

Thanks for your insight!

[Elizabeth Schott]

Garth thank YOU for the insight, plus I never even considered the fact of fuller lighting on darker skin tones. One of these days I'll be like you - please tell me you are 58!

I am doing much the same, and the photos which they supplied were two: one had a copyright but she looked like Quasimodo and the other she is very jaundiced. I took the Marvin route and brought a body double in; hopefully It is coming to an end and i'll be anxious to see what you think.

[Rob Sullivan]

This is a wonderful piece, and I'm sure the family, friends and professional colleagues of this man approve greatly of the strong, intelligent and dignified manner in which you have portrayed him.

Any chance the pose was slightly influenced by Ingres' "Louis Francois-Bertin"?

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Rob Sullivan

This is a wonderful piece, and I'm sure the family, friends and professional colleagues of this man approve greatly of the strong, intelligent and dignified manner in which you have portrayed him.

Any chance the pose was slightly influenced by Ingres' "Louis Francois-Bertin"?

Thanks Rob, you are very kind. That Ingres portrait is one of my all time favorites. However much I would love to claim an influence of Ingres on this pose, the credit goes to the original studio photographer. I deleted the encyclopedic array of library cases packed full of law books which were distracting, from the original photo. So I guess the simple background is all I can relate to the portrait of Louis Francois-Bertin.

Garth

[Rob Sullivan]

Ah--- Perhaps I should have read through the whole thread and my question would have been answered prior to my post.

Still, if you like to use Photoshop to assist as much as I do, it is not unheard of to swap bodies or clothing or limbs. Sounds very Frankenstein and all, but other people's photos VERY often do not measure up. Anyway, it's a great piece, regardless.

[Heidi Maiers]

Wow. You continue to astonish me with every piece you post in this forum. Once again you have proven the theory that anything worth doing is worth doing well.

[Sergio Ostroverhy]

I really appreciate the easy watercolor like treatment of the oil on the face....