Marti Friedlander | Through the Lens with Braden Fastier
/Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists has been a major success, attracting visitors from all across the region. We had the chance to chat with one of those visitors, Braden Fastier, a visual journalist based in Nelson, and hear some of his comments.
Self Portrait. Credit: Braden Fastier
What is your favourite photograph in the exhibition and why?
It was a tough decision, but it has to be the portrait of Louise Henderson, which was captured in 1982. She was born in Paris in 1902, so would have been 80 years old when it was taken.
For this portrait, a few things stick out. One is the graphic quality, which is influenced by the composition. Then there's the lighting, which is in Marti's unique family-style, adding to the punchiness. Finally, there's the emotion, the thoughtful wanting.
Louise Henderson portrait in the Marti Friedlander: Portraits of The Artists exhibition
What makes a good photographic portrait?
Returning to why I admire Louise Henderson's portrait, it boiled down to checking a number of boxes. You can see there's a bond between the photographer and the subject, which is crucial; get to know the person you're photographing. The composition must be strong, and there needs to be great light, which one is most important...? Well, they all are… That's what makes it great.
For me personally, I shoot in colour, so the colour is important, as is restricting the colour palette to only one or two colours so that it is not too distracting.
What techniques do you use to get the best photographs of people?
According to Marti Friedlander's video interview in the exhibition at The Suter Art Gallery, she liked to work quickly, and I do as well. While this can be a necessary aspect of the job, getting to know the subject, what they like to do, what makes them happy, and what motivates them, is crucial. Sometimes within minutes, you can get a rapport going, and then start to think about where you would like to take the photograph.
Look around the location to evaluate what the light is doing, what components of the background you'd like to keep, and what sections you'd like to get rid of. Then you have a discussion about where you think will work best, and you ask them if that's okay with them. See if they have anything in mind, where they think would best express their narrative.
If I'm not sure about a location, I'll take a few shots at the most obvious place, then move them to a different spot once I've exhausted the options.
Any tips or tricks you can suggest for budding photographers?
Get out there and take lots of photos of your friends and family, at home and outside, and at different times of the day and night. Consider the lighting. Direct, from the side, behind or in front of the subject, and what's the background? Does it contribute to the photo? Does it distract or complement the subject? Is the lighting direct, from the side, behind or in front of the subject? How is the composition looking, look at the rule of thirds, the golden mean, and so on. Then look at photographers and work that you admire, and ask yourself what it is about that shot that you appreciate so much.
Break it down and look at everything I mentioned above, then try it yourself.
About Braden
New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year, Braden Fastier works for the Nelson Mail and Stuff. Braden was born in Dunedin and studied photography at the Southland Polytechnic in Invercargill full-time, photographing sport at weekends to get his foot in the door of the local daily newspaper, the Southland Times. They soon grew tired of his persistent harassment and gave him a job. Two years later, he won Junior Press Photographer of the Year, launching his 25-year career in the media in Australia and New Zealand.
Braden is a co-founding member of the Toru Collective and the New Zealand Photography Festival.
Marti Friedlander: Portraits of The Artists runs from the 19th of February 2022 until the 10th of April, 2022. Curated by Leonard Bell and toured by the New Zealand Portrait Gallery
