Having lighting from the side casting a shadow over half of someones face is a common technique, and generally makes the subject look more dramatic. In this case, maybe because of his older age, it makes him seem very alone or maybe sick like half of himself is already gone.
I like the side lighting in this photo, and I agree that the fact that only half of his face is visible makes the subject look more dramatic. Seeing only half of the image makes him look stoic and detached. It is also interesting to me that this angle of lighting reveals the background in the right of the photo but not the left half. I feel like this angle of lighting hides as much as it reveals. I think it was also an interesting choice to have this photo be in black and white. I wonder what the side lighting would look like if the image were in color. It might give another feel to the viewer.
ReplyDeleteI think the side lighting in this photo is also very mysterious, since you can't make out the other darkened half of his features. The contrast between how much it highlights and how much it hides seems very unnatural, which is compelling. I also think it's interesting how you can still see the outline of his head, although not the entirety of his face.
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