Taking a portrait is a common practice; it is simply taking the camera, framing it well, putting the
subject in the center of the image, asking them to look the lens and shooting. It takes no more than
a minute. There are portraits everywhere. However, if we dig a little deeper, we see that the portrait
is an image that speaks volumes.
To become aware of what it means to make portraits is to approach the territory of identity, of what
defines us as individuals. One afternoon at Cornerstone, we dedicated ourselves to making portraits.
The kids worked in pairs; they chose who to work with. Each one was going to make a portrait of
their partner. The idea was to go around the space and find the nook, corner or place that best
suited the person to portray. Then, they included an object to help them better understand the
portrait subject. The elements chosen were, among others: a basketball, a plate with cookies, a fish-
shaped pen, a Christmas tree, a mirror, etc.
The objects served as extensions of each person’s identity. In the Film Lab, we work to create
creative self-awareness. To portray the other is to think about how I want to be seen. Our next
natural step in the Film Lab Program is the self-portrait.
That’s going to be our next practice.
