New Strategies | Interactive Portraits

It is now easy to show someone you have portrayed the photograph and ask: Does this photograph represent who you are? Please explain.

Then simply record the person’s voice and add it to the photograph (or transcribe the response to text) so that the interested reader can then click and hear or read how the subject responds. This can be useful for all kinds of portraits, including those of people who may have less power in society, such as those who are old, homeless, immigrants, etc.

This kind of collaborative portrait can also be made remotely over Zoom or Facetime. One can also ask for a response from one’s subject days, weeks or even years after the portrait was made.

Please see the accompanying Interactive Portraits, made by students from different countries in response to class assignments that I gave.