As a student in AP Art this year, I’m putting together a portfolio to be submitted. One of the categories required is a concentration. For my concentration, I chose the topic ‘faceless portrait’ based off the National Geographic Your Shot challenge. (Side note–if you’re a photographer interested in getting prompts to expand your horizons, Your Shot is an awesome place to check out.)

I had taken this photo last year of my cousins’ grandpa. To some this may just seem like a photograph of hands, but when I showed my family members, they immediately knew who it was without any analysis of details. The mannerism that he holds of dignity and relaxation is unique to him and I didn’t need his face to show that.

This photo is another one of my favorites, taken of my dad at the Nelson-Atkins Museum here in Kansas City. This is called Glass Labyrinth by Robert Morris. Watch the aerial video of the opening day, it’s super cool! The way the glass reflects and intersects often creates an interesting illusion and this created a sort of mirror effect–real on one side, ghostly on the other.

This photo was taken at a Sporting KC game of one of the fans in front of me. The way his hands are on his head and how his head is tilted back in frustration reminds me of something a coach or a father would do. While this position on an adult would be seen as typical, seeing on a child provides a humorous aspect.

This is possibly my favorite photo I’ve taken so far! I took it while serving food at a homeless shelter. What draws me to this photograph is how much you can tell about the people without seeing their expressions. You can tell that the man loves the little girl and that he’ll protect her. You don’t need a face to explain love.

These photos are all unedited and I plan to share more in the future. Photography is one of my greatest passions and I love expressing myself through it. That being said, I recently did an interview with one of my favorite photographers and I’ll share that on the blog soon!

Thanks for reading,