BETINA LA PLANTE: ICONIC IMAGES

This quote by one of the giants of the medium came to mind when I first laid eyes on the portraits of Betina La Plante. Penn’s insight seems to be the linchpin of her photographic approach. Although widely praised for her photographs of famous faces, La Plante doesn’t seem interested in the idea of celebrity per se. Rather, she strives to identify and communicate relatable aspects of character possessed by her subjects, renowned or otherwise.

The faces seen here, young and old alike, testify to La Plante’s ability to delve beneath surface appearance to get at lived-in aspects of character. An unvarnished honesty informs all of her portraits, whether she’s fulfilling editorial assignments or pursuing personal projects. Note the almost insolent challenge of Polito Ulloa’s gaze, the extreme withdrawn focus of Elliott and Bess. Compare the wariness that precocious child Linn and octogenarian actor Christopher Lloyd both show to the camera, or, more accurately, to La Plante. There’s no artifice, no pretense. The subject is simply saying, this is who I am, like it or not. It’s as if photographer and subject are simply looking directly at one another without the modifying influence of the camera.

La Plante’s photographs are further distinguished by their stillness and intensity, an organic and playful Surrealism, and an enigmatic tendency to sometimes obscure the very faces she is photographing in pursuit of that “something more profound” that Penn held in such regard.

We recently caught up with the native of Buenos Aires, now residing in Ojai, California, to discuss some of the particulars of her very individual engagement with the photographic portrait.

Black & White: Charles Baudelaire once said, “A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound.” I’ve always thought this quote to be wonderfully descriptive of portraiture, even though Baudelaire was famously not a fan of photography. I wonder if you see portraiture in similar terms, and why it is your preferred photographic genre.

Betina La Plante: There is so much truth in that statement. While portraiture can seem simple and obvious—place a subject in front of the camera, take a photo—for me, the complexity and profoundness come from a myriad of variables. The emotions in their eyes, their body language and attitude, the hand gestures, as well as the choice of shooting angles and lens, filling the frame with the subject or allowing there to be a relationship to the environment they’re in. And, of course, the light, always the light. A public figure, for example, will be photographed by many different photographers, and each one will approach the portrait in a unique way, and not only capture a different facet of that person, but in their own style. I enjoy all genres of the medium, but it’s the relationship with the subject, the collaboration, that makes portraiture my favorite.

B&W: Are you interested in the history of portrait photography?

BLP: I am interested in pretty much everything about photography. I know a little of the history through reading, going to photography exhibitions that include work spanning the past two centuries, and I collect all kinds of photography books, from biographies to collections of photos, to books on photography. Susan Sontag’s On Photography was one of the first books I was given. People who know me well tend to give me photography books as gifts. Over the years, I’ve amassed a large and varied collection. It’s fascinating to see how the process evolved, and from the very beginning portraiture was one of the most popular uses of the medium.

B&W: I know from a previous interview that Penn, Blumenfeld and Erwitt are among your inspirations. I’m curious if you have any favorites from, say, the early Daguerreotype era to the present?

BLP: Absolutely, and the list is long and could read like an appendix; hence why in the previous interview we kept it to just three! Among my favorites, there are a lot of women. Julia Margaret Cameron, Margaret Bourke White, Imogen Cunningham, Dorothea Lange, Lee Miller, to name but a few. Alfred Stieglitz. I would love to own a print of Georgia O’Keefe’s hands. Karl Blossfeldt and Robert Mapplethorpe for their flowers. Yousuf Karsh, Walker Evans, Richard Avedon. Irving Penn for portraits. Brassai, Robert Doisneau, Andre Kertesz, Garry Winogrand, Daido Moriyama for street. William Eggleston and Saul Leiter for color. These are just a few that come to mind because they live in my bookshelf. The list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Jack Davison, Jone Reed, Brett Walker, Lydia Roberts, all of whom are dear friends as well as phenomenal present-day photographers.

B&W: Did you adopt portraiture from the outset of your photographic career?

BLP: I’ve always loved photography, but it wasn’t until I moved to the U.S. that I started looking for and getting paid jobs. (I owe that to Elliott Erwitt’s encouragement). I did several weddings, shot houses for a locations company on the East Coast, headshots for casting directors, and the occasional family portrait. When I moved to California I did a couple more weddings, many family portraits, some sports and product photography for several cycling magazines, and cataloguing work for a painter. I appreciated all the work I was getting, but I enjoyed portraiture the most. I started actively pursuing portraiture as a career in 2009.

B&W: Has your approach changed any now that everyone has smartphone cameras and consider themselves photographers? Do you find it harder to make portraits that resonate in our selfie culture?

BLP: My approach certainly hasn’t changed. While the smartphone camera is an incredible tool (I use mine daily), and there is so much talent in the world that now has more access to display their work through social media platforms, I don’t think the selfie culture impacts what I do specifically. I believe there is room for everyone who wants to create, as long as you are true to your vision, your own “voice.” I think today a bigger issue at play in photography is the more prevalent use of AI, and if there should be regulations, or required disclosures, etc., if it is employed to make images. But it’s here to stay, so as creators we will have to adapt to its presence and learn to coexist with it.

B&W: There’s strength and directness and honesty to your portraits, whether your subject is famous or not. One feels they’re not putting their best face forward, but allowing you to see/record them without affectation. What is your process to arrive at that capture?

BLP: I like getting to know someone I have never met before even picking up the camera. It gives us both time to relax and establish a rapport. It gives me the opportunity to observe their features and body language, and start getting ideas on how I will photograph them. I find most people will react to the camera by trying to show themselves as they want to be seen, putting their “best face forward,” as you say. But I try to look for those spontaneous moments during a portrait session when you get a glimpse into what lies beneath. Those genuine moments are the ones that resonate with me, and hopefully the viewer too.

B&W: Do you follow a certain ritual for a portrait session? Do you go in with any expectations, or specific ideas?

BLP: I will try to do a little research on the subject if they are someone I have never met, and I’ll always look at photo books for inspiration. But I try not to have too many expectations for the session, as invariably I find that the subject and the way we interact tend to dictate the direction it goes in.

B&W: You seem open to collaboration with the people you photograph.

BLP: Absolutely. I really believe photography is a collaboration. It’s their time as much as mine, and I want them to be happy with the resulting images. The rapport established will be evident in what the photograph communicates to the viewer. For me, it’s definitely a two-way street.

B&W: Is there any difference in your approach working with famous as opposed to non-famous people?

BLP: I’d like to say no, but of course I’d be lying if I said initially there aren’t some nerves involved! But I’ll say this to be true of working with anyone I haven’t met before, not just famous people. I want whoever is in front of my lens to be comfortable. Taking some time to get to know them before we start to shoot really helps in setting that relaxed tone—and it helps me shake off those nerves, too!

B&W: Do you ever find that a session isn’t going well? And what can you do when that happens?

BLP: For the most part, I find portrait sessions go really well. The time spent getting to know a subject is always worthwhile for me. I did do a family portrait session a few years ago that involved five people, four cats, two dogs and three chickens. The animals weren’t cooperating, but finally we managed to get a group shot with the dogs, two cats and one chicken. We called that one shot a success, then did lots of individual portraits or smaller groupings. If things aren’t going to plan, then the best thing is to try to adapt to the situation, while still being able to deliver what the client wants.

B&W: What’s the most frustrating thing about making someone’s portrait, and the most rewarding?

BLP: Going in with a specific idea in mind that doesn’t seem to materialize in the way you envisioned it can be frustrating. I try not to have too many expectations going into a session, and allow the opportunities that present themselves to dictate the shoot. The most rewarding for me is when I feel I have captured something special, and the subject feeling the same when they see the result.

B&W: Do you set a minimum or maximum amount of time per subject?

BLP: It depends on the client, what the shoot is for, if there are wardrobe changes, hair and makeup etc. I try not to set limits either way. I usually allow at least a two-hour window per subject for a portrait session, but timelines can be fluid.

B&W: Do you sometimes get the shot right away? If so, will you keep shooting?

BLP: If I’m shooting my own projects, then I will definitely stop shooting when I think I got what I wanted right away. It’s a little different when shooting for clients, in that they are the ones that have to be happy with the results, so that even if I feel I have got something in the first few frames, I think they appreciate being given a few options to choose from before moving on. But I work quite quickly, and I try not keep shooting unnecessarily.

B&W: Having noted the clarity and accessibility of your portraits, I’m also struck by how many of them go in the opposite direction—being elliptical, enigmatic, concealing as much as revealing. What stimulates this approach?

BLP: I tend to capture moments that resonate with me. Whether the moment is within a portrait session or if it’s a candid taken of a subject that may be unaware of the camera in that instant, it’s these points in time that can dictate the mood of the portrait. The approach is more instinctual than premeditated: spotting an unscripted moment, seeing the light hit in a particular way, an involuntary hand gesture or emotion in the eyes.

B&W: My biggest takeaway might be how emotionally layered your images are. So much of the celebrity portraiture I see feels empty and on the surface, and I see this from a lot of famous photographers. What’s your secret to evoking this kind of unguarded, revealing expression? How important is this aspect of your photography?

BLP: If I’m able to capture real emotions, expressions or even rare personality traits that resonate with the viewer, it comes from being genuinely interested in and liking people for who they are. Famous or not, we talk, I listen, and try to always be respectful and courteous. My aim is to make portraits that celebrate the real person, not just the persona.

B&W: Finally, what do you feel sets your portrait photography apart? What makes it uniquely yours?

BLP: I don’t know if I can answer that. But if my portraits draw the viewer in and evoke emotion, then I consider them successful.

Addendum
See more of La Plante’s work at betinalaplante.com, instagram.com/betinalaplante, threads.net/betinalaplante and facebook.com/betinalaplante.