Question

Philippe Halsman has argued, “A good portrait is incredibly hard to create, there is too much temptation to pander to the individual rather than portray them as they really were.”
What does he mean by this?
Should photographers take into consideration how the subject of the photograph wants to be seen? Why or why not?

Answer 1

From what I can understand it could mean being so caught up in perfection it makes the portrait/painting no longer unique it is no longer THEM. Everyone has an ideal they want to strive for especially in media these days i.e. Photoshop. But using that can alter oneself making them no longer them but what society and what they perceive as beautiful. In an artists perspective imperfections are what makes it unique and perfect AKA one of a kind

Answer 2

What does he mean by this?

What Halsman most likely means is that when making a portrait, the artist can be concerned about making the subject look the way the subject considers to be best. A person posing for a portrait might not be comfortable if the portrait does not reflect them as they think they really are, or even if it does not reflect them as "attractive." Because of this, the subject might have a problem looking unattractive in a portrait, and this might push the artist to try to please him or her.

Should photographers take into consideration how the subject of the photograph wants to be seen? Why or why not?

Although some inspiration might arise from the considerations of the subject of the photograph, ultimately the responsibility of portraying the subject in a particular way falls on the artist. It is the artist's ultimate right to be true to his art, regardless of the feelings that this causes on the subject.