Like wedding photography, which was altered drastically with the emergence of wedding photojournalism in
the mid-to-late 80s, portraiture is now far from its traditional beginnings. Much of its change was spawned from the increased mobility of both photographer and subject. A fine portrait is not restricted to the studio any longer; it can be made anywhere, anytime. We didn’t initially plan to feature “The American Portrait” in this annual issue, but the more we worked on the articles, the more we came to realize that what we were seeing was uniquely American. The images themselves say as much about where the subjects live, work and play as they do about the physicality featured, and in many cases, the portraits define the collectivity of the country as much if not more than the person. It is a rare pleasure to feature the work of Joyce Tenneson this month (pg. 20). Joyce is a pioneer, having carved out a distinctive niche in New York circles that was a purely feminine viewpoint. Unheard of at the time and with an unwelcome point of view, Tenneson persevered in the spirit of democracy and free speech, opening doors for others with differing viewpoints. Tim Mantoani (pg. 10) is a classically-trained commercial photographer, who used the vehicle of the Polaroid 20 x 24-inch camera to photograph the legends of photography holding their signature images—many of America’s cultural icons. There are such gems as Charles Moore with his image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested; David Hume Kennerly with his photo of five U.S. presidents; Douglas Kirkland’s seductive image of Marilyn Monroe and many more amazing portraits. Paul Mobley (pg. 82) uses the power of the personal project to chronicle America’s farmers in portraits so rich in character that they reveal the enduring personality of America’s heartland. In similar fashion, Andy Goodwin’s (pg. 30) portraits rely on the strong connection between subject and environment. Goodwin’s brooding portrait of Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, surrounded by the dark and uncertain skies over Soldier Field, is a powerful image that enlightens us about not only the nature of the man, but his profession. And then there’s Russ Roca (pg. 74)—your basic eco-friendly bicycling photographer, who’s developed an almost cult following because, being pedal-driven, almost every location in and around his native Los Angeles, and the country as a whole, is open to him.

Bill Hurter
Editor