p r o j e c t s: moving portraits 2013 & 2018: about moving portraits

Moving Portraits (2013), is a series of filmed portraits of approximately one minute each, where the subject is unaware that they are being filmed. 

Wiseman momentarily deceives his subjects asking them to pose for a portrait. He places the camera on a tripod, frames the shot, fiddles a bit... and finally makes some excuse to leave, usually to retrieve a better lens. The subject is then left alone with the camera that is in fact filming them without their knowledge. After the session, Wiseman returns and proceeds to take a proper portrait before revealing what he has done. 

The result is a series of introspective, quiet, intimate moments when people are most self-absorbed. Moving Portraits is an extended version of the Cartier Bresson´s "decisive moment". These portraits appeal to our voyeuristic tendency of watching someone who is unaware. It is at once awkward and captivating. 

The series also includes portraits of each subject posing after they were filmed. These traditional portraits are a counterpoint to the filmed series where the subjects have their social “mask” on. This simple idea addresses and challenges the traditional approaches to documentary portraiture where deceit is used to achieve a more "honest" portrait.