London photographer Roman Sakovich has hit a nerve – many nerves that is, including mine – with his recent portrait series titled “Half”. Thru some simple but astute post production, Sakovich combines the two halves of a person…on the left ‘before’ addiction & abuse, and on the right, after, at full throttle. Certainly the studio photos have been enhanced, but the results don’t waver. Simple photographs, compelling + robust narrative. Signs of good art. #Respect. Great series, Roman.
Visit Roman’s site is here. [caught this via PSFK + Hypenotice]
” reality is stranger then any fiction”
I forget the author of that quote but it applies to these images.
These are decent illustrations of a problem but a ways from the reality of trying not to gag, while you look for a pulse on someone you know.
As a photographer with leanings to journalism theses images seem trite.
And i think of Susan Sontag and John Bergers thoughts on imagery.
I don’t get it. How is this any different, or any more compelling, than before and after pictures of a zombie attack? It’s just makeup.
I have no doubt that people who use drugs can have drastic changes to their physical appearance, and this may even be representative of that, but it’s fake (makeup)…
What would be much more interesting is photos of actual drug users who look horrible as a result of their drug use. These are just photos proving that someone is good with makeup.
bogus.
Very well captured and depicted.
The fact that it’s done in the studio with makeup, not by combining images in post changes the images completely. It doesn’t show the difference that drugs make. It shows what difference the photographer THINKS they make.