SOULFUL PORTRAITURE

DEAN GOLDBERG

// Dean Goldberg, a graduate from film school in New York City, is a film maker, photography professor, and writer based in the Hudson Valley, in Woodstock, New York. We have selected a set of his soulful portraits to show the power of well-crafted portraiture to convey a person´s character.

After graduating from film school, Dean became an assistant film editor at David Sawyer Films, where he quickly progressed to editor and then director, primarily working on political commercials and non-profit films. He later transitioned to directing corporate films before embarking on a career in reality television as a member of the Directors Guild of America, producing dramatic re-enactments. In 1999, Dean founded his own advertising company, “Wolf at the Door.”

In Woodstock he began teaching filmmaking and cinema studies as a full-time professor at Mount Saint Mary College. During a 2017 project in India for AFS (American Field Service), a global student exchange programme, he rediscovered his passion for photography. Although he had previously worked with photography, this experience marked a turning point, leading him to dedicate himself to serious photographic pursuits. His work has since been exhibited in galleries both upstate and in Minneapolis. In 2023, his multimedia exhibit, “Kristallnacht,” was featured at the Mildred I. Washington Gallery at Dutchess Community College. A generous grant from the Kaplan Family Foundation is currently supporting the development of a “road show” for this important work, connecting the “Night of Broken Glass” in Germany to contemporary concerns about fascism.

For the past year, Dean has been focused on a series of portraits of artists and workers in the Hudson Valley, of which we are pleased to feature a subset here.

Me and Plato
A dialogue.

Plato: Out of the cave at last!
Me: Yeah. It’s pretty bright. Hurts my eyes
Plato: You’ll get used to it.

Dean Goldberg
(first lines from the poem Me and Plato)

What draws you to the arts?

I’ve been teaching and writing about Cinema Studies since the late 80s. First as an adjunct and then as a tenured professor. For me, at the time, cinema was both the combination of fine art, motion and story, but cinematography was the art that captured my imagination. For that I spent time in museums looking at the works that inspired photographers–Rembrandt, Vermeer, and many others.

What do you like best about this project?

My goal for this series is both personal and artistic.It’s imperative that I make a human connection with my subjects. I basically photograph people who have lived a fairly long life. My visual goal is to tell a story created by age, energy and spirit; I don’t shoot shocking photographs –My aim is to tell a human story. On the technical side, I am fascinated by light, it is my paint and brush.

Artful portraits possess a unique power to transcend mere likeness and delve into the depths of a person’s character. Beyond capturing the physical features, a skilled artist or photographer can imbue the portrait with subtle nuances that reveal the subject’s inner world. A knowing gaze, a hint of a smile, the subtle play of light and shadow – these elements can convey a multitude of emotions and personality traits. A portrait can capture the strength and resilience of a spirit, the quiet confidence of an introspective soul, or the vibrant energy of a passionate individual.

Portraits can evoke a sense of vulnerability, wisdom, or even a touch of melancholy. Through careful observation and artistic interpretation, the photographer transforms the subject into a symbol, inviting the viewer to connect with them on a deeper, more profound level. In this sense, the artful portrait becomes a window into the human soul, offering a glimpse into the complexities and nuances of the human experience.

Dean’s portrait sessions involve an exchange of personal history and human connection, alongside the photographic process. He photographs in a confined space, utilizing a black backdrop and a combination of LED hard and soft lights, as well as practical lighting sources such as desk lamps. Dean shoots with a Fuji medium format digital camera, primarily with an 80mm prime lens.

Click on the photos to see the original larger version. Images may be cropped for layout.