Why Rückenfigur?

I often get asked why my candid photos contain a high proportion of "back shots".  Here is a short guide to what some of my photographer buddies and I affectionately term - the

What is"Literally meaning "back figure", the termis usually associated with German romantic painters, such asCaspar David Friedrich, to describe a viewpoint that includes another person seen from behind, viewing a scene spread out before the viewer.

Absolute MUSTS:- Photo clearly shows a subject from a rear point-of-view in contemplation of another scene that may or may not be visible to us as a viewer.

• Rear figure subject must be the main human subject of the photo... and not just a random body part - picture must at least have a head.

• Main subject must not have a visible face (for a definitive rule: oblique rear profile Ok, but no visible eyes).

• No other faces should appear in the composition unless they are being directly viewed by the "rear figure" (if they're in the indistinct background of the shot, that's Ok)" The above descrīption was authored by the Australian photographer Christian "Memetic" Were, whom I have been lucky enough to meet and shoot with here in Hong Kong.  Christian is currently at the forefront of the film photography scene in Melbourne, and has exhibited his works which cover street scenes from Australia, China and Hong Kong.  His championing of the Rückenfigur movement is one cause I am proud to associate myself with.  It's an interesting viewpoint which I believe opens up photography to new perspectives. 

There is an aura of intrigue and mystique to the Rückenfigur photo - it is often beguiling, unusually cinematic and, where the background is heavily "bokehed" (blurred by a large aperture), it can create very surreal moods.  Not only do you see the scene that the main subject is staring upon, but you are left to wonder about the impact of that scene on that person - since you are unable to see any face directly, it is always left to the imagination.

Attached are a few of my own humble efforts to create Rückenfigur shots, some created out of digital shots, others shot in film.  For the purposes of the blog these are low-res but you can view the originals on my flickr site - www.flickr.com/photos/justinlim

To learn more about ruckenfigur and see other people's work, see here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/ruckenfigur/

copyright J. Lim 2006-08