exploring {PERSONA} by Annie and Studio Z

per·so·na
/pərˈsoʊnə/[per-soh-nuh]
–noun,plural-nae
1. a person.
2. personae, the characters in a play, novel, etc.
3. the narrator of or a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author.
4. (in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the mask or façade presented to satisfy the demands of the situation or the environment and not representing the inner personality of the individual; the public personality (contrasted with anima).
5. a person’s perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity; personal image; public role.

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How much does one’s persona have to do with who they really are? How important or unimportant is one’s persona?

While planning our 3 trip to the WPPI convention in Las Vegas, NV. I began thinking about persona. I find the “rock star” photographer trend in our industry fascinating.  There are some highly successful photographers who have earned their success and respect because of the exquisite work they create. But, there are some who have achieved “rock star” status because of their marketing skills, which appears to rely greatly on the persona they have created.

I began to think about what would the Studio Z team’s persona be. If you made a judgment based on appearances, could a one word persona be created? That’s when it came to me! I am the “punk”, Michelle is the “princess” and Bill, he’s the “jock”.  It makes me giggle just thinking about it.  I then created a plan that we (Studio Z) would dress as our “personas” for the Pictage Studio 54 Party at WPPI. Ok, so my outfit is pretty simple, but I had to find the perfect outfit for Michelle.  I love e-bay! I found a brand new Betsey Johnson dress for $100.00 that was PERFECT! I had to convince Michelle to wear it, but luckily she trusts me enough.  I really wanted Bill to wear a tank top and gym shorts, but he wasn’t going for it.. in the end his outfit worked, it’s all about the biceps anyways.

On Tuesday, March 9th, Studio Z put on their “personas” and had a blast taking photos of each other. We called it the “Studio Z” workshop.. although it was just the 3 of us. Jackie VanHatten was sweet enough to join us at the end and take a couple group shots. You would think with thousands of photographers in one place we could have arranged for others to shoot us.. but..yeah, that’s how we roll. The party was a blast and we danced all night in our personas.

The truth is, although I like to wear black and dye my hair different colors, I am by no means a “punk”. Heck, I’m on the PTA!  I love to play singstar with my kids and am really pretty mellow. Michelle looks adorable in a pink dress…but she is far from a princess. She will lay down in the mud in her fancy dress and heels if it means she gets a great shot. Bill likes to workout, surf, snowboard.. but a jock? Yeah, I don’t think so. He walks his cat on a leash –*need I say more*–.

I personally have no interest in fame. Sure, recognition is awesome and greatly appreciated.  However, I would just love to share with others and offer the kind of support that other photographers have given me. Ultimately, I take photos because I’m an artist, and documenting life is my art. So, how much does one’s persona have to do with who they really are? How important or unimportant is one’s persona? I believe a persona is a merely a mask that has very little to do with the who you really are. An adult version of “dress-up”, which if taken in that context can be silly and fun.  The importance of one’s persona is only as important as one wants it to be.  My final thought is best expressed by Anthony Michael Hall from “The Breakfast Club” (edited to suit our story):

Dear Mr. Vernon,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong…but we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is

…a punk…
…and a princess…
…and an jock...

Does that answer your question?
Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

Here is a slideshow of Studio Z’s Photo Workshop, music by The Room