In recent years, Erik Tomasak has had the privilege of lecturing at prestigious universities, overcoming burnout, representing global photo brands as an ambassador, and discovering a new approach to portraiture—Portrait 2.0 (Quantum Portrait). This journey has brought him to the intersection of art and science.
I combined my knowledge in a unique way and the result is a multidisciplinary discovery beyond photography. We have been working with various leading specialists for several years to understand and apply the method and the result. It is a new way to evoke and capture an authentic facial expression - emotion.
Portrait 2.0 differs from the classic portrait in facial expressions. Facial expressions can be dually divided into conscious and unconscious or subconscious. The moment the camera is pointed at a person, a conscious facial expression is activated. On the contrary, unconscious facial expressions hide a much greater facial expression potential, because the face engages muscles that we cannot control with conscious facial expressions. Human facial expressions are a key tool of non-verbal communication, and the face reveals a person's current emotions. The possibilities of the new mirrorless technology, knowledge of psychology and other fields, allowed us to control and capture an authentic facial expression for the first time.
This photography is then converted into the unique perspective of the human eye. Such a portrait can communicate a wide range of emotions. However, communication takes place on an emotional level. A person who looks at such a photo can feel the same emotion as in the photo. It is thanks to mirror neurons that allow us to learn and empathically feel the emotions of other people. Mirror neurons connect our visual perception with our emotional experience.
This breakthrough in facial communication opens doors to diverse applications in art, science, psychology, technology, education, marketing, and ethics. The essence of Magical Realism infuses Portrait 2.0, enriching the project with depth and uniqueness.
In recent years, Erik Tomasak has had the privilege of lecturing at prestigious universities, overcoming burnout, representing global photo brands as an ambassador, and discovering a new approach to portraiture—Portrait 2.0 (Quantum Portrait). This journey has brought him to the intersection of art and science.
Read more about this interview with Ondrej Blaho from Czech Republic, the Gold Winner of the 2024 MUSE Photography Awards.