Looking through the FADER archives recently, we discovered certain recurring patterns and themes that over the years have maybe made it just a little bit easier for our amazing stable of contributing photographers to create the pictures they do. Although we endeavor to have our subjects let us into their lives, they are not always willing participants in the process. Time restraints and lack of an organic location can lead us to simplify our approach. Consequently, we have come to rely on the closeup portrait. Alasdair McClelland's portrait of Jack White started the trend, and it has since evolved into a way of shooting no longer used for just the purpose of necessity. Here are some of the results of what happens when our photographers isolate their specimens and put them under the microscope.