Richard Avedon

D.O.B- 15/05/1953
Place of birth- New York, America
Occupation- Photographer

• Of Jewish decent.
• His interest in photography began when he joined a Hebrew boys photography club at 12.
• His muse and sister was schizophrenic which lead him to work largely in the field of tragic beauty when he was older.
• Worked as an advertising photographer for a department store in 1944.
• Joined the photography staff of Vogue in 1962.
• Worked extensively with Brooke Shields in both TV advertisement and print advertisement.
• In the 1960's Alvedon branched into the photography of civil rights workers as well as politicians whilst continuing his fashion career.

This portrait of Marilyn Monroe shows the Avedon's recognised talent amongst the photography community due to the fact that Monroe was a big name celebrity at this time.  The tonal range between the dark dress and Monroe's light skin and hair creates an interesting contrast in the image, shadows on Monroe's face also give the image a sense of depth and form.

The eccentricity of the outfit photographed in this image means that it must have been a part of Alvedon's high fashion work.  The intriguing and fluid composition of the subjects is extremely eye catching and the various levels of form guide the viewers eye from the top to the bottom of the image.

This image be Alvedon is interesting to me as the costuming of the subject through the use of makeup to enlarge the eyes, the short hair cut and knitted sweated creates an image of youthfulness and innocence.  The close up shot of the face also provides a detailed view of the subjects face and the shadows help to give definition to the subjects face and create a tonal range and contrast throughout the image.

Influence on my work 

Avedon's use of stark tonal contrast in his portraiture has lead me to explore this element in several of my pieces in areas including portraiture.

Martin Parr

D.O.B- 23/05/1952

Place of birth- Surrey, England

Occupation- Photographer

• Parr has been a member of Magnum photography since 1994.
• Parr's series "The Last Resort" has been criticised by some as creating a negative caricature of the British working class.
• Parr has been featured in over 80 exhibits across the world and has had 40 photo books published.
• Parr also had a tour called "ParrWorld".
• His main projects include "Rural communities" (1975-82), "The Last Resort" (1983-85), "The Cost of Living" (1987-1989), "Small World" (1987-1994) and "Common sense" (1995-1999).

The following images are all part of Martin Parr's documentary series "The Last Resort" which focuses around the British working class holiday experience at New Brighton beach.

The saturated tones of this image convey the theme of summer and holidays whilst the unpolished appearance of the beach fits the idea that the beach is in a poorer area of England opposed to a more wealthy area which may have had better facilities.

This unhappy expression of the female waitress conveys the idea that teenagers are always grumpy and do not wish to work as they are lazy.  The fact that the youngest boy is transfixed by the ice-cream conveys the simplicity of youth whilst the fact that the teenage boy is starring at the women's breasts highlights the sexualisation of women by men.

The beach imagery in this imagery conveys the idea that the area in which the image was taken is a holiday destination however the waste in the water carries of connotations of pollution and poverty which contrasts heavily with the idealised white sand beaches and blue seas of foreign holidays.

Influence on my work

My work has been influenced through Parr's work as I chose to shoot my documentary series "Family" whilst I was on holiday and sought to employ the saturated and bright colours which make Parr's work so distinctive.

Simon Roberts and Ruut Blees Luxemburg

Simon Roberts
D.O.B: 1974
Place of birth: Croydon, England
Occupation: Photographer

• Roberts' photography deals with the way in which society interacts with their environment.  
• His photographs are taken using a high format technique.
• He was commissioned to document the UK election process in 2010.
• The election project series was created by Roberts driving around Britain in his motor home and taking images from the roof with a plate camera.

The idyllic landscape formed from grass and trees as well as the light blue sky creates a feeling of calm which is maintained even after taking into account the tower blocks and brick houses.  The people in the shot also add a sense of calm to the piece out to fact that they are the smallest element of the piece and they actions appear to not greatly effect the image.

This image of Stonehenge is interesting because it's inclusion of the famous landmark makes it explicitly English as the monument does not exist anywhere else.  The small size of the people shows their lack of power when combined with something as impressive and vast as Stonehenge and the large expanse of grass and rolling sky show natures power.

This image is interesting as it displays the people nestled amongst old columns and depicts the way in which as a nation we value our heritage.  Again the vast scenic landscape is impossible to miss and carries connotations of calm and peace.

Rut Blees Luxemburg
D.O.B- 1967
Place of birth- Germany
Occupation- Photographer

• Luxembourg specialises in night time photography and is commonly known for her city images.
• Her image "Towering Inferno" was used as an album cover for the debut album by "The Streets".
• She uses long exposure to gain better image quart through using only the lights provided by the streets.
• Luxemburg takes a great deal of time when naming her photographs.

This image is interesting due to the way in which the sign for Cockfosters train station can only be seen through it's reflection in the puddle.

The unusual perspective of this image interests me as this canteen high angle shot is not something which is typically associated with landscape photography.  The orange and yellow lighting of the image carries connotations that London never sleeps as there is light in the dead of night.

The framing if this image interests me as it gives the image a somewhat geometric layout due to the rectangular shape of the building and it's windows.  The pollution through both chemicals and light in London are evident in this image as the stars in the sky cannot be seen and the clouds are coated with a yellow or orange glow.

Influence on my work

I would not say that my work was influenced greatly by Simon Roberts however I feel that Rut Blees Luxemburg has influenced be a great deal and has inspired areas of my work.  An example of this is the way that I chose to implement light in my London Landscape shoot.

Ansel Adams

About Ansel Adams
D.O.B: 20/02/1902
D.O.D: 22/04/1984
Place of birth: San Francisco, California, United States
Place of death: Monterey, California, United States
Main Medium: Black and White Landscape Photography
Main Techniques: Zones System, Pre-Visualistation
Group: F64 (Group comprised of 7 San Francisco photographers 
stands for depth of field)


Zones System 


Pre-Visualisation
The process of visualising how you desire the image to appear prior to taking the image.  This seemingly simple process gives the artist a set goal to work towards and a plan to follow.  They must think of the various steps which they must take to achieve their goal prior to embarking on the shoot.

Ansel Adams Black and white
The majority of Ansel Adams' work is taken in black and white.  

The curved lines of the river create the feeling of peacefulness in the image which is further added to by the natural imagery of the fields and mountains.  The mountains in the image add a sense of power to the scene.

This image carries connotations of religion, this can be observed from the cross and what is presumably a church in the image.  The clay walls of the church give the building a rustic feel and the humbleness of the image is added to through the black and white colouration.

This image carries connotations of isolation and peacefulness as well as suggesting that man is one with nature.  This can be inferred from the image of the manmade boat next to the natural tree.

Ansel Adams in colour
Adams often felt constricted by the colour process as it did not allow him to create the extensive variety of expressive tones which he desired however he produced a series of coloured prints.  The images which Adams creates apply colour manipulation to create a a strong colour contrast.

 





Images Inspired by Ansel Adams taken by Stan Rose
Adams was such a pivotal figure in the photographic genre of landscape photography that he inspired many to create pastiches of his work here are some examples by photographer Stan Rose.



Influence on my work
Adams has influenced my work by showing me ways in which black and white landscape can be developed and can create engaging images which has lead to me developing my style to accommodate this kind of photography as it is not something which I would have previously considered.

Irving Penn

D.O.B- 16/06/1917

Place of birth- Plainfield, New Jersey, America

D.O.D- 07/10/2009

Place of death- Manhattan, New York, America

Occupation- Photographer

• Born into a Russian Jewish family.
• Penn worked for 2 years a freelance designer and began taking amateur photographs.
• He became the director of art at Saks Fifth Avenue in 1940.
• Traveled America and Mexico taking photos and painting.He became an associate for Vogue magazine's art department after he had finished his travels.
• He was well known for his work in fashion photography as well as modernist still lives and documentary travel journals.
• He has had over 30 exhibitions.
• He believed that anything could be art and was quoted as saying that "Photographing cake can be art".

Examples of work:

Penn photographed a variety of different subjects through different categories of photography however the majority of his work falls into the genre of the surreal with his work generally being black and white.  He also uses a great deal of low-key lighting to create depth and mystery in his images.

Portrait

This image interesting due to it's use of strong tonal range between the black of the face paint and the subjects paler skin in order to create and strong contrast, the contrast is amplified by the fact that this image is in black and white.  The face paint has connotations of tribal groups which when accompanied by the screaming expression on the subjects face carries connotations of violence.

The unnatural positioning of the subjects neck creates a surreal aspect to the image and the strange position of the subject in the corner of corridor knelt on a chair adds to this idea.  The black and white colouration of the image amplifies the surreal aspect of the image.

Still life

The strong tonal range of this image is created the employment of shadows around the skull when combined with the highlights where the light hit's the skull and the white of the background of the image.  The skull iconography creates a macabre connotation and links the image to death.

Influence on my work

Penn has influenced my work by exposing me to surreal and macabre themes which are something that I would like to explore further.

David LaChappelle and Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz
D.O.B- 02/10/1949
Place of birth- Waterbury, Connecticut, America
Occupation- Photographer

• Leibovitz is a third generation American who's parents both have Jewish heritage from both Romania and Estonia.
• Career began as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine.
• Her photography style helped to form the Rolling Stone's specific distinctive style.
• She was inspired by Henri-Cartier Bresson and Robert Frank.
• Her distinctive style gained her a position to work with Vanity Fair as a photographer.

The above two images from Leibovitz's fantasy series carry connotations of surreal fantasy and both convey varying degrees of danger.  The Captain Hook image carries obvious connotations of danger however there is also something unsettling and sinister about the shoemaker image.

The above image is a glasses campaign for Prada and is an example of Leibovitz's high end add work.  The subject clothing, hand positioning and face shape provide connotations of femininity which is iterating as models are becoming more and more androgynous as time progresses in an attempt to make all styles accessible to all genders.

David Lachepelle
D.O.B- 11/03/1963
Place of birth- Hartford, Connecticut, America
Occupation- Comercial photographer, fine art photographer, director.

• Work regularly references art history.
• Work often conveys a social or political message.
• His style is described as "Kitsch Pop Surrealism".
• His first job was offered to him at 17 by Andy Warhol for Interview Magazine.
• In 1995 LaChapelle shot the first advertisement of two men kissing for Diesel which sparked a great deal of controversy due to the fact that the subjects were presented as sailors and this occurred in the don't ask don't tell movement.
• He has been influenced by Salvador Dali and Jeff Koons.

This image of Madonna carries heavy connotations of royalty such as the crown and the purple background both of which symbolise royalty as Madonna is the Queen of Pop.  Light trails or editing in post-production have been used on the crown in order to create the lines of light coming from her crown.

This image interests me due to it's understated surreal nature.  This image is not as boldly surreal as Leibovitz's images however still manages to make Katy Perry appear in a similar way to a mermaid with the blue lighting replicating the sea and her long flowing dress replicating a tail.

This image is intriguing as it is designed to look similar to an industrial factory however is comprised of hair rollers.  This shows a contrast between women and industrial work and issues involving gender equality such as equal pay and the unnecessary gendering of hobbies and professions such as beauty work.

Comparison
Annie Leibovitz and David Lachepelle are both high end photographers who work in the genre of portraiture.  Leibovitz specialises in portraiture which is styled around fairy tales particularly Disney and also focuses on advertisement for high end brands such as Prada often using famous subjects to boost the status of the brand.  David Lachepelle's photography is also largely focused around famous subjects and at times is used for advertisement however his photography is far more unorthodox than Annie Leibovitz.

Influence on my work
Leibovitz and LaChapelle have both encouraged me to further explore the use of surrealism in my work in order to make it more engaging and more specific to my personal style.  They have also shown me that whilst it is important to develop a personal style one does not always have to stick to it.

Vivian Maier

Information

D.O.B- 01/02/1926

Place of birth- New York, America

D.O.D- 21/04/2009 (83)

Place of death- Chicago, Illinois, America

Occupation- Nanny

• Maier's work was unknown in her lifetime as she never published it, a number of Chicago based collectors discovered her work in 2007.
• Her mother was French and moved to New York where she worked in a sweat shop.
• She worked for two families as a nanny and is reported as "being a real life Mary Poppins".
• After failing to keep up payments on a storage unit after her death Maier's photos and audio recordings were seized and auctioned.

Was Maiers work art?

Here is the definition of art:

It is stated above that art is the expression of a humans creative skill which can be appreciated for its beauty to emotional power so in a literal sense there can be no doubt that what Maier was producing at this time should be classed as art.

In my opinion I agree with the above statement as I find Maiers work both beautiful and intriguing and whilst others may not share my opinion it is not possible that this piece of imagery will not elicit some sort of response from the viewer whether that be dislike or fascination.  Furthermore you do not have to like something for it to be considered art.

Examples of Work

This image is intriguing due to the use of multiple mirror postponed at a variety of angles which reflect Meyer's form in different ways.  This image has a somewhat eccentric air which fits into Meyer's personality.

This image is interesting as the Volkswagen logo links this image to the time in which it was shot as in the time of Meyer's photography career Volkswagens were a popular car.  Meyer's self portraiture here is intriguing as she has positioned herself in a way which makes her smaller than the logo and possibly carries the connotations of the power of the capitalist society.

This image interests me as it is an example of Meyer's candid photography work in which she rarely asked the subjects permission before or after taking her photos.  The reflection in the water is interesting as it makes the subjects appear darker than they are when contrasted with the bright sun behind them.

Influence on my work

Meyer's work has inspired me to experiment with black and white imagery in relation to reflection and self portraiture.

Bill Brandt

D.O.B-  02/05/1904

Place of birth- Germany

D.O.D- 20/12/1983

Place of death- London

Occupation- Photographer

• Had a German father and a British mother.
• Grew up in WW1 in Germany.
• Contracted Tuberculosis shortly after the war and travelled to Switzerland for treatment.
• Moved to London, England in 1933 and began to document London life in a way that was unusual at this time.
• Two books of his work at this time were published "The English at home" 1936 and "London at night" 1938.
• He published his collections  "Camera in London" in 1948 "Literary Britain" 1951 and "Perspective of Nudes" in 1961.

Denotation: In this image Brandt uses negative space to create different shapes in his image.  Brandt uses lighting techniques to create the negative space which provides the viewer with an element of mystery regarding the female subject.
Connotation: The naked form of the subject carries connotations of objectification of women.
Context: This image is culturally relevant as it shows that the sexual objectification of women can still be valued as art by some.

 Denotation:  In the image bellow Brandt uses the female form as a part of the landscape in his photograph.  The use of black and white photography helps to blend the female form with the surrounding landscape and to enhance the curves and shadows of the image.

Connotation:  The connotations of this image are the elements of the woman that are not visible in this image are Brant's sexualisation of the female form.

Context:  This image is socially relevant as it shows that people are still unnecessarily sexualising and objectifying women.

 Denotation:  In this image Brandt uses the female form to draw the eye across the image from one side of the room to another.  The black and white photography and the lighting used helps to enhance the curves and shape of the female form as well as adding dimension to rest of the image.  Dimension is also added the the image through shadows.

Connotation: The blatantly sexual pose featured in this image carries connotations of the sexualisation of the female form.

Context:  This images context come from the fact that the female form is being sexualised for the pleasure of others.

Sexual objectification

Many of Brandt's pieces have inherently sexual themes which leads many viewers to pose the question is Brandt's work centred around the sexual objectification of women?  In reality the images are designed in this way to draw out emotions in the viewer and the response to the above question will differ between whomever is asked depending on their background and the context in which the image was shown to them.

Influence on my work

I have been influenced by Brant's work in that I am exploring ways of featuring the human form in my work but am not sexualising or exploiting it.