Research
George Hurrell (1904-1992)
George Hurrell was an American painter and photographer, (1904-1992). His photographs made an impact worldwide and is still alive today in Museums and with private art collectors. Starting off his career as a fine artist, focusing on painting, George Hurrell originally had no interest in being part of the photography fashion world. In his earlier days he used photography to to show and record his works of art, realising later he had a talent for it. In 1925 George Hurrell met other upcoming artists and photographers, among them Edward Steichen, after seeing many of Hurrell’s photography work, encouraged him to pursue a career in this direction.
After finding more work and better pay in photography, he establishing himself as a photographer and first worked for MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). He has also worked in other major Hollywood motion picture studios such as Walt Disney Studios, taking portrait photos. During his time at MGM he photographed every star contracted with them in black and white, these photos were used to advertise and promote celebrities and films. Some people he photographed were; Dorothy Jordan, as well as Myrna Loy, Robert Montgomery, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Rosalind Russell, Carole Lombard and Norma Shearer. Norma Shearer.
In his photos we can see that he was able to capture the beauty and emotion of the person. Each photo promotes the glamour and style of Hollywood at the time, this is portrayed through the positions of the lights and how it bounces off each celebrity’s face making the skin look flawless. Using light and shade, Hurrell was able to focus in on a certain feature of the face, e.g. in some photos the eyes stand out more than the lips, or vice versa, and that draws in the attention making a really striking photo.
I think this photo taken by George Hurrell is incredible, I am impressed with the way the light bounces off her skin, she looks flawless and beautiful. It is very detailed; the fur in the coat has many directions and i like the way parts of it goes out of focus, doing this draws the attention to the models face. He has been able to make the model look elegant while also has captured an emotion that shines through her eyes.Erwin Blumenfield (1897-1969)
At a young age Erwin Blumenfield was given a camera, from then on he always considered himself a photographer, turning this hobby into a successful career. Born in Germany, he was known all over the world and pursued his career in France, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States. He worked with celebrities, created black and white nudes that illustrated fine art photography and drawings, but his most famous and successful piece was the January 1950’s issue for the cover of Vogue. He has been called ‘one of the most innovative and influential photographers of the 20th century’ (Blanchard, Tasmin 18.05.13 ‘The Extraordinary Story Of Erwin Blumenfield’ The daily Telegraph).
In 1936 Blumenfield was commissioned to take photos of artists including Georges Rouault and Henri Matisse, upon seeing his work, Cecil Beaton introduced him to work for the French Vogue. He also went on to work for Vogue New York, and he has created more cover shots than any other photographer of his time.
He created iconic fashion photos that brought a strong element of art e.g. his famous vogue cover was taken in black and white, the photo was coloured after and could have passed for a drawing. he brought a sense of pop art into the world of a photographer. Another famous photo taken by Erwin was a beautiful and dangerous scene of the model casually swinging her dress on top of the Eiffel tower. He was able to capture a dramatic photo by experimenting, being daring and not thinking about the consequences.
Richard Avedon
On completion of doing my research, I have found Richard Avedon to be an inspirational artist and photographer. He has used photography as a way of expressing himself and his emotions, showing aspects in other people that remind him of his earlier life. He was brought up in a family that understood fashion, his father owned a lady's dress store and his mother encouraged photography in the house. His sister was beautiful and everyone liked to photograph her; she was very shy and eventually distanced herself from the family and then the world. She spent a lot of time in a mental institution; this family tragedy did forever have an influence on the type of photography Avedon explored. He went around the world visiting mental institutions taking photos of the madness and grief on the faces of the patients. He photographed celebrities in their naturalist form which changed the way people thought of them; comedies were now serious. In the fashion world he created movement and life in photos that had never been experienced before. Models would be standing still formed like a statue, until Avedon changed everything and brought the models to life; in his photos we can see vitality, enjoyment, sexuality and movement. This way the photos look natural and fun, he would literally jump around whilst doing a shoot and make the models move.
Avedon also photographed the things he was afraid of; his fathers dead, madness and when he was young, women. Doing this changed his perception of is fears ‘it got my fears out of my system and onto the page, burying the ghost’. He started to photograph them more and more; sometimes even bringing the element of madness out in some of the models. He explored the madness in people and in some pictures we see the models eyes are huge and dilated, crying insanely or laughing in a way that portrays an underlining message; madness.
He would not photograph someone as they would like to be, the photos he takes are his and he will try to capture what he feels will make the photo a good one. e.g. a famous couple in love with their dogs pose proudly, Avedon explains to them, on his way a taxi ran over a dog, their faces immediately change and show a raw expression, at this point Avedon quickly took the picture. This in my opinion is what makes a true artist; capturing something real and being able to quickly snap an amazing photograph of raw emotion.
One of his most famous photographs, ‘Dovima with elephants’ is a perfect example of the quality of his work. The elephants are winked and rough, natural in the way they are moving, they look as if they are trying to get at the model, or to get away. While the model is perfectly calm, poised as if she has completely forgotten the elephants are there. Although this is a very well known photograph and appraised by many, Avedon said ‘this picture will always be a failure to me, I don't know why I didn't make the sash flow out to the left,' never happy or satisfied with his work, although a great inspiration.
These are pictures I took from the book EVIDENCE 1944-1994 RICHARD AVEDON, these two at the top show the influence of madness, the one on the right shows a patient from a mental institute and he one on the left shows a women with very large pupils and 'crazy' eyes.
This picture at the bottom was taken when Avedon was talking to a couple about his taxi killing a dog, you can see the emotion on their faces, it is a very dramatic photograph.
Mario Testino
Mario Testino is known worldwide for his exciting images. He has worked with some famous faces such as The Royal Family, Naomi Campbell, Madonna, Kate Moss and Gwyneth Paltrow. In an interview with Gwyneth about the work
of Mario Testino, she says ‘I believe he has taken some of the best photographs of me, my father in patroller likes the one of me with short hair and a huge grin’. BBC omnibus, Mario Testino documentary youtube. He has also shot campaigns for Burberry, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana and Versace, as well as many covers for British Vogue.
of Mario Testino, she says ‘I believe he has taken some of the best photographs of me, my father in patroller likes the one of me with short hair and a huge grin’. BBC omnibus, Mario Testino documentary youtube. He has also shot campaigns for Burberry, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana and Versace, as well as many covers for British Vogue.
Some of Mario’s most famous work includes the photos he took of Princess Diana. He was her favourite photographer and it was said Mario and Diana had a friendly relationship that showed through his photos of her. He would never photograph her wearing her tiara, she was natural full of life and very elegant. This relationship with the client is something Mario feels strongly about, you have to get to know the person you are photographing in one day, it can love to be difficult. e.g. Mario claimed he was disappointed with his photo of actor Keanu Reeves, he suggested that this was due to the chemistry during the shoot.
Originally from Lima in Peru, Mario Testino moved to London to pursue his love of photography. His career moved on and he developed many skills to turn his hoppy into a very successful career, he is now one of the most sought after photographers of our time. His images are young, sexy and vibrant, he manages to bring the fun out of photography which makes his finished photos full of life; the model relaxes and is ale to act more natural therefore looking the best they can in the pictures. He takes a lot of delight in what he does and manages to show that in each photo, they are fresh looking without trying to be anything else.
IN the BBC documentary with Mario Testino, he talks about his life and his religious background, his family were Catholic and he feels he has sinned having this career, but his family are supportive and proud. This comes into his work and he talks about the influence of his religion and his past life in Peru e.g. very colourful and bright photos, with elements of religion like candles. He also talks about the influence of sex and his style of work has a touch from Brazil; another country he fell in love with.
What Mario loves about photography is the moment to capture, if you don’t capture the exact moment then and there it is gone forever.
Mario Testino photography book
Photos: www.fanpop.com/diana and www.thefashionspot.com/gwynethpaltrow
Photos: www.fanpop.com/diana and www.thefashionspot.com/gwynethpaltrow
Patrick Dermarchelier
Brought up in France by his mother, Patrick first found the love of photography when he was 17, he progress throughout time working with different picture companies, until he became the assistant to a photographer who shot magazine covers, later he became the assistant to Hans Feurer, working for Vogue. His working progress and through learning he managed to become a very famous photographer, he has worked for Vogue himself, and also for some star faces such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Elizabeth Arden, Dior, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton.
Patrick became the personal photographer of Diana, Princess of Wales, who contacted him after seeing one of his photographs on the cover of Vogue "I remember when she first contacted me. I had done a picture for Vogue in which a model was opening her coat to show a picture of a little, laughing boy tucked into the inside pocket. The boy was, in fact, my son, and Diana, maybe because of her little boys, loved that picture so much that she got in touch. We became friends. She was funny and kind - but fundamentally she was a very simple woman who liked very simple things," The Telegraph 2008. He was the first ever foreign photographer to photograph for the Royal family.
I think this photo taken by Patrick Dermarchelier of Keith Richards, is a good representation of his work. In this image the subject looks calm and natural with an honest smile. The fact that he is holding a cigarette implies the model is completely in his comfort zone. The lighting in this photo shines on his left side, with a shadow on his right side, the focus is on his face, I can see this from the blurred effect on his arm.
vogue.co.uk
Picture from: adbrio.wordpress.com
Rankin
Rankin is an internationally known photographer, known mostly for his portrait photos. He has photographed many artists and musicians in his time, such as, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, Adele, Vivianne Westwood, Kate Moss and many many more. He has photographed many models for fashion magazines and television, and adverts. During an interview about his career he talks about his stye and inspiration, but has stated he went into photography not wanting a particular style, he wanted to keep his work open and broad, his style comes form the client or model; he works with them and encourages their personality to shine through then he takes the picture. His also states he wasn't brought up in a family where art was involve: 'While growing up, my only connection to imagery was through films. My dad would often take me to the cinema. I found myself really seduced by the imagery. I related it to what I would see out of the car window. I remember driving around with my parents when I was quite small, looking out of the window and being very aware that it was the shape of a film screen when you went to the cinema.' Rankin.co.uk This is a quote from an interview with Rankin, it suggests his inspiration came from his surroundings, nature, memories and what he was feeling at the time.I admire some of his photographs because they show an aspect of art; he photographs many models with extreme makeup for fashion and also has added extra things to that faces of some of the models using photoshop e.g. a pig nose.
During a project Rankin was working on he studied the 7 photographs that changed fashion, he studied each photograph and the history and remade each one using his own influence. This particular photograph he remade was originally captured by Erwin Blumenfield. Think he was able to capture the image well, it shows a contemporary version to the original.
Here we can see the original and the remake, he changed the expression of the model, the one on the left is very serious, she looks proud. She looks like a successful woman from the 1950's, the remake is a completely reinvented interpretation, the models mouth is open to express fun and a cheeky side, the eye brow is a slightly different shape to fit with the eye brow style of today. He has kept the red lipstick and 'Marilyn Monroe' style, but has changed the shade of eye shadow and kept the nose i the photograph. It is a modern twist on this old classic.
www.telegraph.co.uk
David Bailey
David Bailey's photography started out during his younger life, during the war there were many bombed houses and he was always attracted to the scenery, taking photos began early but he didn't expect to become good at it. He would start by setting up bricks and bird seed and hope a bird would be still enough on the brick so he could take a picture. Another time he bought a saxophone and wanted to get a picture of himself looking like a Jazz Musician. Jazz album covers also inspired his art. Getting older and into the 60's it was very a casual and sexual lifestyle, he liked to photograph women.
He is a very laid back photographer and in an interview with Mark Lawson he talks about not worrying what type of camera you have, 'it is the person who takes the picture, not the camera.' He doesn't like way tis taught, e.g. composition, he believes if the picture is good it's good, if he likes it then thats all that matters. He tries to find 'that something' in the person he is photographing, the interesting aspect to the person 'everyone has a story' quite from Mark Lawson talks to David Bailey (2014). He evaluates the character, spends at least an hour before hand talking and watching the person, seeing how they walk and hold themselves, then the taking of the picture is over within fifteen minutes. Doing this means never going into a photograph knowing what pose or position the person/model should do, its very unique and original, this is what has made him such an icon today.
In his photographs David Bailey uses manly white or black backgrounds to truly capture the person, whether it is the face or hands or both, he wants to capture the image without any distractions from the original idea. He makes his shoots fast and memorable; he believes a shoot should never be boring 'taking a picture is like having sex, if it takes longer than 20 minutes someone is going to get bored and 9 times out of 10 it will be the woman' this quote is also from the interview with Mark Lawson.
This picture taken by David Bailey is one of many he took of his girlfriend at the time Jean Shrimpton, in 1963 has been a fashion icon. He has used a black background and kept the photo in black and whit, this has created a stunning image, her complexion looks flawless, and her skin pale. He changed the face of photography by adding a sexy side. This image shows that by her expression, from this image I can see the connection between David and Jean. She looks confident, in control and calm.
www.mesreverie.com
Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts is an inspirational and enthusiastic photographer who created his images with enjoyment and love for each one. He was not a glamour photographer; he used natural hard light, which created stunning images with great use of shadows and light, which brought life and vitality to his photos. This isn't the same when using soft light. He wanted to make his photos beautiful and did all he could in his shoots to make that happen.
He understood art and sculpture which he represented though his images. He took photos of nude men to capture the muscles structure and hard lines, almost like athletic nudes, they didn't look too sexual, but like sculptures or paintings, this had a huge impact on visual culture. It changed the way men were portrayed in fashion, they became objects of desire which was difficult to understand at the time. He had a strong sense of sensuality which flowed through his images, going over the line from macho to homo erotic, without being pornographic.
Herb Ritts knew about lighting; what time of day was best to shoot in, for most it was between 3 and 6, and he knew about the light which times of year and the best places to shoot. As most of his photos were taken outside he created a project based on workers in denim, this surprised many people, to see men portrayed as sensual beings, something to look at, instead of women
This image is form this project, 'Fred with tyres,' it shows each muscle and line in his body, flexing to hold the tyres. This image has been recreated by Rankin in a project focused on the 7 images that changed fashion. This image certainly did, bringing men into the scene.
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton was a German photographer, 31/10/1920 till 23/01/2004 who's work continues to inspire people through the power and strength in women he produces through his photography. He was a very professional photographer who's main priority was the models comfort; many of his photographs are nudes, he would always ensure the confidence of the model especially when they are feeling a bit exposed. In his images he produces a sense of sexuality though nudes of strong looking women, some in sexual scenarios. These photos were considered liberating, and in my opinion didn't make the models look or look as if they feel insecure or degraded but quite the opposite; powerful and in control over themselves.
Over the years of his career, Newtons work centred mostly around fashion, nudes and portraits, nudes and some fashion images interpreted erotica but also elegance and a decedent lifestyle. He also did portraits of celebrities and people who interested him around the 1980's, for example, artists, film directors and politicians, people of power and charisma.
These images below are two of his most iconic photographs. This first image was the second one in the photo shoot, it displays a more masculine scene, even though one of the models is in a suit and the other naked, it is more empowering then submissive, I think this is because they are both women, if a man was in the shot it would change it completely.
Le smoking, March 30, 2012, www.anothermag.com, Yves Saint Laurebt, French Vogue, Rue Aubriot, Paris 1975
Le Clown Lyrique, sleepless nights, leclownlyrique.wordpress.com
Guy Bourdin
A french photographer who's work is imitated today and has been throughout his career, hid work reflect surrealism; which was his inspiration, especially artist Man Ray. His images are mainly for fashion but when looking at the fashion photography, they show mystery and are surreal proving that it is not the product that inspires us, but the style and colour of the photo. He was able to stay an artist by producing photographs that influence fine art which made radical changes to style and the meaning of commercial imagery.
In many of his mages the model is placed in somewhat staged and dramatic or dangerous scenarios, which can depict some hidden meaning of trauma, although the images are simple they are unmistakably Bourdin. They are bright and colourful in styling and sophisticating the look of sex, creating commercial images that have the feel of art.
This image is one of the most iconic from Bourdin's work, for Vogue Paris 1977.
