Week 7- In the Studio

The studio portrait has been around from the beginning of portraiture.  The feel of a studio portrait differs from any other style of portrait.  In the beginning they were very serious and were about capturing particular known people and then went to family portraits and then expanded to show a variety of people in different facets.  

This photographer is Irving Penn.  He is the master of photography.  He based his work out of the studio.  His portraits are very elegant and the tone quality is exceptional.  Each photograph feels different because he knows how to get the subject to show a different side of themselves.  

This photographer is Nigel Perry.  He is a recent famously known studio portrait photographer who shoots a lot of editorial photography but is based in the studio.  He likes to work with contrasty situations in black and white.  To me he is definitely influenced by Avedon.  

Joel Peter-Witkin is another amazing photographer who works in the studio.  He has been known since the 80's.  His work is based on people who are different then the norm and he lets them be themselves or exaggerates their desires to get an amazing photograph.  The photographs have a dark connotation to them but to me they are beautiful.

Then there is the man that many have been influenced by, Richard Avedon.  His work is remarkable, a lot of it is very simple, he just sets up a white backdrop and puts his subject there, then he finds a way to get what he wants out of his subjects through different emotions that are real.  This photograph is from the 97 Pirelli shoot.  This is great because she feels very comfortable and seems willing to do whatever he wants, which is what always makes an Avedon photograph, the vulnerability of the subject.