Irving Penn
"Photographing a cake can be art."
Irving Penn was an American photographer renowned for his elegant and sophisticated fashion and portrait photography. With a career spanning nearly 70 years, Penn left an indelible mark on the world of photography, capturing some of the most iconic images of the 20th century. His innovative approach to composition, lighting, and posing influenced generations of photographers, solidifying his status as a true master of the medium.
Early Life and Career
Born in 1917 in Plainfield, New Jersey, Irving Penn developed an interest in photography at a young age. He studied at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, where he learned drawing, painting, and graphic design. In 1938, Penn started working at Harper's Bazaar as an assistant to the renowned art director Alexey Brodovitch. He continued honing his skills as a designer and photographer, working with Alexander Liberman at Vogue magazine. It was at Vogue where Penn's career as a fashion and portrait photographer truly began, and he would go on to shoot numerous covers and editorials for the publication.
Photographic Style and Techniques
Irving Penn's distinctive photographic style is characterized by its elegance, simplicity, and attention to detail. Some key aspects of his style and techniques include:
Minimalist Composition: Penn often used simple, uncluttered backgrounds to emphasize his subjects, creating a striking sense of depth and contrast.
Controlled Lighting: He carefully controlled his lighting, typically employing a mix of natural light and artificial sources to create a precise balance of shadows and highlights.
Attention to Detail: Penn's meticulous approach extended to every aspect of his photography, from wardrobe and makeup to posing and framing. This attention to detail resulted in highly polished and refined images.
Experimentation: Throughout his career, Penn experimented with various photographic techniques, such as platinum-palladium printing, which added a unique and timeless quality to his work.
Career Highlights
Some notable highlights of Irving Penn's illustrious career include:
Photographing countless Vogue covers and editorials, solidifying his reputation as a leading fashion photographer.
Capturing iconic portraits of notable figures, such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Truman Capote, among others.
Holding his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1984.
Receiving the Hasselblad Award in 1985 for his outstanding contributions to the field of photography.
Photography Gear
Irving Penn was known to use a variety of photography gear throughout his career, including:
Cameras: Penn primarily worked with large-format cameras, such as the Deardorff and Sinar, which allowed him to capture exceptional detail and tonality in his images.
Lenses: He often used standard or slightly longer focal lengths, such as 150mm or 210mm, to create flattering portraits with minimal distortion.
Lighting: Penn favored a mix of natural light and artificial sources, including tungsten, strobe, and continuous lighting, to achieve his signature lighting style.
Published Books
"Irving Penn: A Career in Photography": This comprehensive retrospective of Penn's work spans his entire career, highlighting his achievements in fashion, portrait, and still life photography. The book showcases his distinctive style and provides valuable insights into his creative process and technical mastery.
"Still Life: Irving Penn Photographs, 1938-2000": This volume focuses on Penn's still life photography, demonstrating his unparalleled ability to transform everyday objects into captivating works of art. The book reveals his exceptional attention to detail and his fascination with form, texture, and composition.
"Flowers": In this collection, Penn turns his lens to the world of flowers, capturing their beauty and fragility in stunning detail. The images showcase his technical expertise and his ability to evoke emotion through his subject matter, making this book a must-have for fans of his work.
"Passage: A Work Record": This book serves as a visual record of Penn's illustrious career, featuring a carefully curated selection of his most iconic images. It provides a fascinating glimpse into his artistic evolution and serves as a testament to his enduring influence on the world of photography.
"Irving Penn" by John Szarkowski: This monograph, authored by renowned photography curator and historian John Szarkowski, offers a comprehensive overview of Penn's work and his contributions to the field of photography. The book includes insightful essays and a wide range of images, making it an essential resource for understanding Penn's impact on the medium.
"Irving Penn: Master Images (The Collection of the National Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery)": This book showcases a selection of Penn's masterpieces that are part of the collections of the National Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery. It highlights his versatility and his ability to create unforgettable images across various genres of photography.
Quotes
"A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it; it is, in a word, effective."
"Photographing a cake can be art."
"Sensitive people faced with the prospect of a camera portrait put on a face they think is the one they would like to show to the world... Every so often what lies behind the facade is rare and more wonderful than the subject knows or dares to believe."
"In portrait photography, there is something more profound we seek inside a person, while being painfully aware that a limitation of our medium is that the inside is recordable only so far as it is apparent on the outside."
"I can get obsessed by anything if I look at it long enough. That's the curse of being a photographer."
Legacy and Influence
Irving Penn's legacy as a master of portrait and fashion photography endures today. His innovative approach to composition, lighting, and technique has influenced generations of photographers, including Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Steven Meisel. Penn's timeless images continue to captivate audiences, serving as a testament to his extraordinary talent and vision.
Through his enduring body of work, Irving Penn challenged the conventions of photography and elevated the medium to new heights. Aspiring photographers can learn from his dedication to craft, his meticulous attention to detail, and his ability to capture the essence of his subjects. Penn's influence on the world of photography remains unparalleled, as he continues to inspire photographers to strive for excellence and originality in their work.
Richard Avedon
"My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph."
Richard Avedon (1923-2004) was an American photographer known for his exceptional work in portraiture and fashion photography. He revolutionized the industry with his distinct style and artistic vision, transcending traditional photography norms.
Early Life and Career
Richard Avedon was born on May 15, 1923, in New York City. He developed an interest in photography at a young age and studied photography under Alexey Brodovitch at the Design Laboratory of the New School for Social Research. Avedon served as a photographer in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II, and after the war, he began working for Harper's Bazaar as a staff photographer under the guidance of Brodovitch.
Photographic Style and Techniques
Avedon's signature style featured stark white backgrounds, emphasizing his subjects and their expressions. He captured movement and emotion in fashion photography, breaking away from static poses. He utilized large-format cameras, such as the Deardorff 8x10, and employed natural light, studio strobes, and continuous lighting to create desired effects. Avedon collaborated with influential contemporaries like Irving Penn, sharing a mutual appreciation for minimalist backgrounds.
Career Highlights
Worked for Vogue magazine from 1966 to 1990, producing iconic fashion editorials and portraits
Photographed numerous celebrities, politicians, and cultural icons, including Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and the Beatles
Documented the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, showcasing his versatility as a photographer
Created a series of large-scale portraits called "In the American West," capturing the faces and lives of ordinary people
Received numerous awards and honors, including the International Center of Photography's Master of Photography Award in 1993
Photography Gear
Deardorff 8x10: Avedon's preferred large-format camera, known for its precise focus and incredible detail
Sinar 4x5: Another large-format camera often used for studio work
Hasselblad 500C/M: A medium-format camera Avedon utilized for some of his fashion work
Rolleiflex 2.8F: A high-quality twin-lens reflex camera, perfect for street and candid photography
Published Works and Books
"The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family": This captivating collection of photographs by Richard Avedon documents the iconic Kennedy family, capturing their elegance and charisma. The book offers a unique, intimate look into the lives of one of America's most famous political dynasties.
"Richard Avedon Portraits": This impressive compilation features some of Avedon's most striking and memorable portraits, showcasing his unparalleled talent for capturing the essence of his subjects. The book includes images of celebrities, artists, and everyday individuals, reflecting the breadth of Avedon's work.
"Performance: Richard Avedon (Pace Gallery, New York: Exhibition Catalogues)": This exhibition catalog highlights Avedon's photographs of performers, from actors and musicians to dancers and other entertainers. The images demonstrate his ability to convey the energy, emotion, and artistry of the performing arts.
"Woman in the Mirror": This book offers a stunning array of Avedon's female portraits, spanning several decades. The images celebrate the beauty, power, and complexity of women, highlighting Avedon's unique ability to capture their essence in a single frame.
"An Autobiography Richard Avedon": In this personal account, Avedon shares the story of his life and career, providing an intimate look at the experiences and influences that shaped his artistic vision. The book offers a comprehensive exploration of his journey as a photographer and an individual.
Quotes:
"A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion."
"My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph."
"If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up."
Legacyand Influence
Richard Avedon's innovative approach to photography left an indelible mark on the world of portraiture and fashion. His minimalist style and emphasis on emotion and movement continue to inspire photographers today. Avedon's work can be found in the collections of major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery.
In addition to his collaborations with contemporaries like Irving Penn, Avedon also worked with influential art directors such as Alexey Brodovitch and Diana Vreeland. His innovative style has influenced a new generation of photographers, including Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, and Steven Meisel.
Richard Avedon's mastery of portraiture and fashion photography has left a lasting impact on the industry. His unique style, artistic vision, and groundbreaking techniques continue to serve as an inspiration to photographers worldwide. By understanding his life, career, and influences, practicing photographers can gain valuable insights into the creative process and artistic approach of one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century.