Script:
BTEC Media Unit 57 Photography: Irvine Penn Commentary
Today I will be analysing three different photographers across three different applications of photography as well as looking through examples of their work. The photographers will be; Irvine Penn, John Moses and David Lachapelle.
Research question:
How does Irving Penn portray uniqueness in his photographs?
How does the photographer fit/follow the style?
Evidence: images that ‘wow’ and compare with other images. Go further with the images.
Purpose: image by image analysis purpose and final effect.
Evidence: technical aesthetic (rule of thirds, depth, leading lines) analysis of images.
Context: how does it affect the above.
The first picture I have chosen appeared in Vogue Magazine. The light is coming from the left of the frame shining onto the woman’s face. There is contrast with the background with black on the left and white on the right. Beauty in the photo comes from the light on the face and the facial expression as well as her body language. The woman is looking directly at the camera and is positioned slightly to the left of the frame. According to the rules of thirds, this signifies beauty because placing something in the centre signifies power and dominance but placing an image to the left or right of the frame is considered beautiful. The draining of the colour to black and white seems to take away some of the beauty but the light on the face and the seductive expression contributes to the beauty of the portrait. The woman in the photo is Marilyn Monroe who was a famous model and singer. By taking a photo of her, Irvine Penn is using celebrity endorsement to sell both Vogue Magazine and Marilyn Monroe as a celebrity. The audience of Vogue Magazine will now associate the magazine with Marilyn Monroe.
This portrait shows a woman with water poured over her head. This also has all the colour drained from the image. The beauty of this image is the water dripping off her face. Water signifies purity, freedom and calmness. The calm aspect of water can be quite beautiful. When models pose the emphasis tends to be on the face which is also considered beautiful. Irvine has put both water and the face together which creates a calming feeling. The woman is positioned in the centre of the frame giving direct address to the camera. While beautiful, the central position and direct address make the woman seem dominant.
This portrait shows the woman’s body rather than just the face. Rule of thirds is applied here as she is placed in the centre of the frame but is looking away from the camera. The colour palette is also black and white with the shadows coming from the right of the frame and the light coming from the left. There is also shadows around her eyes. Her body language suggest that she is seductive. The standard grey background is apparent in this image as well as the previous two images. Beauty is present in this portrait, particularly in the facial expression and hair style. The composition of the photo is the rule of thirds and leading lines on her arms, especially the right arm on the left side of the frame.
In terms of applications of photography all three portraits were created for the fashion industry as the first image appeared in Vogue magazine (the other images are unconfirmed). Irvine Penn is successful in this type of photography because of the use of studio lighting and the positioning of the subject as well as the camera. In comparison to another fashion photographer Paul Morel (image on right), the colour has remained intact and there are less noticeable shadows in this photo. However, a plain grey/black and white background is used just like Irvine Penn uses.
The first image fulfils the style of fashion photography as it chooses a theme, in this case it is a plain background then as fashion is about clothes and beauty, the photo focuses on the beauty of the woman’s face and hair style. The overall use of fashion photography is apparent in the image. The rules of thirds is broken in the image which tends to happen in fashion photography. Leading lines are seen on the shoulder and arm leading up to her hand. Context affects the work of the photographer because it has affected the style of the photography. The context (fashion model photography) influences his work as fashion photography is done in a studio.
All the images have a similar meaning. They all have the same properties such as the same colour palette (black and white) and they all follow leading lines. They also fulfil the style of photography that Irvine Penn is known for as the subject looks at the camera and makes the face the focus. This is unlike Paul Morel as the lighting used in Irvine Penn portraits focus on the face while the lighting on Paul Morel’s portraits are all even/equal. However, the context in Irvine Penn’s and Paul Morel’s photos are very similar as they are both studio based and in magazines like Vogue.
Unit 57 photo research
Type, purpose, and use of each style.
Analysis 3 photos of medical and 3 of advertising. Deepen the Irving Penn ones.
Can use the Irving Penn commentary I did with some minor changes.
Applications-
Advertising Photography:
This is photography that is used to help sell or market a product. They are often seen on billboards, magazines, CD covers or posters.
Example of photographer- Annie Leibovitz, David Lachapelle.
TASK 1-4 DUE THURSDAY 18th.
TASK 2 use planning notes.
TASK 3 take five to ten photos of each application.
Notes on your script:
Some questions to consider as you write your script for the commentary might include:
What makes THIS photographer particularly successful in DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHY (and identify what makes good images in these different applications - compare with other photos from other photographers in different applications / photographic styles?
How does THIS IMAGE (use your example) create meaning or fulfil the style of photograph? Analyse and evaluate the example, then compare/contrast with other examples from the same or different photographer.
How does context (use the content sheet here….galleries, magazines, fashion shoots, web, private clients etc) affect the work of this photographer? Analyse and evaluate images accordingly. Compare and contrast with other images/other photographers in the same contexts.
APPLICATIONS and CONTEXT
Plan for video:
Analysis each photo using the script in order.
Make sure to add music and graphics/animation to the video.
Find time to record the script.
vogue high end classy..black and white classic clean b and w photos
John Moses
Medical Photography:
This is a specialised area of photography in which a photographer takes photos of surgeries, autopsies and medical devices such as a dialysis machine. The photos are then used as documentation, medical research and teaching.
Example of photographer- John Moses
Film- https://vimeo.com/15680806
John Moses is a doctor and photographer based in Durham university North Carolina. He is a paediatrician and a photography instructor at the Centre for Documentary Studies. The types of photos he takes is portrait and the purpose of all his photos is for documentation and medical research.
This is an example of a photo taken by John Moses. The photo shows a doctor who is the main subject prescribing a patient with medicine. The photo uses the bokeh effect with the foreground blurred and the background in focus. The lighting of the photo is that it is mostly in the centre and at the top of the frame. The lower part of the frame is the darkest. The context of the photo is a consultation doctors room. The composition of the photo is that it follows the rule of thirds (show grid during commentary). The position of the camera means we cannot see the patients face but we can see the doctors. This is probably due to the concern of patient privacy and confidentiality that is so often enforced in hospitals and only with special permission can a photo of a doctor/patient be taken.
In this portrait, the subject is the person on the left of the frame who is smiling at the doctor on the right. The light is coming from the right of the frame and is overexposed in contrast to the rest of the photo. The context of this photo is a consultation room and the photo was used for medical research. In this photo we can see the patients face. This means the patient has given permission to be photographed and used as a research tool. This is significant because most hospitals do not allow photos or videos to be taken of the inside of the hospital or patients without written consent to do so from the patient. Leading lines are apparent in this image particularly on the table (show) and on the window (show).
This third image by John Moses is of a doctor supporting a female patient in a wheelchair in a deserted hospital corridor. The lighting is coming from the top of the frame in the form of the hospital building lights. Leading lines are shown both on the left and right of the frame with the floor (left) and window (right) as well as on the ceiling. The leading lines cause your eyes to travel towards the main subjects of the doctor and patient. In this image, the camera is slightly tilted to the left which creates a slightly distorted look, especially in the top right corner of the frame. Because of the camera tilt, the subject positioning and leading lines, the rule of thirds does not apply to this photo.
David Lachapelle
Advertising Photography:
This is photography that is used to help sell or market a product. They are often seen on billboards, magazines, CD covers or posters.
Example of photographer- David Lachapelle
David Lachapelle is an American photographer who specialises in commercial photography which is when companies pay for images, more specifically advertisement photography. He is also a film director and fine art photographer.
The first photo by David Lachapelle is of Katy Perry (the photo’s subject) sitting on a bed. The context of this image is that it was for GHD (Good Hair Day) company which sells hair care products. This image was used to help promote the company. Celebrity endorsement is used in this photo as Katy Perry is a well known singer and fans of Katy Perry will now associate her with GHD because of this photo. Katy Perry is positioned slightly to the left of the frame which signifies beauty. This is fitting for GHD because their hair products are supposed to make one look beautiful. The image is heavily photoshopped as the colours are more vibrant and saturated. The lighting is coming from the left of the frame which puts emphasis on the beauty of her hair. The red roses also help with this idea of beauty as they are often considered beautiful.
The second photo by David Lachapelle is of a woman in a white dress walking away from a white house. The colour white is used on the house, the suitcase, the woman’s skin colour. her wedding dress and the sky. The colour white is associated with innocence, purity and goodness. The colours of the image contrast to the situation of a destroyed home. Another piece of contrast is the destroyed home in the background on the left of the frame, and the beautiful woman in the foreground on the right of the frame. The woman is very clean looking which fits with the innocence and purity of the colour white while her surroundings look old, damaged and broken. The lighting is coming from the centre of the frame with the window and wall on the building being over exposed compared to everything else. The context of the photo is that it was taken for ND magazine which is a magazine that promotes photographers and photography.
The third photo by David Lachapelle is of Lady Gaga naked surrounded by bubbles in a pink room. The context of this photo is that it was taken for the Rolling Stones magazine in 2009. Similar to the Katy Perry GHD photo, this one uses celebrity endorsement and synergy to promote both Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones magazine. Fans of Lady Gaga will now associate her with Rolling Stones and fans or Rolling Stones will be introduced to Lady Gaga. The subject is positioned in the centre of the frame giving direct address to the camera. Although she is naked which can be seen as a vulnerability, the direct address makes her look powerful and intimidating. She is hyper-sexualised which would appeal to a male audience. The lighting is coming from the centre of the frame and is overexposed in the background by the door. The photo is heavily photoshopped with the overabundance of pink and the bubbles surrounding Lady Gaga. The colour pink is fitting as it is more often seen as a feminine colour and is associated with sexiness and nudity.