Entry 8: Philippe Halsman

Photograph of Marta Toren Media: Gelatin Silver Print  Size: 14" x 11"  Circa: 1951   Audrey Hepburn Philippe Halsman was Latvian born photographer that is known for his portraits of famous people.  What I like about his photographs is how he seems to catch his subjects in their natural environment.  In the first photograph I like how he captured the intense stare of the woman.  Also with her arms crossed she seems to be hiding something.   The second photograph is my favorite. I like his point of view and the set up of the chess pieces.  It makes me feel like I am a chess piece in the game and watching one of the players contemplate his next move. I think the knight facing the man's face seems to be offering some type of advice that I think is a nice touch. What really drew me to this photo is how the king is obscuring part of the man's face and how hard the man is focusing on the king.  For more pictures: http://photoslaves.com/philippe-halsman/?nggpage=3

Entry 7: Arnold Newman

Francis Bacon

1975

Alexander Calder,Woodbury, CT, 

1957

Eugene Smith, New York, NY, 

1977

Arnold Newman is an American photographer known for setting up his portraits in an environment.  What I found particularly striking was how he made his heads seem like they were floating.  In the first two photos I thought is was done really well when put into context with the environment.  The first photo the way the falls on Francis Bacon's face gives this photo an eerie quality like the viewer is looking up at his/her's assailant.  The uncovered florescent light bulb also adds to the murderous intent of this photo's feeling by making it seem like the environment is a hidden room or secret lair.

In the photo of Alexander Calder I think he captured his brooding expression well. I like how his head seems to be floating similar to the mobiles in the background.  In the photo of Eugene Smith I like how simple and close the portrait is. I like how it gives me a somber peaceful feeling. He is staring directly at the viewer but isn't intimidating or brooding.

For more Portraits http://www.arnoldnewmanarchive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=9

Entry 6: Brett Weston

Dune, Oceano, 1934
http://www.brettwestonarchive.com/#s=11&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&p=3&a=0&at=0

"Windswept Dune, Oceano, California," Brett Weston, gelatin silver print, 1947
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/98/1012/museum.htm 

For my second entry this week I chose Brett Weston as my second photographer. He is an American born photographer. I found his use of point of view to be the most interesting. I like how he chooses the best point of view to transform the dunes into undulating textures. They both look like they could be creatures under the sand. I also feel that how he situated himself so the spines of the dunes lead the viewer’s eye in the first photo.

           

The second photo’s point of view to me seems to transform the dune into something else. It doesn’t match the smooth background of the landscape in the background. I think his point of view is effective because it reminds me of the point of view of someone rider on the back of a sandworm from Frank Herbert's Dune.

Entry 5: Paul Strand

Wire Wheel, New York, 1920. Photo by Paul Strand, Printed by Richard Benson

http://www.aperture.org/exposures/?p=391

 

 From the El, 1917

http://lumieregallery.net/wp/197/paul-strand/ 

 

For this week’s first entry I chose the photographer Paul Strand. He is an American modernist photographer and filmmaker. The reason that I choose Paul Strand is because of his use of point of view and our assignment was point of view. The point of view that this wire wheel was taken from abstracts it. It makes it seem like a cubist piece. You cannot tell exactly where Paul Strand’s point of view was from. His perspective makes it seem like the vehicle is hanging upside down and Paul was underneath of it. It reminds of a child exploring a new bike.

           

In the second photo I like how his point of view mimics that of the bridge that is off screen. Also I feel that his point of view is best suited for capturing the silhouette of the bridge. I also I like how his point of view lends a story telling element like to a sniper or spy looking over a secret deal between the men in black.

 

Entry 4: Keith Carter

"The Nocturnes"

"Two Moons"

The second photographer I chose was Keith Carter. He is an American photographer. I thought his use of light to be very interesting. To me it becomes a character in the image. Like our assignment we hadto think about how the light relates to the subject we are shooting. I think Keith Carter is a very goo example of that. Not only how the light falls on the subject, for example in the second photo the water tower gives off a glow similar to the moon, but how it can change the meaning and make you look at everyday things in a different way.

 

Entry 3: Michael Kenna

Winter Meadow, Yosemite Valley, California, USA, 1979

 

 Frozen Fountain, Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan, USA, 1994

The first photographer I chose for this week’s entry is the photographer is Michael Kenna. He is a British photographer known for his nighttime landscape photos. I chose him because I found the use of his light interesting despite him shooting at night or dawn. I feel like his choice of shooting at dawn or night gives his photographs a sense of somber ambiance that is calming to me. Also it seems like his photographs seem to be foggy. 

I think his photography relates well to the assignment because of how he made the light the main focus. For example in the first photo the light coming through the clouds makes a normal photo of snow covered trees seem like something is about to land from another world. The second photo reminds of something I would have photographed but the atmosphere in the background makes it seem like another world.

Entry Two: Bill Brandt

Chiswick House Gardens in the frost 

Date: 1940s 

 

 Bill Brandt's photographs of landscapes I thought were compelling because of the interesting objects he shot. Instead of just photographing the object straight on he shot them from interesting angles. I also like how he focused on only one object in his photographs and let it fill the space. I think this photograph relates to the assignment because not only was it shot outside but because he took an interesting object and filled the entire shot with it. Also the angle he used created an ominous, creepy, atmosphere. He also shot in the gardens with a 35 mm camera.