Resources for Chapter 9 —
The Shoot
Arri
arri.de
Richard Avedon (1923-2004)
"I've worked out of a series of no's. No to exquisite light, no to apparent
compositions, no to the seduction of poses or narrative. And all these no's
force me to the 'yes.' I have a white background. I have the person I'm interested
in and the thing that happens between us." -Richard Avedon, 1994
Discovered by the legendary Harper's Bazaar art director Alexey Brodovitch, he broke with the norms and introduced emotional complexity, movement, and even smiling models to fashion photography. He used psychology to produce distinctive, iconic images. His technique of photographing his portrait subjects against a plain white background became a signature look that is still referred to as "Avedon lighting." In an essay titled "Borrowed Dogs" (available on the Avedon web site) he explains the power of the white background in portraiture and acknowledges Egon Schiele as the first to use it in portraiture. The absence of any content or symbolic value in the background of a portrait forces the viewer to focus on the sitters' personalities as revealed by their faces and gestures. Avedon's portraits are seldom flattering, and yet celebrities demanded to be photographed by him.
richardavedon.com
Performance: Richard Avedon, Abrams, 2008
Richard Avedon: Photographs 1946-2004, Louisiana Museum Of Modern Art,
2007
Richard Avedon Portraits, Harry N. Abrams, 2002
Broncolor
sinarbron.com/bron/
Calumet Photographic
calumetphoto.com
Canon 580EX
the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-580EX-II-Speedlite-Flash-Review.aspx
Dynalight
dynalite.com
Elinchrom
elinchrom.com
Expo Imaging
expoimaging.net
Kinoflow
kinoflo.com
David LaChapelle
His photography career began at age 19, when he met Andy Warhol in New
York. LaChapelle's style is an idiosyncratic and highly personal blend
of reportage and Surrealism that is often humorous. He known for his
groundbreaking use of computer manipulation, and for putting A-list stars
into compromising, often erotically-charged settings.
lachapellestudio.com
davidlachapelle.com
designboom.com/eng/interview/lachapelle.html
LaChapelle, Heaven to Hell, Taschen, 2006
Hotel Lachapelle, Bulfinch, 1999
Lowel
lowel.com
Mole-Richardson
mole.com
Helmut Newton (1920-2004)
Influential and controversial photographer who considered himself a "gun
for hire," rather than an artist. Newton is known for bringing fetish
chic into the fashion mainstream. His book Sumo, published by Taschen,
measures 20" x 27.5" and weighs 66 pounds. 10,000 copies were
printed worldwide, and the book was its own coffee table — it came with
a special stand designed by Philippe Starck.
helmutnewton.com
The Best of Helmut Newton: Selections From His
Photographic Work, Schirmer/Mosel,
2004
Helmut Newton: Portraits, Schirmer Art Books, 2004
Private Property by Helmut Newton, Schirmer/Mosel, 2004
Nikon SB-800
kenrockwell.com/nikon/sb800.htm
Irving Penn
Master of portraiture whose groundbreaking nudes referenced prehistoric art.
The celebrated photographer is known for careful composition, owing in part
to his formal training in graphic design at the Philadelphia Museum School.
He studied under the influential Alexey Brodovitch, and graduated in 1938.
metmuseum.org/toah/hd/phev/ho_2002.455.5.htm
metmuseum.org; search for "Earthly
Bodies"
pacemacgill.com/irvingpenn.html
Irving Penn: Platinum Prints by Sarah Greenough
and Irving Penn, Yale University Press, 2005
A Notebook at Random by Irving Penn, Bullfinch,
2004
Earthly Bodies: Irving Penn's Nudes, 1949-50.
by Irving Penn, Maria Morris Hambourg, Bullfinch, 2002
Irving Penn: Whitney Museum of American Art/Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York, article by Sarah Boxer, ArtForum, April,
2002; online at findarticles.com,
enter key phrase "Irving Penn Boxer"
Photoflex
photoflex.com
Pocket Wizard
pocketwizard.com
Profoto
profoto.com
Ray Flash (Ring
Light) by Expo
Imaging
expoimaging.net — Click on the Ray Flash link
Rololight
rololight.com
Paolo Roversi
Known for his elegant fashion photos and nudes shot with 8 x 10 Polaroid
film, he favors window light. His interest in photography was sparked
as a teen-ager. In his early 20s, he started working assignments for
AP. His first assignment was the funeral of Ezra Pound. He met Peter
Knapp, art director of Elle Magazine in 1971. He moved to Paris in 1973,
after an invitation to visit from Knapp. The move triggered a gradual
shift to fashion photography. In 1974 Roversi worked as an assistant
to British photographer Lawrence Sackmann, where he learned "everything
I needed to know in order to become a professional photographer." His
first major fashion story was for Marie Claire, followed by a 1980 Christian
Dior beauty campaign that brought him wider recognition.
paoloroversi.com
pacemacgill.com/paoloroversi.html
Sekonic L-358
Light Meter
sekonic.com/products/Sekonic
L-358 FLASH MASTER.asp
eddiebonfigli.com/L358.html
Smith Victor
smithvictor.com
Sunpak
sunpak.com/sunpak/flashunits.html
Travelite – Monolights
by Calumet Photo
shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/lighting_equipment/0702sb_calumet/
calumetphoto.com/;
"Travelite Monolight" search
Spencer Tunick
Since 1994, he has organized 75 temporary site-specific installations of
nude volunteers around the world. Some of these installations have involved
thousands of volunteers. Gathered in this way, the nude bodies become
more abstract, a shape or a substance that diminishes the significance
of sexuality.
Westcott
fjwestcott.com