Richard Avedon is a well known fashion and portrait photographer, who established himself in 1923. He is famous for his unique portraits due to his consistent use of high key lighting in order to reveal different personalities of each of his subjects. The black and white theme is very common in his work, as he was an old photographer and did not have the option of the use of colour in his images. However, it has been argued that this gives his photographs a vintage feel and prevents the viewer from being distracted by the colour, allowing them to concentrate on the contents of the image and the subjects found in them. As well as photographing personalities, Avedon has tried to hide messages in his pictures; by positioning his subject in a certain way or using a specific facial expression on them, he was able to allow his viewers to connect more to his images and engage more with them, looking deeper into its meaning and exploring the different personalities that are illustrated.
This photograph from Avedon portrays the subject in a negative way through her lack of clothing; this suggests to the viewer that she is poor and is not able to afford new clothes for herself. By doing this, Avedon aims to give out a wrong first impression to the viewer about this subject; this is highlighted though the use of facial expressions - the subject has a mean, arrogant look on her face, showing that she doesn't care what others think about her, suggesting she likes keeping to herself and not share anything with anyone. The black and white element of his picture further adds to the deprivation this lady is going through; the lack of colour represents the lack of other materials and perhaps even the lack of other people in her life. The fact that she looks isolated and lonely can symbolise how she doesn't have anyone in her life and is all by herself, she doesn't have any family or friends. Moreover, her collar bone sticks out a lot, this has been achieved through the use of shadows, showing the depth of the bone and illustrating how slim she is - this may imply that she is unhealthy and doesn't eat enough, this could be due to her lack of food or due to her loneliness, which has affected her health as well as her happiness. The photographer has made it deliberate so that her clothing and her skin tone kind of blends in with the plain, white background; this is so that the viewer can see how she blends in with society and goes unnoticed. No extra attention is payed to her as she goes about with her daily life on her own.
This picture from Avedon shows a lot more contrast between the subject and the background through the use of dark clothing. Unlike the picture of the lady above, this subject's skin tone is darker than the background and does not blend in; this ensures that the viewer concentrates on the subject rather than the background. Once again, the technique of using bold facial expressions is being portrayed, the subject has put on an intimidating look on his face, looking directly at the camera. This is done in order to make the viewer feel uncomfortable - this depicts the subject as superior and powerful, suggesting that he holds an important role and has a high position in the American West society. The way the subject has tilted his head also adds to this effect as he appears to be even more intimidating, almost as if he is 'examining' the viewer, giving them his full attention. The element of shadow used highlights the wrinkles and the depth of his skin, putting emphasis on his age. The use of high key lighting has made it clear to the viewer who the subject is, allowing them to see every detail of him in the picture. This ables the viewer to become closer with the subject, even though they do not feel comfortable about him.
This image connects the viewer to the subject immediately; by using his usual high key technique, he portrayed the subject as a goofy, friendly individual through his facial expression. When first looking at this photograph, the viewer is automatically focusing on the subject's face, allowing them to be 'acquainted' and they get the impression that he is a nice person. However, when exploring the picture, viewers become aware of the fact that he is holding a gun. This contradicts his facial expression and changes the image completely as it now seems as if he's mocking the viewer - his hand gesture further supports this. Avedon has made sure that the white background shows off the gun and puts emphasis on this object; no detail from the gun is being shown as it is plain black - the photographer may have done this to ensure his viewers are not distracted by the gun, although it is an important part of the image, he wants the viewers to focus more on the facial expression of his subject so they feel intimidated by him. The techniques used has made the subject contrast massively with the background so that the viewers are not distracted - the black and white element of this picture adds to this contrast and highlights the details on the subject as it is almost impossible to pay attention to such a plain background.
Unlike Avedon's photographs, this image has the subject positioned on the left of the picture rather than the middle, this is so his arm could be captured in the image. The posture the subject is using can be argued to be a very feminine one; Avedon chose this subject because he has a kind, gentle face, which promotes the femininity that is being depicted in this photograph. Once again, a high key lighting technique has been used in order to show a high contrast between the subject and the background; his clothes are opaque black but his shirt is plain white like the background. This can be symbolic as the subject fits in with society but his feminine looks may make him stand out a bit and get some looks from others in his community. As this photographer focused his project in Americans years ago, he may be trying to illustrate the struggles homosexuals had in their society before they became accepted. The fact that he is positioned more on the left could emphasise this as he is not 'straight' in the image, further putting emphasis on his sexuality and trying to get the message out to the viewer. It is very common for Avedon's photographs to have a hidden meaning, making his work exciting and unique. By using a simple technique, he is able to portray personalities and emotions of certain individuals.
In my picture, I have tried to show emotions and portray my subject's personality by using multiple imagery. Unlike Richard Avedon, my work is in colour, which highlights the facial features of my subjects and lets the viewer get a feel of their personality even more. Similar to Avedon's images, I have used exaggerated expressions on my subject's face so that their feelings and emotions are really emphasised.
To conclude, I have chosen Richard Avedon because of his unique style of portraiture. The black and white element to his work almost acts like his signature, allowing his viewers to automatically recognise his photographs. I have grown to love his use of symbolism through the facial expressions of his subject and the composition of his pictures; I think this is a very smart way of connecting with the viewer on a deeper level, forcing them to engage with the contents of his photographs. He also ensures that every important detail is shown in his work, by manipulating the lighting, he takes time to set up the perfect scene before shooting - this means he can think about which detail to include and which one to omit. One thing that really struck me about his work was how he always portrays his subjects in an exaggerated manner but yet, it seems so natural and real - he makes it seem as though their personalities are over-the-top when they aren't. He also makes his subjects seem as if they are reaching out for the viewer and forcing them to concentrate on them and analyse their personalities. By doing this, he can send messages across to the viewer but with hidden meanings, making his work unique and exciting.
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