State of Fashion

Richard Avedon
"In the American West"
This series focuses on the middle class citizens, he creates evenness throughout the series by photographing them in the same style and all with a white background, he removes information about them by not revealing their location.

Steven Meisel
Working for Italian Vogue he can "demonstrate the genre's capacity to reference, shift, and reinvent" fashion photography.

Nick Knight
"created the first exploration into the possibilities of fashion on the Web," by launching a website (SHOWstudio.com) that hosts all of the latest news about fashion and the latest "fashion films" which are released by companies as promotional films, some films were created by the photographers assistants which featured the models between shots but other films were directed and shot by hired film makers.

(above quotes taken from the article "State of Fashion" by Charlotte Cotton)

Bill Brandt
He is an influential photographer who documents the life of the working classes. He brings the subjects personality to the forefront of the photograph, showing them in a natural setting, adding more information to the photograph by placing them in a setting.

David Bailey
portraits in square format
simple set up
full frames
represents who the person is
different camera angles / heights
buys cheap props - makes sure they represent the person ( not the cheapness - the prop)
He photographs pairs or groups - how are they represented? together or separate?

The Kray Twins

The Beatles

These two images were both taken by David Bailey however the subjects have been represented in two very different ways, this has been done through the composition, lighting and other technical elements. The composition of the two photographs changes because of who the models are: the Kray twins were a notorious pair who ran one of London's organized crime gang, the stance that they have shows the authority that they command because the camera angle is slightly lower than their faces which means that we as viewers 'look up to them' they also fill the frame with their faces and the harsh shadow down one side creates a dark foreboding atmosphere. However in the photograph of two of the Beatles the position they are in is a close intimate one resembling friendship, the camera angle in this image places the viewer in their level, which connotes that the viewer is on the same level as them and they are not trying to be elevated. The lighting is full frontal which gives a positive look as they are not hiding in the shadows but are out in the open to be seen.