Richard Avedon
February 1st, 2022
Richard Avedon
By: Connor Albaugh
It is truly remarkable to have the opportunity of being able to look at several photographer’s work and see how different and unique each of their styles are. For the amount of time, effort, and focus they invest in their work and their subjects, they deserve to be recognized more so than none. It is paramount that we spend this time to review and critique their work because things other photographers happen to do and implement can be a way to learn from past mistakes and improve my overall work, for example. Moving on from “still life,” we make a slight transition into the genre of studio photography. As I looked through the PowerPoint, there were so many photographers that stuck out to me because of their style and the attraction of their images. However, the one photographer that stuck out to me happened to be Richard Avedon. Some of his images are quite odd and the angle in which he photographs his subjects can be seen an abnormal. But, the mere fact that he does this and his images are visually entertaining is the reason why I chose to analyze him. Like many other photographers, he found himself in the midst of New York, where he was born and given life (Article #1). New York happens to be a hot spot for aspiring photographers and a lot of them who start here often see themselves on the bigger stage later in their lives if their work is good. Richard was enrolled in multiple “city public schools” where he completed most of his high school education (Article #1). He took matters into his own heads, reached for the stars, and dreamed big. Richard ended up going to the prestigious Ivy League school known as Columbia University (Article #1). With college on his plate, he participated in a group called “the merchant marines” where he “served in the photographic section” (Article #1). “From 1944 to 1950,” Richard studied hard at “the New School for Research” under a man named “Alexey Brodovitch” who happened to be an American photographer from Russia (Article #1). Richard was doing very in this time frame and his hard work landed him a job as “the elder’s designer protege” (Article #1). From this point on, Richard Avedon’s career took off, starting for “Junior Bazaar as a staff photographer” and then ended up at this new place for 20 years which was named “Harper’s Bazaar” (Article #1). Richard’s life couldn’t possibly get any better, but it did. Vogue happened to get a hold of Richard’s work and gave him the opportunity tot work for them. He worked for them as a “staff photographer in 1966” (Article #1). Finally, in 1994, holding the roll as a staff photographer to this point in his life, made history being the “first staff photographer hired” by a company named The New Yorker” (Article #1). With all of these things happened throughout the entirety of his life, Richard’s work was displayed in museums across the world and he was very successful which highlights just a few occasions of how good his work really was.
Richard Avedon and his success in the photography industry is truly incredible to see. He started small and made his way up through multiple companies as a staff photographer. He is just one example of someone who really took the time to master his craft and it was only a matter of time before opportunities like working for Vogue were awarded to him because of his work ethic. Although you may be small and unknown, how you are known, remembered, and sene publicly all comes down to what you are willing to put into something you love and cherish. With this in mind, Richard’s career is unbelievable, but we wouldn’t be able to know Richard well without taking a look at his style of photography. Richard’s style of photography is quite interesting. He is known as a portrait photographer who places heavy emphasis through his lighting and his backgrounds, the majority of them being white (Article #2). The portraits and the images Richard captures are well known and admired for their minimalism (Article #2). “Minimalism” is a term in photography which focuses on creating a powerful image through the use of things like simplicity involving color, specific lines, and a clear background. Richard’s work shows a lot of these characteristics. The framing in his images often contain a “dark outline” around the image and the subject that is displayed in the image once they are printed (Article #2). However, during the photographing process used by Richard, his minimalistic qualities come to life. Richard uses a “studio” to capture his images, otherwise known as a “studio photographer”. The people Richard chooses to photograph are given the “freedom to move as they please” and the “movements” that occur while he photographs his subjects. These photos show that his images are staged in the sense of what his subject can do and the environment he is taking them in, but Richard’s subjects have the freedom to display and implement certain expressions and poses in the frame. Typically, a photographer in this light will suggest certain things for his subject to do that will make the image attractive, but gives his subjects the opportunity to choose and hold these before he takes the picture. Overall, the images are a direct representation on the subject and what they feel comfortable doing. In some of his images, not all of a subject or person is shown, and this is done to create a dramatic feel to his images. Either way, his images are expertly done in the sense that he can capture an image with the subject performing certain gestures, expressions, or poses on their own and can also create a formal image while photographers wait to capture either one. Richard can do both and this is why he is such a well-known photographer. For example, take a look at the following image at the top of the blog. The image that is shown pictures a women. On behalf of Richard’s style, the image contains a black border around the image which does a good job of framing the image. Additionally, the background is a well lit white background. This is very important here because it does an excellent job of bringing out the color of the woman’s hair, facial features, and her black shirt. The image gives off a formal look, but with Richard’s style, he likely captured this while the woman performing a certain pose within the frame. Not only did Richard capture the moment, but also created a formal image. The pose and the facial expression that the woman chose to display for Richard to capture through his camera his very powerful, yet creates a feeling of happiness and playfulness. The woman seems to be enjoying being photographed and the attire she wore that couples with Richard’s well lit white background makes for a great image. Compositionally, the image follows the rule of thirds, the subject is in the middle of the image, and the amount of her body seen from the image are just a few things that come together to make a simple, yet admirable image. One thing that I really like about this image is the lighting. Lighting is very important in being able to display your image in the clearest, most descriptive fashion. It is the perfect brightness and really allows the woman in the image to be well represented. Additionally, I really like how simple it is. The clothing, angle, and background are nothing spectacular. The woman is wearing an everyday fit, likely one she would wear at home hanging out. But, Richard and his photography practices allow the image to show so much more although it is meant to admire pure simplicity. The angle for the image is straight on which shows how direct Richard was in his approach and the background eliminates any distracting elements like parts of the studio to bring the image together. These elements, although simple in their nature, account for so much detail in an image such as the one pictured above.
In the end of this analysis, one could say Richard’s work doesn’t do much for him. But, Richard Avedon’s photography and his expert use of minimalism creates incredible images that are worth exploring and analyzing. An image as simple as the one above has so many important characteristics that the human eye would simply gloss over without taking the time to admire. Richard Avedon’s choice of lighting, his camera angles, and allowing his subjects the ability to freely move with certain gestures, expressions, and poses the subject may show or upon suggestion from him are just a few things from his style that make his work unique. His work shies away from the normal photography ways of trying to have you subject in a specific position and being able to capture it without the subject moving. This way of photography creates a lot of stress for the photographer and asks a lot of their subjects to keep a position which would often be tiring and repetitive. More specifically, Richard gives his subjects leeway in what they decide to reveal and allowing certain poses and body positions allows his subject to relax and create something real feelings and emotions. Freedom within a subject to move as they wish and capturing a natural reaction makes an image so much better and life applicable instead of a pose being forced which makes an image look uncomfortable. On behalf of his work, I was inspired to analyze and dive deep into his work because I like his approach to photography. He incorporates a lot of the same techniques I strive to include in my photos. These include capturing natural reactions from my subjects, expert lighting, and a specific angle to ensure focus on a certain part of my subject. As a whole, I want to improve and enhance by ability in trying to capture a subject for one of my images in their free and naturally occurring state because it will make my images more visually appealing. It will also show that I am not simply going through the motions just to get an image and say “I’m done”. During the duration of this week, I really want to use some of Richard’s style in my work because simplicity and the execution of his craft goes a long way for an image. Often times than not, a simple image may not show a lot but can mean so much more than an image that looks good but seems forced and unnatural. Richard Avedon and his ability to capture each and every one of his subjects in a different manner really enhances his creativity and makes his images all that more unique and captivating. I think Richard and his work is very special, and I hope that with good execution and diligence my work can show similar qualities come time for our critique in the future.
Sources
Article #1: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/richard-avedon?all/all/all/all/0
Article #2: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/richard-avedon-about-the-photographer/467/
Article #3: https://www.biography.com/artist/richard-avedon
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