Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz, whose father was a luitenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and mother was a dance instructor, is an extremely well known American portrait photographer. She has the uncanny ability to get exactly the right light and expression in all of her portraits, no matter what the assignment. She is best known for being the staff photographer for Rolling Stone Magazine, in which many of her famous portraits appeared. Annie is usually known for color photographs, but the two I chose to discuss are both black and white.
The first image (below) is a portrait of actress Angelina Jolie, which, in my opinion, is perfectly done. The lighting and precision of this photograph are truly astounding and I know that Leibovitz calculated and created the idea for this photo way before she actually shot it. The thing that I most admire about Leibovitz's work is the incorporation of technical excellence and strong ideas or stories that integrate this technique with the photograph in a distinct way. I hope to someday excel at this technical prowess to the point where I could recreate the lighting scenarios that Leibovitz constantly uses.
The second photograph (below) is not as well known as many of Leibovitz's shots, but I enjoy it for various reasons. First, and most obvious of these reasons is the very organized composition of this photograph. We have a great sense of three-dimensionality, and we see a very structured composition as well. The way the figures interact with the stairs and the lines of this photo really gives it a sense of cohesiveness that Leibovitz is obviously contemplating.
Overall, the common thread of Leibovitz's work is incorporating perfect technical aspects while continuing to tell a story that makes us really think about the image far after the technical features ring in our minds. Her use of lighting, both natural and flash, are impeccable and unprecedented. Few photographers are able to come up with interesting ideas over a long period of time, but Annie never seemed to lose her artistic mind while figuring out scenes and subjects to photograph that would provide visual interest.
Chris Verene
Chris Verene's syle of photography, and in particular, portraiture is much different than that of Annie Leibovitz. Instead of looking for perfect lighting scenarios and celebrities to photograph, Verene took the time to photograph what was around him, and yet make it very interesting. Almost all of his work is shot in his hometown of Galesburg Illinois, where he grew up and constantly visits to this day to create new work. Verene makes a point with his photographs that is more about the scenarios and places then it is about the people (his family). Sure, these photos could have personal meaning to Verene, but they also have a very universal appeal to everyone who views them. If I could think of a phrase to describe Verene's work, it would be "awkward and amusing situations," of which he specializes.
Jumping into Verene's work, we start with a photo of some of his family members who have just recieved the news of a pregnancy test (below). Here we see a great example of Verene's awkward style of photography which usually includes on camera flash and square frames. He finds ways to incorporate the scene into the space provided. The candidness of Verene's photos captivate the viewer and cause us to study each frame carefully before moving on to the next. If Verene would have chosen to have carefully calculated the lighting and other technical aspects, he may have lost the message he was trying to incorporate in his photos.
Next, we see a funny scene of two women swinging their children (below). Again, Verene uses on-camera flash and a square frame. Something that rings true in his photos are the unique color schemes that Verene incorporates throughout all of his work. We can look at each photo individually and see that these are both in the style of Verene. Catching these everyday scenes, and yet making them interesting to people other than his family is what Verene strives and struggles to do with his photography. In my opinion, he is successful. That being said, understanding these photos in a way that takes me beyond the scene to the actual thought behind these photos is very difficult for me. Perhaps I am not art-educated enough to understand his concepts, but this is only a personal issue. Despite the sometimes hazy viewpoint that Verene shows us, we are forced to observe his world and take a bite out of the life he lives with these interesting people.
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