Contextual research focus

One main photographer I want to focus on is Irving Penn. He was an American Photographer known for his work in portraiture and fashion. Much of his life was working in the fashion industry, until he opened his own studio in 1953. Irving Penn photographed still life and liked to use just a plain black, white or grey background for his subjects. His images are all mostly black and white and they are very intriguing.

This image has a very posed feel about it however the fact that it is a deep sea diver makes the image much more quirky and quite amusing. The fact that its in black and white really accentuates each detail of the outfit.

This image is also very posed in Penn's style and the contrast of light on the body highlights specific areas which I think really brings out the subject from the background. It is very dark overall however I think this brings some atmosphere to the image.

This image is of Igor Stravinksy. The image seems to be very personal and close. The setting of it seems very staged and rigid however shows a lot of emotion in the face. The whole style of the triangluar point takes the eye into the image and it seems as if the walls are closing in.

Annie Leibovitz

I have also researched a different style of work with Annie Leibovitz. Her work is highly controversial and she has been criticised for many of her public images. She has photographed many celebrities and some of these images have turned out to not go in her favour with the public. One example was the semi naked image of Miley Cyrus that caused much uproar with parents of her fans, from which they received an apology from Leibovitz.

Although this image has been criticised I think it is a very different photograph for such a celebrity as this was the turn around to adulthood for her. The subtleties of the makeup and the overall colour and paleness of skin is very neutral which creates a much more innocent image.

Leibovitz was also more recently commissioned by Disney to take a series of shots portraying each of the Disney princesses and the more famous stories. These images were created to celebrate the Disney Parks 'Year of a Million Dreams'.

This image has singer and songwriter Beyonce as Alice. The image is very vibrant and bright in colour and also shows a sense of movement with the whirling tea cups.The eyes of the mad hatter seem to make the image slightly more sinister.

This image of 'Beauty and the Beast' portrays Hollywood star Penelope Cruz. The image has a very mystical style and seems slightly more old fashioned than the other images that were made. It is more like a painting with its brushed effect.

This image is 'Aladdin' and shows actress and singer Jennifer Lopez and her recently divorced (but then husband) Marc Antony. This image has very rich and bold colours typical of the Arabian culture. Also the illusion of them flying through the sky is very intriguing. The merging sky also brings a richer tone to the image and contrasts really well with the red carpet.