Classic
Paul Strand: He was very known for some more abstract pieces and was known for still life imaging. He specialized in shots like portraits and silhouettes by looking at certain photos. Strands photos are all composed in black and white, and he used them as an expression. His photography was used in most political formats during his time, and it opposed the current power in the government, there for out casting him from his art where he lived. Most of his pieces are really cleanly taken and simple in their form. We can notice that most of Strands pictures, other than the abstract ones, were very simple, they were common day views for everyman, but they were very artistically shot. I would like to use his work to improve on my abstract forms.
Edward Weston: Most of these images have different and interesting shot angles. While it may not feel like it his pieces have a lot to do with focus and what is centered in the image. He has a very nature heavy style of taste that is very commendable. I would go out and say that his images were very well looked at for the focus, the framing, and the lighting. Not much is listed about his historical upbringing, but I imagine it had to do with farmland as that is where most of his images were shot. I would like to apply his ability to look for something new, or out of the ordinary, and take weird pictures of it, to see where it takes me.
Early Modern
Richard Avedon: Richards photos had been of celebrities for the ones that he was turned famous for. From people like Monroe, the Beetles and many more. He was really good at making the composure and the posture of those he was working with extremely expressive, and he developed what I want to call the magazine shot. The poses are set up really well and he was capturing the photos of everything that was catching the populations eyes upon the time of their release. His work has inspired me to look into expression and how powerful they can be when telling a story.
Dorothea Lang: Is very interesting when it comes to her work. Rather than it being expressive in how the shot was taken, its expressive in what it was taken about. Her skills with taking a photo were used to capture and show the historical events going on around her. Her compositions were extremely telling, as they were portraits of those working to get by during the depression, the fear of the people and expressions of their faces during war time, and the connect of how powerful the unity of a family was during this time. Her pieces to me are more history than art, but regardless they were taken with extreme quality and historic.
