Gregory Crewdson

1) Short Biography

Gregory Crewdson was born in brooklyn on September 6th 1962. He graduated early at John Dewy High School. He was part of a punk rock group called 'The Speedies' when he was a teenager. Hewlett Packard used one of the groups songs in an advertisement to promote digital cameras. Crewdson studied photography in the 1980s at SUNY Purchase and he also received his fine 'Master of  fine arts' at Yele University. He is now a professor at the same university.

2) Visual Style

Gregory Crewdson's photos are very dramatic and cinematic. They are staged photos in which he hirea models and places to set up a scene to take a picture. They often feature disturbing, surreal events. Crewdson is very different to most other photographers as he plans a photo and sets it up.

3) Photos

This picture almost looks like a painting. This is similar to Dan Boultons work although this is less urban city. The black and white suggests depression and negative energy The paths makes the viewer follow with their eyes to the centre of the image giving off the impression that there is something more interesting there. The greyscale effect hides the true atmosphere of the place and gives it a sense of mystery.

This is very different from the first image.This image is in it's natural lighting and effects. The sky is very dark and gloomy. It shows the empty-nee of a small town / city in the winter days.This could represent loneliness and seclusion. This was all staged and behind the scenes is lots of cameras and equipment taking the shot. The emptiness and darkness of this photo suggest exactly who someone viewing it is feeling.

This picture is taking inside unlike the other two pictures i have shown. This one shows the insecurities a woman goes through by displaying different displays of the same woman in the mirror.This gives a very powerful image that most people, not just women, can relate to.

The lighting is gloomy and faded witch could suggest depression and negative energy. Also, I noticed that the woman is not in the centre of this picture and slightly to the left. This makes it so the audience is not just focusing is her and is more likely to take in the whole image and appreciate it more.

• http://www.gagosian.com/artists/gregory-crewdson
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Crewdson

Chosen Photographer - Weegee

Weegee

Blog post 5

Short Biography 

Weegee was born as ‘Ascher Fellig’ in Zolochiv, Ukraine. He earned his nick name ‘weegee’ because of his frequency prescient arrivals at crimes scenes minutes after the crime had been committed. His name was also changed to Arthur when he emigrated with his family to live in new york in 1909. Most of his notable photographs were taken with very basic photographer equipment and methods of that era. A 4x5 speed Graphic camera preset at f/16 at 1/200 of a second, with flashbulbs and a set focus distance of ten feet. He taught himself photography and a home made dark room at the rear of his car.

Weegee’s visual Style

Weegees photos were always in black and white and often were picture of crime scene, bookings at police stations, fires et. You could say many of his photos were about tragedy and misfortune. He also took pictures of local stars and dancers.

3) Photos

In Top Hats - In Trouble, Charles Sodokoff, 28, and Arthur Webber, 32, both Broklynites, use their toppled toppers to hide faces as they take free ride to Felony Court. Boys were tippling at Astor Bar Saturday night when they decided to slide down banisters for fun (???). Cop was called and they assaulted him. Funsters then went from mahogany bar to iron type.

                 January 27, 1942

Street Scene in New York: A Wild Kid in a Stolen Car Knocks Over Milk Wagon. Harold Horn, 16, already in trouble with the police, stole a car from a parking lot at 10h Ave. and 26th St. He tried to squeeze the car between a milk wagon and a truck. The wagon was upset, the driver seriously hurt, and the car smashed against a light pole. A detective gets the captured driver into police car and handcuffs him.   June 27, 1941

The sign across the centre of the building refers to the frankfurters, not the firemen. The American Kitchen Products building, at Water St., was extensively damaged.It is called ‘Simply Add Boiling Water'. July 1937

• http://www.amber-online.com/exhibitions/weegee-collection
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weegee

Henri Cartier-Bresson - Blog Post 1

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Blog Post 

1) Short Biography

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born in 1908 and sadly passed away 96 years later in 2004. He was a French photography who helped develop 'Street Photography' for future generations of photographers. He always used the Leica Camera to shoot in a 35mm format. When Henri was a young boy he owned a 'box brownie to take holiday snapshots. He was raised in a traditional French bourgeois fashion. Cartier-Bresson was introduced to oil paintings by his uncle Louis after an unsuccessful attempt at music. In 1927 he entered a private art school at the age of 22 years old. He became inspired by a 1930 photograph by hungarian photojournalist 'Martin Munkacsi' showing three naked young african boys, caught in near-silhouette, running into the surf. This captured the grace, spontaneity and freedom of their movement and their joy to be alive.

                                                   2) Visual Style

Henri's photography visual style was very natural. He framed the picture with the camera before the shot and after it is captured nothing will change. He was a strong believer that photography is a fine art that it is natural 'beauty'. He expected all his photos to be printed without any editing or consideration as to which photo is better than others.

                                                       3) Photos

Paris. Place de   

l'Europe. Gare Saint Lazare. 1932. 

This is one of Cartier-Bresson’s most famous photographs. It shows a man jumping over a puddle. This could suggest that the man is free. The location looks like a train station so he could have just gotten off the train and is running to someone. He could also be escaping from something. This photo sets the viewers imagination wild as their are endless situations this it could be showing.

SPAIN. Valencia. 1933. - 

 
This is a picture of a little girl running by a wall covered in paint. The paint on the wall is clearly a dark colour although we do not know exactly what colour it is due to black and white photography. This could suggest that the dark paint is negative and possibly ‘evil’ and it is trying to cover the little girl who, in contrast, looks very happy. She could also be scared and running away from the 'evil spirit'. If the little girl is smiling it could show that she is covering up her fears and thought because they are evil and she can't let anyone know they are controlling her.

GREAT BRITAIN. England. London. Hyde Park in the grey drizzle. 1937.

This is a picture of an old woman sitting alone on a bench surrounded by chairs. This could suggest a social event was supposed to take place but no one except the woman showed up. This photo suggest that the woman is lonely or maybe sad, mourning for someone.

• http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL53ZMYN
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson