- Saul Leiter was an American photographer known for his street photography and fashion work in the 1940s-50s. His work featured abstract forms and was published in magazines like Vogue.
- His photographs are in the collections of several prominent museums. He made unique contributions to street photography using an experimental style.
- Edith Maybin is a British fine art photographer known for her series capturing the stages of womanhood through portraits of model Loretta Lux from childhood to adulthood. She has won awards for her work.
2. ïœ
Saul Leiter is an American painter and photographer who
specialises in fashion and art. He was born on the 3rd
December 1923 and died 26th November 2013. His
fashion work has been published in Elle, Queen, Show,
Hazar Bazaar, Vogue and Nova. He made a unique
contribution to street photography and he used an
abstract form which stood out among the work. His work
is in the collections in the Museum of Fine Arts, The Art
Institute of Chicago, The Yale University Art Gallery, The
Milwaukee Art Museum and many more. His 1940s and
1950s work was an important contribution and what
came to be recognised as the New York School.
3.
4. ïœ
The image contains a car and a model and these are the main focus in the image. The car compliments the
model and the model is the main focus of the whole image. The intention for this image is that it might have
been taken for a fashion magazine as he was also a fashion photographer or it could have been taken for the
individual client. The model is the main subject as she has been placed against the deep red colour of the car
and this makes her stand out a lot and she has been placed in an empty space. The model has a relaxed and
simple expression and has her eyes closed and looks peaceful and this has quite a relaxed tone to the image.
The image contains a lot of curves around the wheel of the car and he has made the model curve over the wheel
so that all the lines are facing one side of the image and are all going in one neat stroke. This is a portrait
photograph because it contains the model and has been made that her face stands out in the image as this is
what portrait photographers need to make the main focus of the image when shooting portraits. She has been
posed so that she has her eyes closed and so she is doing something different than having her eyes open. The
photographer has posed the model and it isnât a candid photograph as he will have had a certain idea and
needed to pose the model to express it. The lighting in the image is really soft and looks washed out and also
looks like a red or pink filter has been used as it has a red hue to the image. This softens the colours in the
image so that the red isnât too harsh against the pale skin of the model and the technology of the camera
wouldnât have been as technical and thatâs why it looks quite washed out. The image has been took in daylight
because the light is natural light and doesnât look artificial. The photographer may have set up some artificial
lighting to add to the intense feel of heat to the image as she is on the beach. There are no shadows in the
image. The image could have been high key because there are no shadows but it has been washed out so it
doesnât look as high key and bright as the red isnât as deep and bright. The colours are quite muted and
restrained in this image and there isnât much colour to the image and are quite pastel colours rather than bright,
eye catching colours. There is a lot of space around the model so that she remains the focus of the image and
the image isnât crowded and has limited objects in the image because it wouldnât be clear what the main focus
of the image was and thatâs why the photographers done this. The image is more passive than busy. The car is
quite busy itself but itâs not distracting and it is more of a quiet image rather than a busy image and has limited
visual information. The background has been muted so that itâs out of focus and blurred so that the car and
model is in focus and sharp and this helps keep the focus on the model rather than finding something
distracting in the background. The model is the central focus of the image because she is being posed so that
she is noticed first in the image before the car is and this is because she is there to be the main focus. The
composition of the image is the car and model have been composed so that they fit well together and donât
clash with each other. There is a contrast between how big the car is compared to how small and fragile the
model is and they have been put together that way. There is also a contrast between the red from the car and
the pastel colour of the model and the red from the car against the muted and washed out background. The car
acts like a frame for the model as she fits neatly in-between the car and has been composed so that she isnât
oddly placed with the car and this helps focus our attention to the model. The setting is outside and because
there is sand and limited plants, it looks like a beach and then the car has been driven so that itâs on the beach.
The photo isnât artificial unless some artificial lighting has been used to help with the lighting but the setting is
all taken outside as itâs a landscape.
5.
6. ïœ
This image has a slightly different mood from the first image. Instead of the image being taken in colour, itâs
been taken in monochrome and this gives quite a mysterious and dark feeling to the image. The only content in
the image is just the model and she is the central focus of the image and she is the subject of the image. The
intention could have been that it was just a photo shoot for portraiture or for a magazine. The model isnât
showing much of her facial expression but she looks quite worried and her body actions show that she looks
quite upset with her hands on her head and like she is fragile. Itâs a portrait photo because of the model in the
photograph. He has also made the face the main focus from the model and this is what photographers have to
make stand out in the image and this has been done by just having the models face against the black
background. She has also been posed to look like this because this is how the photographer will have wanted
the photograph to look and he didnât find the photograph opportunity naturally. The whole focus on the image
is quite weak and none of the image is in fully sharp focus. This will have been done deliberate to match the
depressing mood of the image but it is all quite out of focus but itâs still easy to recognise what is in the image.
The most highlighted part of the image is part of her face and hand, this is where most of the light shines on
the model. There are no shadows in the image apart from in-between her fingers the shadow is noticed. The
light will have been artificial light and not natural light because the setting of the image is in a studio rather
than going outside and taking the image so no natural light will have been available. The light is quite soft but
on some parts itâs harsh. For example, on her forehead and part of her hand the light has hit the model harshly
and caused these parts of the image to be really overexposed and this gives the impression it will have been
direct light rather than artificial. The image is low key because it has only certain parts of the image highlighted
from the light and the image isnât bright. The lines and curves from the models hands curve along her face and
these make the direction of the curves all focus on her face. To help the focus be kept on the model, the
background is all negative space and has no detail. Itâs all one block colour and it contrasts with the pale and
white skin of the model from the dark and black background. This helps the model stand out from the
background and she has a lot of space around her. The dynamic range is that there is a tone of darkness and
then when we reach the models face, it turns lighter and more brighter and the darkest part of the image is the
background in contrast to the lightness on the models skin. This image is defiantly passive because it is a very
simple and plain image and hasnât got anything but the model in the image. Itâs quiet and is very empty. The
background of the image is very plain and has been chosen to be black because this contrasts well with the
model and keeps the focus on the model. The contour from the models face helps her stand out and so that we
know where her facial features are and where her her would be and helps us visualise her more because she is in
such a dark atmosphere. The black background acts like a thick border for the model and helps frame her
posture in the image.
7.
8. ïœ
The content being shown in this image is buildings, cars and the people in the background as well as the
foreground. The image looks like itâs been taken on a method of transport and my guess would be a bus. Leiter
also creates double exposure images and this is what he has done to this image by using the condensation of
the overlay on the actual image being taken. The intention of the image might have been that he wanted to
capture street life as he does street photography too and he could have been capturing a workers life and
theyâre mode of transport. The theme of this image is street photography. The subject of this image is the
person who is stood closest to the camera. He is also seen as the central focus of the image as everything is
placed around him (the building, the writing on the window, the car) and this helps find the main focal point of
the image. The image has been taken in monochrome and this gives the image quite a hidden depth to it as
nothing is made clear in the image and it makes the image mysterious and this matches how people will see the
image because everything isnât made clear. This image will have been taken naturally without it being posed.
This is because the photographer will have come across this as an image and take it without asking for anyone
to pose for the image or setting anything up. Even though there is people in this image, it wouldnât be classed
as portraiture because there is no clear connection made between the photographer and the model. None of the
image is actually in focus and sharp and this might have been done deliberate to carry on the theme of it being
mysterious and hidden. The image is still made clear enough so that we can recognise what is in the image but
this is helped by the curves of the figures. The condensation makes the image slightly more out of focus and
doesnât help make it clearer. The darkest parts of the image is the figures and the left side of the image as it
starts to fade to black but the white against the black in the image is quite harsh on each other. As it looks like
there is low natural light in this image, it suggests that this was taken nearer to the evening. The image is low
key and this is because there is deep blacks and shadows in the image and the light is only highlighting some
parts of the image rather than all of it. There is quite a depth to the photo as there is quite a distance seen in
the image. Having the building in the image and the big black mark on the image makes the image quite
crowded and not a lot of space is left in the image. There is a dynamic range in the image and the lightest parts
of the image is mainly the white snow and the darkest parts are the figures and, parts of the bus and the
buildings. Itâ a busy photograph with a lot going on and there isnât enough space for it to be passive. The
background is slightly more out of focus than the foreground of the image and this helps the central focus of
the image stand out from the background and the figure doesnât just blend in with the rest of the image. The
image has been taken on a lean, slightly to the right and you can tell because the window on the bus is seen
more on an angle and this helps the photographer fit the figure in as he has no control of where he stands the
photographer has to move to help get him to where he wants. The contrast between black and white is very
strong in this image and the contrast between light and dark is also noticed. The setting of this photo is set
outside and not in a studio because you can tell that it is outside because of the buildings and bus.
9. ïœ
Edith Maybin is a British photographer who interprets her
fine art images into a series. Her images are capturing and
engaging to mainly females as she is showing Loretta
Luxâs doll-like children who are going through from
childhood up to womanhood. She has won the title of Free
Range 2006 Photographer of the Year. Her work has been
part of the permanent collections of The National Museum
Wales, The Sir Elton Johns Photography Collection and The
National Portrait Gallery (London).
10.
11. ïœ
The content of this image is that it contains the girl who is the model of the image and the apples on the tree.
The intention and the theme of this image is all about showing the stages of a woman's life and showing the
stages in her life and this is how the photographer expressed this. The subject is the model in this image and
she is also the central focus of the picture because she is the only part of the image that is sharp and in focus
and the rest of the image is out of focus so that the main focus is on her. The expression the model has on her
face is natural, she is looking quite serious but flattering and is looking quite down as she isnât smiling. This
image is defiantly a portrait image as itâs all about the model and we can clearly see the models face and her
expressions. But I would also argue that it is a bit of documentary photography. This is because the image is all
about showing her grow up and showing a womanâs stages in life and this image comes with a series of images
based on this, so itâs capturing real life but in a more posed way. The reason I donât fully think it would be
documentary is because the image is posed for the photographers reasoning and the photographer hasnât come
along and seen the girl like this. She has gone and found the model and found a setting and asked the model
how she wants her to be positioned. The image contains organic shapes because it has the tree in the
foreground with the apples on and then in the background it looks like a field of trees. The setting of this image
has been taken outside and not in a studio. This is because no artificial lighting will have been used and not
been set up in a studio. The natural light will help the image be brightened up and there is a lot of trees and
nature which helps suggest this has been taken in an outside environment. There is a strong contrast in this
image between nature and human, We have the girl in the image and she contrasts with the trees and the nature
in this picture but thatâs the only main contrast with this image. The lighting in this image is natural light rather
than artificial light. The image is quite light and this suggests it could be mid-afternoon as it isnât too
overpowering the light. The light is very soft and isnât harsh on the models skin or on the apples and it doesnât
reflect off these and cause it to be overexposed. In the trees there is a bit of shadowing as parts are darker than
others and on the left side of the girl it is darker than the right side which shows the right side is where the light
is directly hitting. The image has been taken in colour as there is a lot of different colours in this image and by
taking it in monochrome wouldnât give the same elegant effect as it does in colour and would have changed the
mood of the image quickly. The image is a high key photograph but I think the colours have been toned down
and been made to look washed out more so that it isnât as bright and is quite calm to match the mood of the
image. There isnât much shadowing so I would say it is more high key than low key. The image is more busy
than passive because there isnât much space in the image at all and it is very crowded with a lot packed into the
image. The background is really out of focus and isnât sharp at all and this helps the model stand out in this
picture as she is the focus and there isnât much in the background but the trees would have made it unclear as
to what the audience should be focusing on. The composition of the image has been made so that the model is
clearly seen and nothing is blocking her light. The apples have been made so that they go around the models
face so that they donât get in her way and she has been placed on the left where there isnât much to block her.
12.
13. ïœ
This image is another image taken from the series that the first image was from. The content of the image is the
girls clothing and a field with a few plants. The intention of this image is to represent the girls freedom. As she
has taken off a few layers of her clothing or maybe all of her clothing it shows she is growing up and being free
as she doesnât care what anybody thinks of this. We canât see the model in this picture but there is a lot of
nature in this picture and so it would be more of a landscape photograph than portrait. The theme of this image
is the stages through a womanâs life and her different attitudes as she grows up. The subject in this image
would be the clothing as we can interpret different meanings as to why this image has been taken by looking at
the clothing and as to why itâs in the field. The image has organic shapes within it because of the trees and the
field and these symbolise the nature and organic shapes. The photographer has posed this image and set it up.
The clothing has been placed there manually rather than naturally and the photographer has wanted it to be
placed there for a reason and she has chose where she wants the image to be taken and she chose the field. The
main central focus to the image is the clothing. This is because the clothing is telling us a lot about the image
and gives us clues as to why the model has been made to take the clothes she was wearing off and it also leaves
us thinking as to why the photographer has done this. But the clothing stands out more than the rest of the
image and has us thinking more about the clothing so thatâs why itâs the central focus. Nearly all of the image is
in full focus and really sharp. Apart from the far background which is really out of focus because itâs so far away
and has no added meaning to the image. The photographer has made the whole image sharp because of the
detail within the plants and the clothing and having certain parts out of focus would give no depth to the image
and no detail to it. The flowers in the image take up most of the image and add repetition to it because it is the
same type of flower throughout the image and carries on to the background of the image. The lighting used for
this image will have been natural light rather than artificial light because they are outside and natural light is
available. The lighting is quite rich and bight which suggest it could have been taken early evening or even early
morning but as ti feels quite warm and there is a few shadows to the image, I feel itâs more evening than
morning. The lighting is more soft than harsh because it doesnât make parts of the image overexposed and
gives a nice even tone overall. The image is a high key photograph but has a washed out tone to it and the
colours arenât as bright. But it isnât a low key photograph because there is a lot of light in this image and
minimum shadows. There is space in the photograph and this adds to the freedom element to the photograph
but itâs still quite a busy photograph because of all the plants and that there isnât empty spaces in the image. It
has been taken in colour because there a lot of colour within the photograph and wouldnât have the same
impact if it was in monochrome. The setting of the photograph is outside and not in a studio. We know this
because of all the nature and outside space. The composition of the image has been made so that the clothing
has been made to be seen against the green of the nature and this is a strong contrast within the image.
14.
15. ïœ
This is another photograph which is taken from a series of images. The content of this photograph is the model
and the house with the nature. The intention of this image is to maybe express freedom again as she is going
outside and opening the doors to the outside world she could be going out and finding herself and finding
freedom to her adulthood as she grows older. The theme of the image is the growing up of the girl and the
stages within her life as she reaches adulthood. The subject of this image is the model and she is the central
focus. This is because she is the reason the photograph is being taken and she is in the central of the image and
it is all about her life in pictures. The door in the image and her walking through it could represent her freedom
and this is how the photographer has wanted to express her finding the freedom and the next stage of her life.
Even though her face isnât facing towards the camera, we can still see her mouth which helps us see the
expression on her face. She is frowning and is looking quite worried and confused as to what is going to be next
in her life and she is looking down which could mean she is trying to find her way through life. There is an
obvious geometric shape in this image which is also repeated a lot in this image and this is the squares from the
glass on the window. There is also quite a few lines on the wall and girl from the light in the image and this
helps highlight the girl. This image has some trees in the image and a flower in the foreground which are
organic shapes within the image. It is classed as a portrait image even though the girls face isnât made clear, she
is still the main focus and this makes it a portrait photo. It has been posed for the photographer as she will have
not come across the image but she will have found the location and the model and told her how to pose for the
photograph. The whole image is in focus apart from the trees in the background and this works better as it
gives the image detail rather than it be just the focus made on the girl and it helps us see what is really in the
image. It has been taken in colour as there is a lot of beautiful colours that compliment the image and would
work better in colour rather than monochrome because there wouldnât be different ranges of colour or tones
seen than if it is in colour. The lighting is natural rather than artificial and it can be seen against the wall which
makes it clear itâs natural because it is more available to the photographer as itâs taken outside. The blue sky
and warm sun suggests itâs afternoon and the lighting isnât harsh on the image. The image has a lot of shadows
where the light hits objects and this suggests that itâs low key and not high key. The colours are quite washed
out and not too harsh. The picture is busy and has a lot of objects within the image which makes it more
crowded too with minimum space and this works well and doesnât look too packed with objects and is still
simple and keeps the focus on the girl so it has worked really well. The setting of this image has been taken
outside and not in a studio because of the building in it and the nature that is seen and there is no artificial
light. The door and windows help frame the girl and narrow us to see the girl as the main subject and help
compose the image so that she is not taller than the door so that it frames her. There is a contrast between
manmade and nature because of the building and the nature outside. There is also a contrast between light and
dark with the light and the shadows.