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Allison Bryan
Artist Statement
Fashion Photography
Fashion is everywhere. It surrounds us in every situation.
You can see it on the walls, on the sides of buses and on each
person who passes you by. Fashion alters from year to year and
with it we alter our appearance and the people that we are. When
I started photography I shied away from photographing people.
I felt that they were too complicated to control. I stuck with
the abstract views of objects that were rarely seen by a viewer.
I have always admired the fashion images in magazines and often
wondered if I would ever be able to create images like those.
Much like the abstracted views of different objects I used
to create, I felt that fashion photography was very similar.
With this in mind I found a model and from that point on
I have started my long journey into fashion photography.
As I began doing fashion photography I was most influenced
by the images I saw in magazines. They were more readily accessible
to me and I could identify with them much more easily. I have
also been influenced by well-known photographers such as Helmut
Newton, Mark Seliger, and Sante D'orazio. Helmut Newton is a
photographer from Berlin whose primary subject matter is the
female nude. He did create some fashion images in the late 1950's
but for only a few years. He said there was no sense of humor
and he felt very restricted. I identify with his work because
of the distinct way he creates his images. He pays a lot of attention
to detail and sets his models up in contemporary settings that
'speak', adding a level of narrative to the images. For
example, Newton grew up staying in hotels with his family, and
he felt that hotel rooms had a voice, there was always a story
to be told. He quite often uses these rooms as backdrops for
a shoot. He takes the view of the observer with very abstract
camera angles. I also relate to his way of thinking when it comes
to location shooting. He travels lightly and says he is "like
a dog sniffing around for a place to pee." One of his photographs
that has influenced me the most, "Woman examining man, Saint.
Tropez, 1975, for American Vogue" shows a female
sitting on a couch with her knees apart. She is slyly checking
out the male figure standing in front of her. It is a great play
on gender role reversals where the female assumes the sexually
aggressive character and the male becomes the object of lust.
Mark Seliger is the chief photographer of Rolling Stone
and US magazine. I recently saw his show at the Govinda
Gallery in D.C. I was taken with the way which he displayed his
work. The works that I have seen are mostly magazine cover shots
featuring celebrity portraits. He creatively captures the identity
of each person or persons he is photographing. He effectively
uses surrounding and props to bring out the personalities of
his subjects. His editorial photography is much like the fashion
photography in the way he plans out his shoot and creates the
image of the celebrity. It easily grabs the viewers' attention
and pulls them in.
Sante D'orazio, according to American Photo, has been named one
of The 100 Most Important People in Photography. He photographs
for numerous publications such as, British, Italian, Spanish,
German and American Vogue, Mademoiselle, Marie
Claire, Interview, Playboy, Vanity Fair, Allure,
American and British GQ, Esquire, Elle,
InStyle, and Cosmopolitan. His ambitious style
and reputation has kept me interested in his work and sparked
my interest beyond the fashion aspect of photography. His
images have also influenced my work. I am very interested in
his use of every day settings to create his images and the identity
of the person he is shooting. The use of lighting in his
images is very precise, which gives them great sexual appeal.
As a part of this journey into fashion photography, I have had
to learn to work with the elements that create a successful fashion
image and to understand, on a broader level, what a successful
fashion image is. The marketing and purchasing of products is
what drives the fashion industry. Fashion photography is primarily
a form of advertising. There are so many types
of fashion images today that it would be difficult to find one
definition to suit them all. In all of the magazines I
have flipped through I've seen some similar elements that make
each image successful in their own way. In most, it is the image's
ability to provoke desire in the viewer that makes it work.
Desire is often depicted in these images through the body
language of the model, or in other narrative ways. But elements
such as camera angle, composition and lighting are also very
effective in creating an image of desire. The desires most commonly
alluded to in fashion images include sex, romance, fame, money,
happiness, beauty, power, confidence, comfort and possession.
These are all things that are attainable by most and if not a
vivid part of one's fantasy life. Marketing, selling and desire
equal the successful fashion image.
The ads that are seen in magazines, on buildings, billboards
and buses are all very much directed towards the female audience.
Fashion photography has always been very gender oriented.
The languages of glamour and beauty are all very appealing to
the female eye. This is not to say that males are not attracted
to fashion images. There are many magazines that specifically
address male fashion concerns. But the ads, in my opinion, are
more concerned with selling to women. The images in the men's
magazine that I have looked at seem more relaxed, less self-conscious
with almost a snap shot look to them. Picture elements such as
surroundings and composition also differ depending on the gender
of the intended audience. In contrast to the fashion images of
the men's magazines, the fashion images from the women's magazine
have a much more sophisticated look. The compositions are very
organized. The make up and hair appear much more dramatic
as does the lighting. There is also a larger variety of images
in general. They varied from very sophisticated to very racy.
With this in mind I have to think of how I want to plan my images.
It is important to know one's audience so to better understand
how to create images that speak to them, that arouse their desires.
Sex is a primary way that fashion images sell clothes. In
many of the fashion magazines that I have looked at in preparation
for this semester, I found that sex is portrayed in many different
ways. Sex can be seen in the simple look on a model's face or
in the amount of flesh that is exposed. Either way, it grabs
the viewer's attention and lure's them in. The model's body language
is the primary way that the sexual message is communicated. I
found that in the male magazine the females were very conservative
in their body language and the pose they were holding. In the
female magazine it was the opposite. I found two ads in the same
magazine where the female is exceeding the limit of proper etiquette.
In these images the female model is sitting facing the viewer
with her legs spread wide open. This is not a common pose for
the "proper" female. The traditional female posture
is very proper and not too revealing. This type of pose and body
language suggests sex in a very straightforward way. The camera
angle adds to it. The camera is at thigh level putting the literal
center of attention right there in your face. With this racy
approach the viewer's attention is caught, they are mesmerized
by the scandal of it. A portrayal of sex comes in many ways when
seen in an ad. It can be portrayed as powerful, passive, sensual,
nasty, etc. In my mind, the most successful ways of portraying
sex in an image is the type that will create a desire in the
viewer. But, sex is much more than just a physical desire. Lighting
can create an emotive mood, adding another level of sex appeal
to an image. Low, warm light casting shadows on a half-naked
male torso gives a romantic edge to the sexual appeal. Harsh
bright lighting can make a sexual image more aggressive. In a
recent photo shoot I let sex appeal be my main focus. I put a
female model in a bed-like setting with soft focused lighting.
The model is laid back across the surface in a rather conservative
pose with the camera shooting down on her. She is wearing a very
stylish cropped sweater and a pair of panties. If I had to say
which item I am trying to sell it would be the sweater, but in
conjunction with the high cut underwear, little attention is
paid to the sweater. I am following similar technique seen in
more recent magazines. The use of sex to sell is very prominent
right now and continues to be portrayed in many different ways
in the fashion images seen today.
Another way to capture the viewer's attention and create a desire
is the use of glamour and beauty. All of us long to look good.
Most of us know that probably we will never look that way but
glamour images make us believe that, if you purchase the outfit,
you will feel that way. With beauty and glamour comes the look
of sophistication and often the appearance of confidence and
success. It is also very much related to the idea of celebrity.
A celebrity is often the idea of perfection and untouchable.
We see them everywhere, but we never have the chance to touch,
feel or really get to know them. We know only what is portrayed
of them in their created. In many ways this is how the common
viewer relates to the model in a fashion image. I have executed
the idea of the untouchable. I had a female model in a studio
setting with a group of males. In the image she is standing in
front of them with a very statuesque pose. The males are all
seated on the couch looking at fashion magazines, paying the
least little bit of attention to her. The over all message could
be taken in numerous ways but I was working with the idea of
the untouchable. One photographer who does a great job in creating
an image like is Helmut Newton. In his large nude series there
is an evident factor of the untouchable. His beautiful nude women
images are printed in very large format. They create the feeling
of being larger than life. With this comes the notion of celebrity
and creating an image of one's self. D'Orazio and Seliger grasp
this in their images as well. They both create very striking
and glamorous images. They often use soft lighting to illuminate
the figure.
We are all taught to believe that beauty lies within. I strongly
believe this and it is evident in some of the fashion images
in circulation. Yet there seems to be a strong lean towards the
external beauty of a person. Although, personally, internal beauty
is more appealing to me and often makes a more successful shoot
for me, I have become more aware of how I could alter my model's
looks. I have used the tricks of the trade such as make up, lighting,
and digital imaging. Inner beauty is often seen in the way a
model carries his or her self throughout the photo shoot. In
a shoot I recently finished, I photographed a male model. At
first he seemed unsure and really didn't understand what it was
all about. To overcome this I decided to back off and let him
be himself. We put on some music and he sang and danced for the
whole shoot. He has a very statuesque body, but in this case
it was his inner beauty that made the images successful.
Another desire that is played upon in fashion images today is
power and money. This is something that is often associated with
and seen I men's fashion images. But it can be seen in the Spring
fashion issues of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's
Bazaar. Most of the models are dressed for success and
pose in a way that let you know they possess nerve and confidence.
Lighting effects in these images are varied. Soft focused lighting
is often used, or sometimes the entire set is lit up with a very
sharp focus. The surroundings portray success including office
settings, very ritzy interiors, to one that can clearly be identified
as a backseat of a limo.
Marketing is the main drive behind creating fashion images. The
drive behind the marketing seems to be desire. They create these
images that are appealing and compelling to the viewer. It grabs
you as you glance over it and captures your undivided attention.
The use of desire is evident in the ads as they portray beautiful
models in promising surroundings. With this in mind I would think
that it is safe to say that an image that the viewer can relate
to is the one that will capture the attention. Whether is be
in the surroundings or in the narrative of the image. I have
executed this idea in my shoots. Personal relationships are something
that everyone can relate to. It is a part of living life. I did
a series where a couple is lovingly embracing outside in the
sunset hours. They are paying little attention to the camera,
for they are more involved with each other. Sometimes I use a
more traditional look, such as a single model standing in front
of a neutral backdrop, to help the viewer associate with the
image. It is a reference to a more straightforward way of portraying
fashion. The focus is directly on the clothes. Familiar surroundings
also help the viewer relate to the image. For instance, models
shot in bar scenes are easily recognizable and appealing to a
viewer who might be a part of this type of scene. I have also
used serial narrative as a way of helping the audience relate
to the images. I did a series of images where a male and female
model were dressed in casual clothing and situated in a kitchen.
The progressive images illustrate the couple engaging in a food
fight. This is something that is easy to relate to because we
have all been in situation where we have let the inner child
out.
As I look back on the images I have created and think about the
one's I will continue to create, I realize that whoever is looking
at the images will find in them something appealing and will
capture their attention and hold it. In creating my images and
wanting them to be successful I have to keep in mind that desire
is the main aspect in a successful fashion image. It is what
drives the marketing and the purchasing of the product.
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Bibliography
Fahey, David. A Private View Photographs and Diary. Penguin
Studio, NY. 1998.
This is a collection of Sante D'Orazio's work. It shows many
examples of the
wide variety of images he makes. It is one of the most influential
books that
I have looked at this semester because of the variety of styles
in his work.
Felix, Zdenek,ed. The Best of Helmut Newton. Thunder's Mouth
Press, NY. 1993.
This book illustrates another one of my influences. It is a collection
of Helmut Newton's best work. It shows the variety of images
he has created throughout the years.
Frizot, Michel, ed. A New History of Photography. Koneman,
Italy, 1998.
This book shows a complete history of photography. It has many
sections, one
which focuses on fashion images. It describes the influences
of the art styles and movements on the images by well-known fashion
photographers of our time.
Harrison, Martin. Appearances: Fashion Photography Since 1945.
Rizzoli, New York. 1991.
This book illustrates images of the most influential fashion
photographers. It is particularly interesting because it shows
images of photographers who are not naturally associated with
the fashion industry. And how their works can be seen as fashion.
Hicks and Schultz. Portraits. Quarto Publishers, London. 1996.
This book illustrated the different lighting possibilities. It
shows diagrams of how to set up lighting to achieve the results
wanted. It also shows images of different settings that might
be seen in the commercial and fashion industry today and how
the lighting is created.
Keogh, Pamela Clarke. Audrey Style. Harper Collins Publishers,
NY. 1999
This is a book about one of the most influential actresses in
time, Audrey Hepburn. Her personal style became an influence
on fashion of the time and has recently become an influence on
the more recent fashion trends.
Pratt, Jane. Beyond Beauty. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY.
1997.
This books is a collection of advice given form 25 of the most
popular young females in society today in all areas, from film,
modeling, to sports. It dicusses the importance of beauty and
shares the advice and tips of each female.
Rossellini, Isabella. Some of Me. Random House, NY. 1997.
This is a look at her life as an actress and model.
The Fashion Book. Phaidon Press Limited, London. 1998.
This book is a collection of all the aspects of the fashion industry.
It shows everything from icons, milliners, designers (fashion,
shoe and jewelry) models, and photographers. It clearly shows
how far fashion has come throughout the years.
The Naked & The Dressed 20 Years of Versace by Avedon.
Random House, NY. 1998.
This is a collection of images by Richard Avedon done for fashion
designer Versace. The images are very overwhelming in their composition
and beauty. It shows something that I hope to achieve in my own
work in time.
The Photography Book. Phiadon Press Limited. 1997.
This is a collection of images of all types of photographers.
It is especially helpful in seeing in the different types of
photographers and styles.
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