Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Portrait Example Assignment

This week in Adv. Techniques we have been talking about portraiture. I think a great portrait can reveal the true identity of a subject, even when they are trying to hide it.

This is a portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Richard Avedon. The photo can be found at http://www.richardavedon.com/#s=10&a=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&p=4&at=0. I am only posting this for educational purposes and I take no claim or copyright of this image.

Many portraits of Marilyn Monroe have glamorous or dramatic lighting that added to her public persona. Richard Avedon has a beautiful way of using basic lighting to reveal her exhaustion away from the public eye. Monroe is known for a glamourous public life, while suffering from depression in her private life. I think it's interesting how she is wearing an elegant dress in the photo. It could possibly be a metaphor for the shell of her public life.


1 comment:

August Kryger said...

You picked the same one as me!
Now.
I.
Hates.
You.

A little info.

My photo
I am recent graduate of the University of Missouri, majoring in photojournalism. Right now, I am a photo intern at The Dallas Morning News. Last year, I attended the Danish School of Media and Journalism in the International Photojournalism program. I love the journey of working on a photo story, the destination is never what was predicted.

ALL PHOTOS ARE THE PROPERTY OF EVE EDELHEIT, The Dallas Morning News, The Peoria Journal Star, The Chautauquan Daily. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © 2008-2012 EVE EDELHEIT, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, THE PEORIA JOURNAL STAR, THE CHAUTAUQUAN DAILY.