Arnold Newman, born in 1918, in New York City, was one of the most influential photographers in the 20th century. His career first began in 1938 in chain portrait studios located in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and West Palm Beach. Within years, his work became showcased nationwide.
One of Arnold Newman's popular photos was his "Piet Mondrain" portrait. This photo not only captures an artist, but it also includes an easel and papers pinned up which mirror the composition of his work in the background. Incorporated into this, is a wide variety of not only line and shape, but also contrast.
I feel as though when I look at this photo I am intrigued and want to look more. The purpose of this was to photograph not only the artist, but also echo his artwork. I enjoyed the piece because it contains more than the fact it is a portrait of a man; it is also a portrait of his work.
Looking at the technical aspects of the photo, the light is coming from the left as he looks towards it, creating a glow to his face. The photograph is clearly in focus and involves mostly all highlights and shadows due to it being in black and white. Although the setting of this photo is in a small room, there is still a clear depth of field. The point of view was from front on which is not always the best choice, in my opinion, but because the photo has such a unique sense of asymmetrical balance, it was successful. The fact that the photo was vertical helped because it was able to follow the rule of thirds and if it was horizontal, it would not be as visually interesting.
Overall, Arnold Newman is an extremely talented photographer. This piece including, artist, Piet Mondrain was powerful both technically and compositionally. I think the fact that the photograph and is a representation of a person, that it is able to stand out from the rest of his photos.
One of Arnold Newman's popular photos was his "Piet Mondrain" portrait. This photo not only captures an artist, but it also includes an easel and papers pinned up which mirror the composition of his work in the background. Incorporated into this, is a wide variety of not only line and shape, but also contrast.
I feel as though when I look at this photo I am intrigued and want to look more. The purpose of this was to photograph not only the artist, but also echo his artwork. I enjoyed the piece because it contains more than the fact it is a portrait of a man; it is also a portrait of his work.
Looking at the technical aspects of the photo, the light is coming from the left as he looks towards it, creating a glow to his face. The photograph is clearly in focus and involves mostly all highlights and shadows due to it being in black and white. Although the setting of this photo is in a small room, there is still a clear depth of field. The point of view was from front on which is not always the best choice, in my opinion, but because the photo has such a unique sense of asymmetrical balance, it was successful. The fact that the photo was vertical helped because it was able to follow the rule of thirds and if it was horizontal, it would not be as visually interesting.
Overall, Arnold Newman is an extremely talented photographer. This piece including, artist, Piet Mondrain was powerful both technically and compositionally. I think the fact that the photograph and is a representation of a person, that it is able to stand out from the rest of his photos.