Photographs and Photographers that have been an inflence for People Aware

Some of the earliest photographers took portraits of people, presumably because they were fairly static. Some examples include Pillip Delamotte and Joseph Cundal who included the following protrait as the frontispiece to their Photographic Tour among the Abbeys of Yorkshire (London 1856)



The image features a stern custodian seated with a shotgun by an estate entrance. Practically involved, he confronts the camera, as do other estate workers in the series. Joseph Cundal and Phillip Delamotte established the Photographic Institution at 168 New Bond Street, London, which was a leading establishment for the commercial promotion of photography through exhibitions, publications and commissions. It is believed, however that Robert Howlett replaced Delamotte, who became Professor of Drawing at King's College London. One of Howlett's more famous portraits is the iconic one of Isambard Kingdom Brunell taken in 1857 and found at the link highlighted. This picture shows Brunell in context, which I like and it has him looking to the left of the camera - part of the scene but not intimate with the photographer.

Another early portrait photographer is Gaspard-Felix Tournachon, or Nadar, as he was known after 1849. He began work as a journalist in Paris in 1840. He is said to have kept 'Bohemian company', wrote for the left-wing publication, Le Corsaire-Satan and featured in a police dossier as 'one of those dangerous characters who spread highly subversive doctrines in the Latin Quarter..................He is under close observation.' The bulk of Nadar's outstanding photographs, mostly portraits, were taken between 1854 and 1870. They are of such distinguished contempories as Daumier, Manet, Courbet, Millet, Corot, Guys and Baudelaire. The one linked here is of Baudelaire the French poet, critic and translator. Here Nadar has Baudelaire in a 'Napoleonic' type pose and unlike Brunell he has maintained eye contact with the camera.

I love this picture by William Henry Jackson from 1877 of Running Antelope. What a proud, dignified figure staring distainfully past the camera.
In 1869 Jackson won a commission from the Union Pacific Railroad to document the scenery along their route for promotional purposes. The following year, he received a last minute invitiation to join the 1870 US government survey of the Yellowstone River and Rocky Mountains led by Ferdinand Hayden. He was also a member of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 which led to the creation of Yellowstone National Park. Painter Thomas Moran was also part of the expedition, and the two artists worked closely together to document the Yellowstone region. Hayden's surveys (accompanied usually by a small detachment of the US cavalry) were annual multidisciplinary expeditions meant to chart the largely unexplored west, observe flora, fauna and geological conditions and identify likely navigational routes, so Jackson was in a position to capture the first photographs of legendary landmarks of the west.

Edward Curtis (1868 - 1952) also photographed native americans and I love this picture, taken from 'A concise History' and entitled Ola-Noatak. There is realxed eye contact between subject and photographer and it looks as though it could have been taken yesterday. (Wikipedia)








Moving on to the 20th Century, August Sander (1876 - 1964) emerged as a noted street photographer in the 1920s. He was an industrial photographer and portraitist. In 'Face of Our Time' he included this image of two boxers taken in 1928. In this photograph the difference in personality stands out - one 'a genial bruiser whose smile matches his laces and the punctillious athlete at his side'.




Alfred Stiegletz (1864 - 1946) changed his subjecy matter over the years and changed his style but his ideas never altered. Among his other photography he made many portraits of his companions, Georgia )'Keeffe (artist and second wife) and Dorothy Norman (photographer, writer, editor and arts patron). His photos of Dorothy Norman (click link) were taken in the 1930s. Many of these pictures are head and shoulder format and good eye contact gives the impression of a close relationship with Stiegletz. I like the contrasty look to his images.
The linked image of Georgia O'Keeffe was taken in 1918. It portrays a different image; it is much paler and gives the impression of a much more vulnerable person.
I like this picture by Doris Ulman of Mr and Mrs Mann of Holston, Washington County, Virginia taken in the 1930s. Mr Mann was a prosperous farmer in the mountains and the photograph reminds me of my geat grandparents. It has a warm relaxed feel.








This picture of Quintin Hogg QC by Cecil Beaton c.1945 is quite the opposite of the image of Mr and Mrs Mann; it is a very formal picture with eye contact making a statement about the sitter. Both photos are three quarter figure shots rather than close in.








I really like this picture of 'The Migrant Mother, California 1936' by Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) In 1960 Lange gave this account of the experience: I saw and appreciated the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures working closer and closer from the same direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields and birds that the children killed. She had just sold the tyres from her car to buy food. There she sat in that lean-to tent with her children huddled round her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it. (From: Popular Photography, Feb. 1960

I have also looked at photographers from more recent years such as Robert Mapplethorpe. I like very much his beautifully executed still life and flower photography but his 'people' photographs such as those here, although, again, beautifully executed do not appeal to me. The two pictures below are a self portrait of himself as a woman and an untitled male nude.












A photographer whose work I really admire is Annie Leibovitz (born1949).
Annie Leibovitz is one of the most renowned American photographers. After succeeding to chief photographer at 'Rolling Stne' and helping to define that magazine's trademark up-close-and-personal style with photographs of rock icons such as John Lennon - whom she captured 5 hours before his death, Leibovitz went on to Vanity Fair, where she's worked as a feature portraitist since 1983. In addition to advertising campaigns for American Express, Dove and Gap, Leibovitz has portrayed celebrities like Queen Elizabeth, Brooke Shields, Demi Moore, Nelson Mandela, Jack Nicholson, Sting, Gisele Bundchen, Pete Townsend, Dolly Parton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Photography Museum C/O Berlin paid tribute to Annie Leibovitz's passions with an exhibition called "Annie Leibovitz. A Photographer's Life. !990 - 2005". As the display included pictures from her family album (including lover Susan Sontag), her diary as well as her celebrated portfolio, it exemplified how fused Leibovitz's private and professional lives were. (Annie Leibovitz. A Photographer's Life. !990 - 2005)

I think that her images of women such as those included at the following link
are extremely powerful. They are not fashion photographs of beautiful people but really show the character of the subject.

She is also noted for her photographs of The Rolling Stones such as this one of Keith Richard.

During this research I came across this image of Sharbat Gula and it has become a real favourite of mine. She is an Afghan woman who became famous as a cover photo of a 1985 National Geographic magazine. I love the colours and the areas of shadow and the fact that she is looking disconcertingly at the viewer. It was taken by Steve McCurry while at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakisthan in 1984. Remakably Steve McCurry was part of an expedition to find her 25
years later and the recent photograph can be found at the following link.

W.Eugene Smith (1918-1949) also took some remarkable photographs such as this one of Albert Schweitzer. Interestingly Smith has chosen to take the image with Schweitzer looking down rather than making eye contact and if he had looked up he is facing out of the picture.










Another noted portrait photographer of recent times is Jane Bown (born 1925) and, perhaps her two most famous protraits of Samuel Beckett and John Betjaman are shown at the indicated links. During the years she has become many people's favourite photographer, photographing many of the most famous individuals of the past 50 years. She says that both shots were 2Jackpot" pictures. The one of Beckett was taken in 1976 when she unexpectedly caught up with him at the stage door of the Royal Court Theatre and reminded him that he was promised a photo session. She took three shots of which the one included is the middle one. I particularly like this shot because of the rich tones and high level of contrast. Beckett's craggy features are relaxed and he looks disarmingly into the camera. The Betjeman shot was taken in 1972 and she says of it that "........it was one of those sudden miracles that just happen."

Lord Snowdon is another photographer whose portraits I feel must be included in any research. Many of them can be seen at the National Portrait Gallery website. I particularly like the first one featured of Joyce Grenfell, again for the rich tones and the high contrats. I find the way that her body is turned away from the camera but her head back towards it with good eye contact pleasing.

There are many more portraits and photographers that I could have mentioned but I have tried a) to pick out some of my favourites and b) provide a chronological coverage.


References
Apart from the weblinks included I have also used the following books for source material:
Photography: A Concise History - Ian Jeffrey (Thomas and Hudson)
20th Century Photography - Museum Ludwig Cologne (Taschen)
The Photo Book
How We Are: Photographing Britain - Val Williams and Susan Bright (Tate)
Photography: A Crash Course - Dave Yorath (Watson Guptill)
Wikipedia
Google images