Irving Penn

Irving Penn, born on June 16, 1917 in Plainfield, New Jersey, is an American photographer famous for his high fashion images and insightful portraits. Penn planned to become a painter but accepted a job designing the cover of the fashion magazine Vogue at age twenty-six. He quickly began photographing his own images for covers and soon became a fashion photographer. In 1950 he married Liza Fonssagrives, who served as a model for a lot of his greatest photographs. Although his fashion photographs are serious and convey an impression of elegance and luxury, he achieves this tone through a refined composition and precise use of line rather than through the use of elaborate props. The focus of Penn’s portraits is light. Using only a simple backdrop, he causes the model to reveal their personality to the camera, creating photographs that are simple and direct, yet sophisticated at the same time. All of Penn’s photographs are famous for their subtle tones, directness, intelligent composition, and sophistication. In 1958, Penn was named one of “The World’s Greatest Photographers” in an international poll conducted by Popular Photography Magazine. Penn died on October 7, 2009 at the age of 92.

Lee Friedlander

Born in Aberdeen, Washington on July 14, 1934, Lee Friedlander is one of the most influential American photographers and artists of the 20^th century. He is widely known for photographing the “social landscape.” He first became interested in photography in 1948 and studied under Edward Kaminski at the Art Center of Los Angeles from 1953 to 1955. In 1956 he moved to New York and supported himself by photographing jazz musicians for record covers. His early work is famous for his self portraits and for his cultural statements, such as his photographs of the influence of television, in addition to his portraits of jazz musicians. Due to his intense arthritis, he spent a lot of time in his home and, therefore, photographed what was around him.  Before having his knee joints replaced, he published a photography collection called “Stems,” claiming that his limbs reminded him of stems. These photographs depict a focus upon texture, which was not a characteristic of his later work. His later photographs consist of detached images of urban life, which captured the depressing feel and appearance of modern society. These photographs of shop-windows, posters, and signs all involve reflections and are his most famous images.

Light Photography