The Inventors
These are the guys that invented fashion photography; pre-WWII consciously or not they created a whole new genre and became the shoulders Avedon and Penn and the rest would later stand on. Absolutely remarkable. If you don’t know them, study up, b/c they’ve a great deal to teach.
Horst P. Horst:
photo: Mainbocher Corset, Paris, 1939. ©Horst P. Horst.
Cecil Beaton:
photo: Baba Beaton: A Symphony in Silver, 1925. ©Cecil Beaton Archive.
George Hoyningen-Huene:
photo: Divers, 1930. © George Hoyningen-Huene.
Louise Dahl-Wolfe:
photo: Twins at Beach, 1955. © Louise Dahl-Wolfe.
Martin Munkacsi:
photo: Lovely autumn: the last rays of sunshine, ca. 1929. © Joan Munkacsi.
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I’ve been reading your blog ever since I read the PDN article about you earlier this year. In addition to your work, I admire the work of many other contemporary photogs. But your blog is like no other. I’m just “starting” to realize the importance of the way you constantly re-visit [photography] history and why it’s important to observe those who came before us in this profession. Thank you!
Brandon
Comment by Brandon Daniels — July 4, 2008 @ 12:33 am
Brandon, thanks, man, sometimes I feel like I’m nerding out to myself when I start talking about this sort of stuff. Glad you enjoy it.
Comment by admin — July 4, 2008 @ 5:44 am
Great post Graeme. Like the saying goes, there’s no future without the past.
Comment by Terence Patrick — July 4, 2008 @ 11:27 am
Please nerd out. There is a cerebreal side to this business that is lost on so many shooters.
Comment by terraplane — August 22, 2008 @ 7:53 pm