The Evolution of Fashion Photography

Fashion photography was born around the 1820’s and was produced for fashion magazines of that time with a target audience of people with a keen interest in the fashion industry. Over time it’s developed and has grown into a phenomenon in which fashion photography images are seen worldwide on a daily basis. In this essay I will explore the evolution of fashion photography and its impact on both society and the art and design world in comparison to my own work. I plan to discuss a range of photographers who have influenced fashion photography by making relevant links to my weekly CAS sessions.

‘Vogue’ fashion magazine has helped to launch some of the most influential fashion photographers, one being Adolph De Meyer, who worked for the magazine from 1913 to 1912 and who is also considered to have been one of the first ever fashion photographers. As I have never come across any of De Meyer’s images before I was interested to research his work and see if I can find any similarities between any other photographers work or any of my own images. Whilst browsing through some of his work I found a link between one of his images and one of my own. Obviously the two images have their differences, but for one, both of the models are holding their hats and perfecting their hair, the backgrounds are similar as they are fairly blurred out in order to make the model the focus point. As well as this, the light sources in both images are at a similar angle which lights up the subject and creates a similar atmosphere in both images.

I have also chosen one of my favourite of De Meyer’s photographs to analyse for future reference if needed for any of my projects. I have chosen this black and white portrait to analyse because of its originality. I like the model’s serious expression as I feel it emphasises the desired atmosphere of the image and the focus and dedication that is portrayed through her eyes. I also think that the headband is successful because if her hair was down I feel that it would become a distraction for the audience, especially with the lace as well. For the time period that this image was captured in, the idea of using the lace over the top was an innovative and creative idea and I believe that it influenced fashion photographers that followed.

I believe that the next significant development in fashion photography was created by German-Australian photographer Helmut Newton. His provocative images took the fashion world by storm and opened up a whole new area of fashion photography, using nude models, like this image which was taken in Paris in 1975. His plan was to ‘seduce, amuse and entertain’ his audience and he definitely succeeded!

Throughout my ‘recording the body’ life photography project, I definitely took inspiration from Newton’s work but I captured images that weren't as sensual and eccentric and his, I order to keep my images relevant to my project and fine art related. I have chosen one of my life photography images from the first week to compare to Newton’s because I feel that there are a number of aspects of the image that have been influenced by his work. For one, the use of the mirror is a technique that Newton has used in his work previously and I chose to include it within my own work as I feel that it show the audience more of the model’s body through a range of angles in one photograph and it also allows for more of an interesting angle and overall image. Another similar aspect within this photograph is the obvious black and white effect that I have applied because I felt that it created a better ambiance than in colour, but more than this I felt that the model’s pose was typical of that that would have been used by Newton in one of his images, which I feel I have emphasised by capturing it from a low angle. Overall I would say that Newton’s work has inspired me and clearly had an influence on the way I capture life photography style images.

It was around this time that photographers like Erwin Blumenfeld began to become more experimental and contemporary with their work and introduce elements of the weird and wonderful into fashion photography. Some of his work would be catagorised as experimental photography which is where I feel the next stage in the evolution of fashion photography changes, but the ideas and the meanings manage to remain the same. Blumenfeld’s work was and still is iconic and will continue to have an impact which causes the audience to question the work, this is where I think that fashion and fine art begin to cross and combine and produce masterpieces like Blumenfeld’s work. 

Whilst researching, I came across one of his photographs that reminded me of an artist that I researched for my ‘recording the body’ life photography project; Francis Giacobetti. The light and dark striped shadows initially linked the two however, now I have the images next to each other to compare, I begin to notice the differences more than the similarities. It is clear to see how Giacobetti has modernised his image and successfully produced a more abstract image, most likely inspired by Blumenfeld’s piece. I think that both photographers have used an aray of techniques within their work, but I feel that the most important is the use of chiaroscuro within both images, because it was this that inspired my own chiaroscuro inspired photography task, in which I produced some of my favourite images that I will be including in my interview portfolio.

As time went by, fashion photography continued to change and evolve and photographers like Tim Walker and Rankin continued to experiement and produce more contemporary work. Tim Walker is a fashion photographer who has worked for Vogue magazine for a number of years and in which time has captured a number of iconic images. His work often involves altering the size of objects and their perspective in order to portray his desired message. This is one of the many traits of both Walker’s and Rankin’s work that I appriciate and want to take inspiration from for my own work, in all future projects I hope to be able to have a meaning behind my images, as I believe that it enables me to understand and consider the audience’s reaction and perception when they view my work, which is a key aspect when producing any style of photography. Walker’s work is often considered to be quite ‘creepy’ and ‘weird’ which I can understand, especially as there are some of his images that remind me of certain paintings that would be considered as ‘horror in art’, mainly Walker’s doll series.

Fashion photography is constantly becoming more contemporary and relevant to a much wider audience than it was ever created for. It is now often combined with commercial photography by using well-known models and celebrities to advertise make-up and clothing products, some of the most recent and popular being Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Kendall Jenner. Fashion photography is no longer purely created for the eyes of those interested in the fashion industry, because the images can be seen by just about anybody as a result of social media, fashion photography now needs to cater for a much wider audience than that of 1867, which also reinforces the importance of getting your images displayed in fashion magazines and advertised as much as possible. This alone puts great pressure on the shoulders of fashion photographers, because they are now expected to always consider the social message behind the images that they will be producing. There is a rising issue within society about the way that the woman’s body is being portrayed within the media and when it’s all broken down and deconstructed it is often the photographers who are left to blame. There are a number of campaigns around asking for the use of more ‘bigger models’ for advertising purposes, but as soon as ‘larger models’ are used, this then ironically causes offence and outrage amongst ‘smaller’, ‘skinner’ people who then feel as if they are being ‘put down’. I think that is interesting to view fashion magazine articles and adverts from the 1950’s because of the extreme difference to those shown in today’s magazines. In current magazines there are swimwear and diet adverts, but instead of advertising weight-gain, they were advertising weight-loss. I think the change is important, as it has impacted massively on the fashion photography industry.

Fashion photography is both an art form and an industry which will be ever changing and evolving with the times. There have been countless photographers that have played a part in the development of the industry and I have only briefly mentioned a few. In the future there continue to be a growing number of photographers who will make history and help form a new direction for the world of fashion photography in a variety of different ways and hopefully I will have the opportunity to be one of these inspirational people, who will then go on to influence the work of the next generation of fashion photographers.

“I don’t believe in originality. You take inspiration from whatever moves you 

       and you find your voice in those things.” – Tim Walker

Bibliography:

·         Fashion Photography, (2010). The History. [online] Available at: https://auntmame.wordpress.com/the-history/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2014].

·         Francisgiacobetti.com, (2014). Francis Giacobetti - Photographer. [online] Available at: http://www.francisgiacobetti.com/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014].

·         Mail Online, (2013). 'Sexually charged' Helmut Newton portraits in new exhibit reveal how the legendary photographer seduced the fashion world. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2350098/Sexually-charged-Helmut-Newton-portraits-new-exhibit-reveal-legendary-photographer-seduced-fashion-world.html [Accessed 19 Nov. 2014].

·         Rankin.co.uk, (2014). RANKIN. [online] Available at: http://rankin.co.uk/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].

·         Timwalkerphotography.com, (2014). Tim Walker Photography. [online] Available at: http://timwalkerphotography.com/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2014].

·         Wikipedia, (2014). Adolph de Meyer. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_de_Meyer [Accessed 18 Nov. 2014].

·         Wikipedia, (2014). Erwin Blumenfeld. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Blumenfeld [Accessed 19 Nov. 2014].

·         Wikipedia, (2014). Helmut Newton. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmut_Newton [Accessed 10 Nov. 2014].

How can examining art and design work from different critical perspectives help us understand the impact of the work?

For this critical essay, I have chosen to analyse the work of photographer Cecilie Harris using a range of different critical perspectives in order to understand the impact and the message portrayed through her work. My aim is to review her work with a non-biased opinion and also to consider all aspects of society when analysing her work, such as social, historical, contemporary and professional. I have chosen a photograph from the artist’s portfolio which was issued in volume 4 of ‘Boys by Girls’ magazine. This magazine company takes pride in using female photographers to photograph predominately male models, hence ‘Boys by Girls’.
Harris is a Norwegian born freelance fashion and portrait photographer, currently both living and working in London. I have decided to review her work as not only do I take an interest in it, but I also appreciate the work that she puts into the magazine ‘Boys by Girls’ as the editor-in-chief. I also feel that her pieces, specifically the one I have chosen, have a strong message which she successfully portrays. She mainly focuses on shooting menswear models, as she “find(s) that (they) have a very relaxed approach to modelling and they like to be challenged.” Lynam, A (2013) Cecilie Harris Photographer http://www.1883magazine.com/features/features/cecilie-harris (Accessed: 21^st November 2013) Harris first found her love for photography through the work of her uncle who was a Norwegian journalistic photographer.

In a recent interview with 1883 magazine, Cecilie Harris tells of how the place she is born still inspires her daily photographs, “In my town back home there are also a lot of white wooden houses, which probably explains why I’m often drawn to using white elements in my work.” She then goes on to say “And another element is that I grew up by the ocean and my view out my kitchen window was simply the ocean creating clean lines as it divided the land and the sky. So I like working with lines and simple elements when composing an image.” Lynam, A (2013) Cecilie Harris Photographer http://www.1883magazine.com/features/features/cecilie-harris (Accessed: 21^st November 2013) The white elements and clean lines are clearly visible, not so much through the image I have chosen to analyse, but through many of her other pieces, including these images which were taken from the latest issue (Volume 5) of ‘Boys by Girls’ magazine of boy-band Union J and model Anders Hayward, who she claimed was “the 1^st model to inspire her this year”. Harris, C (2013) http://cecilieharris.blogspot.com/2013/06/anders-hayward.html (19th November 2013) In this issue of ‘Boys by Girls’ magazine titles ‘Lessons’ Harris explains that “‘Lessons’ takes a look at the young male of today, presented through the eyes of female artists.” She then continues to say “It also encourages us to look back at our own stories, brushing the dust off old memories and helping us to learn something about how we got to where we are now.” Finally, she finishes with “One thing I know for sure; there are always lessons to be learned, and that is what makes it all so exciting.” Harris, C (2013) Boys by Girls magazine: Lessons, Volume 5, p.3  I would definitely say that her photographs tell of her passion for what she does and the hard work that she puts into everything that she does.

This is the image I have chosen to analyse, as previously stated; was featured in volume 4 of ‘Boys by Girls’ magazine which was titled ‘A Place Called Youth’. I have chosen to discuss this image as I feel it has a strong meaning, background and message that is portrayed through the photograph, which I believe Cecilie Harris has beautifully captured. Timothy Kelleher is the male model seen in this picture and in order for Harris to obtain these shots; she was invited into Kelleher’s home to capture his editorial. He has previously worked for a number of top designers including ‘Topman’ and ‘Dior Homme’ as well as featuring in two issues of ‘Boys by Girls’ magazine. (2012) Timothy Kelleher for APCY http://www.boysbygirls.co.uk/index.php/news/timothy-kelleher-for-apcy (Accessed: 19^th November) This image is extremely thought provoking to any viewer, as it makes you query the background story behind the photography and why the photographer chose to edit the photo in the way that she has. The image has used Photoshop in a clever way, in order to merge together two completely different scenes into one.  Both images alone are quite simple compositions, however when fused together they create an interesting and complicated piece. When I look at this picture it leads me to believe that the model could be looking out of a window, or thinking back to a special memory or time in his life, possibly his childhood. The blank emotion on his face explains that he is deep in thought; I feel that this expression is reinforced by the simplicity of his clothing, as he purely wears a white vest top for American Apparel. A lot of thought had clearly gone into how the trees were going to be edited into the image, what parts of the picture to replace and whether or not to have the background remain plain. I feel that each of these decisions have impacted on the piece and that the picture has been edited incredibly, to portray the deeper meaning.

In my opinion, the chosen image has a contemporary feel to it, as do a lot of Harris' pieces. She puts a lot of thought into her shots, including the setting, lighting, filters and effects and most of all, the models that she usses. She says she "look(s) for innocence" in a model to then allow the photo to "have it's own story." Lynam, A (2013) Cecilie Harris Photographer  http://www.1883magazine.com/features/features/cecilie-harris  (Accessed: 21^st November) This image is just one of Harris’ pieces that I would consider as contemporary or modern. Contemporary photography can be defined as abstract or unusual in comparison to other photography of this time. My original chosen image is extremely contemporary, due to the fact I have never seen anything like it before. The individuality and uniqueness of the edited trees, is what makes it stand out from the usual menswear photography. This image to the side is another piece of Cecilie Harris’ work which I would also consider as contemporary, purely because of the composition of the piece. Despite the fact she is advertising the clothing items worn by the model, she doesn’t let this idea control her images, which is what makes them appealing. I also think that this concept allows her to appeal to a more youthful target audience, as they are on-trend with the images that are floating around a number of social networking websites and inspiring our next generation of photographers.

Cecilie Harris has strong views on feminism, along with all of the other women who work for 'Boys by Girls' magazine. The company thrive on employing "female artists (to) explore the beauty of the contemporary young man". About Boys by Girls http://www.boysbygirls.co.uk/index.php/info/ (Accessed: 20^th November) The bi-annual magazine, first released in May 2011, produces issues with individual, unique and specific titles, which focus on menswear and the young male of today. “Portrayed through sensitive and poetic view, the images fall somewhere between art and editorial.” About Boys by Girls http://www.boysbygirls.co.uk/index.php/info/ (Accessed: 20^th November) These women are obviously aware of the statistics involving female photographers however, as surprisingly stated in the ‘National Endowment for the Arts’ report, “42.8% of all professional photographers are female.” (2011) Photography: Is it still a man’s world? http://fstoppers.com/photography-is-it-still-a-mans-world (Accessed: 25^th November) When I researched this statistic, I was amazed at how high it actually was, I thought it would be considerably lower due to the number of famous male photographers that I know, compared to the limited number of famous female photographers I know, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. These women are keen to work as a unit to focus mainly on photographing menswear clothing and models, I like the idea of a team made up entirely from women, as I feel they send out a strong message to all aspiring female photographers.

Over the years, Harris has been inspired by a number of people and not just photographers. She is constantly influenced by the world around her, however she has said that “visually (she) find(s) the work of Craig McDean, Steven Meisel, Lean Mark and Patrick Demarchelier inspirational” She also “love(s) the work of Jolijn Snijder as it really seems to capture who she is and her personal journey.” Margary, A One to One: CecilieHarris-The girl from Boys by Girls http://www.metrovelvet.com/interviews/one-to-one-cecilie-harris-the-girl-from-boys-by-girls/ (Accessed: 27^th November) I have included a piece by Jolijn Snijder in order to visually realise how her work has influenced Cecilie Harris’. There are similarities in the simplicity of both of the pieces (this image and my chosen one) and also in the sense that both photographers like to focus more on the composition and the message that is received, than often the purpose of the image, which is to advertise the men’s clothing.

‘Film noir’ is a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace. The term was originally applied (by a group of French critics) to American thriller or detective films made in the period 1944–54. (2013) Film noir http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir (Accessed: 25^th November) I have researched this genre as I feel some of Cecilie Harris’ photographs reflect this historical style of work. The image here shows one ‘film noir’ photograph and one of Harris’ pieces in order to visually compare the two. The image to the right is a photo taken and edited by Cecilie Harris, I have chosen this to compare to ‘film noir’ photographs due to the way it is edited. Harris has cleverly merged two photographs together and washed-out areas of them both in order to create this effect. I think that this gives the piece an eerie and mysterious feel to it as it creates an almost ghostly effect, which I believe in similar to the smokey images of the ‘film noir’ genre.

The second image is taken from a 1955 film titled ‘The Big Combo’ and was captured by the cinematographer John Alton, who a creator of many ‘film noir’ style images. In my opinion this image reiterates my previous point surrounding the ghostly effect that these photos display. Although the monochrome colour scheme is apparent throughout both of the pieces, Alton’s image is predominantly darker. In this, the silhouettes are the main focus point, which instantly makes the whole piece feel dark and gloomy, despite the white smoke in the background.
From these images alone, it is clear to see that Cecilie Harris’ work has been somewhat influenced by the historical art of the ‘film noir’ genre. Although the photographs initially may not look so alike, when you research deeper and view them from a historical point of view, it becomes known that there are indeed similarities and deeper meanings in the work.

Cecilie Harris’ photographs do not always take the direct approach and focus exactly on advertising the menswear, but this is what I believe makes them unique, contemporary and inspiring. She has been influenced by a number of photographers and historical period, such as ‘film noir’ and along with her feministic attitude, they have all helped to form her into the photographer that she is today and allowed her to produce, in my opinion, a number of masterpieces. After researching into the work of Harris, it has inspired some of my own photography. I have included a black and white piece of my own; that I feel shows the influence of Cecilie Harris in particular.

Bibliography:

Harris, C (2013) http://cecilieharris.blogspot.com/2013/06/anders-hayward.html (19th November 2013

Harris, C (2013) Boys by Girls magazine: Lessons, Volume 5, p.3

 Lynam, A (2013) Cecilie Harris Photographer http://www.1883magazine.com/features/features/cecilie-harris (Accessed: 21^st November 2013)

Margary, A One to One: CecilieHarris-The girl from Boys by Girls http://www.metrovelvet.com/interviews/one-to-one-cecilie-harris-the-girl-from-boys-by-girls/ (Accessed: 27^th November)

(2011) Photography: Is it still a man’s world? http://fstoppers.com/photography-is-it-still-a-mans-world (Accessed: 25^th November)

(2013) Film noir http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir (Accessed: 25^th November)

(2012) Timothy Kelleher for APCY http://www.boysbygirls.co.uk/index.php/news/timothy-kelleher-for-apcy (Accessed: 19^th November)

About Boys by Girls http://www.boysbygirls.co.uk/index.php/info/ (Accessed: 20^th November)