Photographer Research

David Bailey

David Royston Bailey (2 January 1938) is an English photographer regarded as one of the nation's best. He was born in Leytonstone,  East London. He suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia which made learning in school difficult. As well as dyslexia, he was diagnosed with a motor skill disorder aka developmental coordination disorder. His school attendance was poor; he claims to have only attended 33 times in one school year. His insufficient record rendered him unable to obtain a place at the London College of Printing. Bailey's love of natural history is what inspired him to take up photography; he assumed freelance work and in 1959 he became a photographic assistant at the John French studio - thus he became involved in fashion photography. The following year, he was hired as a photographer for John Cole's Studio Five and was contracted as a fashion photographer for British Vogue magazine in late 1960; he worked there for 15 years. 

Bailey specialises in fashion and celebrity portraiture, his style is characterised by his use of dramatic lighting effects and simple backgrounds. Breaking down the archaic class barriers within society was a cultural trend in the 1960s; by incorporating a working-class/'punk' look into clothing and products, Bailey effectively showcased the cultural trend through his work.

I was drawn to this photograph of Mick Jagger because of the deep contrast created by the position of the lighting. The dramatic use of lighting gives the portrait a rather mysterious atmosphere because there is a line between light and dark right in the middle of the Mick Jagger as if to suggest he has another side to him; a darker side much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The chiaroscuro technique is very prominent in Bailey's portraits, especially in this photograph of Mick Jagger which I found to be quite captivating because the viewer cannot help but look straight into his eyes due to the line between light and dark. The shadows are beautiful and the simplicity of the background ensures that all focus is on the model therefore it does not deduct from the power and intensity created by the dramatic lighting. 

Annie Liebovitz

Anna-Lou Leibovitz  is an American photographer born on October 2, 1949 in Westbury, Connecticut, U.S.  She has shot portraits for a variety of celebrities and is renowned for the dramatic, quirky, and iconic way incorporated in her portraits. Her signature style involves good lighting and sharp quality. She found her passion for photography when she took a photography night class and abandoned her original plan to become a painter. Her first commercial assignment as a photographer was to photograph John Lennon for Rolling Stone magazine; three years later and she was appointed the the position of Chief Photographer for the magazine. 

Her most famous work of the late 1970s was a photograph of a nude John Lennon wrapped around his fully clothed wife, Yoko Ono, in a foetus like position shot hours before his assassination. The photograph was published on the front cover of Rolling Stone in January 1981.

In 1983 she joined the staff of Vanity Fair which allowed her to shoot different subjects and not just rockstars like Mick Jagger. Her subjects included athletes, film stars and even political figures.

I found this particular mid-long shot of Rihanna inspirational because of the way she is posing and how her hair partially covers one side of her face much like the cartoon character 'Jessica Rabbit' - Rihanna's red hair is similarly styled like Jessica Rabbit's which is one of the cartoon's key features; her pose further emphasises her sex appeal because Jessica Rabbit is known for having a voluptuous body. The pose promotes the dress she's wearing and accentuates her curves which links to the sell line  on the left under 'RIHANNA' and the sell line on the right which says 'WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BODIES'. Her expression is quite serious and her red lips match her hair and her dress as well as the tinges of red on the magazine like the banner in the corner. 

Mario Testino

Mario Testino is a Peruvian born (October 30th 1954), fashion photographer. Before becoming a fashion photographer he studied law and economics at the University of Lima. His career in fashion photography began when he moved to London in 1976. He's had several high fashion houses for clients such as Gucci, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. He has also photographed for Vogue and Vanity Fair and various different celebrities including Madonna, the Spice Girls, Lana del Rey and Miley Cyrus. Testino is known for his innovation as he often photographed niche models such as Kate Moss and thus helped to tone down the hype over supermodels. His work is described as bright and sharp which essentially put an end to the dark, murky images that took over magazine pages during the early 1990s. 

Testino is most famous for the iconic shots he took of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997; she personally requested he take her photos for Vanity Fair and it became her last official photo shoot before her untimely death later in the same year. He also took the official photographs of Catherine Middleton and Prince William on their wedding day. 

I liked this photograph of Miley Cyrus because it showcases her dramatic change in image through her dark clothes and the dark gradient background which compliments and creates a strong contrast against her skin tone thus drawing more attention to her body (particularly her cleavage). Her pose is borderline provocative because  her upper body and her right arm is splayed out in an open position yet her leg is up as if to create a barrier; she also looks vulnerable because of her expression and furrowed brows. I liked her make up too because her red lips add some warmth to the overall coolness of the photograph.