Edward Weston
Personal Background
Edward Weston was born on March 24, 1886, in Highland Park, Illinois. The majority of his childhood was spent in Chicago, where he went to Oakland Grammar School. Edward Weston’s passion for photography started when he was 16, when his father gifted him a Bull’s Eye #2 camera. After his first publication he moved to California, he worked as a surveyor for the Salt Lake Railroad. In 1908 he returned to Illinois to attend photography school, he completed a twelve month photography course in just six months at the Illinois College of Photography. He worked at several portrait studios where he started to receive attention for his outstanding abilities, eventually he opened his own portrait studio. Around this time Weston married his first wife, Flora Chandler, in the years of 1910-1919 Weston, and Chandler had four children. From 1923-1926 Weston managed a studio in New Mexico with his apprentice Tina Modotti. In 1926 Weston returned to California and developed the surrealist style which he is best known for. In 1946 Weston began experiencing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Through the next ten years, as his condition worsened, Weston took hundreds of photos which are considered to be some of his best work. In 1956 Weston’s artwork was honored by the Smithsonian Museum. On January 1, 1958 Weston died, his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Style
Edward Weston uses the contrast between light and dark to draw the viewer’s eye to the focus of an image. He often makes puts the images focus close up to the camera so the viewer can see every detail.. Edward Weston takes photos of un-extraordinary things at certain angles and distances to create photos that are mind bending. His photos leave the viewer with a sense of wonder. He finds human-like characteristics in inanimate things such as peppers and sea shells. His use of lighting and camera angles often make very ordinary things seem absolutely surreal.
Philosophy
The photos Weston is best known for are taken in a surrealist style. Weston’s photos showed texture and detail. Weston wanted to show form human form and what it had in common with the form of inanimate things. He wanted to show that if photographed correctly things that are usually uninteresting could be made to look amazing. In his portraits Weston enjoyed showing the raw emotions of his subjects.
Influences
Weston influenced my work by helping me learn about how much difference contrast can make in a photo. His photos showed me how to make ordinary things seem extraordinary. Weston showed me that a well composed photo can give things such as landscapes and objects personality. Weston also showed that the most interesting portraits are often those in which the subject is showing emotion. Weston’s work also showed me how to make common things seem surreal.
Sources
Study of David Alberto's Left Hand: Cleveland Museum of Art, http://www.clevelandart.org/art/2000.123
Artist Information: http://edward-weston.com/ http://ccp.arizona.edu/artists/edward-weston
D.H. Lawrence: http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/224156.html?mulR=407679506%7C11
Mushroom: https://www.wikiart.org/en/edward-weston/mushroom-1940
Compare and Contrast
In my replica of “Study of David Alberto's left hand” I did my best to position the camera and my hand in the same position as shown in the original photo. I made sure to be wearing a white long sleeve shirt, and to have the shirt resting significantly higher up on my arm in relation to my wrist. I made sure to have a black background like the one seen in the original photo. I also attempted to put my hand in roughly the same position that is shown in the original image. I edited my photo so it would have the same tint and amount of blur as the original. My photo is different from the original because my hand is slightly larger than the hand in the original, because of this my hand is in a slightly different position than the hand in the original. The background in my photo is more reflective than the background in the original, because of this my photo’s background is more visible.
My replica of “D.H. Lawrence” is similar to the original because the subject is wearing the same clothes that are in the original. The photos are also similar because the face the subject is making, as well as the angle at which the subject is photographed is the same in both photos. I edited my photo so it would have the same tint and blur as the original. The two photos are different because the subject in the original has a differently shaped head than the subject in the replica. Another difference is that in the original photo less of the subject’s white undershirt is visible.
My replica of “Mushroom” is similar to the original because it is taken from the same angle. The mushrooms in both photos are portabella mushrooms. The replica is cropped so the same amount of the mushroom is seen in both photos. The photos are different because the mushroom in the original reflects more light. In the original the mushroom’s head is convex in the replica the mushroom’s head is concave.
Artist Statements
A.R. Weinstein: The goal of this photo is to put the viewer into the mind of the subject. The viewer should understand and feel the emotions of the subject. The limitless possibilities of what is going through the mind of the subject will bring out a sense of wonder in the observer. It is possible that the viewer may not be able to tell when the photo was taken due to the digital editing. The end goal of this photo is to leave the observer with the desire to view it again.
Study of Peter Christoff’s Left Hand: The goal of this photo is to bring out a feeling of discomfort in the observer. The way in which my hand was photographed should give it life.The positioning of my hand should be one of absolute discomfort that brings out a feeling of upset in the viewer. The black background should create a feeling of isolation between my hand and the viewer, giving the viewer nowhere else to look in the photo. The contrast between light and dark draws the viewer’s eyes through the image, forcing them to look at every detail.
Mushroom: The goal of this photo is to give the viewer a sense of awe. The photo is taken at a specific angle so the viewer can see the many small patterns in the mushroom. The photo is cropped so the mushroom gets slightly cut off, the goal of this is to allow the viewer’s mind complete the image on it’s own. The background is dark so the viewer can keep their eyes on the focus of the photo free of distractions. This photo's lighting emphasizes the many small patterns within the mushroom, this brings out a sense of wonder in the viewer. A small amount of the mushroom’s exterior is visible leaving the viewer with a desire to see more.
Edward Weston was born on March 24, 1886, in Highland Park, Illinois. The majority of his childhood was spent in Chicago, where he went to Oakland Grammar School. Edward Weston’s passion for photography started when he was 16, when his father gifted him a Bull’s Eye #2 camera. After his first publication he moved to California, he worked as a surveyor for the Salt Lake Railroad. In 1908 he returned to Illinois to attend photography school, he completed a twelve month photography course in just six months at the Illinois College of Photography. He worked at several portrait studios where he started to receive attention for his outstanding abilities, eventually he opened his own portrait studio. Around this time Weston married his first wife, Flora Chandler, in the years of 1910-1919 Weston, and Chandler had four children. From 1923-1926 Weston managed a studio in New Mexico with his apprentice Tina Modotti. In 1926 Weston returned to California and developed the surrealist style which he is best known for. In 1946 Weston began experiencing symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Through the next ten years, as his condition worsened, Weston took hundreds of photos which are considered to be some of his best work. In 1956 Weston’s artwork was honored by the Smithsonian Museum. On January 1, 1958 Weston died, his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Style
Edward Weston uses the contrast between light and dark to draw the viewer’s eye to the focus of an image. He often makes puts the images focus close up to the camera so the viewer can see every detail.. Edward Weston takes photos of un-extraordinary things at certain angles and distances to create photos that are mind bending. His photos leave the viewer with a sense of wonder. He finds human-like characteristics in inanimate things such as peppers and sea shells. His use of lighting and camera angles often make very ordinary things seem absolutely surreal.
Philosophy
The photos Weston is best known for are taken in a surrealist style. Weston’s photos showed texture and detail. Weston wanted to show form human form and what it had in common with the form of inanimate things. He wanted to show that if photographed correctly things that are usually uninteresting could be made to look amazing. In his portraits Weston enjoyed showing the raw emotions of his subjects.
Influences
Weston influenced my work by helping me learn about how much difference contrast can make in a photo. His photos showed me how to make ordinary things seem extraordinary. Weston showed me that a well composed photo can give things such as landscapes and objects personality. Weston also showed that the most interesting portraits are often those in which the subject is showing emotion. Weston’s work also showed me how to make common things seem surreal.
Sources
Study of David Alberto's Left Hand: Cleveland Museum of Art, http://www.clevelandart.org/art/2000.123
Artist Information: http://edward-weston.com/ http://ccp.arizona.edu/artists/edward-weston
D.H. Lawrence: http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/224156.html?mulR=407679506%7C11
Mushroom: https://www.wikiart.org/en/edward-weston/mushroom-1940
Compare and Contrast
In my replica of “Study of David Alberto's left hand” I did my best to position the camera and my hand in the same position as shown in the original photo. I made sure to be wearing a white long sleeve shirt, and to have the shirt resting significantly higher up on my arm in relation to my wrist. I made sure to have a black background like the one seen in the original photo. I also attempted to put my hand in roughly the same position that is shown in the original image. I edited my photo so it would have the same tint and amount of blur as the original. My photo is different from the original because my hand is slightly larger than the hand in the original, because of this my hand is in a slightly different position than the hand in the original. The background in my photo is more reflective than the background in the original, because of this my photo’s background is more visible.
My replica of “D.H. Lawrence” is similar to the original because the subject is wearing the same clothes that are in the original. The photos are also similar because the face the subject is making, as well as the angle at which the subject is photographed is the same in both photos. I edited my photo so it would have the same tint and blur as the original. The two photos are different because the subject in the original has a differently shaped head than the subject in the replica. Another difference is that in the original photo less of the subject’s white undershirt is visible.
My replica of “Mushroom” is similar to the original because it is taken from the same angle. The mushrooms in both photos are portabella mushrooms. The replica is cropped so the same amount of the mushroom is seen in both photos. The photos are different because the mushroom in the original reflects more light. In the original the mushroom’s head is convex in the replica the mushroom’s head is concave.
Artist Statements
A.R. Weinstein: The goal of this photo is to put the viewer into the mind of the subject. The viewer should understand and feel the emotions of the subject. The limitless possibilities of what is going through the mind of the subject will bring out a sense of wonder in the observer. It is possible that the viewer may not be able to tell when the photo was taken due to the digital editing. The end goal of this photo is to leave the observer with the desire to view it again.
Study of Peter Christoff’s Left Hand: The goal of this photo is to bring out a feeling of discomfort in the observer. The way in which my hand was photographed should give it life.The positioning of my hand should be one of absolute discomfort that brings out a feeling of upset in the viewer. The black background should create a feeling of isolation between my hand and the viewer, giving the viewer nowhere else to look in the photo. The contrast between light and dark draws the viewer’s eyes through the image, forcing them to look at every detail.
Mushroom: The goal of this photo is to give the viewer a sense of awe. The photo is taken at a specific angle so the viewer can see the many small patterns in the mushroom. The photo is cropped so the mushroom gets slightly cut off, the goal of this is to allow the viewer’s mind complete the image on it’s own. The background is dark so the viewer can keep their eyes on the focus of the photo free of distractions. This photo's lighting emphasizes the many small patterns within the mushroom, this brings out a sense of wonder in the viewer. A small amount of the mushroom’s exterior is visible leaving the viewer with a desire to see more.