Arnold Newman is often considered one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. His career centered around portraits (as he photographed everyone from businessmen to celebrities to politicians and even presidents).
He was one of the earliest photographers to master the “environmental portrait”. The concept of the environmental portrait was to incorporate all of the objects on the photographic canvas to support the subject including backgrounds and graphic design elements.
The most striking technical aspect of this image is the photographer’s use of lighting to create a sinister and intimidating atmosphere. Although there doesn’t seem to be any flash used and the lighting was most likely the natural daylight that occupied the factory. Arnold Newman purposely showcased the background by keeping everything in focus to portray this person’s environment. There is a vast tonal range in this image, ranging from the darkest black to the brightest white. The shutter speed seems to be on the higher side (F16) since the foreground and midground are sharply in focus and the background is slowly blurring out- but still in focus enough that we can see what’s happening. The white balance of this image would be around 6500K (cloudy) since the image brings out the warmer tones that dominate the cooler ones.
Visual
Visually this image is extremely interesting; our eyes have many points to focus on while exploring the photograph. The foreground is rather dark and the subject is fully in focus- however, as we travel further back the background begins to blur softly. The image contains multiple line patterns; the columns and ceiling portray perfect lines of symmetry. Natural framing is also a rather large aspect of this photo, the aged, graffitied and worn columns also help show what kind of place this image is set in. Furthermore, the ceiling (which looks similar to train tracks) draws the viewer’s eyes to the centre of the image- since they follow the path and direction of the lines.
Contextual
The subject in this photo, Alfred Krupp used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis during the Second World War. Upon finding out that the photographer (Arnold Newman) was jew, Krupp refused to have his portrait taken by him. After looking at his portfolio though, he agreed to have the photo taken by him. Arnold Newman then did his best to portray the man in the evilest manner he had said that “As a Jew, it was my own little moment of revenge.”
Conceptual
The concept behind the photo was to make Alfred Krupp look as inhumane and bad as the actions that he took. Arnold Newman wanted to expose the true nature of the subject to the world as ‘revenge’ for the things he did/things he supported in the wars.
Arnold Newman is an American photographer born in 1918. studied art under a scholarship at the University of Miami 36-8. he is known as a pioneer of environmental portraiture but also took still life and abstract photos. He started his career working at chain portrait studios in Philadelphia, which helped him gain experience and an eye for portraiture. In his free time he experimented with abstraction and documentary photography which combined with his job helped to create his eye for environmental portraits. His “Artists Look Like This” exhibition in his Philadelphia museum attracted nationwide attention. In 1946 he moved to New York and opened and opened his own studio and joined the American Society of Magazine Photographers. He often took photographs of well know people such as politicians, industrialists and musicians, these photos sometimes had a controversial perspective and told a story about each subject.
photo by Arnold Newman of american layer Thurgood MarshallAlfred Krupp by Arnold Newman
Technical: The light used in this photo is natural and artificial, in the background their is windows letting in light for above and we can also see that his face is being lit up by florescent lights. The shadows are in the middle of his face leading me to think that there is light coming from both sides. this photograph has a high contrast due to the light split on the top and bottom. The whole photo is in focus which leads me to think it was taken on a wide angle lens, we can also tell this because his face is slightly distorted from how close the camera was to the subject. A fast shutter speed was probably used to create a sharp under exposed image. The image has an interesting white balance, in the dark areas it looks blue and in the light areas it looks more yellow.
Visual: There is an unnatural green tint to this image which creates an eerie effect, the dark shadowed tone also adds to this. there is a lot of texture and pattern in the background of this image which adds details to the scene. There is clear repetition of pattern on the ceiling which leads back to a vanishing point, this also helps to create depth. the pillar either side of the subject act as a frame and add symmetry.
Contextual: Aarnold Newman deliberately tried to make Aldried Krupp look bad due to his connections with Hitler in the war. Krupp was friends with Hitler and was allowed to use prisoners as slave labor in awful conditions. As a Jewish photographer Arnold Newman wanted to reflect his views and hatred for Krupp, this was hard because he had to do it without him knowing.
Conceptual: By shining a light from both sides it creates harsh shadows which Arnold said made him look like the devil. the lines on the ceiling down the center of the image remind us of the train tracks at Auschwitz. When we know the story behind this image it becomes a lot more intimidating and evil. The green lighting also reflects this idea and makes the image look cold and heartless.
Best edits -
'My room is like entering my mind' - jyothi. I thought this was the perfect place for her portrait. I didn't want her room to be tidy either as it shows a stereotypical teenage room and I don't believe a photo should be made to look perfect, as a camera should record real life.
I chose this space for Rutter as it is where she spends her time every day at school. I thought the background of student artwork clearly makes reference to her profession, especially as Rutter chose to display these pieces.
Arnold Newman - was known best for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life. Newman was is credited for being the first photographer to use environmental portraits.
Contextual - Gypsy Rose Lee's environmental portrait captures and reflects her personality and work. The pose she is in could be viewed as provocative which reflects Gypsy's profession as a burlesque dancer. Gypsy was credited as an artist for turning striptease into 'seven minutes of sheer art'.
Technical - The fact that this photograph is in black and white indicates that is may have been an earlier photograph of Newman's work. The photograph has a wide range of tones which makes it more intimate especially with the use of a lamp in the frame which gives a completely different ambiance compared to if it wasn't there. The shadows in the portrait show that there was another source of light which would have been softened to keep an intimate effect - the lamp was only used as a prop to help represent Gypsy.
Visual - Gypsy lies on a chaise lounge which purposely captivates the viewer - even though Gypsy is fully clothed in a long dress she still teases the viewer because of her pose. The lamp adds to the photograph as it adds ambiance which creates a different mood - making it more intimate. As an artist, Gypsy is surrounded by art which keeps the focus on Gypsy as an artist which balances the mood of the photograph.
Conceptual - Even though Gypsy was an ecdysiast the photograph has been carefully constructed to present her as an artist with elements that suggest her profession but don't take over the photograph. This photograph is the most complicated in the way of which the viewer has to deconstruct the image.
An environmental portrait is a portrait taken of a person or people in their natural environment that they live in or a place that says something about who they are. It is often a place of work, rest or play.
August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer. Sander has been described as “the most important German portrait photographer of the early twentieth century. Sander was born in Herdof, the son of a carpenter working in the mining industry. While working at a local mine, Sander first learned about photography by assisting a photographer who was working for a mining company. With financial support from his uncle, he bought photographic equipment and set up his own darkroom.
Mood Board
Analysis Of August Sander’s Work
This picture is clearly an environmental portraiture showing a young man carrying some bricks. This is an environmental portraiture because the image gives us an indication about the person being photographed, in this case we know he is a brick layer. We can clearly see that this image is in black and white and split into sections. These sections are as followed, the mans body, his head and then the bricks in which he is carrying. The lighting appears to be up high, illuminating the mans facial features and bricks. This image is also highly contrasted, the man himself is well lit up which contrasts with the very dark background.
There is a large tonal range within this image which is evident where his face is a lot lighter than the rest of his body. There is a significant amount of light directed more towards the bricks and the background is completely black. This use of light it used to signify the profession in which this man involved himself in. The ISO of the image appears to be quite high, we know this because we can see most of the detail within the mans clothing as well as the bricks. If the ISO was lower this detail would not be so evident. There are various textures within this image for example the rough and creased clothing as well as the textures involved in the bricks.
The concept behind this image can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In my opinion the photographer is trying to portray the idea of child labor by using a male that looks rather young doing a highly difficult and tiring job. However the male is not quite young enough to maybe fit into the category of ‘child’ therefore the photographer could also be referring to the times when people would have to get jobs at a very young age to survive and look after their family.
This image was taken by August Sanders in 1928 and is called ‘The Brick Layer’. The original name for this image is ‘Handlanger’ which is German for Henchman
Arnold Newman was an American photographer who was noted for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images.
Examples of Arnold’s work found on Google
Analysis of one of Arnolds pieces
I really like this image as it shows a real sense of depth throughout this image, the shadows help create depth as it helps show the distance of the arches on the left hand side of the image. This black and white environmental portrait conveys a number of stories around the scientist on the right hand side of the image. The soft natural lighting from the sun creates a more dramatic but also natural looking image. Furthermore, the position of the light source creates a shadow on the side of the mans face which helps increase the dramatic atmosphere. In this photograph a high contrast is used in this black and white image which allows the man to stand out more in his white lab coat. The contrast comes from the the black shadows on the left side of the image and then the grey walls and the white lab coat on the right side of the image. This influences the viewer to see the photograph in more detail.
My responses
Contact sheets
How I edited my images in the style of Arnold Newman’s work
Original image
Firstly, I changed the brightness and contrast so I could enhance the colours within the photograph.
Once I was happy with the brightness and contrast, I then changed the photograph into black and white where I also altered the colours again.
I then used the levels adjustment to enhance the black and white even more until I was eventually happy with it.
This was my final image.
This was my favorite image from my shoot and out of my selected edits as it was the most direct image out of the shoot as the character in the image was looking at the camera whereas in the other images the characters in the photographs weren’t looking at the camera.
August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer. Sander’s first book Face of our Time was published in 1929. Sander has been described as “the most important German portrait photographer of the early twentieth century.
Photo analysis of one of August Sanders pieces
This black and white environmental portrait of three German boys in suit’s strongly reflects there social class clearly and also creates a story as to who they are. This image was clearly before or well after the first world war as the three boys would be wearing another suit as this picture was taken round the same time. There is a strong contrast in this image, coming from the grey sky and the boys black suits. The use of the contrast really helps the three boys stand out in the picture. The dull natural lighting lights up the boys faces also helping them to stand out and also sharpening their features.
Best edits -
'My room is like entering my mind' - jyothi. I thought this was the perfect place for her portrait. I didn't want her room to be tidy either as it shows a stereotypical teenage room and I don't believe a photo should be made to look perfect, as a camera should record real life.
I chose this space for Rutter as it is where she spends her time every day at school. I thought the background of student artwork clearly makes reference to her profession, especially as Rutter chose to display these pieces.
This black and white environmental portrait of three German boys in suit’s strongly reflects there social class clearly and also creates a story as to who they are. This image was clearly before or well after the first world war as the three boys would be wearing another suit as this picture was taken round the same time. There is a strong contrast in this image, coming from the grey sky and the boys black suits. The use of the contrast really helps the three boys stand out in the picture. The dull natural lighting lights up the boys faces also helping them to stand out and also sharpening their features.