Roy DeCarava – Shooting in Available Light

Roy DeCarava

"Woman Descending Stairs"

1951

Each week in my Beginning Photography class, our instructor Moshe Quinn introduced us to a new master photographer and assigned a mini research project each week. Though it was time-consuming, I loved learning about each photographer.

Roy De Carava was one of my favorite Photographers of the Week. I was thrilled to stumble upon this gentle photographer's interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross early in my research.

I was amazed to learn that he “accepts the lighting conditions, whatever they are”. He didn’t believe that you couldn’t take a photo just because there wasn’t enough light. He said “I would rather sacrifice the information, in terms of details and things like that, for a feeling of mood.” This was a revelation for me, because I am the first to bellyache about the lack of perfect light conditions and point to it as a reason for not capturing a great image.

In “Woman Descending Stairs”, he allowed our eyes to find the precious few swathes of white in the photo. First one sees the woman’s hand as it elegantly bundles the excess volume of her coat. Then we are drawn to her legs that swished open her coat to reveal the light corner of the lining. Her natural grace would be the envy of any runway model.

In “Man Coming up Subway Stairs”, DeCarava conveys the man’s exhaustion by capturing the pull of the hand, just out of frame, and his posture slumped in his once-crisp shirt, now rumpled by a hard day’s work.

© Roy DeCarava

"Man coming up subway stairs"

1952

In an image from the book “The Sound I Saw”, DeCarava froze a moment of quietude that two jazz musicians found in an unadorned room back stage. It’s hard to decide whether this is quiet moment preceded or followed a lively jazz session on stage.

Roy DeCarava from "The Sound I Saw"
published by Phaidon Press in 2001

Here are some other images of DeCarava's I admire. The white shirts and the Lingerie shop signs are the stars of this image:

Roy DeCarava

Lingerie, New York

1950

Smithsonian American Art Museum

The tight embrace during a dance reveals just enough of the couple to imply the intimacy between them.

I love his fascination with stripes:

ROY DECARAVA
Man in Striped Shirt at Piano
Gelatin silver print. 1954/1981. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 481 3/2 in ink on the verso.
10 x 12 7/8in. (25.4 x 32.7cm.) Framed. 

DeCarava photographed many Jazz musicians who performed in Harlem, like Coltrane and Elvin:

Roy De Carava, Coltrane and Elvin, 1960

... and Duke Elington

I dare you to sit still during this fabulous clip of the young Duke Ellington playing “Take the A Train”. The A Train is the very best way to get to “Sugarhill way up in Harlem… in a hurry, hurry, hurry…”

Segment from the film”Reveille with Beverly” from 1943; the song was composed in 1939 by Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974).

Macro Monday - Emulating Irving Penn

I've shown you my attempt to channel Paul Cézanne and also one Irving Penn emulation.  Here are a few more photos I turned in for my Beginning Photography class. Our excellent and passionate instructor, Moshe Quinn, gave us an assignment to emulate, but not copy exactly, a photographer or other artist.

Late in his career, Penn photographed took many large-format botanical photographs on a clean white surface. He used exceptionally long exposures with pinhole apertures and experimented with elaborate printing techniques. A great article on Penn's printing techniques can be found here.

IRVING PENN (1917 - 2007)

Ginkgo Leaves, New York, 1990

IRVING PENN (1917 - 2007)

Tuberous Begonia

Here are my emulations:

One of my classmates named her project "It's a Lot Harder Than It Looks!". No kidding. Considering this was my first attempt, I'm not going to complain too much. Thank you, Moshe, for this inspiring assignment. I did learn that I'm very interested in pursuing studio photography and creating more still lifes. Next time I will pay more attention to the lighting.

View more Macro Monday images at lisaschaos.com here. This is my first time posting on Lisa Gordon's Creative Exchange here. 

Beginning Photography Class

1

It's nearing the end of my Beginning Photo class; I'm studying for my final and working on my final portfolio. I am grateful for all I've learned this semester. I learned how to [gulp] shoot in "M", manual, mode.

I sharpened my observations skills...

2

... and how to be more aware of colors...

3

... of negative space...

4

... and the rule of thirds...

5

I learned how to control the depth of field...

6

7

...to take action shots...

8

...and night shots.

9

I shared precious moments...

10

... and learned that portraits are best when taken in context.

11

I was inspired by Edward Weston...

12

and Irving Penn,,,

13

...but found out this was very difficult.

That just means that I have to take some more classes, but maybe I'll take a break next semester. Flickr slideshow, including previously posted shots, here.

Photos:
1. Point Reyes Lighthouse
2. Meters, Point Reyes Lighthouse
3. Rainbow Swiss Chard, Point Reyes Station Farmer's Market
4. Point Reyes Lighthouse
5. Point Reyes hiking trail
6. Sharpen Your Pencils
7. With brio!
8. Stockton, CA
9. Redwood City, CA
10. Cheers!
11. Nonagenarian
12. Palace of the Legion Honor, San Francisco, CA
13. French Breakfast Radishes

Emulating Paul Cézanne

Before I emulated Irving Penn, I tried to emulate Paul Cézanne for a photo assignment in my beginning photography class. I used Apples and Oranges as inspiration...

Paul Cézanne (1839 - 1906), Apples and Oranges

... but it was Still Life with Onions that inspired me to choose Cézanne.

Paul Cézanne, Nature morte aux oignonsentre 1896 et 1898

huile sur toile, H. 66 cm; L.82 cm.

Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Flickr

This generously-sized still life commanded my attention during a recent post-impressionist exhibit at the De Young Museum. I suddenly saw Paul Cézanne in a different light. This seemingly simple composition belies the complex use of geometry, colors, and negative space.  But it was much more than the mechanics of this painting that bowled me over. The painter himself expressed it best:

“For an impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations”

-Paul Cézanne

Though I still have a lot to learn about lighting, I was reasonably happy with my first attempt. I used Still Life with Basket of Apples for my second try...

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Basket of Apples

....but I thought is was considerably less successful.

I used the wrong perspective, the lighting was all wrong, I didn't have the right sized basket for the apples which threw off the balance, (can you hear the violins?) .... I felt my still life was generally lifeless. Things improved a tad when I added more visual weight on the left side. The lighting was better, but I saw too late that the photo was not properly framed and cropping is strictly forbidden for this assignment.

After a few more tries, I yielded to Master Cezanne's genius and switched to Irving Penn, which proved to be equally challenging. You can view my many attempts here. 

I appreciated this assignment; I learned a little, but was humbled plenty.

Irving Penn (1917-2009), Portraits and Still Lifes

Family with Mother Nursing Child, Cusco, Peru

This is a continuation of my previous post about the gifted photographer, Irving Penn.

Portraiture

Irving Penn carried the same minimalistic technique he used in his fashion photos through his work in portraiture. Even when traveling in remote locations, he created makeshift studios to eliminate any visual elements that may detract from his sitters. His sitters ranged from anonymous tribesmen from the Andes to butchers in Paris...

Bouchers, Paris, 1950, © Estate of Irving Penn 

...or celebrities with household names.

Truman Capote, New York, 1948, Copyright, The Irving Penn Foundation

Penn went to great lengths to create an effective portrait. In his early portraits, he created a tight corner on his set to create an intimate space. For some subjects, the corner provided great comfort, for others it was stifling.

The Duchess of Windsor, New York, 1948
National Portrait Gallery, London © The Irving Penn Foundation

Ballet Society, New York, 1948, © Estate of Irving Penn 

Spencer Tracy, New York, 1948

***

 In later portraits, Penn abandoned the corner, opting to capture the sitter closely, with almost no space devoted to background. Each portrait reveals the essence of the sitter, like Grace Kelly's effortless elegance...

Grace Kelly, 1954

...Yves St. Laurent's shyness...

Yves St. Laurent, 1983

...and the ultimate minimalist portrait of Miles Davis.

The Left Hand of Miles Davis.,, 1986 © irving penn

Above all, he always showed great respect for his subjects:

"Sensitive people faced with the prospect of a camera portrait put on a face they think is one they would like to show the world. ...Very often what lies behind the facade is rare and more wonderful than the subject knows or dares to believe." —Irving Penn, 1975.

***

Penn's group portraits are always beautifully balanced with deliberate composition.

Top Models in 1947

They are still inspirational for contemporary photographers.

Steven Meisel, Vogue, May 2007

Still Lifes
Penn’s fascination with still lifes remained for all his life. Particularly fond of found objects, he famously said, “Photographing a cake can be art.” His still life images showcase his genius for composition and lighting.

Theater Accident

New York, 1947

After-dinner Games
New York, 1947
© Estate of Irving Penn   

Salad Ingredients
New York, 1947
© Estate of Irving Penn 

Later in his life Penn published a book of where he shared his love for flowers

even when they were past their prime:

In 1977 he exhibited still lifes composed of street findings, including flattened trash retrieved out of the gutter. No doubt a response to his immersion in an industry that idolized youth and beauty for beauty’s sake.

Street Findings
New York, 1999
© Estate of Irving Penn 

All of Penn’s work showcases his genius for composition, lighting, and technique and his commitment to photographic fidelity is evident throughout his body of work.


Works Cited
"Quiet Passing Vogue, October 1, 1943. – Blue Filter." Blue Filter. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. . 
"Irving Penn, A Career in Photography." Traditional Fine Arts Organization. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. . 
"IRVING PENN (B. 1917) | Black and White Vogue Cover, 1950 | Photographs Auction | 1950s, Photographs | Christie's." Christie's - Fine Art Auctions | Contemporary Modern Paintings | Jewelry Auction House | Antique Furniture. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. . 
"IRVING PENN (B. 1917) | Black and White Vogue Cover, 1950 | Photographs Auction | 1950s, Photographs | Christie's." Christie's - Fine Art Auctions | Contemporary Modern Paintings | Jewelry Auction House | Antique Furniture. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. . 
"Irving Penn." Photography Workshops and Photo Seminars On-line. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. . 
"Irving Penn." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. . 
Penn, Irving, Alexandra Arrowsmith, Nicola Majocchi, and Nicholas Callaway. Passage: a Work Record. New York: Knopf, 1991. Print.