LO1: Researching photographers

In this report I will be talking about 3 famous photographers and showcasing some of their work. I will discuss their style of photography, what equipment they used and a little more about them. 

Steve McCurry is an American photographer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, most known for his use of colour in his photos. His work best suits pictures of nature as he says the world is in colour so its logical to shoot in colour. Also, he has taken many portrait and landscape photos of people in poorer countries which shows that his photos are good for documentaries. The camera that Steve uses was the Nikon D810 which he says is the greatest camera he's ever owned. I chose this photographer in my report as his photos look very colourful so they are eye catching which is important especially for a documentary as you need to catch an audience to raise awareness and educate people on a certain matter. A quote from Steve McCurry is "If you want to be a photographer, then first leave home" basically saying that you have to explore the world to be a good photographer as that will help you gather knowledge and experience about cultures around the globe. This can be seen in Steve's work as the images below showcase other cultures and what other people elsewhere go through. Steve McCurry's portrait photos have a shallow depth of field meaning the background is blurry. This ensures that the portrait of the subject stands out and that the person that is being photographed is the only thing that the viewer should be interested in. The first image showcases the golden ratio as the subject is towards the left of the shot when the photo is split into the rule of thirds. The third photo also showcases the rule of thirds as you have 3 people in the shot, two stood further back to the left and right while the main focal point is another person stood dead centre. 

Robert Capa was a Hungarian-American photographer born in Budapest, Hungary, most known for his incredible photos of war and the massive impact that they had on people. His photos will best suit portraits to capture the desperate look of the victims of war and also documentary so they can shared while educating people. Also, Robert Capa's photos suit landscapes as they can show the daunting journey soldiers had to face during and sometimes how they were in isolated areas. Robert stood out from other war photographers as he sometimes travelled with the soldiers to get the best photos possible, dangerous commitment for the perfect shot. Robert used the Leica camera which was light so could be held in one hand and could be easily portable. I chose to include Robert Capa as his shots really capture the effects of war which is very important to know so you can empathise with the victims and potentially work towards preventing innocent people from being effected. The centre image is of the first wave of American troops   in Normandy on Omaha beach on June 6th 1944

David Bailey is a former English fashion photographer who photographed for adverts, fashion and celebrities born in Leystone, London. David uses cannon cameras as they have a specific button for ISO so they are easy to shoot with and the menu layout is easy to understand. However, he said that Sony cameras are catching up in quality so he sometimes uses Sony cameras. These images are portraits of celebrities that would have been taken in studios. The first picture is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate her 65th anniversary of being the monarch. The second portrait is of Johnny Depp in 1995 and the third is of Jack Nicholson in 1984. David's work can be found in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert museum in London. I chose these three mages as they show David's portrait photos off well and his specific style of photography which captures the subjects personality. A feature of these images is being black and white so that means they are timeless and we can compare them with other photos from different generations to see the evolution of photography. 

Out of all these photographers, my personal favourite has to be Steve McCurry as I believe that the use of colour really makes an image look aesthetically pleasing to look at and he fact that the photos he takes actually also have a meaning which is showcasing either the desperate faces of victims of war or just showcasing what other cultures are like around the world. I also admire Robert Capa’s work a lot as he committed to finding the best shot by going to war zones and travelling with soldiers which showcases incredible bravery to get the best photos which helps spread the message that war is a struggle.