Richard Avedon Response

Richard Avedon was an original photographer who saw his entire life through a unique lens. Avedon’s career touched the lives of many people, both those that were and still are able to see his photography and those with whom he worked directly in his photographs. As Avedon was fascinated by the world, he had a general interest in people that allowed him to portray his subjects accurately (as “all photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth”) and beautifully in his photos. It is said that Avedon was not only a photographer, he was an active participant in his works, inspiring his subjects to be alive. One of the aspects of Richard Avedon’s photography that intrigues me is his interest in the complexity of the human face which allowed for interesting and artistic photographs of many of his subjects.

It is often said that Richard Avedon’s subjects were never in control. Avedon took it upon himself in his often brief photography sessions to show through his lens what the subjects revealed about themselves in terms of his given guidelines. The complexity of the human face only adds to this artistic value. The more texture a face has, the more interesting it seems to be to Avedon. This can be seen in his portrait photographs, one in particular (I cannot remember what it is called) really highlights the wrinkles in an elderly mans face. This image is incredible… it is extremely detailed, but not too dark. It is as if Avedon was able to burn only the fine lines of wrinkles, still allowing it to look natural.

Another aspect of Avedon’s photography that really interests me is the movement in most of his fashion photos. The movement adds an element of surprise to his photos. Whenever a woman is wearing a beautiful dress, the dress is always in motion. There are fantastic images of women with their hair flying about as well. The motion that is implied in each of Avedon’s photos allows for another level of excitement as well. It is amazing how detailed his photos still remain despite the fast motion of the subject.

Richard Avedon is an inspiration to photographers everywhere. His plain subjects always reveal something about themselves through the expression on their faces, body posture, etc. Richard Avedon is able to add to this with his camera angles, lighting and distance between him and his subjects. After seeing Avedon’s work and listening to a lecture about him, I am excited to apply these new ideas to my own photography.