Revised Portrait Essay
The artist I chose for my portrait project is John French. John French was born in Edmonton, London on March 1st, 1907 and died on July 21st, 1966. When French first started taking photos he was trained as a commercial artist and became a photographic director at an advertising studio right before World War II. In 1948, French set up his own studio and changed his style of photos to fashion and portrait photography. In his photos, French focuses on natural light and low contrast. French’s work is mostly commercial but after he married Vere Denning, a fashion journalist, he put some of his work in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The three photos I chose inspired me because of the sharpness and black and white printing. John French took photos in the 1960s so he used film which made the photos look sharp. He took pictures in black and white which made the shadows and contrast stand out. French was a fashion photographer so the main focus of his pictures was the clothes.
After seeing John French’s style, I have learned how to focus more on shadows and contrast. I will also print my pictures in black and white to enhance my images. I am inspired by French’s 1960s vintage style. I will replicate French’s vintage style for my portrait project.
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