The 3rd Photographer I have chosen to research for my second theme is Steven Meisel.
I can't seem to find a website for Steven himself, but I have found one that seems to show a catalogue of his work, from present and going back in time.
Steven has been exclusively doing the covers for Vogue Italia since 1988 and is one photographer that all top models would like to work with.
I haven't chosen a Vogue cover to look at and research, but I have chosen photo's from advertising campaigns for big names.
So the 1st image I have chosen from Steven is this one for Bally. It uses 2 models, and is shot in Landscape orientation, this helping to show off 2 bags and pairs of shoes.
It's quite a full on image, with a busy composition, 2 models wearing 2 different outfits, but holding matching bags, (except for the colour) the sofa and then the background, which appears to be a luxury house or hotel. It has plenty of different textures in the image, the leather shoes and bags, the sofa material, the flowers to the top left and the wooden furniture and doors, and then the highly polished floor.
The position of the models also allows for the shoes to be shown off, but by having them sat the same way, the clash of the 2 different types of shoe is avoided, whereas had the model on the left (as you look at the image) been sat the other way I think the shoes meeting in the middle would of been to much.
It's a well lit image, no real shadows can been seen, but there is a good contrast between the light skinned models and the deep browns in the background.
Cropped tight to the ends of the sofa, to make sure the Focus is kept on the models and the products, not the background or surrounding elements of the image.
It has a fairly deep depth of field, this can been seen from the way the details on the doors in the background can still be made out.
I would say a Connotation/Denotation of this could be along the lines of "live the life of Luxury"
This image is a lot darker than the previous image, this comes mainly from the dark materials, props and background being used and not the lighting as I 1st thought, as when looking for shadows, there is one cast buy the models leg onto the horse and the model is quite well lit.
The composition is again fairly busy, it looks to have been shot in a stable, with the Gymnastics horse replacing a real horse, so there are the feeding bars, the separation walls, and the cobbled floor all in the background helping to make up the image, along with the model, the horse, the bag and whip.
It has been cropped wide enough to show off the setting for the image, also allowing space to have the brand name "Dior" printed to the right of the model.
The model remains the main focal point of the image, I suspect that the clothes she is wearing are, along with the bag and shoes, (but not the whip) all from the same brand, which is why the model is the main focus.
Depth of field again kept deep enough to allow the stable to be in focus, this allows the fact she is sitting on a Gymnastic horse in a stable can be seen, what the Connotation/Denotation of this is I'm not quite sure.
So these 2 images look to me to be from the same shoot, I would say it was for an advertising campaign for bags and maybe the clothes are from the same company.
The above image has a slightly less complicated Composition to that of the one below, this is due to a lot less jewellery and a more simple outfit. Both have a more simple composition that the previous two images, these being made up of a model against a plain single coloured background. Both shot in black and white, had they been in colour I suspect the below one would have had more colours to it than the above image.
In the bottom image, looking at the models skin, it looks to me like the lighting had been turned up r moved closer, as her skin is brighter than the image above. I think the contrast in the top image is better balanced, due to the models skin the the below image looking to me a little bit over exposed, whereas the above image, it's darker and blends better with the background.
Both cropped tight around the model, but with the poses by the model, there is still enough room left for some writing, should the be used in an advert or even a front cover of a magazine.
In both images the Depth of field has possibly been kept shallow to make the model Sharpe and the background out of focus. The obvious focus is on the model and the products she is wearing and holding.
The crop this time is tight to the model all the way round the image, but the pose again lending itself to allowing some spare space for writing, as can be seen in the bottom left corner, this is more than likely product information.
Being a simple composition of model against plain background, the model is obviously the focal point of the image, with the red dress drawing the viewers attention 1st, before the extended arms drawing attention to the bracelets/bangles the model is wearing, and then the golden shoes on her feet.
I would say the balance of light and contrast is a good one, with only very minor highlights, these being found on the back on the models knee, and the only real dark shadow being at her feet, but this fades out against the background/floor.
This image is another advert for Dior, as can been seen.
The colour range is this is quite varied, I can make out, Orange, Green, Purple, Brown, Yellow and the Peachy skin tone. Not sure how it has been done but it has a 1930's-1940's poster feel to it, almost like it has been drawn and not shot with a camera, I think this could be a mix of playing with the vibrancy and clarity of the colours, also the brightness and contrast between the highlights and shadows in Photoshop.
The simple composition has been complicated by the different textures, shapes and patterns. These being the rope, the skirt and top, which have different materials and therefore textures, the bright orange decoration on the the shoes, which to me look like feathers, lastly the 2 different colours of the floor and the background, the background also looks like it is a piece of material rather than a painted wall.
As previously tightly cropped top and bottom, wider crop to the sides.
Back to a black and white image, this time though the crop is closer to the models face, with her hands in such a position that the jewellery can be seen, this becomes the main focus of the image with it being so big and bold.
The image has more noise/grain than any of the others I have looked at, after doing some searching on the Internet I have found that this is intentional, as it was from a shoot done in 2010, aimed to look like cinematic in Grande stile. Although this wasn't shot for advertising, it could quite easily be advertising the Jewellery with it being front and centre of the image.
The image has a good mix of bright highlights, deep shadows and just about everything in between, the light in the background behind the models head helps to make her stand out, and the tonal range for a black and white is quite varied.
With all the different jewellery on show, the models soft skin and the fluffy neck/shoulder wear the image has a really good mix of textures and shapes, found in the hardness of the jewellery being seen next to the soft fluffiness of the neck wear.
The depth of field in this one has been left shallow to the point of the models neck wear is going out of focus to the sides of the models head.
This image is clearly again for advertising, from the writing in the top left corner. Shot and cropped in landscape, only the 2nd image I have looked at from Steven to be so, the rest have been in portrait orientation.
Another simple composition, a model, a bag and a white background, with just the shoes and wrist wear thrown in.
Well lit with little to no shadow underneath the model, I think there may have been a light to the left (as you look at the image) and behind the model to help light the background. I think the all-in-one she is wearing being black against the pure white background draws the viewers attention to the model 1st, then you notice she is lying on a bag, which makes you notice the wrist wear and after checking both wrist's, you then notice the shoes.
I think due to the amount of light in the image, and the fact that the background is a single bright white, no depth of field can been made or seen. the contrast is good again, with no over exposure on the models skin, or on the white bag, in the same respect the black of the models outfit is also not too dark.
The models and the outfits there wearing (and the bag the one model is holding) are definitely the focal point, as it is advertising for Louis Vuitton, and I don't think either of them is meant to be more of a focal point, but the model in yellow holding a bag makes her different and stand out slightly more than the model in green.
Not sure if there is any Connotation/Denotation to the image, but a title of "for ladies that lunch" might work, with them meant to be in an American dinner back in the 40's-50's.
With the amount of light, the closeness of the models to the background and the distance in front of the models means there is a deep depth of field, and the background has been keep as Sharpe as the models so the overall scene can be made out.
The composition doesn't appear overly complicated, but there are a few different textures, surfaces, and materials making up the image, there is the leather seat and bag, the metal table legs, the wooden table tops, then the material in the background and in the 2 piece suits the models are wearing and lastly lets not miss the ice creams on the tables.
The final image I have chosen to look at is a black and white full body length image. It's very similar to ones I looked at earlier, with the simple composition of a model against a plain grey background.
The dress, hat, gloves and shoes however, are quite the opposite of the composition and very busy, flamboyant and detailed. This could also be the Connotation/Denotation of the image, of being Flamboyant and classy at the same time.
Like the 2 similar images I compared to each other eariler, I feel that the models skin (around the neck/shoulder area) is again a little over exposed, even more so in this image when you compare it to her legs, which come across nicely exposed and more grey. I'm not sure if this has been done on purpose, as the dress around her chest area is white, then lower down near her legs it is black, so maybe lit this way to make the skin compliment the outfit??
The background is out of focus, so a shallow depth of field to keep the model in focus has been used here, as with pretty much every image I have looked at from Steven the model is there to sell the products she is wearing so has to be the focal point of the image.
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