I’ve been looking at the work of Annie Leibowitz and American portrait photographer, who puts a great emphasis on the way her subjects are posed. What I learned from her is to open up the boundaries. Her photograph of John Lennon and Yoko in bed, taken on the day John Lennon was shot, is posed in such a way you get the feeling of how much they love each other. Yoko is lying flat in a vulnerable position with her hair training straight up as if to give the impression she is being pulled. John Lennon has his naked body so tightly wrapped around her as if he’s trying to cling on and prevent her being pulled away from him. This makes John the more vulnerable of the two, you can feel his desperation to hold on to Yoko.
Another one of Annie Leibowitz photographs that caught my eye is Arnold Schwarzenegger sitting on his horse which a cigar in his mouth. As if his muscles weren’t dramatic enough some quiet harsh lighting was using directed straight as the face of the horse.
The horse is even looking down as if it’s all too much but the shadows cast are add an interesting feel to the photograph overall. I like that Arnold’s face and arm is light up perfectly with a little bit of a tease of muscle on the side. His back and other arm is then completely in shadow and adds definition and depth to the photograph.
Sam Bennett 