Fashion & Style Photography Spotlight: Richard Avedon

By Paige McKirahan

To get off ground the launch of our new photography-focused column, we have elected to spotlight Richard Avedon to kick off the new year! As an American fashion and portrait photographer who was best known for flawlessly capturing his subject’s personalities, he shot over 148 Vogue covers throughout his prestigious career. With humble beginnings as a photographer for the Marines during World War II, he then moved on to become a quintessential photographer at Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and The New Yorker. Born in 1923, this New York City native’s meticulous eye for detail and great ability to convey emotions through photography landed him the position as one of legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland’s staff photographers. Her wild visions and eccentric fashion stories were given a new life under Avedon, and his position in the fashion world was secured with her approval. Though most of his work was created before the our current century, his piece's iconic compositions and notable subjects have allowed them to survive the tests of time. Wondering where you have seen his work? He produced a Calvin Klein campaign with 15-year-old Brooke Shields, Revlon’s ‘The Most Unforgettable Women’ campaign, and an advertisement series for Gianni Versace beginning with the spring/summer campaign 1980.

Sources:

Hardy, U. (2016, April 04). 10 Iconic Fashion Photographers. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/10-iconic-fashion-photographers/

The Rarity of Polaroids

Almost everyone is fascinated with Polaroid cameras. People enjoy tangible objects more than just seeing them digitally. It is because there is a sense of connection to the instant photos that Polaroids produce, as it begins to develop by itself in your hand that very moment you take a photo. The physical image is ready instantly for the individual to enjoy immediately. Vintage lovers tend to adore Polaroids simply because they are retro, vintage, and rare to find or use anymore. Film and history lovers love Polaroids as well because it is a tangible piece of history! 

Photography Available at Your Fingertips 

In today's modern times, there is a demand for instant gratification. For modern digital cameras, the photos typically need to get edited and printed, which takes a bit of time. Polaroids were introduced in the late 1940s. While our digital technology has enhanced so much since then, it simply takes longer for photos to be ready. When one uses a Polaroid, the photo is ready instantly. This is why instant film is still a phenomenon to this day. 

Rising Popularity of Polaroid Cameras 

In 1948, the first Polaroid Land Model 95 camera was created. Little did the world know how popular this was going to become. Polaroid did not manufacture nearly enough copies of the first camera, as they severely underestimated the demand from consumers. The entire supply sold out in one day! 

Polaroid and Edwin Land continued to move forward and improve instant photography ideas. Multiple different types of film became available, some of which have features containing ways to expose, develop, and fix a photograph for efficiently. Inside a Polaroid camera contains multiple color layers that are light sensitive. Specific chemical reactions to the photo occur when exposed to light. Those light sensitive layers are squeezed together with a bottom base layer of black and four more layers on top. Those additional top layers hold the photo together and distinguishes it from any other photo. It is how you know a photo is a Polaroid photo.