Mario Testino discussions on choosing the correct model and creating the right environment for the shoot

Highly thought of in the fashion industry,Testino ensures the correct models are chosen with the correct clothes. Many fashion houses choose to use Testino, they are confident in his work and know the correct message is delivered by there photo shots to aim to achieve the highest sales revenue of product.

Mario Testino

The images below are from the work of Mario Testino.  Mario style of photography has been described as 'luxury realism' but he resists from analysing it too much.  The images below show a softer side of stinkingly rich famous people and he has been able to capture them appearing more relaxed.  They almost appear to be everyday folk. 

The above image instantly makes you think if a young couple in love rather than the royal family.  It also brings the modernness back  to the Royal family as it hasnt been shot in a traditional royal environment instead a studio with good lighting to give an element of freshness to the image.  The image really captures the happiness and fun of the couple in the eyes.  The perspective has been shot from face on with good use of the rule of thirds.  The  composition of the couple is simple with both leaning in to each to emphasise the closeness that they share. I like the way that there heads have been cut out of the image, again this makes it more interesting and edgy rather than your normal royal shot.

A very simple shot which evokes alot of meaning.  The image above of Brad and Angelina gives you a feeling of intensity and may also have a sexual meaning.  The rule of thirds applies to this shot and runs through both of their eyes.  Again the main focal point of the image is the eyes and then your eyes drop down to their lips.  The perspective could have been shot from above as the couple may have been lying down, or it may also have been shot face on.  It is difficult to say as the couples faces take up most of the image space.  Lighting equipment has been used in the images to produce the clean freshness when the image has been taken in black and white.

The image aboves perspective has been taken from below the subject looking up.  The main focal point is her eyes and then your eye line follows her hair flow further down the picture to her hair. This portrait gives you a feeling of being deep in thought or about perhaps loosing a love.  Her hair which is slightly out of focus  adds texture to the image.  With the eyes being very sharpe and striking.  I like the images where the frame is taken up by the portrait with no other elements for distraction. By doing this whilst composing the image more emphases can be given to the face of the portrait to give deeper meaning and feeling.

The image of a young Naomi Campbell is taken from a front facing perceptive.  It has an element of fun and mischievousness.  Again Testino has made the subject relaxed and captured a naturalness in the image. The image has a high depth of field with the sofa she is sitting on being in focus.  The lighting lighting and tonal rage used makes Naomi sign look radiant and glowing.  The rule of thirds applies to this image.

Katy Perry ~ Vanity Fair USA June 2011

Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens

Lynsey: Rule of thirds

Lynsey: Rule of thirds 1

Friedrich Seidenstucker 1882-1966

 

Friedrich Seidenstucker originally an engineer became interested in photographing the comical in everyday situations what interested him was the unspectacular, the charm of the second glance.  Fredrich became a professional photographer in 1930 at the age of 48 when he signed a contract with Ulstein publishing.
The image above has brought out the young ladies personality in the shoot young free fun and carefree - live is for living, you can almost feel her happyness and excitement.  The simple composition of the image makes it almost symmetrical.  The image has a shallow depth of field as the subject is in focus and the background not clear.  The girl is the focal point of the image.

Lieper Bay 1956 - One of Friedrich acqaintences leans against the vw car during a day out.  The main focal point of the image is the girl leaning against the car which in turn leads your eye further into the photo. It makes you wonder if he was showing off his new car.   The composition is nicely balanced with the stationary car in the second two thirds of the image.  The image is interesting as Frederich has captured the peacefullnes of a travel break next to a lake being broken by a fast moving car.  This would be acheived by using a slow shutter speed.  The tonal range is good having varying shades of black and grey giving the image depth and texture without the use of colour.  By using a large depth of field the image is able to deliver the statement about  how someone leisue time would have been spent during that era as the whole image is in focuse.  

Again this image capturing a moment.  Perhaps an unusual moment of two infants enjoying a feed that you would not normally be captured together.  The image is about pattern and texture with the stripes making the leopards coat stand out and could feel soft to touch.  The viewpoint has been shot at almost directly above the subjects making the perpective looking down onto the image.  Had this image been shot in colour I imagine it would be vibrant and bright giving you the feeling of a hot summers day.

This reportage portrait style shot of three friends with their glad rags on enjoying some girly time.  Again this shot could be seen as almost symetrical the lighter haired lady is in the middle whilst the two brunettes are either side of the. The composition is balanced whilst the cobbled floor gives the image texture.  The good use of tonal range lets you see the testures of the ladies clothing.  The ladies are the main point of focus in this image and take up the majority of the frame.

Heinz Held 1918 -1990

Heinz Held was a German photographer who was influenced by the subjective work of Otto Steinert.  He originally was a journalist.  His work is about everyday life, he captured the everyday situations by keeping a discrete distance and precise observations.  Generally his images are about people. 

The image above of the girl holding a ballon was shot around 1960.   The image shows pattern shapes and lines.,  The focal point is the girl which in turn leads your eye across to the ballon and then further into the picture toward the lights.  The angle that the image has been taken makes the picture look like it has depth due to the lights and pillars in the background.  The tonal ranges of black and grey and shadowing help create the feeling of depth in the hbackground.  A low f stop number would need to be used as the image has a shallower depth of field with the back ground being slightly out of focus.

This image is about a social comment and shows how life back then couldnt be more different to today.  A couple enjoying a drink in the street whilst a policeman minds his own business.  There is texture and light which is creating shadows that doesnt affect the image.  There is some activity in each third of the image.  The couple are the main focal point of the image.



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