Irving Penn

Two New Guinea Men Holding Hands

Irving Penn was an American photographer most widely known for his fashion photography. Penn developed a unique style of photography for fashion by placing his subjects in front of plain backdrops. As a result, the focus of the image became the models depicted in their portraits as well as their dress. The use of plain backdrops allows the viewer of a photograph to see a higher level of detail within the image. Penn's photographs often identified a subject's wrinkles, dirty skin, or estranged hair that would otherwise go unrecognized in front of a busy backdrop. Penn often use regular daily items like cigarette buts and vegetables as the focal points of his images.  During the 1960s and 1970s Irving Penn dedicated his work to pictures of cultures that were not impacted by industrialization or primitive cultures.  With this work Penn maintained his use of plain backdrops, bringing a greater focus to the elements of wardrobe that affect fashion. The image above titled Two New Guinea Men Holding Hands is one of his most famous portraits. Penn's style of backdrop use is the most prominent technique used in fashion photography today.

-Jason