Brett Weston
Dec 16th 1911-Jan 22nd 1993
Brett Weston was the son of famous photographer Edward Weston. He is best known for his use of straight photography. He was born in California. He began to shoot alongside his father in 1925 when Edward removed him from school and took him to Mexico. In 1927 Weston was featured in the international exhibition of film and photo. In the exhibition he gained international attention for his avant garde style.
Brett pioneered a unique style using high contrast black and white photography to further his abstract take on normal scenery. He was inspired by the painters Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco in terms of form and composition. His style is known as straight photography although he took liberties with his style to make it his own abstract straight photography style. His use of lines and high contrast create bold images that promote thinking in order to decipher what the image is. His style uses both natural and manmade forms but seems to lean towards natural forms.
Weston was completely devoted to photography. Inspired by his father, Weston strived to show off his unique style. His motivations seemed to be purely personal, and his photos are only meant to showcase his love for photography and traveling the world.Additionally some of his work is meant to make the viewer actively think and try to comprehend what the subject is. This is evident whenever he uses abstract forms such as broken glass and ice.
Usually I prefer color photography, However Westons use of high contrast abstract forms has inspired me to integrate some of his styles/techniques into my work. In many cases in Weston’s work High contrast black and white work is more eye catching than color would be. His abstract work is intriguing in that the subject isn't always very clear, something I would like to implement in my work. His abstract works also inspire me to take a closer look at normal everyday things to see how I could possibly turn it into a beautiful photograph.
While attempting Westons style I think I did a good job matching the similar black and white contrasts. In my attempt of sculpted leaf I inverted the contrasts that he used, making the veins of the leaf light and the actual leaf dark. Although I like both mine and his the composition of his is more beautiful. In Washington Square although the gates in his offer an interesting form to look at, I think the cobblestone in mine offers a more interesting image due to the various unique forms and contrasts of the rocks. For Leaf and Ferns I tried to capture the natural form of a similar leaf as best as I could, However His photo is much more dynamic and interesting.
With my photos I tried to use various techniques I have learned throughout digital photography. In My rendition of Sculpted leaf I used high contrast of black and white to create a striking image. I also used leading lines in the veins of the leaf to give the photo movement. In My rendition of In Washington Square I Used a contrast in textures and colors to differentiate the photo and to create a balanced composition. In my rendition of leaf and fern I really tried to highlight the natural form of the leaf.
Bibliography
Images: http://www.brettwestonarchive.com/images
http://www.brettwestonarchive.com/brettweston
http://www.photographywest.com/pages/weston_bio.html
https://www.artsy.net/artist/brett-weston
Dec 16th 1911-Jan 22nd 1993
Brett Weston was the son of famous photographer Edward Weston. He is best known for his use of straight photography. He was born in California. He began to shoot alongside his father in 1925 when Edward removed him from school and took him to Mexico. In 1927 Weston was featured in the international exhibition of film and photo. In the exhibition he gained international attention for his avant garde style.
Brett pioneered a unique style using high contrast black and white photography to further his abstract take on normal scenery. He was inspired by the painters Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco in terms of form and composition. His style is known as straight photography although he took liberties with his style to make it his own abstract straight photography style. His use of lines and high contrast create bold images that promote thinking in order to decipher what the image is. His style uses both natural and manmade forms but seems to lean towards natural forms.
Weston was completely devoted to photography. Inspired by his father, Weston strived to show off his unique style. His motivations seemed to be purely personal, and his photos are only meant to showcase his love for photography and traveling the world.Additionally some of his work is meant to make the viewer actively think and try to comprehend what the subject is. This is evident whenever he uses abstract forms such as broken glass and ice.
Usually I prefer color photography, However Westons use of high contrast abstract forms has inspired me to integrate some of his styles/techniques into my work. In many cases in Weston’s work High contrast black and white work is more eye catching than color would be. His abstract work is intriguing in that the subject isn't always very clear, something I would like to implement in my work. His abstract works also inspire me to take a closer look at normal everyday things to see how I could possibly turn it into a beautiful photograph.
While attempting Westons style I think I did a good job matching the similar black and white contrasts. In my attempt of sculpted leaf I inverted the contrasts that he used, making the veins of the leaf light and the actual leaf dark. Although I like both mine and his the composition of his is more beautiful. In Washington Square although the gates in his offer an interesting form to look at, I think the cobblestone in mine offers a more interesting image due to the various unique forms and contrasts of the rocks. For Leaf and Ferns I tried to capture the natural form of a similar leaf as best as I could, However His photo is much more dynamic and interesting.
With my photos I tried to use various techniques I have learned throughout digital photography. In My rendition of Sculpted leaf I used high contrast of black and white to create a striking image. I also used leading lines in the veins of the leaf to give the photo movement. In My rendition of In Washington Square I Used a contrast in textures and colors to differentiate the photo and to create a balanced composition. In my rendition of leaf and fern I really tried to highlight the natural form of the leaf.
Bibliography
Images: http://www.brettwestonarchive.com/images
http://www.brettwestonarchive.com/brettweston
http://www.photographywest.com/pages/weston_bio.html
https://www.artsy.net/artist/brett-weston