"Lady Wrapped in Furs"
1. Why Did You Pick This Particular Image Over The Others?
This particular photograph was chosen because it seems to best emulate Diane Arbus' work. Her photography focuses on portraits of regular American's, found on the fringes. She often portrays these deviant people as odd, abnormal or eerie. This photograph shows a lady with a bulky fur coat on and with jewels covering the porcelain skin on her face. One could perceive the way in which she looks as "strange". This type of perception is what Diane tends to express through her photography. This photograph successfully imitates the way that Diane likes her photographed subjects and her finished work to look like. I found that this image best captures the style and the nature of her artistic creations.
2. How Did You Setup / Compose Your Photo?
I chose to position my subject against a solid coloured wall, in order to best emulate the style and the mood of Diane's photography. Several of Diane's most famous portraits are of women, and the photos are shot against solid backgrounds, very similar to this one. I chose to include the fur coat, the jewels and the makeup, in order to convey a much deeper sense of character into the photograph.
2. How Did You Setup / Compose Your Photo?
I chose to position my subject against a solid coloured wall, in order to best emulate the style and the mood of Diane's photography. Several of Diane's most famous portraits are of women, and the photos are shot against solid backgrounds, very similar to this one. I chose to include the fur coat, the jewels and the makeup, in order to convey a much deeper sense of character into the photograph.
3. What Stands Out The Most When You First See It?
When viewing this photograph, the girl, who is the main subject, as well as the focal point, certainly stands out the most. The jewels on her face stand out quite obviously against the pale pigment of her skin. The jewels create a lovely, bold contrast that is especially accentuated when placed next to the woman's dark, smokey eye makeup. The big, bulky, fur coat also stands out quite vividly. This is because the coat uses up more space than the woman's entire body does. The fur also adds a great sense of depth, as well as texture to the photograph. The subject, in total, takes up very little space in comparison to the background. For this reason, she is what is the most noticeable to the viewer's eye.
4. What Leads Your Eye Around From Place To Place?
When observing this image, a viewer's eyes are likely to first examine the photograph vertically. Starting at the top of the photo, the viewer would scan it vertically, downwards, until their eyes meet the subject's hair. At this point, the viewer's eyes would be lead to the subject's face, then to her makeup, to her jewels, and then to the fur coat. Since the model's neck is not visible, the viewer's eyes are lead straight from the subject's face, down to her fur coat.
The photograph includes lines of curvature around the subject's head and shoulders. These curves create a line that forms a shape for the viewer's eyes to follow.
5. What Title(s) Could You Give This Artwork?
A title that I would deem appropriate for this piece of artwork is, "Lady Wrapped in Furs". This title is very literal, allowing it to communicate the main point effectively. I like this title because it emulates Diane's work with an effective degree of accuracy. Diane Arbus always likes to keep the titles of her photographs very simple. She tends to communicate what exactly the subject of her photo is, using only very few words.
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Photographs by Michelle Demelo
(Diane Arbus Inspired Photo Shoot)
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