Martin Schoeller is a New York based photographer well known for his portrait photography and his distinguished style of 'stripped-down' photography (shooting celebrities and unfamous people with the same treatment). He has featured work in GQ, Vogue, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and Esquire.
Martin Schoeller shot a really original collection called 'Close Up' which is a magnetic, extremely detailed study of the human face. He shot a line up of some of the most famous people in the world to take part in his collection. From Paris Hilton to Clint Eastwood to Barack Obama; he was able to get people of all ages and status. There is 48 photos in the whole colelction and they were all photographed since 1998.
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| Clint Eastwood |
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| Paris Hilton |
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| Christopher Walken |
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| Jack Nicholson, 2002 |
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| Iggy Pop, 2001 |
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| Cate Blanchett, 2006 |
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| Barack Obama, 2004 |
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| Jay-Z |
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| Angelina Jolie, 2004 |
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| Valentino, 2005 |
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| Mark Zuckerberg |
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| Justin Timberlake |
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| Kobe Bryant, 2009 |
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| Katy Perry, 2009 |
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| Marc Jacobs |
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| Henry Kissinger |
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| Rosario Dawson, 2005 |
I found his collection very interesting to study based on its extreme detail and precision. The camera had a hyper-magnified lens and as the angle of view was really close and focused, the detail is immense. The background is soft and the depth of focus is very short leaving the area behind the principal subjects out of focus. This helps to limit the area in which the viewer concentrates on.
These are the photos that I took in response to Martin Schoeller's work. I was inspired by his idea of shooting people close-up and personal. I took to the streets of London and snapped these photos (above) as studies of the human face. These photos were my favourite from the shoot:
I like this photo's lighting best because it reflects off of the models face right in the center and creates a spherical shape in the photo.
The lighting of the photos is really interesting because it is in black white and is natural lighting. Whilst Schoeller's work is highly saturated and in depth-focus, my photos are more focused on just the face. The grey dull lighting creates a gloomu feel and a dark interface for the photos. They reflect the metaphor of London being a dark, dull, grey, gloomy city under authoritarianism.
In terms of the composition, I was able to shoot the photos from the best angle and tilt level without the camera appearing any level other than eye-level with the model. I was effective in ding this and it creates a good aesthetic for the photos as all the models stare through the lens.
These photos relate back to the work of Martin Schoeller. In terms of the context, they fit the role perfectly as they, just like his work, are studies f the human face at close territory. In terms of the colouring and appearance, the photos are different to the original collection because I chose to shoot mine in shades ranging from a dark blue-tint to a dull black white to reflect the dull mood in London.
