Weston FINAL IMAGE.

Edward Weston was renowned as one of the masters of 20th century photography. His legacy includes several thousand carefully composed, superbly printed photographs, which have influenced photographers around the world. Photographing natural landscapes and forms such as artichoke, shells, and rocks, using large-format cameras and available light. Weston's sensuously precise images rise to the level of poetry. The subtle use of tones and the sculptural formal design of his works have become the standards by which much later photographic practice has been judged. Ansel Adams has written: "Weston is, in the real sense, one of the few creative artists. He has recreated the matter-forms and forces of nature; he has made these forms eloquent of the fundamental unity of the world. His work illuminates man's inner journey toward perfection of the spirit." 

In 1923 Weston moved to Mexico City where he opened a photographic studio with his apprentice and lover Tina Modotti. Many important portraits and nudes were taken during his time in Mexico. It was also here that famous artists; Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros, and Jose Orozco hailed Weston as the master of 20th century art.

After moving back to California in 1926, Weston began his work for which he is most deservedly famous: natural forms, close-ups, nudes, and landscapes.

Photography is a matter of eyes, intuition, and intellect. For eyes and intuition, no photographer was ever more richly endowed than Edward Weston.
Weston had been a skilful and successful photographer for more than a decade when in the early twenties his own unique vision began to reveal itself. By 1930, when he was forty-five, he had produced a body of work that would come to identify him as a major artist, a man whose work has changed our perception of what the world and life are like.
 It was as though the things of everyday experience had been transformed for Weston into organic sculptures, the forms of which were both the expression and the justification of the life within. The exhilarating visual power of Weston's work is the product of a deeper achievement: He had freed his eyes of conventional expectation, and had taught them to see the statement of intent that resides in natural form.

The nude torso of Weston's son Neil is not a simile but a statement of fact; the boy's flesh is not like alabaster or bronze or the cheek of a peach; his body is not formed like a stone column or a wineskin or a root vegetable. This startlingly beautiful photograph is the more surprising because it describes with precision what we might have thought we already knew.

Edward Weston Quote: The photograph isolates and perpetuates a moment of time: an important and revealing moment, or an unimportant and meaningless one, depending upon the photographer's understanding of his subject and mastery of his process.

Ive chosen to recreate some of Weston's nudes, 1 from 1927 + 1 from 1934. (Below)

The reason I want to re-create this image is because I love the soft greyscale tones on the skin of the legs. It is a light print, but very texturised like it is made of soft putty or pot, it appears to me more beautifully designed like a sculpture, rather than a photograph.I love how the light is bouncing of the back of the females legs creating a wonderful glow, also the lightly coloured background compliments her skin. The composition is interesting, focusing on the woman's lower body, the length and beauty of her legs, cutting off the ankles at the bottom of the image, and the hips at the top, it is purely focusing on the centre bottom half of the woman's body. Her legs look really long from the angle it has been photographed suggesting from down below, level to her ankles. Also, the camera angle is straight on, but the woman's body is slightly towards to the right, showing more of her left left and behind. The gap in her legs I will need to focus on, also where the light is hitting her body features. I think I will use natural light for this image, as it appears that way in Weston's photograph. I will be using digital, standard lens camera, in a  natural light, environment.

 I want to try also, the image to the right because the beauty of the woman's body, the curve in her back and the shadows and contrasts on her skin make a very striking image. Ive never looked at nudes before in a stylistic way, where the body is transformed into more of a beautiful sculpture focusing on the curves and textures on the body. This image reminds me of Weston's famous pepper image. The composition is interesting focusing on the length of the woman's back, also the light hitting her skin is also beautifully thought out, the natural light looks to be used again here. 

My Images:  

Left: I used myself as a model for this image. It was very difficult to sort the camera aperture, shutter speed + ISO out without being in front of the camera to start with, so I used a family member just to stand their while I set my camera up on the tripod and to get my composition and angles right. It was a lengthy process for both images but I think they worked out very well considering. I had my aperture at 5.6, my ISO on full setting, and my shutter speed on 125. I also opened my curtains to let in full natural daylight, this was to get the light grain Weston has in his images. Also, more light to make more of a soft, pasty texture on my skin, like Weston's image above. I tried to get the gap in between both legs correct, and my posture and position as close as possible.

Right: The right image was a very lengthly process trying to get composition and angle right. I nnoticed how the rear of the woman's body is towards the right edge of the image, and the arm and breast to the edge of the left, then photographing from down below to get the black shadow in also. I used a tripod and again, natural daylight, only this time I closed one curtain so it was more shadowy + contrasty. I still need to to make the tattoo on my right thigh disappear in post production before I print a Final Image. I had my aperture at 5.6. shutter speed at 125, and ISO in 1000. Overall, I am happy with both images, I have learnt a lot more about photographing nudes, like Weston, but I think my above image of the legs, will be my Final Weston Image.


WESTON FINAL: