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The studio was busy with magazine, advertising, and personal work, as well as printing and exhibition projects. He famously used paper backdrops to create an ethereal quality in his photographs, which required careful thought and planning.
Fashion And Portraiture: Penn’s Signature Style
In addition to still life, Penn’s contributions to fashion photography are monumental.
In addition to photographs made in the studio from 1950 to 1995, Penn traveled often to Paris to photograph the haute couture collections for the magazine. Beginning with extensive research and experimentation, he investigated nineteenth-century methods that could offer greater control over the subtle variations and tonalities he sought in a print.
But the Londoners were quite different from the French. He also produced freehand paintings using no photographic or printing processes.
To complement the essays in the Irving Penn: Paintings catalogue, we have combed through the foundation’s archive to unearth details about specific works featured in the publication.
Irving Penn, an American photographer renowned for his breathtaking still lifes, fashion photography, and portraits, might just be one of the most influential figures in the history of photography.
The legacy of Irving Penn continues to inspire, reminding us that each photograph is a moment frozen in time, framed by the choices we make—right down to the camera we choose to capture it with.
What Type Of Camera Did Irving Penn Primarily Use For His Photography?
Irving Penn is best known for using large-format cameras, particularly the 8×10 inch view camera.
Penn later recalled: “When Lisa came in, I saw her and my heart beat fast and there was never any doubt that this was it.” They were married in London in September 1950. Penn used this camera primarily when creating still life and fashion portraits. The size of the camera allowed for intricate detail in fabric textures, makeup, and models’ expressions, which enhanced the storytelling within his fashion spreads.
Portraits: Capturing The Essence Of Subjects
Penn’s approach to portrait photography was unique.
In 1941–42, he spent a year in Mexico painting, but he found his results to be disappointing and destroyed all but a small group of drawings. From the start, Penn sought to express the sculptural form of clothing, a theme he explored in a special collaboration with Issey Miyake.
Nudes
On the weekends and in the evenings in 1949–50, Penn photographed a series of nudes.
These encounters attempted to bridge the gaps of language, culture, and geography, to connect on a human level.
Documentary
In 1938, Penn bought a Rolleiflex with earnings from drawings published in Harper's Bazaar,using it to record his observations in what he called "camera-notes." These images reveal an interest in vernacular signage and painting that continued to animate Penn during the Second World War, in Europe and India.
In 2009, Penn died in New York, at the age of 92. In 1943, the new art director at Vogue, Alexander Liberman, hired Penn as his associate to prepare layouts and suggest ideas for covers to the magazine's photographers. Whether creating stark contrasts for high drama or softer, more luminous lighting for intimacy, Penn’s strategic use of studio lighting significantly enhanced the storytelling aspect of his photography.
How Did Penn’s Photography Reflect His Artistic Influences?
Irving Penn’s work was influenced by various artistic movements, particularly Surrealism and Modernism.
The large negatives not only allowed for rich tonal ranges and exquisite detail but also gave Penn the ability to make large prints, which would showcase his intricate work beautifully.
Which Models Did He Use?
While specific models of the 8×10 camera that Penn used are often debated, it is widely reported that he favored cameras made by Deardorff and Graflex.
Despite this repudiation, in his work as a photographer, drawing continued to play an important role as he worked out an image and its composition.
After his retrospective exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art, Penn returned to painting and drawing as a full-fledged creative endeavor. Of the three, the Americans as a group were the least predictable.
He often played with various techniques, such as double exposures and unconventional lighting methods, to create unique effects in his work. Penn eagerly embraced new ideas, constructing cameras to photograph debris on the sidewalk, experimenting with a moving band of light during long exposures, or with digital color printing.
His innovative techniques and unique visual language influenced not just his contemporaries but also subsequent generations of photographers who sought to balance artistry with commercial appeal.