Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Wow! I had no idea he did any kind of "field work." I knew he did stage set design work for theater, but man, I guess Cecil Beaton was one versatile cat! That self portrait with the Rollie is in my book. In fact, there's a section of portraits *of* Beaton, and many are wonderful self portraits. Of these, many are rather experimentally staged and pretty clever. (The pic I linked to is a Beaton portrait of someone else.) I find it weird that a photog who shot FANTASTIC stuff all the way from Lilian Gish in the 1920's, to Camus and Sartre in the 40's through pics of JFK and the Rolling Stones in the 1960's isn't discussed more, mentioned in threads and what not. As if among "commercial/fashion/portrait" photogs of the 20th century, only Avedon and Penn are worthy of memory and study. OK - I really didn't mean that last quip, but hopefully you get my point. Scott Peter Dzwig wrote: > Scott, > > I have "Beaton" by James Danziger, published over here by Secker and > Warburg and probably out of print by now, give to me in (I think) the > early 80s. It covers all of his work, including his time in China, > Burma, Libya (one in a field hospital that would make Ted proud) - he > did a lot more than society portraits. You should give it a look. He > was a man whose public image was coloured by those portraits, but who > - in reality - was much more versatile. The page with the publication > details carries a self-portrait which would certainly make the cut on > the LUG. It's not the one you linked to, it's just casually lit in a > studio in 1938. One wall looks to be a mirror and he is shooting with > what looks like a TLR on a tripod. > > Peter > > Scott McLoughlin wrote: > >> Peter Dzwig wrote: >> Like "Beatonesque"! What were you doing?? >> -------- >> Thanks for looking. Peter, I was copying a Cecil Beaton portrait >> of course :-) I could also say I was practicing for a portrait project >> of my relatives. Anyway, there's a health context to the >> pic too, but see the response to Philippe's message for that. >> >> I received a lovely book, "Beaton Portraits" editted by a Terence >> Pepper for my b'day a year ago. Right away, I loved the hard >> lighting he used for (many/most of) his portraits. From a >> modern portraiture pov, kind of a "softbox-be-damned" >> aesthetic :-) So there's a portrait of Cecil Day-Lewis, and I copied >> the lighting and the sitting arrangement. >> >> Found a small pic of Beaton's original portrait online: >> http://www.npg.org.uk/live/OC_Data/images/weblg/2/6/mw67926.jpg >> >> Books on the table. A black sheet for the background; lighting ratios >> and distance make sure the sheet comes out nice >> and black. >> >> Then there are two inexpensive Alien Bees AB800's. One camera >> right for some short lighting (shoot the shadow side) and another >> dialed back some positioned at camera right and behind the subject >> (me, in this case). The lighting isn't exactly the same, but it's >> pretty >> close. I smoke, and I didn't go for the smoke look in the original, >> which too bad. Also my head is turned a bit too much, but hey, it's >> all in fun. >> >> Then I had some fun with the extended left hand :-) >> >> I used photo books for the books, and the main book >> in front of me is, in fact, the "Beaton Portraits" volume, >> but opened to Beaton's remarkable portrait of Gwili Andre: >> >> http://users.raketnet.nl/aureus.lux/images/Gwili_Andre-Cecli_Beaton.jpg >> >> Also, some might recognize the corners of Sturge's controversial >> "Radiant Identities" and Thornton's "Edge of Darkness." >> >> Anyway, I wish I had powdered my nose! Everytime I >> see this pic, I think I'll digitally clone over the blown highlight >> on the nose, but I never quite get around to it :-) >> >> Scott >> >>> >>> >>> Scott McLoughlin wrote: >>> >>>> Ooo, oh - I have a couple of SP's too :-) >>>> >>>> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Scott/slides/CircleMirror.html >>>> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Scott/slides/Beatonesqe_1.html >>>> http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps/Scott/slides/Pissed.html >>>> >>>> No Leica shots on hand, but..... >>>> >>>> Scott >>>> >>>> >>>> > Another SP for the LUG collection. Summer portraits guys? >>>> > >>>> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album293/ >>>> SelfPortraitwithGlassesMurano200605_001 >>>> > >>>> > Leica M3 5cm Sumitar f5.6 1/30th KOdak BW 400CN >>>> > >>>> > Peter Dzwig >>>> > >>>> > >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -- Pics @ http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps Leica M6TTL, Bessa R, Nikon FM3a, Nikon D70, Rollei AFM35 (Jihad Sigint NSA FBI Patriot Act)