Shoot in Style of:
EDWARD WESTON
Saunders, Mason "Leaf" (2023)
Purpose of this series?
For my creative assignment "Shoot in Style of", I took a deep dive into a 20th century photographer by the name of Edward Weston. Weston has been named "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers" and "one of the masters of 20th century photography". This series, even though not fully mimicked, is inspired by the work of a powerful photographer that has impacted so many people, past and present, who aspire to become a great photographer like Edward Weston.
(Left) Saunders, Mason "Garlic" (2023) (Right) Saunders, Mason "Bread" (2023)
Who is Edward Weston?
Edward Weston (1886-1958) was an American photographer iconically known for his style of straight photography. He captured everyday objects in black and white colour with sharp focus and natural lighting, allowing the subject to show great detail and clarity. In this age it may not look like a fascinating image, but at the time it was a huge impact on the way photos were taken.
(Left) Saunders, Mason "Basket" (2023) (Right) Saunders, Mason "Brick Wall" (2023)
Why(did I)Shoot in E.W's Style?
When deciding who I wanted to 'mimic' for this project, I wanted a photographer whose style was different, someone whose images stood out and made you think "why photograph this?". Edward Weston was a perfect example of this. His ability to see the unusual in common places interested me and I wanted to explore that more.
Saunders, Mason "Battery" (2023)
Thought Process and Results
E.W. created his images with sharp focus, subjects being close up, with natural lighting, and in black and white. To 'mimic' his style, I placed modern day objects on a table with natural light (sunlight by a window, so all pictures were taken during the day),using a macro lens to zoom and focus and these were the results.With the help of modern technology, I was easily able to edit the images in a black and white colour tone. The difference between my images and Weston's is his images were more sharply focused while mine loses clarity in the top and bottom of the capture, mainly focusing the detail in the centre of the subject.
Saunders, Mason "Foil" (2023)
What I Learned/Opinion of Edward Weston
During the process of this project, I got to dive deeper into a photographer I never heard of before. I got to learn not just about his life, but about his work and how impactful his images were to the world and evolution of photography. I learned different styles and genres of photography and how something as simple as light can impact they way you want to capture an image.Edward Weston was a pioneer and without his original works, who knows how these ideas would've came to life. Not everyone may like the way he captures an image, but as photographers we all have definitely shot in the style of Edward Weston...at least once.
Saunders, Mason "Deck of Cards" (2023)
"Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual." -Edward Weston
