c.d.embrey wrote: Breaking what rules TGS and Terry Richardson aren't breaking any rules by using just one light. Neither is benjikan in the above cover shot. Although they each use only one light you wouldn't ever confuse a TGS photo with one shot by TR or either of them with the above from BK.
I find it interesting that many amateurs are contemptuous of pros who use simple lighting, i.e. it can't be any good because it's not complicated.
See Terry Richardson shooting Lindsay Lohan for Purple magazine and another for Purple Terry Richardson is hired not for his technical skills but for his people skills.
THere was a recent PPA mag that featured this guys work in it.
I quite enjoyed the simplicity. It's a giant box, I can't remember if it was white seamless or grey, but regardlesss you know what I mean.
I would hardly call it a 'passport' photo.
See, as portrait photographers, at least in my opinion I think that aside from being able to produce a technically excellent photograph, we have to be able to connect with the subject.
Someone who is uptight and nervous around you, it will show in the end product.
Look at it like this, Monte Zucker said that everyone looks good 2/3 face, modified loop, so on so forth. He had a "formula" and it worked for him. Same as above.
Maybe not as elaborate, but I think one of the reasons that he (TGS) gets so much flak, is because he's taken his 1 light recipe and made it seem like an assembly line product.
However, what we don't know is how he wins his clients over, their trust, whatever.
c.d.embrey wrote: Breaking what rules TGS and Terry Richardson aren't breaking any rules by using just one light. Neither is benjikan in the above cover shot. Although they each use only one light you wouldn't ever confuse a TGS photo with one shot by TR or either of them with the above from BK.
I find it interesting that many amateurs are contemptuous of pros who use simple lighting, i.e. it can't be any good because it's not complicated.
I don't know what you read between the lines of my post, but your comments indicate a clear misinterpretation. I'm not sure where you're going with the boldface.
Using one light is not rule-breaking, or an amateurish choice. Nor is it the act of an unsophisticated photographer. If I had said it was, you'd be right to call me out for it. But I never said it, because I don't beleive it to be true. Quite the contrary; I am a huge fan of the one-light setup, or simply using natural light.
What I discussed in my post was related to the originality of style inherent in the posted work. I was not impressed with the work discussed in the OP's link; it didn't seem all that creative or innovative to me.
I also am not impressed with a substantial body of Terry Richardson's work. I appreciate your spirited defense and counterpoint on that, but I never said that TR is incapable of generating great material. His technique is often well outside the norm in the fashion photography world, which is good. However, I can't always say that I am impressed by his unique form of artistic trailblazing.
TGS and Terry Richardson aren't breaking any rules by using just one light. Neither is benjikan in the above cover shot. Although they each use only one light you wouldn't ever confuse a TGS photo with one shot by TR or either of them with the above from BK.