Avedon was an American portrait and fashion photographer. He is a very successful photographer because he has the ability to reveal true character in his photos. He does this by using high contrast, using high exposure on the face and keeping the shadows very dark. When he uses the high exposure the face, he captures very fine details that reveal some character. He is also able to capture emotion through the subjects facial expressions. I find this very intriguing because being able to capture an emotion at its peak is hard to do. I particularly enjoy his self-portrait which conveys a unique brilliance.
You can clearly see the influence of Avedon’s work in Mannion’s portraits. Although he has a similar style, Mannion has a more modern look. In the Jay Z portrait, Mannion uses the traditional white background in order to create a high contrast with Jay Z’s black suit. There is also light shining on Jay Z’s face which highlights his face in great detail. Also, Mannion was able to capture the well known Jay Z character which is determined and strong-willed.
It is certainly a characteristic of Avedon’s work that he captured fine details in his subject’s faces. The high front light captures more detail than if the light was coming from the same level as the camera. High contrast generally simplifies the rest of the picture. I just don’t know that this adds up to emotion. I don’t think Avedon was ever that interested in the feelings of his subjects. I think it is the range of his work that shows a wide range of different people that creates the enduring value. Excepting his fashion work, his portraits show people with lumps and bumps, highly irregular, highly varied.
You state that Mannion has a more modern look. How? I don’t see it in the portrait of Jay Z I pointed out. I think Mannion is imitating Avedon’s style here as closely as possible.