One of my photographer idols.

Irving Penn's creations have always inspired me. His work ranges from high fashion models to objects found on the streets of New York. No matter what the subject, he has conveyed the ability to show an object or a person in an interesting and well constructed way. One of his unique ways of creating portraits of famous people started in 1948 while working on protraits for Vogue. In his studio, he created an unusual portrait space consisting of a plain backdrop of 2 walls meeting at an acute angle. Forcing his subjects into the constricted space. He chose not to pose them but let them react to the space. In some cases, it was like a butterfly caught in a press. The results are amazing.

If you are in New York on or before April 13, 2008, check out the 67 Penn portraits on exhibit at the Morgan Museum and Library. Not all of the portraits will be those taken in the "acute corner", but all will be exceptional examples of this artist's portrait work.

Just to let you know, the photo is not one of Penn's. It is one of my first attempts to emulate the method he used. I fell very short of this master's output.