TYLER MITCHELL, STEVEN MEISEL AND ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
TYLER MITCHELL
STEVEN MEISEL
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
For my 500 word analysis the photographers I will be talking about are Tyler Mitchell, Steven Meisel and Annie Letibovitz.
Tyler Mitchell is an American photographer and film maker, in September 2018 Mitchell photographed Beyonce for the cover of American Vogue. The reasoning for why I chose and like Tyler Mitchell’s work is because of the sense of colour that he uses, this could link to Rolard Barthez’s theory of semiotics,he argues that all texts communicated their meanings through a set of signs that need to be decoded by the audience. For example the middle photography of his work shows an array of colours that may have different meanings for the photograph, the model is placed in front of a mainly white background which the colour has connotations of light and cleanliness , this gives the impression that the image may suggests that there is a sense of freedom to the image. The model is also shown wearing the colour red which is also shown in the background, this may suggest power and determination , this could link to references to female empowerment by showing the model in colours that represent power. Tyler Mitchell has also photographed Beyonce who is a high class Star, by him doing this it may causes viewers and the audience may be inspired by the photographs of her which could be linked to David Gauntlett’s theory of identity, he asserts that the media provides us with ‘tools’ that we use in the construction of our own identities.He also talks about how we now offer a more diverse range of stars and icons in the media, this links to Tyler Mitchell’s work because he focuses on photographing diverse communities, therefore this is why i like his work.
The second photographer’s work I like is Steven Meisel, who is an American fashion photographer who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vouge. A lot of Steve Meisel’s work is black and white I personally really like this genre/theme of his work as it shows the realism of the photograph, it also shows the rawness and captures the true identity of a person.I also like how the middle and right photograph have a somewhat 60s genre to them, this may suggest that his work is inspired by that genre of time and how he may reflect that on current decades. Steven Meisel also shot the covers for Modonna’s 1984 ablum ‘Like A Virgin’, therefore by doing this is reinforces Gauntlett’s theory of identity at the time the photographs came out Modonna would of been a hug star and role model for girls or males all around the world meaning they would pick aspects of her identity and take is as their own.
Finally, the third photographer I have chosen is Annie Letibovitz. Anna Letibovitz is a American Fashion photographer, she worked for the Rolling Stone Magazine. I personally like her work because I feel there is a meaningful story behind each photograph, she has a somewhat fantasy feel to her photographs that I like. I think how her work is out of the ordinary and different from other people, Annie Letibovitz’s work could possibly link to Levi -Strauss theory of Binary Opposites as she places models who are in beautiful dresses and have their makeup done in places they wouldn’t usually be for example the third example of her work the model is seen posing on a construction site.
Molly Goldthorpe Media 