Week Eight ~ Formalism Photography 400 Words

Two well-known photographers, Edward Weston and Ansel Adams, made formalistic photography famous. They believed in using their equipment to its full extent instead of having the emotional, blurred images that was being done at the time. The two photographers started an organization called f64. The name stood for very high apertures to allow everything to be in focus and show all the detail in both objects form and nature’s form. Weston and Adams took photographs of different subjects, but they both are beautiful examples of form.

A great example of Formalistic photography is the work done by Edward Weston. Weston has a series of photographs called the "Natural Studies" that include pictures taken very close up to objects like deformed bell peppers or mushrooms. The photograph I chose to show is called, "Pepper 1930". I believe that this photograph is a great example of Formalistic photography because the pepper Weston is photographing is slightly deformed. The lighting on the pepper is meant to show the whole form of the pepper by illuminating the edges of the pepper and the table it is sitting on. Because the bell pepper is not the shape people see everyday in the grocery store, the picture taken draws more interest from the viewers.

            Based on the criteria for a Formalistic photograph, I believe that Weston succeeded. The photograph focuses on the pure beauty of form, even an uncommon form. Other photographers who mainly work on Formalistic photography like Harry Callahan, whose work is also superb, is more focused on bodies form rather then the form of numerous objects that we see all the time. Edward Weston shot some photographs of people/nudes as well, but what makes him stand out among the rest of the Formalistic community is his ability to make every photograph look flawless and beautiful.

            Formalistic photography tends to lean more towards the aesthetical beauty of objects rather then have some ethical issue. I don’t believe that this photograph is meant to influence social change or really have much of a purpose other then to look flawless and beautiful. Although being flawless would not typically relate to something deformed, it is artistically flawless in its photograph. There are many reasons to make photography and for aesthetics is as good a reason as any other type of photography.