Born: June 19th, 1917 in Plainfield NJ

Throughout his life, he visited and worked in many different locations

from Peru, to France.
He lived a very long, bountiful, and fulfilling life as a photographer until
his death on October 7th, 2009 in NYC at the age of 92

He grew up with the typical public school education before moving on

to the Philadelphia Museum School of Arts (now goes by University of
the Arts) at age 17. He went into school with plans of becoming an art
director originally.
He worked for two magazines; Harpers Bazaar during his last 2 years
in school doing very internship-like stuff. After that, he worked at
Junior League doing mainly freelance design, and then for Saks 5th Ave.
It was around this time that he bought his first camera, although
seemed to still have no plans of becoming a photographer.
At 25 years old, he quit his job, took his savings, and packed his bag
for Mexico where he would try out his life as a painter. Painting just
wasnt his think, he gave up after a year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Penn too a job at Vogue upon returning under Russian artist Alexander
Liberman as his assistant as a sort of favor for helping Liberman get
the job in the first place.
Liberman asked for Penns design suggestions and then, despite his
staffs disagreement, Liberman saw his potential and he asked Penn to
take the photo himself.
This photo became the cover for that Vogue issue.
(Balance, variety, multiple textures, both unity in the colors and a
bright pop from the lemons, very warm).
It launched his career as a phototgrapher

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Influences:
Brodovitch: Penn both worked and studied under him. He was touched
by the fashion-style photography (as evident in his portraits for Vogue)
and you can tell that his interest in contrast stemmed from here.
Liberman: in working with Liberman, I think Penn developed an
appreciation for the arts on top of his own appreciation Liberman not
only painted himself, but photographed influences in the arts, such as
Picasso. Rather than photographing the artist himself, he
photographed his work space. Penn later went on to photograph
writers and poets and painters, including Picasso and Salvador Dali.
The works of photographers Walker Evans and Eugene Atget shaped
Irving Penn and his art. Penn was drawn to Evans work because it was
socially conscious and to Atgets work because of his meticulous
documentation of domestic detail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Cameras and techniques.
Rolleiflex: Penns first camera. He roamed NYC and took Camera
notes with it.
The benefits of this camera for his was is size (compact in nature) and
its robust/strong build
35mm: he was drawn to this camera for the telephoto lens, but fell in
love with its rigor and exactness
Deardoff: Penn had the ability to adjust the sharpness and depth of
field with this camera.
Platinum Prints: Sensitizing- coated with light-sensitive platinum salts
Then he placed the negatives in direct contact with the sensitized
paper, then he could develop it and relayer it. The deacidification
inlays the fibers within the paper, creating a single layer from the
multiple ones

Gelatin Silver: has a smooth and even surface.

Planning ahead: Although I Couldnt find any specific research on this,
he seemed to have planned out his photos. He was very conscious of
every placement. For some of his portraits, he backed his subject into a
corner and those subjects reacted differently, which he then captured
(so there was a plan but he also seems to like the flexibility of the
individual)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Analysis of his photos and their elements

Joan Didion: Rough Symmetry, produced by a sort of line that comes
about from her arms going straight up and down. This is also achieved
with the help of contrast between features and value. There are
alternating opposites- darker background on one side, lighter on the
other, lighter hair on the darker background side, darker hair on the
lighter background side. I especially love the detail in this photo.
Vogue, Oct. 2009: I originally thought I was going to stick to stark
contrasts, however I like the softness of this photo. The shape is very
organic, however is still a bit geometric in the sense of the very
angular shapes her body makes. Although there is more light than dark
here, the dark-furred cat offers some balance so the picture isnt too
light.
Isamu Noguchi: There is a more direct stream of light narrowed in on
the center of his face, it dramatically increases the emphasis on the
subject. Like most of his photos, there is extreme clarity in the detail,
which allows for a variety of textures to be evident. Those textures
contrast with the softness and simplicity or plainness of the
background.
Cindy Crawford: I love his use of an unusual pose here and although a
human body is already a pretty organic shape, positioning them like
this makes it even more abstract. Although she is sitting, you get the

impression that she is playing with her hair and her feet are bare so
she seems ready to move around the room when she exits this
position. Its a very calm but semi-childlike pose, very delicate and
creating movement.
Nadja Auermann: Here hes at it again with the stark contrast. I like
that it swaps between the two pictures of the same person. The one is
dark on the outside light on the inside, and the other is the reverse.
Her hair seems to be the main tool used to display space in the
photos her soft but wild, let down hair takes up the space
surrounding her face, whereas in the other, her hair is sleek and
pushed back, taking up minimal space. The moods differ too there is
something very peaceful, calm, serene, mesmerizing about the first,
and pent up, exploding, upset in some way (anxious, anger, release)
about the other. He focuses well on her eyes for the first one which I
think is part of the reason its so mesmerizing (imagine if her eyes
were closed)
Miles Davis: The extreme close up and high quality allows for obvious
texture. Its because of his texture that I think my eyes are more pulled
towards the mouth area, not the eyes. Although there is this dark
space around his face, we know there is more to his head and face
than we see in the picture, so we no that although not visible, more
space is being taken up, and it feels sort of claustrophobic. Since it is
so close, so simple in that its just the face region (no hair, no neck,
barely even cheeks) and his nose is centered, it has a symmetry.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------My decision
Black and white (his main choice in photographing, it helps emphasize
details and contrast)
Portraits (will be difficult but Im more drawn to his work with people
than with still life images)
Mostly bold contrasts, some soft and grayscale
Camera will always be direct, no odd angles.
Texture will be very important (where it can apply) as will details
Simple backgrounds

Lighting will be as similar as possible (he loved natural light and so do I

but I dont think I have an environment I can work in to produce that,
especially in my changing settings)