There is something bold about an artist who eschews established conventions, who tosses out the rules, and forges on with their own vision. Now, this can done be clumsily and poorly, or it can be done with a masterful touch by an artist who then adds something new to the canon of their craft and is remembered on, sometimes even after they themselves are gone.
In photography, there are a number of rules upon which many of us have long hung our work: the rule of thirds, framing, the exposure triangle, etc. However, there are some photographers who boldly challenge these accepted conventions, and do it perfectly.
One such artist was American photographer Saul Leiter.
Saul Leiter was a master of color street photography whose most prominent work (during the 50s-70s) came at a time when most others were focused on Black and White. Color photography was considered a lesser form, yet he didn't let this hold him back. Nor did he let any other standard "rules" of photography constrain him. His subjects were often taken through blurry, rain-covered windows, or stuffed far in a corner. Huge swaths of negative space sometimes filled his canvas. He gravitated towards abstract images that often featured reflections layered on top of each other with tiny anchors, sometimes in far corners of the image, that managed to pull together an otherwise disorienting scene. Viewing his work gave me knew ideas about what boundaries can be pushed in photography and I have been eager to take some of his concepts and play around with them for myself.
Here is a small sample of some of Leitner's famous works:
With these ideas in mind, I took to the streets with the plan of documenting life in Alaska and other parts of the American West. I took interest in reflections in windows, and the abstract depth they can create. While I am no Saul Leiter, and of course still have much to learn about Street Photography and photography in general, I enjoyed the challenge and what it could teach me about the craft.
Here is a sample of Saul Leitner inspired images of my own:
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Every once in a while, I encounter an artist who is so unique that their style is unmistakable. As a guitarist, I can listen to just a single phrase from a guitarist like Jerry Garcia, even if its from a song I’ve never heard, and know it’s him. How does someone, with all the millions of artists out there, create such a distinct and original style? Well, photography is no different. And recently I encountered a photographer whose style was so distinct that I have never seen anyone like him.
This photographer is Pep Ventosa.
Background
Born in Spain in 1957, Pep Ventosa is a photographer whose innovative style has garnered international awards. His trademark technique involves taking multiple exposures of a subject and overlaying them carefully in a way that creates an impressionistic result that is full of movement and life. He often uses iconic subjects, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge. But some of my favorite images of his are of things less dramatic and more in tune with the every day. His series, Trees in the Round, were the works I was originally drawn to. And when I first encountered them, I knew it was a technique I wanted to try for myself.
Style Analysis
Red Tree in the Round
As with my previous examination of inspirations such as Alexey Titarenko and Trent Parke, I wanted to take Ventosa’s style and see how I could put my own spin on it. But this multiexposure technique is not easy and quite time consuming. To get a single final image, you must take dozens of photos, edit each of them separately then painstakingly overlay them. Nothing in the final result is random and if you don’t pay careful attention to detail, this style can quickly get away from you and start to look messy. I found when going about my hometown looking for subjects for this style of shot, that it takes a different eye to imagine what might work, and I admit that quite a few of my attempts fell on their faces. Some of them, however, I felt quite happy with and I thought the result provided exactly that thing I’ve been looking for with my photography, which are images that stand apart as something different, something that could not have been a mere snapshot taken by anyone with the camera on their phone. Let me know which of these, if any, you like in the comments.
Conclusion
Pep Ventosa is a master. His images are unique and unmistakable. They’re beautiful, intriguing, groundbreaking. For me, they represent the best side of digital photography. He doesn’t create something fake that never existed, but instead presents familiar scenes in a way they’ve never been experienced before. When you see one of his images, you know exactly who created it. It’s either Pep Ventosa or someone like me, trying to emulate his technique but never quite rising to the same level….
Check out my video with a how-to demonstration of Pep Ventosa's technique:
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I’m alone on a forgotten beach. A bitter North wind gropes with frozen filaments. The ocean nearby, invisible, is a pool of ink like a portal to nowhere. Sea swells plunge into the sand with a gush and growl. A gibbous moon paints the mountain skirts in icy blue light.
But my gaze is fixed skyward. The night air is crystal clear, alive with electricity. Dancing auroras erupt across the tapestry of stars and galaxies. The most spectacular display I’ve ever seen.
All the elements collide—violent coronal storm, cloudless black skies, fierce magnetic forces—to bring this moment. This is a night when myth is born, a perfect confluence that may have no sequel. Manic with my camera, I rush from composition to composition. Each image on my screen makes me want to cry. The best photos of my life.
Yet, suddenly, I stop. This moment deserves something better. I topple to my back in the sand, unfeeling of the cold and the wind, and stare up as the sky delivers its most unearthly show.
I am humbled. I am nothing. Spears of green and red build and wobble. Plasma vortices writhe and dance. A corona circle, like the eye of a fierce cosmic god, forms above me, gazing down from the heavens. On this deserted beach, this show is only for me. Never before, I realize, have I truly experienced the northern lights. I may never again.
Tonight is legend.
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