Eliot Porter
Personal Background
Eliot Porter was born on December 6, and died on November 2, 1990. Eliot grew up in Chicago, with his father teaching him about the sciences, photography, and architecture. After high school, he studied to become a biochemical engineer at Harvard, but he continued to be intrigued by photography. In 1938, Alfred Steinglitz saw some of Porter’s photographs of English landscapes, and offered to put them in his New York gallery. This made Porter quit his job and start a full time career as a nature photographer. He pioneered in using color photography for a few years until his work was published in the book In Wilderness is the Preservation of the World. He then became very popular and got a lot more attention from the media. HIs success early on led him to travel the world doing landscape and aviary photography.
Style
Eliot Porter used a style of photography that was uncommon during his lifetime. He frequently used color cameras and film, which is what he became famous for. However, very few photographers chose color, and he was unpopular for it in his early days. Porter also used a large-format camera, after being encouraged by Ansel Adams. Porter used his camera and traveled the world, photographing churches, landscapes, and many exotic places.
Philosophy
Eliot Porter’s philosophy came from when he was young. When he got his first camera, he wanted to photograph birds, which inspired his love of nature photography later in life. In addition, his love of birds led him to use color photography. He wanted to persuade others to use color photography more. During his lifetime, almost all photographers used black and white film, and some even looked down upon people who used color film. Porter used his photography to change people’s opinion about the use of color film. Porter also used his photography to promote conservation. He photographed famous and beautiful places to show people how we need to protect the environment.
Eliot Porter was born on December 6, and died on November 2, 1990. Eliot grew up in Chicago, with his father teaching him about the sciences, photography, and architecture. After high school, he studied to become a biochemical engineer at Harvard, but he continued to be intrigued by photography. In 1938, Alfred Steinglitz saw some of Porter’s photographs of English landscapes, and offered to put them in his New York gallery. This made Porter quit his job and start a full time career as a nature photographer. He pioneered in using color photography for a few years until his work was published in the book In Wilderness is the Preservation of the World. He then became very popular and got a lot more attention from the media. HIs success early on led him to travel the world doing landscape and aviary photography.
Style
Eliot Porter used a style of photography that was uncommon during his lifetime. He frequently used color cameras and film, which is what he became famous for. However, very few photographers chose color, and he was unpopular for it in his early days. Porter also used a large-format camera, after being encouraged by Ansel Adams. Porter used his camera and traveled the world, photographing churches, landscapes, and many exotic places.
Philosophy
Eliot Porter’s philosophy came from when he was young. When he got his first camera, he wanted to photograph birds, which inspired his love of nature photography later in life. In addition, his love of birds led him to use color photography. He wanted to persuade others to use color photography more. During his lifetime, almost all photographers used black and white film, and some even looked down upon people who used color film. Porter used his photography to change people’s opinion about the use of color film. Porter also used his photography to promote conservation. He photographed famous and beautiful places to show people how we need to protect the environment.
Eliot Porter Meredith Gilbert
Influences
Eliot Porter’s work has changed how I take pictures and look at photography. His work shows how pictures can have an effect on society. He used his pictures to help preserve nature, and introduce color photography. Each picture he took had a meaningful message behind it. This has helped me take pictures with more purpose and emotion in them. His work has helped me become better at portraying my goal in the images I take.
Compare and Contrast
All of Eliot Porter’s pictures are very clear and have a neat look to them, regardless of how full the picture is. In addition, all of his pictures have good lighting for what he was trying to convey in that image. My pictures all have a different type of lighting than his corresponding image. Since he is a landscape photographer, it would be nearly impossible to achieve replicas of his images without taking pictures of the exact same subjects he did. However, all of my pictures have similar qualities, such as similar subject arrangement and camera angle.
Personal Artist Statement
For my image of the collection of leaves, I wanted to convey the fact that we should look at nature more. We are always looking down at our technology, and never what is actually on the ground. If we take time to look at what is underneath our feet, we can find some very interesting and beautiful things. My field photo shows that we need to take care of our environment. This field has been deprived of diverse plants, and these red grasses have grown over much of what originally grew there. We need to take care of our environment, or else it will be gone. My black and white branches image is showing a less common side of Eliot Porter. He is well known for color photographs, but early in his career, he made many black and white photographs. I wanted to show people what you can see when we take a break from our daily lives. We go around not enjoying nature, and I wanted to show people that we have such a beautiful environment, and we should appreciate it more.
Sources:
http://www.cartermuseum.org/collections/porter/about.php
https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/eliot-porter?all/all/all/all/0
http://www.cartermuseum.org/press/releases/eliot-porters-color-photographs-played-key-role-in-developing-the-environmental-movement
http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/images/ll1143415llgBoECfDrCWBHBAD/eliot-porter-maple-leaves-and-pine-needles,-tamworth,-new-hampshire,-october-3,-1956.jpg
http://www.soulcatcherstudio.com/images/artistpages/porter/Porter_osier.jpg
https://franzamador.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/img_0423-bw.jpg
Eliot Porter’s work has changed how I take pictures and look at photography. His work shows how pictures can have an effect on society. He used his pictures to help preserve nature, and introduce color photography. Each picture he took had a meaningful message behind it. This has helped me take pictures with more purpose and emotion in them. His work has helped me become better at portraying my goal in the images I take.
Compare and Contrast
All of Eliot Porter’s pictures are very clear and have a neat look to them, regardless of how full the picture is. In addition, all of his pictures have good lighting for what he was trying to convey in that image. My pictures all have a different type of lighting than his corresponding image. Since he is a landscape photographer, it would be nearly impossible to achieve replicas of his images without taking pictures of the exact same subjects he did. However, all of my pictures have similar qualities, such as similar subject arrangement and camera angle.
Personal Artist Statement
For my image of the collection of leaves, I wanted to convey the fact that we should look at nature more. We are always looking down at our technology, and never what is actually on the ground. If we take time to look at what is underneath our feet, we can find some very interesting and beautiful things. My field photo shows that we need to take care of our environment. This field has been deprived of diverse plants, and these red grasses have grown over much of what originally grew there. We need to take care of our environment, or else it will be gone. My black and white branches image is showing a less common side of Eliot Porter. He is well known for color photographs, but early in his career, he made many black and white photographs. I wanted to show people what you can see when we take a break from our daily lives. We go around not enjoying nature, and I wanted to show people that we have such a beautiful environment, and we should appreciate it more.
Sources:
http://www.cartermuseum.org/collections/porter/about.php
https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/eliot-porter?all/all/all/all/0
http://www.cartermuseum.org/press/releases/eliot-porters-color-photographs-played-key-role-in-developing-the-environmental-movement
http://www.artnet.com/WebServices/images/ll1143415llgBoECfDrCWBHBAD/eliot-porter-maple-leaves-and-pine-needles,-tamworth,-new-hampshire,-october-3,-1956.jpg
http://www.soulcatcherstudio.com/images/artistpages/porter/Porter_osier.jpg
https://franzamador.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/img_0423-bw.jpg