William Klein and Elliott Erwitt

Researching these photographers' work before writing this blog was very interesting to say the least. Both of them work primarily in black and white, and the situations they depict are definitely narratives in that when a viewer looks at one of their photos, they want to know more. There is an air of mystery to both Klein and Erwitt's work. Who are these people, and what is their story? Klein takes a very funky and fashionable approach to these stories whereas Erwitt takes a very personable approach with more average subjects.

I really appreciate William Klein's work in that it may not show the best technical qualities - a lot of his photos are overexposed and blurred - but it is exceedingly interesting. Almost every photo is a portrait and many of these portraits seem to be candid. Klein's work is strongly based on design, with huge contrast and great composition, using either the rule of thirds or having the focal point in the very middle of the photo and it working anyway. He has a very good sense of foreground, middle ground, and background.

Take the picture below for example, the use of line, contrast, and staccato rhythm not only makes viewers stare in wonder, but it also holds interest as they ask themselves who these women are...and why they are dressed this way.

Elliott Erwitt's work is different from Klein's because his photos have a more comical approach, with somewhat satirical references to everyday life. His photos are easy to relate to for viewers, while still retaining the narrative aspect. Below lies one of his illusions: