Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman started out in Black and White film photography. Her Untitled Film Stills series of 69 photos each depicting a stereotype of a Hollywood females in 8 x 10. Cindy has a knack for dressing herself in different characters. She developed these photos using a Gelatin Silver process which is a certain type of solution used with black and white negatives.

I chose to look closer at the above photo because firstly the viewpoint. The camera is pointing upwards so that you see the interesting buildings behind her. Also adds to the cinematic effect. She has used natural light indicated by the shadows on the building to her right, matching the direction of the light on her face. This is an important fact to remember if I was to add a flash to an outdoor photograph, keep in mind what’s going on behind aswell as infront of the subject. 

You could argue that it is overexposed by the white of her collar blending into her neck, but that is balanced by the contrast in the building to the left. I think when doing Black and White photography it gives you a license to be bold with lighting as it adds to the tones and contrasts. I think she would have used a 35mm lens judging by the depth of field, that she is in focus and behind her is out of focus. I am guessing this because I can’t find anywhere what type of camera or lens she used for these. But 35mm is great for getting close to the subject.

I love this series of photos. I love the idea of taking lots of photos in a theme and bringing them together to sit together on a wall. And that she took the idea of women in films, and replicated them in her own way. And the way she represents them as strong females and not the damsels in distress. 

I love Cindy Sherman as a photographer, not in just this work but in her later work where she becomes very surreal and engaging. She inspires me to make creative self portraits and use things I love and find obscure to convey a bigger picture of myself. Things that reflect things that go on inside my head or influences through my life. I think drawing from yourself is a great expression and a more exciting approach to photography.