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Creating memorability in an image

Lesson 50 from: Masters of Photography

Albert Watson

Creating memorability in an image

Lesson 50 from: Masters of Photography

Albert Watson

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Lesson Info

50. Creating memorability in an image

Learn Alberts tips on the skill of quick thinking and analysing your surroundings. Albert uses an example where he used his surroundings to create a unique and surreal shot for Italian Vogue.

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Meet your Master

01:26
2

Learn from the journey

15:24
3

Using inspirations

08:43
4

Photography is stopping time

09:27
5

Albert's library of ideas

08:30
6

Tips on preparing for a portrait shoot

12:10
7

Setting up the studio

04:56
8

Understanding studio collaboration

07:35
9

The importance of casting and hair & make-up

08:59
10

Foreground studio set up

08:46
11

Studio session with a model - set up 1

11:23
12

Studio session with a model - set up 2

05:55
13

Studio session with a model - set up 3

08:01
14

Picking the best shot

03:36
15

Working with photoshop

13:14
16

Creating a portrait of Alfred Hitchcock

04:18
17

The gigantic question... Colour or black and white?

07:55
18

One day with Kate Moss

05:06
19

Learn to have your ideas ready

06:14
20

Using Polariods

06:29
21

Creating beautiful photographs of hands

04:45
22

Controlling natural light

05:38
23

Shooting a monkey with a gun

06:27
24

Choosing your format

07:13
25

Composition and lens

04:47
26

Shooting landscapes. The Isle of Skye

15:18
27

Planning and ideas for a landscape shoot

06:32
28

Creating still life images

13:48
29

Photographing the Lost Diary

10:53
30

Shooting album covers

03:09
31

The Strip Search Project

10:28
32

Shooting Las Vegas landscapes

08:24
33

Photographing Breaunna

07:21
34

Balancing daylight, God bless America

03:45
35

Creating the Maroc Project

10:21
36

Creating the Maroc shoot

08:11
37

Photographing sand dunes

04:09
38

Photographing Moroccan children

10:42
39

Advice on making portraits

10:12
40

How to be alert to finding photographs

07:35
41

Making a portrait of Mike Tyson

02:39
42

Creating intense colour in a photograph

03:04
43

Portraits of rap stars and a Golden Boy

08:40
44

Photographing Jack Nicholson

04:20
45

Creating a portrait of David Cronenberg

02:14
46

How to light only using two $10 bulbs

07:29
47

Studio fashion set up 4

10:47
48

Studio session with a model. The geography of a face

13:05
49

Look inside the picture

02:56
50

Creating memorability in an image

02:54
51

Combining nudes and landscapes

04:52
52

A perfect print

07:50
53

The business side of things

06:50
54

Conclusion and farewell

03:55

Lesson Info

Creating memorability in an image

(upbeat music) So I was in London doing the collections for Italian vogue, quite a bit of time ago. About 20 odd years ago but this is a shot I remember well. And I was shooting at my old university in the sculpture school. And it was in the summer time and they had basically just had their end of the year show and I went into one of the big sculpture studios and against the wall, just by chance, there was a piece of black fabric. Just hanging there like a flag, that was just hanging there. And I had this beautiful Yohji Yamamoto dress and with a very well known model. I just suddenly, I don't know where it came from, I just got this idea. I think this idea of saying it again and again, you should be thinking the whole time, You should be analyzing things the whole time. So when I came in and I saw the flag, I just got this image of this particular dress that I'd just seen on this famous model, a super model. And when I brought her into the room, I actually put her behind the fabric.

So this is the shot. Now, of course the fashion leader said wait a minute, this is a super model, you can't hide her face, sort of thing. But of course, I was doing other shots, I said you'll see her face on the next page, sort of thing. And this was always a shot that I liked so the reason why I'm showing this is it's just the use of something that was there. An empty white studio with a skylight, this was shot on 4x5 film, it's natural light, a piece of black fabric hanging on the wall, but really the clever thing I did here was to put the girl behind it. If the girl was in front of it, it still would be quite a nice shot but, behind, it made the shot more severe, stranger, and possibly more memorable. And as I've said many, many times, memorability is a major factor in good photography. You have to remember that image, you have to say, well I remember that image. So this is really quite a good example of it. And the magazine naturally loved the shot. (upbeat music)

Ratings and Reviews

Richard A. Heckler
 

"Unless you're Mozart"...this course is an invaluable asset. I'm a pro, humanitarian/documentary photographer, & wilderness...and I've learned much from the 40+ sessions here. This is truly a Master Class...next best thing to being with Albert. And although I could watch studio sessions forever, this course offered a very balanced curriculum of technical information, artistic encouragement and guidance, and a open, generous window into the thinking of a gifted artist and photographer, sifted from decades of first class experience. Kudos to all involved. Excellent!

a Creativelive Student
 

I purchased my first CreativeLive class in 2011 and have continued to purchase many classes over the years. I have learned so much from the many great instructors. This one is not a technical class that will tell you to set your camera at f4, 1/60, ISO 400 and you can get this shot. If you are looking for that, there are many other options. If you have a solid working knowledge of photography, this class is so much more. The way it was filmed is like you are there with him in conversation or in the room with him watching him shoot. To see and understand the how and why he does what he does. Not to take anything away from other classes that have helped to give me a strong understanding of photography, this is my favorite CreativeLive class so far.

Student Work

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