Black & White Stills Tell a Beautiful Story. Reflections on Irving Penn.

Angles, lights and approach

There’s something about a black and white photo that draws you in. Call me nostalgic or perhaps it’s a nod to all the talented photographers that have paved the way for generations with beautifully shot images on 35mm cameras, tripods, special lighting and a measured approach to catch that perfect shot. My father developed his own black and whites in a dark room which he had converted from a small bedroom. For an amateaur, his images were stunning. He invested the time to learn, saved up for the latest equipment and never lost the thrill when that first image emerged in the developing tray before hanging up to dry and fully transform.

Many captures for one perfect shot

The DeYoung museum in San Francisco featured Irving Penn’s work with a visiting exhibition and I decided to take my teenage son along to soak up a carefully curated show of his best work across a 70 year career. That simple, iconic close up of Audrey Hepburn featured on DeYoung’s site is probably one of his most famous shots. It truly captured her essence. Fresh faced and beautiful, the shot required no props. Just a left of center close-up and her joyful, confident smile tells us what kind of person she was.

Penn’s career took off when he worked for Vogue during the 1940s. Known for his attention to detail and innovative use of light and composition, he explored portraiture and in particular that of celebrities and well known figures of the time. By taking shots of emerging artists that were gaining media attention such as Truman Capote, Spencer Tracy and Georgia O’Keefe, Penn put himself on the map. Apparently his subjects would sit for hours in the studio so he could study them up close, waiting for that perfect moment to capture all aspects of their personality.

Overrated you say!

“I think Penn was a bit overrated” commented my son as we walked out of the DeYoung that day. In classic teenage style, he was provoking a discussion on the difference between these beautifully captured stills and what he sees everyday on his social feed. The meticulously curated exhibit not only displayed iconic portraits from Vogue spreads but also portraits from his exotic travels during the 1960s and 70s. He ventured to Nepal, Cameroon, New Guinea and Cuzco, Peru.

“Penn was unique at that time,” I shared. He boldly stepped into new environments, shifting cultural norms, and brought diverse images to US consumers that have since stood the test of time. He was a great observer and always applied the same level of meticulousness whether shooting hippies during the summer of love in San Francisco, members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or rock stars from the Grateful Dead. He certainly didn’t have the luxury of a high end digital camera with an ultra-wide option or sensor-shifting OIS, as we have today with iPhones in our pockets.

One image can tell a whole story

Penn was a true storyteller. An artist that devoted his life to revealing a huge range of cultural moments or as this article points out; curation reveals a dichotomy of wills, a tension between the self-possession and occasional defiance of the sitters and the artist’s overt direction of their postures. During our time of short form videos as the prime way to engage audiences, our tendency is to rely on footage, whether found or original, to tell engaging stories.

But there is beauty in telling a story through stills, put together in a carefully curated storyboard or sequence, animated with a scripted voiceover. This beautiful black and white spot by Jeep in celebration of their 75 years of business is beautifully told using only stills and a script so perfectly timed with Aretha Franklin, BB King and other greats like Jeff Godlblum from his Jurassic Park days. A still portrait looking straight at us tells its own story, taking us back to those moments in our shared history. Gray hairs, wrinkles, war-wound scars all beautifully shared wrapped up in that perfect capture.

Concepts start with a curated search

Stills are a great way to inspire concepting and new ideas. When ad creatives start to ideate for the next spot, they take time to observe what’s actually happening with their audiences, what resonates and connects in a unique, memorable way. As the 2024 Olympics are about to start, Powerade has a campaign featuring gymnast Simone Biles that sheds light on the importance of taking a pause or a break. This represents active cultural listening to find those moments to tell a story in a highly engaging way for all athletes, whether pro or amateur.

A first step to kick-start ideation is to start with a simple search. A statement such as: Irving Penn style portraits of young females actually yields over 900 asset results in the Catch+Release creator community comprising both stills and videos. Tailoring and filtering from that search will get you closer to the vision you want to bring to life.

Simplicity has beauty and resonance

The genius is in your message. That emotional connection through a script over a set of simple, beautiful black and white stills. Take the time to recognize the artistry and beauty in a shot which can tell an entire story on its own. Just like the Audrey Hepburn smile, left of center and perfectly captured.

P.S.

My son stands 6’ 4” and although he physically looks down on me, he’s always by my side and in my heart. I found this old black+white booth pic we took at a summer fair many moons ago. I just had my face painted and we wanted to mimic our expressions. Silly, fun and captured just as it was.

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