Two of Us, Photography
First published in the October instalment of the Two of Us monthly(ish) thematic email, ‘Photography’. Sign-up here if you wish to receive future emails direct to your inbox.
Photography
This month we wanted to talk briefly about photography – what it means to us, how brands use photography and to share some of our favourite influences right now in the broad subject of photography.
We firmly believe being a good photographer has very little to do with the camera and photographic equipment used. These tools help to develop and improve the quality and outcome, but if the person behind the camera lacks imagination and doesn’t have an eye for detail and composition (amongst other qualities), the results will be less captivating.
We wanted to coincide this edition with the launch of Brighton Photo Fringe, where Ian is showing a recent personal project that documents how photography feeds into his work as a designer.
Photography and brands
A good example (and one we both love) of a collaboration between brand and photographer is Guy Bourdin for Charles Jourdan. Bourdin began working with the French designer in the 60’s, immediately ditching the traditional focus on model and product, opting instead for a surrealist style with an enigmatic beauty and intriguing narrative. The shoes are often the last thing you notice in the shots, yet the advertisements are thought to have played a huge part in the brands success. Bourdin was allowed almost complete creative freedom, travelling Europe and the US with his camera, assistant and a suitcase full of shoes.
It’s rare that a brand’s photographic style can be considered so iconic, that in isolation, can be instantly recognisable and so strongly associated with the brand. A few we believe have a photographic style synonymous with their brand are; American Apparel, Margaret Howell, A.P.C, Rapha and Cereal. All adopt very different styles but manage to evoke the brand’s personality through the continuity of; colour, tone, models, posture, expression, proportion and setting.
We use our own Instagram as a visual playground to develop our own brand, our two-colour theme and to show some of our work in progress for live clients and collaborations.
Check out some of our favourite people currently on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/hannahfrancesboulton
www.instagram.com/paul_belford_photo
www.instagram.com/lindabrownlee
www.instagram.com/vishalparadigm
www.instagram.com/carryingcolour
B–SIDES
Ian recently published a short personal project on his growing collection of photographs taken around Brighton, where he lives and works. B–SIDES is presented in a newspaper format, the throw-away aesthetic supports the idea of trial and error and exploration in a medium that informs and runs parallel to his work as a designer – documenting the graphic qualities of found typography, shapes, lines, colour and shadows.
B–SIDES will be exhibited at Brighton Photo Fringe for the duration of October. Brighton Photo Fringe is a free city-wide open-access festival of photography, featuring over 200 artists across 40 venues.
Other resources
“The campaign is all about the pictures, so the art direction becomes all about the pictures. Images not by famous photographers but by people we’ve never heard of. Amateurs.†– Paul Belford talks about the charm and impact of the ‘Shot on iPhone’ Apple campaign.
Photobookshow is a Brighton-based arts organisation, set-up in 2011 to raise the profile of artist-led photobooks. It aims to hold several exhibitions a year, alongside talks and workshops.
A 2007 thrift auction revealed an incredible body of unseen and unpublished street photography by the late, Vivian Maier. ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ documents the initial discovery and ever increasing appreciation and interest in her work.