Fartash Photography Newsletter
Issue 5
Dear Reader
This month’s Fartash Photography newsletter highlights articles on Composition in Macro Photography, The Living Legend of Indian Photographey, Picasso’s Pink Period and International Photography Competitions which I believe it will be very motivating and practical. Enjoy the fifth issue of our newsletter! Sincerely, Managing Editor
Picasso's Pink Period
In 1904 Picasso finally settled in Paris, at 13 Rue Ravignan, called “Bateau-Lavoir”. He met Fernande Olivier, a model, who would be his mistress for the next seven years. He even proposed to her, but she had to refuse because she was already married. They paid frequent visits to the Circus Médrano, whose bright pink tent at the foot of the Montmartre shone for miles and was quite close to his studio. There, Picasso got ideas for his pictures of circus actors.
Woman with a Crow, 1904 - Charcoal, pastel and water-color on paper. 64.8x49.5 cm -Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH, USA.In this early painting of Picasso’s Rose Period a woman delicate beauty is depicted caressing her pet crow. In the poetry on Middle Ages a tame falcon was a symbol of the sweetheart longed for by a maiden. Picasso captures the intimate closeness of the woman and the bird in a close outline that embraces both. He has delineated the woman’s face, which is set in front of a brilliant blue background, with the most delicate brush strokes that have the precision of an Old master.
Tumblers (Mother and Son), 1905. 76 x 53 cm - Gouache on Canvas. 104x75 cm - Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany.By 1905, Picasso lightened his palette, relieving it with pink and rose, yellow-ochre and gray. His circus performers, harlequins and acrobats became more graceful, delicate and sensuous. In 1906 the art dealer Ambroise Vollard bought most of Picasso’s “Rose” pictures. This marked the beginning of Picasso's prosperity: he would never again experience financial worries. Accompanied by Fernande the painter traveled to Barcelona, then to Gosol in the north of Catalonia, where he painted “La Toilette”. Deeply impressed by the Iberian sculptures at the Louvre, he began to think over and experiment with geometrical forms.
The Family of Traveling Entertainers, 1905 - Oil on canvas. 104x75 cm -The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA.
This large painting, a major work of Picasso’s Rose Period, was the result of many preliminary studies. Originally a horse race formed the background to the family of entertainers, who are show standing together in a motionless group. The seated women front right, was added only at the final stage. Disturbing features such as the missing right foot of the fat clown in the red costume, as well as the figures’ vacant expressions, mean that they remain somewhat intangible, despite their clearly outlined forms. In a poem, the German writer Rainer Maria Rilke tried to capture the enigmatic magic of this picture:”but who are they, tell me, these travelling people, these who are even a little more fugitive than we ourselves…?”
The Family of Acrobats with Ape, 1905 - Gouache, pastel, India ink and water-color on Cardboard. 104x75 cm -Goteborg, Museum of Art.Despite its multi-colored appearance, this picture of a family of acrobats does not appear garish; in fact the well-balanced color composition creates a picture of great harmony. Picasso chose not pure, brilliant tones but broken, shimmering colors. The ochre underpainting, which remains visible beneath the lightly applied paint, helps to create a warm and intimate mood. The green and blue of the background and the yellow of the clown’s hat are repeated in the mother’s dress. The lightest accents of color lead the eye to the small child. This is also the center on which the attention of the figures if concentrated. Like many pictures of Picasso’s Rose Period, this painting is a carefully composed structure of forms, lines, and gestures. The family conveys a feeling of intimate security, and yet there is, once again, a disturbing element: Picasso adds to the group of human figures an ape, clearly a tame one, which, in, its attitude and gaze, seems only to strengthen the harmony of the image. Nevertheless, it adds a curios air of unreality to the scene, and suggests a concealed and private symbolism.
Acrobat and Young Harlequin, 1905 - Gouache on Cardboard. 105x76 cm - Brussels, private collection.Two entertainers are seated side by side, a young man and a small boy. The boy gazed at the man, who is lost thought, as if staring at his own, aging mirror-image. The two halves of the composition are also mirror-like in their formal correspondence .Two colors dominate the entire picture: a pervasive pink, earthy and warm, and a cool blue that acts as a counterbalance. The picture is built up almost entirely of geometric forms, of straight lines and right angles. The gaunt figures of the two athletes are stylized in such a way that the upper halves of their bodies and their arms almost form a square .Their pale faces are framed by light-colored ruff-like collars that are the only circular shapes in the picture. In spite of the angular shapes, the effect of the picture is one of great delicacy.
Boy with a Pipe, 1905 - Oil on Canvas. 100 cm × 81.3 cm - Sotheby’s, New York (Auction house), private collection.Early preparations of this work involved positioning the boy in all types of poses that involved standing, sitting or leaning against the wall. After much repositioning of the model, Picasso decided to go with the boy sitting down. Next was how to position the arm, where much time was also spent on the height and angle. Early works do not show any objects other than a pipe being used. Although Picasso started to paint this picture, he gave it a rest period for about a month. During this time, Picasso decided to finish it off by placing a garland of flowers on the boy's head. It is not known why Picasso decided to do this, but there is a contrast between feminine and masculinity in the picture.
The painting was first bought by John Hay Whitney in 1950 for US$30,000.On May 5, 2004 the painting was sold for US$104,168,000 at Sotheby's auction in New York City. Sotheby’s did not say who bought the painting. At the time, it broke the record for the amount paid for an auctioned painting .The amount, US$104 million, includes the auction price of US$93 million plus the auction house’s commission of about US$11 million. The painting was given a pre-sale estimate of US$70 million by the auction house.
Portrait of Gertrude Stein, 1906 - Oil on Canvas. 100 x 81.3 cm - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.In her book "The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas" (1932), Stein described the making of this picture: "Picasso had never had anybody pose for him since he was sixteen years old. He was then twenty-four and Gertrude had never thought of having her portrait painted, and they do not know either of them how it came about. Anyway, it did, and she posed for this portrait ninety times. There was a large broken armchair where Gertrude Stein posed. There was a couch where everybody sat and slept. There was a little kitchen chair where Picasso sat to paint. There was a large easel and there were many canvases. She took her pose, Picasso sat very tight in his chair and very close to his canvas and on a very small palette, which was of a brown gray color, mixed some more brown gray and the painting began. All of a sudden one day Picasso painted out the whole head. I can't see you anymore when I look, he said irritably, and so the picture was left like that." When someone commented that Stein didn't look like her portrait, Picasso replied, "She will". Picasso actually completed the head after a trip to Spain in fall 1906. He painted the head, which differs in style from the body and hands, without the sitter, testimony to the fact that it was his personal vision, rather than empirical reality, that guided him in his work. 
Young acrobat on a Ball, 1905 - Oil on Canvas 147 x 95 cm - Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow.
Picasso’s palette in his so-called Rose Period included not only pinks, but also colors such as matte ivory white, dedicate green and blue, and sandy yellow.
Brilliant, lurid colors are not to be found, but rather shades that are mainly light, almost translucent, always carefully adjusted to each other.
Eastern Arts-Benu Sen, The Living Legend of Indian Photography
Mr. Benu Sen (1932) Kolkata, the Secretary General, Federation of Indian Photography and President of Photographic Association of Dum Dum is the living legend in the field of International Pictorial Photography. His contribution both as individual artist and as a supporter for the development of Indian Photography is perhaps exceeds that of any living Indian Photographer. It was in August 15, 1954, when he accompanied a camera-lugging friend to an Independence Day celebration. The device sparked off his curiosity and he was keen to have a look at the new equipment with his friend, who however turned down the request on the ground that his tampering might damage the camera. That came as a blow to his pride which took him the very next day to a junk market in Kolkata – to look for lenses, tin and other scrap materials to assemble his very own camera.From a ground engineer to a celebrated photographer, Benu Sen has the credit for being an expert in judging photography contests,
He is the 3rd man in the world to have received the rare honour of ‘Master of Photography’ (M.F.I.A.P.) from the Federation International de L’Art Photographique, a body under the recognition of UNESCO. He was conferred the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (F.R.P.S.) in 1975, EFIAP in 1960, ESFIAP in 1972 and number Honorary fellowships like Hon F.J.I.A.P. (Japan), F.N.P.A.S. (Sri Lanka), Hon. F.P.B.S. (Bangladesh), Hon. F.P.A.D (India),Hon. F.C.O.S (Romania), Hon. P.A.B, Hon. S.O.P etc. for his contribution to pictorial photography. He strongly believes that any ordinary person can be used for a world-class product if the photographer has it in him. He is co-author of the most important book “Experimental Photography” and “Learn Photography”.
He is known for having revolutionised photography with his self-made camera, which he uses to imagine situations and translate them into pictures, Benu Sen prefers to be addressed as a creative photographer. Also the inventor of BS-4 formula — an extraordinary fine grain developing formula for a tropical country being used by photographers all over the world — he had another attraction — that for black and white. In 50 years as a photographer, he has never captured colour. His colour frames are also adaptations of black and white. He explains, “Black and white is more creative. It allows you to use the earthiness of nature to make an artistic statement. It is also so original.”
Treating nature as a theme for an artist to play upon, Benu created moments through the camera. His images are all about nature, but are realistic glimpses of the same. Credited with having invented techniques for imaginative photographers, Benu defines himself as an artist whose work is no less creative than that of any painter. He uses the feminine form to utter perfection, painting emotions with his camera. Also the first man in India to introduce colour separation from black and white negatives, Benu Sen uses his pictures to send out social messages. There is often also a strong element of sensuality in his works, which draw immensely from nude female forms. And though many viewers may simply denounce his collections as “scandalous and suggestive”, there are others who rate his handling and depiction of feminine elements as “divinely inspired.” Benu Sen links woman to a higher power and uses her as an eternal point of reference in his works.
Call for entries
International Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards
The international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards were created in 2003 by photographer, Chris Coe, with the initial objective of providing an international showcase for travel photography and travelling photographers in order to celebrate the very best in travel photography. TPOTY is run by photographers for photographers, judged by renowned photography experts, and provides amazing prizes, including foreign travel, the latest photographic equipment and photography tuition. Anyone! Wherever you live in the world, whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, and whatever age you are, you can enter TPOTY. The Closing date for entries is 22nd September, 2009. http://www.tpoty.com/
The Sony World Photography Awards Cannes 2010
The Sony World Photography Awards Gala and central exhibitions that support the awards’ nominees and honorees, occurs once a year in the prestigious Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. The evening welcomes some of the most influential names in the photography industry, from press and media to gallerists, publishers, agents, critics, aficionados and the renowned artists themselves. The 2010 Sony World Photography Awards is open for entries from 1st June 2009. The closing date for the competition is Friday 4th December 2009 (23:59hrs GMT). http://www.worldphotographyawards.org/
National Wildlife Photo Contest 2009
The National Wildlife Photo Contest is open to all photographers worldwide who are at least 13 years of age. The contest ends on July 20, 2009. There are 3 divisions (Professional, Amateur and Youth) and 7 categories. Up to 20 photos can be entered for a $15 fee. Only digital image files are acceptable and they must be uploaded to our website. Cash prizes totaling $25,000 plus other prizes will be awarded. Entrants retain their ownership and other rights to their photos except that they grant the National Wildlife Federation limited use and contest promotion rights. The deadline is July 20, 2009!
http://www.nwf.org/photozone/
A Millimetre Closer-Composition in Macro Photography
Most of times we try to be parallel with subjects in macro photography, it helps to have more details on all parts of subject. In parallel situations, frame can be considered as a two dimensional plane which help us to apply the basic rules like rule of thirds. For example you're trying to capture a 3 dimensional photo of a damselfly; best way to compose this photo is to focus on the most important part of subject and apply the basic rules.
The Rule of thirds by far is the best known composition rule; the rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design. The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.
Rule of odds
The rule of odds states that by displaying an odd number of objects, there is always one in the middle that is "framed" by the surrounding objects. This adds comfort to the artwork and is used in advertising quite often. It is based on the assumption that humans tend to find visual images that reflect their own preferences/wishes in life more pleasing and attractive.
Using Diagonals
Setting your subject on a diagonal will almost always make a more dynamic picture. Even if this is an invisible diagonal that draws your eye between two points. Move around the subject (as much as possible) and look for a diagonal.
Simplicity
Be careful that only the things you want the viewer to see appear in the picture. If there are numerous objects cluttering up the background, your message will be lost. If you can’t find an angle or framing to isolate your subject, consider using narrower depth of field control to keep the background out of focus.
Breaking Rules
Don't be afraid to break these rules if it will help to illustrate the essence of what you’re trying to present, whatever seems to work no matter who has told you not to, because not everyone sees things the same way and only you can capture images that comes from your own creative vision.
