Photography Inspiration: Irving Penn

I just recently discovered the great Irving Penn while I was researching things for a blog post at work. I was actually taken aback after seeing the photograph of the Ballet Society and the image of Lisa Fonssagrives. His images are just so powerful and poetic that it feels like the eyes of the person in his photograph is looking right at your very essence. Most of his photographs are stripped off color and elaborate backgrounds which makes his work so direct and emotionally charged.

Other than being great at taking photographs of people, Irving Penn is also known to create stunning still life images. Because of Irving's background in design and layout it is no surprise that his photographs are so well thought of. He is also one of the first photographers who shoot his subjects against a plain grey or white background. It is no wonder why many find his work really inspiring that some have based their personal styles on Irving's photographs.