Edward Curtis – Master American Photographer

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I have always been fascinated with Edward Curtis and his eye for light and composition.

His work was a great influence on how I saw shadows and exposure. Monochromatic photography is very telling and unforgiving if exposure is not carefully considered. He did not have the choice of color in his day, but tinting photographs gives more to a feeling of depth which is something I apply when using historic black and white footage in my documentaries.

Contrast can be as much of an enemy as it is a friend.

Curtis may be better know by his portraits of Native American Indians, but his landscapes with these subjects are quite breathtaking. Of course he is capturing the natural beauty of America he found before him, but without his technical and artistic understanding in these early days of photography these would not be the fantastic works of art they are.

 

 

Without the work by Curtis, we have a better understanding of life in this part of America that we can see and enjoy.

In this example of a classic Curtis portrait, we can see the amazing attention to detail that makes a perfect balance between exposure and a level of contrast that keeps details as they fade into shadow, preserves texture yet complements the smoothness of the subject’s skin.

Although there is a set background, the depth of field is absolutely perfect.

 

 

 

Depth of field was mastered very well by Curtis. In this portrait, we still can tell what the background is, yet the eye is forced to focus is onthe main subject.

 

In his landscapes, he utilized a wide depth. This reveals how Curtis was more than an artist but one of the great technicians in this early age of photography.

 

 

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