Blog 5: Ralph Gibson

     Ralph Gibson is an American photographer that was born in 1939. He is known for his high-contrast abstract compositions. He's done a variety of styles shooting many different people and objects. His portfolio on his website contains multiple shots of nude models, some blurred, in focus, with their face and with just their body visible. Many of his shots look like he saw something he liked and decided to capture it in a photo rather than posing something to look a specific way for the photo.    

    This is an example of a perfectly ordinary photo. Someone is just sitting and relaxing. The shadow from the chair shows that it was early morning or late afternoon. Although the person could have been posed, it looks natural, like they were just sitting there when Gibson decided to take the shot. 

    I like that he doesn't stick to one style. Some of his photos are close ups, drawing attention away from an object as a whole to focus on the texture and shape of part of it. Others feel like he was walking around and shot what he saw. The images of the bodies are beautiful because of how he captured them. The positioning and angle of each shot is different and captures a perspective many wouldn't typically see. The subjects are of varying body types and sizes too, not just showing models or people of a similar size and build.