Lee Friedlander is a famous American photographer born on July 14, 1934. Lee attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he studied photography. Lee started his career shooting record covers for jazz musicians in New York City, and later on moved onto freelance commercial work. Lee’s work is known for captivating the development of “American social landscapes.” His photographs were able to capture a look into the modern life of his era. Some of his work were photos of the “detached images of urban life, store-front reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and signs…”
As I looked into his work I noticed that it mainly consisted of street photography and self portraits. My favorite style was the street photography front the 1960s, because it was shot in black and white. I like the way Lee captures people in their surroundings at the right moment making the photo look natural and not posed. The photograph of the man walking in while a woman walks out a building is a perfect example of capturing an image at its precise moment. Another interesting aspect of this particular photo is that, the viewer is not able to make out neither the man’s or the woman’s face. His photos are also able to blend non-living objects with people, and somehow makes it interesting to the eye. I enjoy the way Lee is able to incorporate shadows and reflections in his work. Lee also took a lot of portraits images, and some consisted of naked women. The images of the women were taken in unusual positions, and although the women were completely naked, the way Lee captured the images made me look at it in an artistic even though the photos made the covers of Playboy magazine. One of Lee’s photos was of Madonna when she was young, that photo sold for nearly $38,000. I really enjoy street photography which is why I enjoyed Lee’s work.
