Environmental Portraits
Arnold Newman, one of the most well-known and respected photographers of the 20th century, created a style of portraiture where he captured the essence of his subject by incorporating their environment into the image, most famously with artists in their studios.
The goal of this assignment is to enhance the visual power of the image and to give biographical details about your subject vis-a-vis the environment that your subject is in.
Watch Robert's conversation with Newman (from April 2000) to get more background on his career and how he developed this unique photographic style in our Interview Archive.
Sample Images from Arnold Newman
Georgia O'Keefe on her New Mexico ranch
JFK at the White House
Architect Robert Moses
Composer Ígor Stravinski
Agnes de Mille, dancer and choreographer. New York, 1955.
Woody Allen