Another Beef – Anguished Models
There was once a time when you saw products, especially clothing, advertised in totally positive ways. The models looked happy to be wearing what they had on. Happy to be where they were. Happy to be doing what they were doing. After all, they were trying to persuade you to buy their products so you could be happy, too.
I don’t photograph people…well, I do, but I’m no good at it. Friends say things like, “You take such nice pictures. Would you do my wedding?” My reply is usually something like, “Do you see any people in my pictures?” and then I agree to shoot the wedding and, instead of celebrating the marriage and partying, I’m working and trying hard not to screw things up.
But I digress. Of course people are fascinating subjects to photograph. News events, sports, street imagery, children, anything conveying emotion and activity, figure studies…all are established and essential areas of photographic pursuits. It’s just modern advertising that I don’t understand.
This is certainly not a well-researched polemic. I don’t read fashion mags. I don’t know anyone in the business. Maybe if I were exposed to more of it, I would understand why everyone looks so uncomfortable. This was further brought home when we traveled through Europe where fashion is really a big deal.
I remember the controversial fashion look that peaked in the 90’s. In an apparent reaction to the healthy, happy looks of beauties like Cindy Crawford and Christy Brinkley, the wizards of fashion photography promoted the sad, emaciated, pale “heroin chic” look. If anything made me want to run out and buy something, it was a look that said, “Take me to the emergency room.”
Really?
2 Comments:
Happiness is not "cool". It's the insouciance, projected detachment and slight other-worldliness that's in. Advertisers don't create those trends imho, they just reflect what they think is going on in society and among that most desirable market segment, the "youth". You and I are just too old, crusty and cantankerous to admit that.
Next thing you know the Christmas ads for expensive watches will all have the hands at 8 and 4!
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