Los Angeles California Fire Station No. 28 - Shulman
Untitled (Apartment balcony)
Untitled (House)
The Station
The Balcony
The Entrance
Personal Background
Julius Shulman was born in Brooklyn on October 10, 1910, and grew up on a small farm in Connecticut before moving to Los Angeles. He was raised by Russian-Jewish parents. He briefly attended the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Berkeley for his college education. He married Emma Romm, in 1937. He became very famous for his shots of modern architecture, the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Style
Most notable about Shulman's style is that all images were shot in monochrome. This gives aggression to the contrast. It also helps erase the datedness that such a photo might poses. However, it also focuses the viewer on the lines of the building and not the surroundings. His style has captured the awe of many and made him a highly published photographer.
Philosophy
The major ideas behind his work came from the brilliant modernist architect Raphael Soriano. Soriano helped define a period of 20th-century architecture. This is what Shulman wanted to capture. He wanted to show the world the beauty of Mid-century modern architecture. Another major idea behind many of Shulman's images was showing the contrast between architecture and nature. many of his modern architecture photographs also includes some form of nature.
Influences
Shulman's images have influenced me in many ways. One way is that I have now become very interested in shooting in monochrome. This is a harder way to shoot because there is so much more focus from the viewer on detail. Another is that his work has re-inspired my love of architecture. The way he captures the lines of a building is captivating and something I wish to do.
Sources
-Los Angeles California Fire Station No. 28 -https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fire_Station_No._28,_644_South_Figueroa_Street,_Los_Angeles_(LosAngeles_County,_California).jpg - Untitled (Apartment balcony) - http://www.modernsandiego.com/NomlandKemper.html - Untitled (House) - http://www.modernsandiego.com/NomlandKemper.html
Compare and Contrast
One major difference is the subject of my images. Though they are similar the architecture of today is starkly different than what Shulman worked with. Another major difference is the sight of Shulman. I have yet to develop my eye for the best shot of a subject. This is something, as a professional photographer Shulman had perfected. However my images are like his in that thy capture the lines of each subject.
Personal Artist Statement
IN each image I tried to capture the lines of the building. In this I captured the soul of each subject. One challenge I had was shooting in Monochrome. This made the contrast in light much higher and therefore made each image harder to capture. The symmetry of each image was formal, and something I like as a personal style.