Vogue, Chapeau, negative 1957; print 1979, William Klein, gelatin silver print
© William Klein
Transcript
[lively 1950s jazz music]
GLEN LUCHFORD: It’s basically a girl in a hat smoking a fag.
MALE NARRATOR: Los Angeles-based photographer, Glen Luchford:
GLEN LUCHFORD: [cont.] But there’s something, it still has an energy to it. The personality of what’s coming across from the person, it’s kind of a humorous image. It’s a very William Klein-esque thing to be able to just do a simple portrait of someone, and yet turn it into something else—like give it an extra layer.
[music ends]
MALE NARRATOR: Self-taught, photographer William Klein broke the established rules of photography. His images were often grainy, high-contrast, blurry, and taken with a wide-angle lens––elements that became part of his visual signature. Commissioned for Vogue, this fashion photograph reflects his flair for the unconventional while still capturing the style of the 1950s.
GLEN LUCHFORD: And I think the other thing about his pictures that’s kind of curious to me is that there’s always a certain rhythm in the photograph, which is the picture always has a flow.
[harmonic jazz music evoking period and mood]
MALE NARRATOR: Here, Klein captured the motion of smoke as it swirled upward into the air. Notice how it mirrors the curling rose petals, the curves of the model’s features, and the angle of her fingers, creating both a sense of harmony and rhythm.
GLEN LUCHFORD: There’s a rhythm even to that and it’s just a girl’s head basically. You don’t realize how clever it is when you’re looking at it, but as a photographer when you try to achieve it, it’s really difficult.
[music ends]