Detailed analysis on 6 pictures from the "Parisians" series by Portrait Photographer, Vee Speers. This was made for my Photography GCSE Unit, based on reviewing photographers online and using a blog.
1. Vee Speers - Parisians
Presentation by Harriet Horscroft
2. This is a collection of photos from Vee
Speers’ photo series, Parisians. Speers was
inspired to create this piece after touring
circus shows in France. Talking about her
time doing this piece, Vee said "Paris is one
of those cities where people can express
themselves as they like, and no-one bats an
eyelid. It’s easy to be inspired here."
Each of these people pictured are people Vee
met on her trip to Paris. She then moved to
live in Paris in 1990.
Personally I really like this collection of
photo's. The photographer has used an
amazing range of juxtaposition; the weird
and wonderful people in the picture mixed
with everyday scene in a black and white
Parisians - Overlook
3. FACTUAL: This picture, took by Australian portrait photographer Vee
Speers, is of a woman called Amanda. This was took in 2005.
CONTEXT: This is the first photo in the “Parisians” photo series. All
of the people in this photo series, including Amanda, Vee met in
France.In an interview, Vee said everyone in “Parisians” were
eccentric Parisians she had same across. “The Parisians were mostly
strange, unusual or different.”
TECHNICAL: This picture could have been taken with either a black
and white film camera, or a DSLR professional camera. The
photographer used a black backdrop, which could be a wall. There is
also a chance she might of used softboxes and other various forms of
lighting to make the picture clear.
AESTHETICS: I absolutely adore the beautiful range of tattoos on
Amanda. The fish, which looks like a carps, spreads beautifully on
her body. I also like the effect of Amanda’s back being to the
camera, and facing the wall. Not only does it create simplicity, but it
allows the viewer to see and explore nothing but the model, as
there is nothing else in the picture.
#1 - Amanda
4. FACTUAL: This is the second photo in Vee Speer’s “Parisians” series.
Vee moved to Paris in 1990, and published these photos in 2005.
CONTEXT: It is of a little french girl, called Avril, coupled with her
mysterious surroundings. There seems to be a man sitting down on the
cobbled ground, wearing what I think is a lion mask, and holding a dog.
The little girl looks like a young school-girl, holding a hula hoop.
TECHNICAL: This picture could have been taken with either a black and
white film camera, or a DSLR professional camera. The photographer
used a street or an alleyway to shoot this in, preferably for effect.
There is also a chance she might of used editing software to change
contrast, focal point etc.
AESTHETICS: I find this picture very fascinating. The photographer has
specifically chosen top set the photo in a street or alleyway, maybe give
the photo a deeper meaning. This meaning could be a number of things.
But i like to think that the photographer is using juxtaposition to make
the viewer thing about the meaning behind it. When seeing this
photograph, I think about if the people in the picture are poor or not,
or if they lived on the streets. The photographer may have wanted to
get that thought to the viewers, or it could just be my personal
interpretation.
#2 - Avril
5. FACTUAL: This is the third picture in Vee Speer’s “Parisians”
series. Speers studied fine art and photography at the QCA in
Brisbane before working as a Stills photographer at the ABC
television centre in Sydney in the 80’s.
CONTEXT: Like all of the photos in this series, this was taken in
France. The picture seems to be of a woman in lingerie being
terrorized by bats.
TECHNICAL: This picture could have been taken with either a
black and white film camera, or a DSLR professional camera. The
photographer used a decadent changing screen in the
background. This picture is also indoors. There is also a chance
she might of used advanced editing software to design and edit a
frame around the picture.
AESTHETICS: I really admire the creativity in this picture. It is so
wonderfully random that bats are attacking this woman. The
detailed changing screen and lingerie give an eccentric feel to the
piece, whilst the bats add an element of mystery and excitement.
#3 - Bats
6. FACTUAL: This is picture is the 4th picture in the “Parisians” series
by Vee Speers. Vee Speers is widely famous portrait photographer
from Australia, with pieces like this one being sold for about £6,500
worldwide.
CONTEXT: This picture was took in France. When talking about this
photo series, Vee said this series was all about showing to exterior,
but not revealing much. She has definitely done that in this picture.
TECHNICAL: This picture could have been taken with either a black
and white film camera, or a DSLR professional camera. The
photographer used a stairway inside a decadent looking house. There
is also a chance she might of used softboxes and other various forms
of lighting to make the picture clear.
AESTHETICAL: I love the weird juxtaposition in the picture and how
the picture leaves you asking lots of questions. Like the fact that
there are some random shoes on the floor, and the person is wearing
no shoes, and why is the person covering their face with a bizarre
picture of a bulldog? I believe the photographer was trying, and
succeeded, to get the viewers ask these question. I really love that
about this photo.
#4 - Didier
7. FACTUAL AND CONTEXT: This is the 5th pcite in Vee Speers’
photo series, “Parisians”. It is of a woman and a dog Vee met in
Paris, called Dominique and Indy.
TECHNICAL: This picture could have been taken with either a
black and white film camera, or a DSLR professional camera. The
photographer used a what looks like as a barn, for the
background. There is also a chance she might of used softboxes
and other various forms of lighting to make the picture clear.
AESTHETICAL: I really like the quirkiness and oddness of the
picture. The photographer has used an odd choice of
surroundings, coupled with the quirky characters in the picture,
makes a beautiful and subtle contrast. The fact that the image is
black and white gives the picture a classic and refined look.
The picture also give you a lot to think about, as the focal point
of the picture (the woman and the dog) are so interesting to look
at.
#5 - Dominique + Indy
8. FACTUAL: This picture was taken in about 2004/05 by Australian
Portrait Photographer, Vee Speers.
CONTEXT: This is the 6th picture, out of 12, from Vee Speers’
“Parisians” series.
TECHNICAL: This picture could have been taken with either a
black and white film camera, or a DSLR professional camera. The
photographer has used a sheet to cover up what might be a too
interesting background.There is also a chance she might of used
softboxes and other various forms of lighting to make the picture
clear. Also, she would have probably used an advanced photo
editing software.
AESTHETICAL: The cute simplicity of this picture makes me smile.
Looking through the photographers choice of models in this series
of pictures, you can definitely tell they were chosen for a reason.
For an effect. A standard picture similar to this would be boring.
The photographer has cleverly used the tiny additions and quirks
of the scene to make the picture interesting. The cute little dog
jumping up makes a nice touch to the picture.
#6 - Hortensia + Ruby
9. Vee Speers, an Australian artist, has lived and worked in Paris since 1990. Speers studied fine art and photography
at the QCA in Brisbane before working as a Stills Photographer at the ABC Television in Sydney in the 80′s. After
moving to Paris she began exhibiting her series ‘Bordello’ , followed by The Birthday Party, Immortal and Thirteen,
engaging viewers with the dramatic tension of her portraits and her unique pallet of colour.
Speers has exhibited in London, Paris, Miami, NYC, Atlanta, China, Ireland, Singapore, Japan, Italy, Tunisia, Brazil,
Mexico, Australia, Sweden, Norway and the United States, and her work has been published on the covers of
Fotomagazin Germany, Zoom, Public Art, Photo International, Images Magazine, A Conceptual Magazine, The
British Journal of Photography, The Sunday Times UK, Russian Photo and Video, Swedish Photo with features in
Zoom, Art Investor, Germany, Shots UK, Photo District News NYC, Photographica Tokyo, EYEMAZING, American
Black + White, Milk, Fotomagazin, Chinese Photography, Bloom, Arte Al Limite, etc.
Speers’ book ‘Bordello’ with a foreword by Karl Lagerfeld is available world-wide, and her second book ‘The
Birthday Party’ was released in October 2008 by Dewi Lewis, UK.
About Vee Speers