Julius Shulman: Research in Artists’ Work
Renowned American architectural photographer Julius Shulman (1910–2009) was most well-known for his arresting pictures of Southern California mid-century modern buildings. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he started his photographic career in Los Angeles in 1935. Shulman’s work highlighted the creative ideas of architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Pierre Koenig, therefore helping to popularize the modernist style.

Contributions to Architecture: Shulman’s pictures have helped to shape popular opinion of contemporary building. Emphasizing light, space, and shape, his pictures frequently highlighted the interaction between structures and their natural surrounds. Perfectly capturing the core of mid-century modern design, one of his most famous images is of the Stahl House (Case Study House #22).

Style and Techniques: Shulman was renowned for his exacting attention to detail and capacity to frame photographs highlighting architectural elements. Often using natural light to produce dramatic scenes, he applied methods including:

Dynamic composition is the arrangement of the frame’s parts so as to capture the observer’s attention.
Control of Perspective: Choose angles highlighting the architectural style of the structure.
Including individuals into his images will help him to communicate liveliness and scale.
Legacy: Shulman’s work has affected photography as much as architecture. Both photographers and builders still find inspiration in his photos, which also provide a guide for the interaction between created surroundings and their context. Works and publications, including “Julius Shulman: Modernism Rediscovered,” have contributed to confirm his importance in architectural photography.

Both photography pieces draw inspiration from artists like Irving Penn, who captured intricate still lifes with reflective surfaces, and Robert Mapplethorpe, who is well-known for his striking black-and-white floral images. It also reflects the compositional approach of Andreas Gursky, emphasizing the interplay of natural elements. These artists share a focus on beauty, detail, and emotional resonance in their work, aligning well with the themes presented in the photography.

The Reflection final project consists of a series of photos centered on roses, taken in diverse locales. The top row focuses on the beauty of roses submerged in water, highlighting their texture and the interaction of light and raindrops. The middle row features a mirrored surface with a single rose and abstracted closeups, resulting in a dreamy ambiance. The bottom row features a glass vase and two glasses, which represent clarity and tranquillity against a serene background. The black-and-white palette highlights the themes of beauty, nature, and the fleeting aspect of life.

The experiment project delves on ideas of connection, intimacy, and introspection through photos of a person interacting with roses and a glass vase. The top row concentrates on the subject’s emotional link with the flowers, while the center row uses dynamic lighting to create atmosphere and depth. The bottom row focuses into contemplation, with the vase framing the subject and emphasizing the fragility and beauty of the rose. In general, the show invites viewers to think about the connection between human emotion and the fleeting nature of life.

Image reflections can be reflected both physically, and inwardly.

Style:

• image contains story in the reflection
• Symmetry creates symmetrical compositions through the reflection of the object
• The use of natural or artificial light to enhance the reflections and create interesting patterns and colors
•  Depth of dimension

By Lee friedlander

• Lee Friedlander has tried to show the pervasive presence of television in American culture through his photographs of television screens.
• Black and white
• nostalgic
• Use of reflections
• Social landscape figure
• urban decades

By Naoya hatakeyama

• Naoya Hatakeyama is a renowned Japanese photographer whose work examines the life of cities and the built environment.
• Texture
• Contrast
• nature envouriment

By Lisette Model

• Lisette Model was an Austrian-born American photographer, known for her impactful street photography that showcased the depth and humanity of urban life.
• depth
• humanity
• portraits
• real life society

By Antonio Gutierrez Pereira

• Antonio Gutiérrez Pereira is a photographer from Vigo, Spain.
• reflection
• leading lines

By Robert Holden

• nostalgic
• depth