Exploring Color Photography, 6th Edition

In his Heads series, Philip-Lorca diCorcia reconsiders the classic, straightforward approach to street photography by blending semi-documentary and semi-manipulated methodologies. To make this picture, the artist set up lights under scaffolding on a New York City sidewalk with a trip light. When passersby stepped onto the designated spot, an exposure was made. The bright, concentrated light imparts a divine light that is suggestive of religious paintings. This tactic also eliminates the background and focuses viewer attention directly on the face against a dark ground. This combination of chance and deliberate composition reveals intriguing interpersonal ...