Fashion Photographer Mario Testino. Specifically

¶ … fashion photographer Mario Testino. Specifically it will discuss his work, paying special attention to the photograph Diana, Princess of Wales, Vanity Fair, 1997, London. Testino is a legendary fashion photographer who was born in Peru and now lives in London. He began his photography career selling portfolio shots to models, and is now one of the most sought after fashion photographers in the world.

This black-and-white photo shows Princess Diana lying on her side/stomach on a sofa, with her hands on the arm of the sofa, and her chin resting on her hands. She is wearing a simple knit tank-type top, and looks stunning. She is wearing no jewelry, and the photograph makes her look simple, uncomplicated, and extremely appealing. This (and other photos he made at the same time really set his career, people loved the way he portrayed Diana so simply, and yet so fashionably at the same time (Editors, 2008).

At the time this photograph was made (1997), some people were shocked that the photographer portrayed the Princess of Wales so simply, but others loved the way he made her look "chic" and very accessible at the same time. She was a beautiful subject, and this photo shows her simple, quiet beauty that she was known for. This photo is a classic because it is lit quite well, with all the attention on Diana, the rest of the photo is almost over-exposed. This may have been controversial at the time, but now, it is a classic, and one that shows Diana at her best, shot the year she died. It is easy to see how Testino became much more in demand after these photos of Diana were published. He seems to capture everything about her, from her strength to the vulnerable little girl that seemed to live inside her. She is not smiling at the camera, but she is looking directly at it, although her body is posed slightly off-center of the camera. It is clear she is almost saying out loud that she is not afraid to face the camera, and the press, but she would rather be somewhere else. It captures her perfectly, and indicates why any photographer must understand his subject completely if he is to make a successful and artful photograph. Testino himself says, "So unless I enjoy this person that I am photographing, my life can be pretty boring if I treat them just like a blank canvas" (Editors, 2007).

Clearly, this is now an important, even historic photograph, because it capture Diana so completely just before she died. It might not have seemed as important at the time, other than it is an outstanding photograph, but now, it is outstanding, not only because of her death, but because it puts her in such a good, and yet somehow sad, light. She looks pensive or reflective in the photo, and it is difficult to look at it without thinking of her tragic death and what a loss she was to the world. If there is a message to this photo, it seems it was Testino's purpose to show Diana as a "real" person rather than the glittering princess most people thought she was. He shows she is real, has the same thoughts and feelings as the rest of us, and she can be simple and unadorned, and it is an important and valid representation of his work and the way he view photography.

There is a range of dark and light tones in this photo, and Testino accomplished this by lighting Diana while blowing away the background. All the attention is on the woman, and the background is inconsequential. The lighting is not harsh on Diana, it does not create deep shadows, but it is very soft all around her, almost blurry, but not quite, focusing the entire attention of the photo only on her. The depth of field is primarily her face and torso, the rest of the room is softly out of focus. The primary shape is Diana herself, slowly fading out into the background as she lies on the couch. In that, there is really very little sense of space, because the photo is so central to her, the space around her is not important at all.

The first thing, and only thing, you see in this photo is Diana. She is somehow larger than life, even though she is portrayed so simply. There is strong contrast in the photo, because of the lighting solely on Diana, and the contrast is interesting and almost dramatic. There is very little repletion or pattern in the work, and that is not the purpose of this photo. Nor is there much movement present, it is difficult to take your eyes off Diana, so nothing else in the room matters. There is a variety of textures in the photo, from the strong, brightly lit Diana, to the texture of her top, to the soft, out of focus background. All that adds variety and depth to the photo, which makes it more interesting and appealing. It is also balanced and unified, so the photo really captures the woman and her feeling at the moment.