Jacques Henri Lartigue’s Photography Work Photography

Photography: Jacques-Henri Lartigue's Photography Work

Jacques-Henri Lartigue's Photography Work: Photography

Jacques-Henri Lartigue's Photography Work

Jacques-Henri Lartigue's success as a photographer was due in part, to his prowess and skill in painting; however, we cannot deny the fact that the honesty, passion and realism that come out quite clearly in his works also had a hand in propelling him to glory. The subsequent subsections detail the strategies that he used to achieve this.

One of the fundamental elements of photography is to communicate crucial aspects of culture to the intended audience. Lartigue concentrates his photography on one specific of element of culture -- family. From a very early age, he uses his photography to stress the importance of family -- he includes in his earliest portfolios unadulterated snapshots of family outings, some of his older brother's inventions, and the happiness and satisfaction that one derived from being around family. He captures his family taking part in sporting events, on the beach and on racetracks; and goes out of his way to show the joy and amusement that comes with such engagement. This basically helps to make his works relevant to the specific cultural and social contexts within which they are required to apply.

A quick glimpse at Lartigue's works reveals that he is focused on capturing the freedom and joy of everyday life and does not allow himself to be limited by professional techniques and mannerisms. He seems more interested in just capturing the moment at its prime and worries less about the technicalities involved. He is able to capture a diver just before he touches the water surface and people's fleeting movements at their highest point during a jump. This spontaneity tells one thing about Lartigue's character as a photographer -- he appreciates the randomness and spontaneity that characterizes photography moments, and ensures that he has his camera in hand at all times to capture it all.

Whereas his photographs of everyday movement appear unplanned and candid, his portraits appear thought out and properly structured (Ingledew). Most of them appear directed and posed, which gives them a certain degree of intimacy that is inherently lacking in his everyday snapshots. One such snap is the one he captured of his wife, Madeline, coquettishly staring at the camera as she sat on the toilet seat on their wedding night. Another perfect portrait in this regard is the one where he has his model emerged in a water tub save for her hands and face. I am of the opinion that Lartigue's frequent portraiture of women was geared at demonstrating the quietude of the female species. Whatever, the reason, Lartigue perfectly demonstrates that life is a cycle characterized by alternating situations, some joyous and others requiring seriousness.