Anyone familiar with Platon's work?

[danny_liao]

Does anyone know what kind of wide angle lens Platon's uses? What

focal length? I know it's hard to tell with photographs but I figure

I try anyway.

 

Here are some samples of Platon's images.

 

http://www.platonphoto.com/virtualportfolio/portaits/FrameSet.htm

 

Thanks

[kevin_hundsnurscher]

So far, he's neglected to mention any focal lengths in his interviews.

[troyammons]

I am not familiar with his work, but to me it looks like he is using wide angle lens for a lot of shots. A few look very wide.

[Troll]

I never heard of him, but from your samples I presume that he's some kind of celebrity chaser. If it's true that a phographer actually makes pictures of himself then he must depressed as hell. Why would anyone pose for him?

[jfk]

Here's part of your answer.

 

http://www.hasselblad.se/news/newsItem.asp?secId=224&itemId=3337

 

He uses a hasselblad for his photos.

[jim_thompson6]

I haven't seen any of photographic work, but his dialogues are quite good. Heraclitus, on the other hand....

 

Jim

[xcapekey.com]

i thought he used a hassy swc

[benjamin_lineberry]

Wide angle lens (full body) or standard lens + gray backdrop + heavy dodging in the center or burning in the corners = Planton portrait

[w_t1]

I guess if you have just one name, you gotta be good...

[mark_gatehouse]

"I never heard of him, but from your samples I presume that he's some kind of celebrity chaser. If it's true that a phographer actually makes pictures of himself then he must depressed as hell. Why would anyone pose for him?"

 

Actually I think it's the other way around - the celebrities all want to be photogrpahed by Platon

[danny_liao]

Platon is a famous celebrity portrait photographer. Some even compare his portraits to the likes of Avedon. To me that's a little bit far fetched, but some do. To me his portraits are beautiful, even with the wide angle distortions and the exaggerated dodging and burning.

 

BTW Bill, I have no idea what you are talking about.

[tim_atherton9]

"If it's true that a phographer actually makes pictures of himself then he must depressed as hell. Why would anyone pose for him?"

 

Note to self - cancel that portrait session with Rembrandt, he may be too depressed.

 

Oh and the one with Dickie Avedon...

[tim_atherton9]

CNN kept running a piece on Platon over the Xmas hols.

 

Interesting, intriguing, and like most of his peers - an ego to match most of his subjects... :-)

[ellis_vener_photography]

His work sort of reminds me of a a cross breeding of Albert watson & either the late herb

Ritts or Matthew Rolston -- with maybe a touch of very early Avedon in a consciously silly

mode, but to me has absolute zero in common with any of Avedon's styles from the mid

1950s onward -- so much of it looks contrived, especially combined with that over burned

vignetting look. I like how he gets people you wouldn't expect to be playful -- like G. H. W.

Bush -- to crack their public shell.

[tim_atherton9]

"I like how he gets people you wouldn't expect to be playful -- like G. H. W. Bush -- to crack their public shell."

 

according to his CNN interview for the Clinton shot (left)

 

http://www.platonphoto.com/virtualportfolio/portaits/images/i.jpg

 

After they had been working for a while he figured what he was lookign for and said "Can you show me the love Mr. President?" - CLinton's aides groaned "oh oh you can ask him that" But CLinto said "no no guys I know what he means" and adopted the pose.

 

It's a pretty good summation of a certain view of Clinton (and presumably Clintons view of himself) and takes a certain sort of nerve combined with confidence to get I think

[tim hyde]

To call him a "celebrity chaser" is dismissive and wrong. I think his portrait work is superior and more creative than anything else being done right now anywhere in the world. His book, PLATON'S REPUBLIC, is incredible (now in paper I think so take a look at it). He provides an entertaining hand-written narrative with each image, so you know HOW he got Bush 41 to give the now-famous victory sign or Clinton to spead his legs for a crotch shot, and so on. I'm usually not much of a fan of celebrity portraits, but this guy is in another class altogether.

[pole_carter]

He uses a hassleblaad fish eye (penis extension for a small man/penis/large ego)

[jerrard_moore]

Met him last night in New York at a discussion he gave about his work. He came across extremely well. Self-deprecating and extremely personable. You can see how he gets inside the subject he shoots even when he only has about 10 minutes with him.

 

As already mentioned, he uses a Hasselblad with a fisheye lens and these days he scans his negs and does the vignetting and burning in Photoshop to give that distinctive look to his photos.

 

Also does a lot of documentary styly photos using a couple of old Leicas from the 50's. He says that he doesn't like digital because it is not good enough yet.

[nathaniel_wood]

I have just discovered platon. I am really interested in his work. I think he is absolutely amazing. His b&w photos are just impeccable. Does any know how he gets his images so sharp? I am assuming just a simple unsharp mask but you never know.