danny_liao Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Does anyone know what kind of wide angle lens Platon's uses? Whatfocal length? I know it's hard to tell with photographs but I figureI try anyway. Here are some samples of Platon's images. http://www.platonphoto.com/virtualportfolio/portaits/FrameSet.htm Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin_hundsnurscher Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 So far, he's neglected to mention any focal lengths in his interviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troyammons Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfk Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Here's part of your answer. http://www.hasselblad.se/news/newsItem.asp?secId=224&itemId=3337 He uses a hasselblad for his photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_thompson6 Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 I haven't seen any of photographic work, but his dialogues are quite good. Heraclitus, on the other hand.... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcapekey.com Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 i thought he used a hassy swc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjamin_lineberry Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Wide angle lens (full body) or standard lens + gray backdrop + heavy dodging in the center or burning in the corners = Planton portrait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_t1 Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 I guess if you have just one name, you gotta be good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_gatehouse Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny_liao Posted January 4, 2005 Author Share Posted January 4, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_atherton9 Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 "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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_atherton9 Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 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... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_atherton9 Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim hyde Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pole_carter Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 He uses a hassleblaad fish eye (penis extension for a small man/penis/large ego) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerrard_moore Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathaniel_wood Posted December 25, 2007 Share Posted December 25, 2007 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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