Photo History Assignment

Oregon Coast, 1939 by Edward Weston

Edward Weston (1886-1958) was an American photographer that began photographing at the age of 16 after he recieved a Bull's Eye #2 camera from his father. Weston's first photographs were of parks in Chicago and his aunt's farm. Realizing the need for formal training, in 1908 Weston attended the Illinois College of Photography. After completing the courses, he was employed as a retoucher at the George Steckel Portrait Studio in Los Angeles. In 1909, Weston moved on to the Louis A. Mojoiner Portrait Studio as a photographer and demonstrated his abilities with lighting and posing. About three years later, Weston opened his own portrait studio in Tropico, California where this would be his base of operation for the next two decades. During this time he had won many awards for his pictures. In 1926, he moved back to California and won more awrads while experimenting with natural forms, close-ups, nudes, and landscapes.

In Edward Weston's photograph, Oregon Coast, I see the horizon. Where the ocean goes on forever. The waves coming in and the light that reaches them.

This layout of an ocean is great. It has all the black and white seem to make it more dramatic. The light from the sun is the only light there is and makes the water shine.

I think Weston did this piece to show where he has been too and how many great simple places there are. There is a bigger world out there and you should go see it, just like Weston.

This photograph to me is just another photograph, maybe because I've seen the ocean before and it's just not intresting to me. To other people it might be "wow," because they've never seen something like this and they want to see more of it. I wouldn't change this picture at all because it has great value to poeple who don't see this in everyday life and he wants to keep their spirits up.