Researched Photographers – Lennette Netwell

About this photographerLennette Netwell is an American fine art photographer. She has an extensive body of work that extends from portraiture, to landscapes to exotic animals. She has a very mature, recognizable style to her work, which often has a very editorial feel about it. She has won countless international awards and has exhibited her work all over the world.

Why have I picked this photographer?Though Netwell’s work is arguably nothing like what I might shoot myself, there are elements of her work that I can see reflected in my own maturing style. She has an extensive body work that I find very inspiring and visually interesting. Her work is flawless and her attention to detail cannot go unmentioned – these are all things I strive for in my own work. Netwell often works with the body in different ways to create unusual effects what translated into the final photo, and her concepts are something that stands out from other photographers I have previously looked at. My project of choice is ‘representation of human figure’ and I think her work fits into this category well and has provide me a good foundation for inspiration in broadening my own portfolio of work.

This first image that I found see both the owl and the model being photographed. I like the flawless white skin of the model and how this has contrasted against the soft looking feathers of the owl. With the model being totally white she stands out from the background and still has a dominant role in the photo over the owl as her pose and expression is strong. She is making eye contact with the camera and this has provide a focal point for the viewer; the owl on the other hand, although a very striking animal, is not making eye contact with the camera and this has ensured the focus in the photo is balanced. Although I am personally not fond of the background that has been used, the different tones have worked well in breaking the robust red colour up and making it softer. The red colour however has made a nice contrast with the white used on the model and you can really see the shape of her body clearly. I love the effect that has been used on the models eyes to make them look like that of the owls. I think the concept behind this photo is using the human to represent the owl – the owl has a lot of meaning

in itself, supposedly being a wise, majestic animal, and I like how Netwell has direct her model so to get the same kind of effect from the model too.

Animal photography is not something that I have considered before, but the majority of Netwell’s work contains animals – this made me this about how I could incorporate animals into my own project. This photo of the cat stood out to me as the cat looks like he has a shocked and confused expression on his face – it reminds me more a facial expression a human would pull. I like the green background and how it has really made the

cat’s eyes stand out (this immediately draws the eye toward it), and how it has contrasted beautifully against the brown fur of the cat and added more shape to the photo. The photo looks like it has been taken in a raw environment, but the only other shapes in the photo are straight lines and this again has made the curves of the cat stand out against the rest of the photo. I think it interesting and not a coincidence that the photo next to the cat is of a bird, one of the cats prey. This has made the cat look even more superior in comparison to the small bird in the photo that kind of fades away into the image – the bird is also pointing in the direction of the cat this again draws attention to the cat as the eye wanders here.

This third photo I found is a bit more like something I would shoot. I love the idea of doing the model up in makeup to make her look like the zebra she is being photographed with. I find this photo very visually interesting and it really catches my attention. I like the high fashion, editorial feel the photo has. The background is different in this photo as more the natural environment of the zebra instead of a sterile studio background. I normally don’t like this but I think here it has work well and I like the way the sun from behind has balanced out the photo and provide a focal point, which allows the eye to drift easily from the zebra and model. Some of the colour has been taken out of the photo and this has really made the black and white stripes stand out. The model is imitating the stance of the zebra and I like how there is not eye contact with the camera from either subjects, and instead a connection between them in the photo. The concept of this piece, I think, is similar to that of the first photo I looked at, where the model is representing the animal using her body and expression. I also think this image could a deeper meaning, such

humans becoming one with animals – the idea is really open to opinion.

Here is another animal photograph that I love! – It’s so cute! This photo caught my attention as I feel it looks at my project in reverse, as the animal here kind of looks like it is taking on the pose/stance of a human, in turn representing the human figure. I always think photos in black and white contain more emotion and feeling and this is something present in this photo too. The monkey is not making eye contact with the camera but the lighting in being cast down on his face, highlighting his eyes and the lighter colour of his fur and this draws the eyes attention and creates a focal point in the photo. I think Netwell has a real talent where it comes to conducting her shoots, especially when working with animals, as the photos always look flawless. I think this photo looks very raw and natural. The dark background has let part of the monkeys shape become visible against it but the lighting has stopped this happening completely – I think the above lighting has worked well though and lets the photo fade in together seamlessly.

InfluenceLooking at Netwell’s work has definitely made me consider my own and how I can expand my body of work. Some elements of here are so very much like mine, but she is much more explorative and this has made me consider how I could develop my maturing style so far. She does a lot of work with animals and this got me thinking about how I could incorporate animals into my work project of representation of human figure.

SummaryNetwell’s work has definitely influenced me in a positive way and I think this influence will be carried into my project. I mostly focus my work around portraiture but Netwell looks at fine art photography in so many different ways and forms it has brought my attention to my own work and the precise detail that goes into it. It has made me think about my own work in a different light and how this will help me to expand my recognizable my style of photography.