Photographer analysis

1. MARIO TESTINO

2. Mario Testino is a fashion and portrait photographer. Testino was born and raised in Lima and he attended
the Catholic school Santa Maria Marianistas. As a child he wanted to grow up to be a priest but went to
University when he grew up to study economics. However, in 1976 he went to London to study
photography and abandoned the his studying of economics and law. He studied photography whilst he was
on apprenticeships for Paul Nugent and John Vickers and it was from here that he first tried to be a
photographer. Testino used his childhood to find inspiration for his work and his first work appeared in
Vogue 1983. Now, Mario Testino is one of the most famous fashion and portrait photographers in the
world and uses A-list stars, supermodels, musicians, artists and sometimes people he meets when he is
travelling. His work is usually featured in magazines such as Vogue and Vanity fair and many other popular
fashion magazines.

4. The main focus of this image is both the man and the dog. The close up framing conveys more
power and superiority and the deep focus ensures that you look at both the man and the dog in
this image. We only see the top half of the man and the head of the dog due to it being a close
up. We immediately assume a connection between the two because they are together and both
having the same sort of expression and mood. The positioning of the two subjects seems as if
they are roaring which contributes to the sense of danger and power. A fast shutting speed is
used here, this is because the photographer will continuously take pictures of the subjects as
they are moving, this is called a quick snap. The man is looking directly at the camera with a
stern expression on his face which also gives us the impression he is a serious character with
confidence. The lighting is bright which gives the impression of openness and confidence but
the dark clothing which the man is wearing and the grey background being shown is also giving
the theme of seriousness as well.

6. The main focus in this image is the two women in the foreground of the picture. The rule of
thirds is used because they are across the middle of the photograph so the audiences attention
is directed towards the two women. The shallow focus is used to show that the two girls are the
main subject of the picture however, the t-shirts on the left side of the image are not blurred
but are behind them which illustrates an importance of them without distracting the audience
from the two main subjects. The medium close up which is used allows the audience to see the
stand which gives a small insight into the meaning of the picture without distracting them away
from the main focus of the image. The angle of the photograph is at a standard height which
may suggest the normality of the two women in the photograph. The subjects are darkly lit and
the majority of the photograph is dark which creates an image that the women are behaving
mischievously or being devious in some way. They are both positioned next to each other but
the two subjects have different expressions on their faces. A fast shutting speed is used here,
this is because the photographer will continuously take pictures of the subjects as they are
moving, this is called a quick snap. The girl on the right looks as though she is shocked as if she
has been caught doing something she shouldn’t whereas the other woman is a contrast to her
and seems more calm and relaxed.

8. The main focus of the picture is Prince William and his wife, Catherine Middleton. A close up is
used in this image by capturing just the two main subjects because Testino wanted the audience
to focus on them and nothing else in the image because they are important people. The
importance of the subjects is further emphasised by the image being a shallow focus so the
attention is on William and Catherine. The rule of thirds is used because they are directly in the
centre so the attention is directed to the subjects and this is the first thing that the audience
would see. The lighting is bright by using the natural light from the windows to give a positive
and happy atmosphere. If the lighting was dark then it wouldn’t be a happy image but a
negative one. They are both positioned together embracing and smiling to suggest that they are
a happy couple to the audience and content in their marriage.