Bernice Abbott photographed New York City in a straight style, which means no special effects, lenses or persepectives. New York city in itself is a beautiful subject, full of activity, character, history, and an energy I have never experienced anywhere else (not that I have experienced that much, I'm still young!). Abbott got a job with Man Ray, a famous portrait photographer, and learned about portrait photograph. Her realistic portraits set her apart from others and she soon became a famous portrait photographer as well.
Abbott's common thread in her work is the straightforward, almost journalistic style. I really admire her ability to not manipulate anything in a shot and still create something so beautiful. She never told her subjects what to wear. She used simple backgrounds and little manipulated light. Her pictures display the truth. Her portraits really frame the personality of the subject, because they are as they want to be.
This is one of my favorite of Bernice Abbott's photographs. The man's posture (Eugene Aget, who actually died a few days later) creates and interesting and unusual triangle. The difference in color between the left and right side of the background also creates and interesting texture.
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