Rankin

Rankin is a London based photographer who focuses on the creative aspect of his images, ensuring that each and every one of them is different and unique. He has photographed many famous celebrities, just for portraits, or for magazine or film covers. Some of my favourites are the individual portraits of certain celebrities he has done, as each bring an aspect of the subjects personality into the frame, meaning that the photo can not be replicated with the same intense emotion or atmosphere as it would just be a model wearing someone else personality as a front. These are a couple of my favourites.


From https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/121949102383352090/
Rankin's photograph of Mark Strong.

This image of Mark Strong could show how many of the characters he plays come across as imposing and how they are very dominant within the storyline. It's a very dramatic photograph, using natural lighting as well as a flash of some sort - this can be seen by the little white squares in his eyes that are the reflections of the flash going off. The combination of the two means that although the subject stands out, the background is still visible, in this case the backdrop is an atmospheric cloudy sky. The black and white filter only exaggerates the dramatics of the photo as it adds more contrast. By shooting from a low angle, Rankin has given the impression that the subject is bigger than in reality, perhaps to add to the imposing effect.



From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/5926066/Rankin-Live-and-Shoot-Me-Rankin-a-retrospective-of-the-fashion-photographer.html?image=2
Rankin's photograph of Queen Elizabeth II.

What immediately draws your attention in this image is the background of the United Kingdom flag. It's significance in the photo is to remind you of the subjects link to the UK as well as including a patriotic feel to the image. This is a normal posed smiling shot, as most people know who the Queen is and what she looks like, meaning that a specific and unusual pose may not have been needed. The lighting is subtle, without leaving large shadows across the subjects face and clothing, and seems to be coming from in front of her. This illuminates all of her features clearly for the viewer to see. It could also indicate how the Queen is used to being photographed often and does not shy away from the light and flash of the cameras.