TONI FRISSELL HIGH FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

Toni Frissell was a very inspirational and famous fashion photographer; she was one of the most successful female photographers as well as one of the first documented to this day. She was born as Antoinette Frissell in New York City, 1907 and passed away in 198 8. In 1925, Toni graduated from Miss Porter's School, Farmington, Connecticut. Toni learned a lot about working with the camera from her older brother Varick Frissell, who was a documentary filmmaker. Varick Frissell worked for Cecil Beaton (famous English fashion photographer), and introduced Toni. Toni then became an apprentice to Cecil Beaton, which led her to do photography for “Vogue”. Toni was the first woman photographer at “Vogue” on the staff. From that time forward, after all of her experience with Cecil Beaton and everything she learned, she showed her talents through her photographs. Toni’s first photographs, the series called “Beauties at Newport,” were published in “Town” and “Country” in 1931. Her fashion photographs began to appear often in the magazines “Vogue”, “Town” and “Country”. Toni did commercial and fashion photography. Toni was married Francis McNeill "Mac" Bacon the third in 1932. In 1933, she had a son whom she named Varick, and in 1935 she had a daughter whom she named Sidney. Toni also did work at “Harpers Bazaar” and later she did volunteer photography with the American Red Cross, the Women’s Army Corps, and the Eighth Army Air Force during World War two. Toni captured many images from WWII, of nurses, soldiers, and many more photographs to help record the costumes during this time. As Toni’s career began to evolve into a success she was commissioned by “Gulf Oil”,” Life” and many other corporations. In 1968, Tony was the only woman in a large list of photographers participating in the "Man in Sport" exhibition, in Baltimore's Museum of Art. Toni had created a lovely reputation of herself, with her photographs only appearing in the top magazines. Instead of using studio lights, Toni took her models outside to natural settings even though they were dressed in furs or evening gowns. Toni was a very creative photographer, bending the guidelines and always breaking new ground; she brought a new, refreshing, and cutting- edge American style to her fashion photographs. Toni had also taken informal portraits of the famous and powerful people in the United States and Europe, including Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, and John and Jacqueline Kennedy on their wedding day. Toni had later decided to donate her massive collection of photographs to a library, recording her unique and authentic photography techniques during her career over forty years. Her photograph collection contained approximately 270,000 black-and-white negatives, 42,000 color transparencies, 25,000 enlargement prints, and not all of these photographs had not been used nor processed for public use. In my opinion Toni is an amazing and dedicated photographer, I love her style, how she brings the images to life with the setting, lightening, action and spirit. I think her photography and her photographs will forever be famous and remembered, some of the photographs taken by Toni Frissell are unique beautiful shots that you could never get back or replace. I can now say she is one of my favorite photographers.

TONI FRISSELL HIGH FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

Wednesday 8 February 2012

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