This photo of Eric Ryder by Don Whitman of Western Photography Guild does not conform to Mr. Whitman's usual style, but I have seen it attributed to him by two reputable sources.
I find it to be quite artistic with the soft focus actually adding to the appeal.
Oh wow...this is utterly lovely...
ReplyDeleteYes, quite remarkable.
DeleteBeautifully posed too. Neat the way he has a support that sticks out for his left hand. Removing awkwardness that you can get with this type of pose.
DeleteThe quality of a print is not necessarily an indication of the age of the negative, but I wonder if this spectacular pose wasn't inspired by some of the artistic late Victorian, early Edwardian male nudes that were common before censorship clamped down.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Many physique photographers of Don Whitman's era were inspired by the late 19th and early 20th C. nude photos you mention, and those in turn were often inspired by 19th Century academic art works. It all ties together.
DeleteHello again, I'll send you a much better quality version of this photo, for all of us to admire.
ReplyDeleteGot it, thank you! I think I may save the better copy for a future series of side by side versions of the same images, but with different levels of quality. This is just one of a number of examples in my collection. It might give an interesting perspective on how print quality, print preservation and/or scanning resolution affect what we see today.
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