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Wednesday, March 9, 2022

John Paignton Barrington Day


No one will ever accuse English photographer John Paignton Barrington of being a perfectionist.  He was know for sloppy work, especially when it came to developing and cropping his photos.  As you will see today, he still managed to turn out some great images of males.  I still haven't decided if he liked to use his equipment as props, or was just too lazy to crop it out.  I'm pretty sure in that in the case of this photo of Andreas Georges, however, the inclusion was entirely intentional.  It works.

 

12 comments:

  1. It's not the clearest example, but thanks for The Shadow! I agree that the inclusion of the tripod was intentional...and it DOES work!

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  2. You're right about Barrington not being a perfectionist, Jerry. He was certainly no Pat Milo or Doug Juleff. None of which is to downplay his role as a key figure in physique photography in the U.K. and Europe. He got to photograph some great looking models, including Andreas Georges who he describes in his diary as THE MOST PHYSICALLY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG MAN I HAVE EVER SEEN (his capitals).

    Peter

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    1. Yes, Paignton was an important figure and deserves to be recognized for his pioneering nude work.

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  3. For a good read, find a copy of Physique: The Life of John S. Barrington from Rupert Smith. It's a look inside the life of an eccentric male physique photographer who never got the respect he so much wanted from his "peers".

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion, James. Right now I'm plodding through a ponderous biography of George Platt Lynes full of obsessive and not particularly interesting details.

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    2. I've just finished the Lynes biography and have to say that I found it ponderous as well. Too much obsessive (and often dull) detail, too many notes and not enough photographs.

      I mentioned that I was lucky enough to get a secondhand copy of Rupert Smith's biography of Barrington last year. This is a much better book. Easy to read but well written and quite detailed and includes a great selection of photos. Long out of print but well worth keeping an eye out for.

      Peter

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    3. So it wasn't just me. I knew I was in trouble when I saw the huge volume of notes.

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  4. He looks like my dad (died 20 years old)

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  5. Rather a good one. Amazing waist and a very cheeky expression.

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  6. Watch "Rupert Smith - Beefcake and Dripping" on YouTube
    https://youtu.be/JyoXqoh1ac4

    Found this - thought it might interest you

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    1. Wow! Thank you so much for sharing that. I will probably include that link in my next Barrington series.

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