Black and White Photography Project

Lola Álvarez Bravo

James Van Der Zee

Lola Álvarez Bravo (April 3, 1903 – July 31, 1993) was a Mexican photographer and a key figure in the post-revolution Mexican renaissance. Known for her high level of skill in composition, her works were seen by her peers as fine art.

James Van Der Zee (June 29, 1886 – May 15, 1983) was an African-American photographer best known for his portraits of black New Yorkers. He was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Aside from the artistic merits of his work, he produced the most comprehensive documentation of the period.

Both Lola Álvarez Bravo and James Van Der Zee are the leading figure at the time period they both produce high quaility work, and they are both invloved in the history of renaissance and revolutions. Both of them contribute great effeort setting up each photo's point of view and set up, both of them have master degree of skills in composition.

Lola Álvarez Bravo and James Van Der Zee have differences, as they each build their artrist characterstic, they development in different directions, Lola Álvarez Bravo was one of the most important artist in Mexico, her work has spready widely inside the region of Mexico, contribute and deeply influenced or influenced by the culture, differ than James Van Der Zee, as an African American Artist, his work is widely accepted inside New York. Their regions are different and their work are influenced differently

For Lola Álvarez Bravo, her image is very influencial, and her photo tend to focus on different people in Mexico to reflect the everyday life in Renassiance period, she use a lot of rules of third, and strong central focus, a lot of good composition that can grab my attention real quick and her central point is very clear on the character.

For James Van Der Zee, his image shows the similar idea going from a perspective of a New Yorker, his image focus on a lot of higher classment, we can see a lot of histortical mark and it can take us back to the age just by looking at the picture, definitely some great photos.