Report

Sam Kaplan

Personal Background

Sam Kaplan was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He then proceeded to study at Wesleyan University. He studied art history as well as sculpture, although he learned more in his sculpture lessons. Sam Kaplan is one of the best-known photographers of still lifes. Whether it is corporate portraiture or one of his fun projects to create. He likes to take photos and always manages to get crisp, clear images of every still life he shoots. After graduating from Wesleyan University, he moved to New York, where he worked as a photographer's assistant and met the woman who would become his wife. Now, he has extended a business with the help of his wife Laura Kaplan, whom he calls a "creative engine." Sam Kaplan is now a commercial photographer with the help of his wife.

Style

Sam Kaplan has been one of the creators of modern-day art. Kaplan likes to shoot still life objects and has partnered with many brands to do that. He has paired with Budweiser, Gatorade, Google, Kraft, Men's Health, and The New York Magazine. Sam Kaplan is hired a lot to find the "Visual Solution" and "Problem Solving" for the brands that have paired with him. The article Sam Kaplan's Still Life Series said it best, "Sam Kaplan has captured everything from flowers to birthday candles, but his most interesting works are those that feature an abundance of mundane objects arranged in repetitive arrangements. His style is based around shooting still life images and what makes his work special is how he arranges his objects

Philosophy

Kaplan's work is based on beliefs. The article Art Producers Speak: Sam Kaplan, provides a quote that Kaplan has said, "Buyers want to see your voice and that comes through in work you’re passionate about" and Kaplan goes by this in all of his work. His favorite thing is being hired to show his personal opinions on projects and also being able to take into consideration how every shoot you take and produce could reach buyers. Kaplan works around shooting for himself and knows that it is very important to do so because it allows for him to be responsible and be the one in charge of his work. He and his wife have a studio in New York that has all the equipment Sam Kaplan needs to shoot motion videos and still life photography.

Influences

Sam Kaplan is one of the most influential modern-day photographers I have ever researched. Kaplan introduced another kind of photography to the world that shows how far art has come. He has created crisp, clean, and bold images that are bright, colorful, and attract the eye. When Sam Kaplan moved to New York he was able to assist artists with their shoots and ideas. He was extremely influenced by the photographers and learned about commercial photography. Kaplan says most of his inspiration comes from himself and the leadership he gives himself in his work. While researching, Sam Kaplan showed me what the future of photography can and will look like. It has also shown me how it has changed from the past history of art.

Sam Kaplan

"Peanut Butter"

Peanut pluff

Re-creating Sam Kaplan's close-up peanut was suprisingly difficult to re-create. I took this image multiple times, trying to get as close as I could get to Sam Kaplan's version of close-up peanut butter. I scooped creamy peanut butter onto a plate and used a carving utensil to make the peanut butter look glossy and movable. Sam was able to make his image look shiny, glossy, and shimmery with his cameras and editing. I took this picture on my phone and sent it to my laptop, where I edited my image on Photoshop. I adjusted the curves, brightness, contrast, and exposure. I Tried my best to replicate Sam Kaplan's image, and it turned out very nicely.

Sam Kaplan

"Pretzels"

Crunchy Critters

Sam Kaplan has a full photography studio. Having this allows him to produce this image of close-up but far-away pretzels. I chose to shoot this picture that he took because I love pretzels, they are one of my favorite snacks and are very salty. In Sam Kaplan's image, he was able to get many pretzels in the image while at the same time making it lookup close because of the detail that is in the image. I shot my image of pretzels on my phone. This allowed me to get up close, allow the detail on the pretzel to show, and try different angles until I got the closest I could to Sam Kaplan's angle. Even though my image turned out longer and not as many pretzels, I was able to arrange the pretzels into the order I wanted and edit them so the image was as bright as his. In the end, I believe I got as close as I could to Sam Kaplan's image by adding my touches to make ours relate and stand out differently.

Sam Kaplan

Peanuts

Nuts

For my third image of creating one of Sam Kaplan's many food images, I choose Peanuts. Sam shot this image with a very high-quality camera to get maximum quality and definition. Sam made his final image look like he was shooting close up but at the same time, he was able to capture many of the peanuts. I used my phone to create an image of peanuts that you can compare to Sam's. I took my picture in portrait mode which allowed me to have a lot of detail and outline of the peanuts. I then edited this image in Photoshop using adjustments. This consisted of brightening the image to make it light look like Kaplan's image and using contrast to define the image and bring out the shadows. I like how my image turned out but it was a bit difficult to take it from further away like Sam because I did not have enough peanuts that would allow me to do so.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Recreating Sam Kaplan's images was both enjoyable and challenging. His work with still-life photography requires careful attention to detail and precision in arranging everyday objects. The process was fun because it allowed me to experiment with different setups and learn new techniques. However, it was also difficult to replicate the exact patterns and arrangements Kaplan uses, as they demand a high level of patience and skill. Overall, this experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the effort and creativity involved in his art.

Sources:

1. Information about the artist:

https://aphotoeditor.com/2013/11/07/art-producers-speak-sam-kaplan/

2. More information about artist:

https://www.connectionsbylebook.com/ny2019/nominee/sam-kaplan

3. Sam Kaplan's Images:

https://thekaplans.studio/INFO/1

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