Linda McCartney Photography Research Project

1. What is the photographer’s real name and year he or she was born? Is he/she still alive?

Linda Mccartney, born September 24. 1941 (born Linda Louise Eastman)

Died April 17, 1998. (not alive)

2. What is their style of photography (ex: photojournalism, editorial, documentary, advertising, portraits, magazine, sports, war)?

Had a range of photos, including family, music, social commentary and nature. Known for photographing musicians in the 60’s. Does a lot of portraits as well

3. Are there any special photography techniques this photographer uses in his/her work?  (Think about composition, depth of field, history…)

Linda seems to use depth of field frequently in her photos. She captures a lot of emotion and interesting features. She has told several others that she just goes for the photo; instead of thoroughly thinking about it.

4. Who does/did the photographer work for?

At first, she worked for the Town and Country magazine, as a receptionist. She was then able to take pictures of the Rolling Stones, which launched her career in order to be a rock photographer. She also became an unofficial house photographer at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East concert hall. 

5. What type of cameras and lens does this photographer work with, and why?

She was known to use a brand name 35mm cameras with brand name lenses and film. For her first photos, she used a Pentax to shoot the Rolling Stones. She has also been seen with a Nikon F2, but as a lot of photographers, she used many types. She also used many high quality Leica cameras. 

6. What type of lighting does this photographer primarily use and why?

She primarily uses natural light, because she says if you focus too much on light meters you may miss the perfect photograph. It is also the best source available for most of her photography.

7. Who are some of your photographer’s early influences?

She was romantically associated with a ma named David Dalton, who is a professional photographer. This inspired her to do her own shoots, and launched an interest for photography. 

8. Are there any interesting stories about this photographer or his/her work?

She was married to Paul Mccartney, member of the Beatles. She was aired on an episode of the Simpsons, and once turned down a chance to play with the Smiths. 

She passed away due to breast cancer. 

My Thoughts:

1. I love Linda’s photography for many reasons. She simply catches so much emotion and small detail in ease. She seeks for interesting subjects and people and never fails to find the perfect shot. Her technique is also great, she knows what she is doing and is good at what she does. I also enjoy looking at her portraits, they are always filled with interesting people and scenes. 
2. I selected this photographer because I recognized her as Paul McCartney’s wife. This caught my eye because I love the Beatles’ music and she is known for music photography. That is something I am very interested in and I look forward to researching her. 
3. My first reaction to Linda’s photography was very exciting. I love old photos from past decades; and she does music/celebrity photography. I recognized the people in the photos and that made me want to research her even more. I love the roughness of her photos and the details in them. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
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