William H. Mortensen , who was born 125 years ago today, was deliberately ignored and reviled by the Photographic establishment because of his use of cinematic, mythic and sexual themes, props, darkroom wizardry (that made his photographs end up looking more like paintings than photos) and his twisted sense of humor..

Mortensen was arguably the last of the Pictorialists (an early movement in Photography that sought to elevate the craft to the level of Fine Art and to tackle subjects like psychology, mythology and Horror..) and a true lover of the Art of Photography and he taught many students not only his darkroom methods, but also how to compose an image and infuse it with depth (both of the psychological as well as tonal kinds!)

The much revered Ansel Adams even referred to him in correspondence as "the Antichrist" and much like the way Salieri was portrayed sabotaging Mozart in "Amadeus", Adams tried ( in many cases successfully) to snuff out Mortensens's work and legacy every chance he got (getting it removed from important collections and books and denigrating the Pictorialist genre often from the hallowed halls of his f64 group)..

I suppose this shouldn't come as a surprise (to any that have studied him at least) that Adams was a thin-skinned narcissist who wanted to define the entire genre of photography only by his narrow "Realist" interpretation of it. After all, this was the guy (Adams) who hired a PR firm to bestow the title "World's Greatest Photographer" upon himself. It has only been in recent years that Mortensen (who died in obscurity in 1965) has been rediscovered and admired by a new generation of neo-pictorialist photographers (and photo-manipulators).. and his books (which detailed his texture, composite, and psychological methods) are now being reissued and selling out editions left and right. There are also exhibitions of his work popping up in major cities around the world.

As "Amadeus" postulated, no single artist can control the fate or legacy of another in the long run.. and none of us know what future generations may rediscover and find historically significant, or more importantly - pertinent to modern times.. So I wish you - William Mortensen, a happy 125th Birthday in the eternal world of symbols and images and I hope you are looking down upon all the new accolades in your honor and occasionally turning to a seething Adams and exclaiming "See? You don't OWN this Art form.. you never did!"

**Niccolò Machiavelli by William Mortensen**

A large part of the painterly look I get in my work is achieved BEFORE the image ever makes it to my computer.

It helps to have an extensive visual vocabulary and a knowledge of classic paintings and the techniques and lighting styles that artists used (and still use) so you know exactly what it is that you are trying to achieve (for instance - study the paintings of Caravaggio for lighting effects or look at how Rembrandt rendered skin tones and facial expressions).

Selecting the right model, wardrobe and set is also crucial. (i.e.- a glamour model with a fake tan and enhanced breasts is never going to look like she stepped out of a PreRaphaelite painting..sorry!!)

And perhaps most important is the lighting. Flat studio lighting is seldom conducive for painting. The play between light and shadow is something that most master paintings depict in minute detail.

Everything done in post should be merely an enhancement and rendering of what you captured at the time of principal photography (and all of this is coming from someone who is known primarily for "post-processing", but I always set things up in such a way that my post work will be seamless and organic...)

Happy 125th Birthday William Mortensen

How to Make Your Photos Look Painterly (part 1)

The Painterly Photographer