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Alexey Brodovitch Biography

Graphic Designer

Alexey Brodovitch was a Russian-born American graphic designer whose work at Harper's Bazaar magazine had a profound impact on fashion and graphic design in the mid-20th century.

May Today Fashion Tomorrow Cliche

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“Imitation is the greatest danger of the young [artist].”

Young Artist Danger Imitation Young Artists

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“If you see something you have seen before, don't click the shutter.”

Ifs Photography Clicks Shutters

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“The best way to achieve surprise quality is by avoiding cliches.”

Way Quality Achieve Surprise Best Way Avoiding Cliche

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“There is no recipe for good layout, what must be maintained is a feeling of change and contrast. A layout man should be simple with good photographs. He should perform acrobatics when the pictures are bad.”

Men Should Feelings Simple Photograph Contrast Recipes Layout Acrobatics

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“If you know yourself, you are doomed.”

Ifs Knows Doomed Know Yourself

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“The public is being spoiled by good technical quality photographs in magazines, on television, in the movies, and they have become bored. The disease of our age is this boredom and a good photographer must successfully combat it. The only way to do this is by invention - by surprise.”

Way Age Quality Television Disease Surprise Photographer Photograph Invention Magazines Bored Boredom Combat Spoiled Being Spoiled

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“Astonish me! (Instruction to photographers)”

Photographer Instruction

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“When the novice photographer starts taking pictures, he carries his camera about and shoots everything that interests him. There comes a time when he must crystallize his ideas and set off in an particular direction. He must learn that shooting for the sake of shooting is dull and unprofitable.”

Ideas Interest Particular Photography Cameras Photographer Sake Shooting Dull Carrie There Comes A Time Taking Pictures Novices

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“The personality and style of a photographer usually limits the type of subject with which he deals best. For example Cartier-Bresson is very interested in people and in travel; these things plus his precise feeling for geometrical relationships determine the type of pictures he takes best. What is of value is that a particular photographer sees the subject differently. A good picture must be a completely individual expression which intrigues the viewer and forces him to think.”

“The photograph is not only a pictorial report; it is also a psychological report. It represents the feelings and point of view of the intelligence behind the camera.”

Feelings Views Behinds Photography Cameras Photograph Point Of View Psychological Reports Pictorial

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“When I say that a good picture has surprise quality or shock appeal, I do not mean that it is a loud or vulgar picture but, instead, that it stimulates my thinking and intrigues me.”

Thinking Mean Quality Photography Surprise Appeals Loud Shock Vulgar Intrigue

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“Surprise quality can be achieved in many ways. It may be produced by a certain stimulating geometrical relationship between elements in the picture or through the human interest of the situation photographed or by calling our attention to some commonplace but fascinating thing we have never noticed before or it can be achieved by looking at an everyday thing in a new interesting way.”

“It is every photographer's responsibility to discover new images and a new personal way of looking at things. If he can do this his pictures will command attention and have surprise quality.”

Ifs Way Can Do Attention Quality Responsibility Photography Surprise Photographer Command

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“Outstanding past work in photography, and in fact in all the arts, is very important to today's photographers. But it should be used for inspiration and not for imitation. These works should be something to be built upon, not to be repeated.”

Should Art Important Facts Inspiration Today Past Used Photography Art Is Built Photographer Imitation Outstanding

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“Photographers should make three or four prints from one negative and then crop them differently. When I was art director at Harper's Bazaar and at several agencies as a consultant, young photographers would bring me their portfolios and all the prints would be in the same standard proportions, either for the Leica or the Rolleiflex. Many times, by limiting themselves in this way, they missed the true potentialities of their photographs.”

“It is the end result that counts.”

Ends Results Photography End Results

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“It is the photographer's decision at the two levels of seeing the picture - when it is shot and when it is chosen and printed that determines his personal style.”

Two Decision Levels Seeing Style Photography Shots Photographer Determine Chosen Printed Personal Style

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“It is the unexpected and the surprise quality of a personal vision, rather than the emotion, which make people respond to a photograph.”

People Emotion Quality Vision Photography Surprise Photograph Unexpected Personal Vision

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“What is of value is that a particular photographer sees the subject differently than I do. A good picture must be a completely individual expression which intrigues the viewer and forces him to think.”

Thinking Values Individual Force Subjects Particular Expression Photography Photographer Viewers Intrigue Individual Expression

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

“The creative life of the commercial photographer is like the life of a butterfly. Very seldom do we see a photographer who is really productive for more than eight or ten years.”

Years Creative Ten Photographer Eight Productive Butterfly Creative Life

Author:Alexey Brodovitch

About the Author

Born: 1898
Died: April 15, 1971
Known for: Graphic Designer
Quotes: 21

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