Photography of James Latimer Allen
James Latimer Allen was a famous portrait photographer during the Harlem Renaissance and his photos helped document prominent figures of that era. The “New Negro” philosophy was emerging at that time, and African-Americans were starting to combat stereotypes and demand civil rights, refusing to accept their position in society. Many affluent African-Americans commissioned Allen to get their portrait taken, and these portraits helped highlight this “New Negro” philosophy. His subjects included Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, and Alain Locke.
With his camera, Allen sought to photograph African-Americans in a way that made them look like art, something that had rarely been done before. His photos take on a more minimal style, featuring well-dressed subjects against barren backgrounds without many props. A softer focus was also a characteristic of Allen’s photos. He used subtle indicators and complex angles to portray the subject’s personality and make the images more dynamic.
For my media project, I took a series of photographs that replicated Allen’s style, using myself as the subject. When preparing and planning the portraits, I tried thinking of objects in my room that I could use as indicators and minimal props in the photos. For the composition of the picture, I shot low and high angles and tried tilting the camera as well. When posing myself, I took inspiration from some of the subjects in Allen’s photos, thinking of how he would have had models pose at that time.
As simple as Allen’s photos may look, I found that there was a lot he took into consideration every time he brought out the camera. The tricky part for me was trying to make compelling portraits while maintaining a simple look. Sticking to such a minimal and subtle style while still trying to tell everyone’s unique story is a challenge that Allen did an excellent job of achieving.
Bibliography
“ART; Of the Plight of Workers, Portraits with Evanescence,” The New York Times, March 14, 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/14/nyregion/art-of-the-plight-of-workers-portraits-with-evanescence.html
“Biography of James Latimer Allen,” Artprice.com, December 1, 2021, https://www.artprice.com/artist/213879/james-latimer-allen/biography
Lisa Farrington, African-American Art: A Visual and Cultural History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017), 142