I went to the Annenberg Space for Photography today to see their latest exhibit, Helmut Netwon: White Women – Sleepless Nights – Big Nudes. The exhibit is pretty provocative, so let’s just say there’s a LOT of nudity in it.

Helmut Newton is known not only as one of the top French Vogue photographers, but also for his full nude photos of women. What’s really interesting about the nude photos he creates is that the women are not portrayed as victims but more as the aggressor. Even though the women may be in S & M style situations, they come off as strong and domineering. This is one of the main reasons why women in the 70’s and 80’s didn’t mind Helmut taking photos of them in the nude. Some famous women who have been photographed (not in the nude) by Helmut are Debra Winger, Daryl Hannah and Cindy Crawford. I did see one nude celebrity photograph in the exhibit – British actress Charlotte Rampling; it looks really classy too.

One thing I found interesting about Helmut’s style of photography is the time of day he would take photos. Most photographers are either talking about the “Golden Hour” or the “Blue Hour” for taking a good photograph. Helmut, on the other hand, would take photos between the times of 12 pm and 4 pm. That window of opportunity can cast some really harsh shadows on a subject as well as the environment the photo is being taken in. What made it work for Helmut was the basic: a strong composition. He would go out with only a light meter, one flash (for filling light), and a camera, but would come back with a photo with a great story behind it.

The exhibit is set to close on Sept. 8th, so if you get a chance, go see it.

Next up at the Annenberg is something I’m really looking forward to: The Power of Photography – National Geographic 125 Years. The exhibit opens on Oct. 26, 2013 and runs until April 27, 2014.