Chef (A), New York, 1951
Irving Penn did a series of portraits dedicated to small trade workers during the 1950’s. This portrait is of a New York chef in uniform holding the tools of his trade, a meat fork, and a large pot. Attached to his waistband is a large knife held up by the strings of his apron. I think the portrait is effective because while the chef is clearly not in the kitchen, his posture and his facial expression convey the idea that he loves what he does. Additionally, the lighting creates a dramatic shadow on half of the subject which not only drew my attention to the photo but I also find atypical in studio portrait shots.
Penn, I. (1951). Small trades. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://irvingpenn.org/small-trades
Yes, many of his portraits have dramatic shadows like this unlike other studio photographs that use a reflective light source that soften the shadow. Good observation.