David LaChapelle is an incredible and modern photographer. It combines celebrity with the bizarre. His photography is unique, sexually charged and provides a unique insight into the people you see in the media today. I chose an article from American Photo, May/June 2003, as the basis for my research paper on David LaChapelle. The magazine has a nice design. The print is easy to read and the topic titles are always visible. You won't turn a page or have to take a minute to figure out what's happening on that page. Although there are many advertisements in the magazine, I suppose one should expect no less; they are mainly ads from companies in the photography industry and the like. This issue is still full of articles, starting with a page on Henri Cartier-Bresson. As I flip through American Photo, I finally come across an article about “The 25 Most Important Photographers Now.” There's a nice introduction on the first page, about what this article is about, and in the bottom left corner it starts with the first photographer on the list, Gilles Bensimon. The article has a nice layout, including a photo of each photographer and their name at the top or bottom, and each photographer also has a good-sized paragraph about themselves. Many, many pages in the "top 25", David LaChapelle finally appears. The bottom half of the page shows LaChapelle's photograph, "Facial", taken for Vogue Italia in 2001 ("David LaChapelle"). The paragraph written about him begins with a self-explanation of his photography: "My photos are escapism. For me, photos are fantasies. At the same time, they are a document of our time." The article goes on to explain his photography in more detail, and basically right down to… the center of the card… plays an important role. The scheme increases the absurdity of the two girls; their expressions are both totally different. It's actually really hard to say what exactly this image is supposed to be about, but I guess I love all the colors and the beauty of the photograph as a whole. The use of color is an important aspect in David LaChapelle's photography. Use saturation to a very high degree. To the point of making his photography seem almost dreamlike. I think it's beautiful and I love the bright colors she uses. Even though he uses a lot of computer manipulation, I think LaChapelle's photography shows a stark honesty throughout his photography. It still shows what's real, but it dramatizes it and throws it in your face. Overall, David LaChapelle is a wonderful photographer and obviously continues to develop his skills as an artist..