Gold Lamé Shoes for Harper's Bazaar

1935, printed later

Gold Lamé Shoes for Harper's Bazaar, 1935, printed later. Ilse Bing (American, 1899–1998). Gelatin silver print; image: 24 x 30.2 cm (9 7/16 x 11 7/8 in.); paper: 28.1 x 35.3 cm (11 1/16 x 13 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg 2020.292 © Estate of Ilse Bing Although the 35mm Leica was associated with candid photography, Bing used it in the studio to create staged still lifes of shoes, jewelry, handbags, and belts. Accustomed to using available light, Bing had to master artificial lighting. Preferring a natural look, she avoided bright spots and deep shadows in favor of gently modeled highlights that emphasized the objects’ sculptural shapes while revealing their shining surfaces. Ilse Bing was the first professional photographer to wholeheartedly adopt the first widely available 35mm still camera.