English vernacular calls it a deer-in-headlights. It's a term sometimes given to the look a person has when they're plagued by anxiety, shock or fear. That's what you'd get if you point a camera at someone unknowingly.

But photographer Ellen von Unwerth doesn't do that. She's turning 70 this year, and in 1989, her photographic work started to bear fruit. Where Annie Leibovitz doesn't believe in making a subject feel at ease, Ellen channels the person's calm and excitement into photos that have a deer-in-headlights look. It's a dichotomy that no one else has done quite like her -- and is currently being celebrated at the Staley-Wise Gallery. . thephoblographer.com

2024-3-9 23:00