Who Shot It Better? Mario Sorrenti vs. Craig McDean: Charlize Theron

Who Shot It Better? Mario Sorrenti vs. Craig McDean: Charlize Theron

How do you take a bad photo of a beautiful actress? You don’t. Mario Sorrenti and Craig McDean took their turns four years apart for W Magazine by photographing Charlize Theron, who I’ve had a crush on since 2 Days in the Valley. Now this an interesting situation because you have two top fashion photographers — neither of whom maintains a website. What does this mean? Well, a website is a marketing vehicle for your customers. But if your customers are a limited group who know how to contact your agency, then maintaining a website is an unnecessary distraction. This isn’t so dissimilar to finding that some social media sites aren’t effective for your business. Now I personally believe that every photographer should maintain a website, but I can understand where they are coming from (even if it has a whiff of “too cool for school”).

Let’s take a look.

British fashion photographer Craig McDean took to the Mojave Desert to photograph Theron in 2008. The sun was pretty high up in the sky, but Craig did a nice job filling in the shadows, and he basically gets a Rembrandt lighting position. The dress retains good detail, and everyone loves windblown hair.

Mario Sorrenti goes really blue on the white balance (or rather the post production). The angle is a little lower, but the light is still pretty hard like McDean’s photo. Both photographers do a good job of capture Charlize’s great physique with the wardrobe styling and pose, but I find the retouching on this photo a little heavy-handed, and Charlize comes away looking a little cold.

Verdict: McDean for a more natural, sun-drenched South African.

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This article was written by

Allen Murabayashi is the co-founder of PhotoShelter.

There are 7 comments for this article
  1. Marlon Correa at 11:13 am

    I think Craig McDean shot Charlize better than Mario Sorrenti. I like Sorrenti’s shot. It’s all glamour, and very artsy, and it almost makes her look different enough that you cannot recognize her. As for McDean’s shot, he did well with keeping it natural. I think the idea of using the Mojave desert worked for Charlize’s advantage, given that she’s from South Africa, the desert enhances the subject’s roots in this portrait.

  2. Michael Wilkinson at 1:38 pm

    Marios shot made her totally anonymous.She is a good looking lady but I would never ever have recognised her in his shot.

  3. Mariaan at 1:11 am

    I must say I don”t like one of the photos. The shadow in the first one is distracting and give you the impression of an amataur job, the second one you think: did she die or what – to blue.
    Sorry, my opion

  4. Shane Srogi at 11:39 am

    Charlize Theron is very recognizable. So much so that when I saw the trailer for Riddley Scott’s new movie Prometheus, I instantly knew she was in it. She was only in the frame for a few seconds, if that. Charlize don’t commit any crimes because you will be pick out of a line-up. That said the first shot by Craig McDean is classic, Charlize all the way. Blonde…Tan…Sun…Stunning. The second shot by Mario Sorrenti is a brave departure, icy and blue….for the life of me don’t recognize Charlize, maybe she can lead a life of crime after all. I guess the question is do you grab the magazine and instantly buy it because Charlize is on the cover…..or do you grab the magazine and pause and say wow…that is Charlize Theron? Art is good if it makes the viewer think…pause and question….but does it sell magazines?

    Great blog I love the head to head “smack down”.

    -Shane

  5. Anna at 3:36 pm

    If I have to choose one magazine to buy, I will go for McDean’s. Here Charlize looks natural, inviting, warm, sexy, fun, healthy…..whereas the 2nd cover looks too cold, too dark, too unlike Charlize and her skin tone looks totally off. Just my 2 cents.

  6. Daniel at 7:23 am

    To my opinion Charlize is much more stylised in the shot by Sorrenti. Craig shot her much more in a natural way. Sorrenti’s shot is overshopped as well. everything that was natural is gone, and I am pretty sure her complexion wouldn’t need that. the pose here is stiff and not the level sorrenti captures usually.

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