Philip-Lorca diCorcia – Blurring Reality and Fiction
Philip-Lorca diCorcia (b. 1951) is an American photographer celebrated for his staged yet lifelike imagery that sits between documentary and constructed photography. His pictures often resemble film stills, blending the mundane with the theatrical. By carefully controlling light, setting, and sometimes even his subjects, diCorcia challenges viewers to question where reality ends and fiction begins. His work has been shown in major museums worldwide and remains influential in both fine art and editorial contexts.
Camera Gear
DiCorcia adapts his gear to suit his carefully crafted photographic vision, favoring equipment that provides sharpness, control, and cinematic presence:
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Mamiya RZ67 – used extensively in his staged portraits and constructed scenes for its medium format detail.
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| Mamiya RZ67 |
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Canon EOS 5D series – for flexibility in editorial and commercial projects.
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| Canon Eos 5D see it on Amazon |
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Leica M6 – occasionally for street photography work with a more spontaneous edge.
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| Leica M6 |
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Lenses – standard and short telephoto primes (e.g., 50mm, 80mm, 110mm) to frame subjects with intimacy and precision.
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Lighting – portable strobes and elaborate setups, often hidden or discretely integrated, to create his signature blend of natural and artificial light.
Technique
DiCorcia meticulously plans his photographs, staging real people—sometimes hired, sometimes unsuspecting—within controlled lighting environments. Even when working in public spaces, he often deploys hidden flash systems, giving his images a heightened, surreal quality while maintaining a sense of everyday reality.
His style merges the cinematic with the documentary, often suggesting untold narratives. By blurring fact and fiction, diCorcia explores themes of identity, isolation, and the theatricality of daily life. His subjects appear suspended between reality and performance, embodying both the ordinary and the enigmatic.
Notable Work
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Hustlers (1990s) – portraits of male sex workers in Los Angeles, each image blending documentary reality with cinematic staging.
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Heads (2001) – secretly lit portraits of passersby in Times Square, raising questions of surveillance, privacy, and authorship.
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Editorial and fashion work for publications such as W Magazine, where he brought fine art sensibilities to commercial photography.
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Exhibited widely, including at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Tate Modern.
