Netflix documentary about Platon now available for free on YouTube

Friday 19 June 2020, 16:08 by Michelle Peeters | 6,522 views | 3 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

In mid-April, Netflix quietly uploaded the Platon episode from its excellent 2017 documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design to YouTube, where you can watch it for free, even if you don't have a subscription. It is no exaggeration to call it a must-watch.

If you are not familiar with the series and you are a Netflix subscriber, we strongly recommend watching it. Every aspect of design, from illustration to typography to photography, is covered in individual 45-minute episodes with a creator at the top of their game.

But even if you are not a Netflix subscriber, you can now watch the photography episode featuring world-famous portrait photographer Platon for free on YouTube.

Platon's portfolio speaks for itself. But it is not only the people in front of his camera who make the work extraordinary. His images stand out because they are immediately recognisable as a 'Platon' photo, unlike almost any other portrait on the planet.

Philosophy as a photographer

This short documentary covers Platon's personal history, his philosophy as a photographer and his process as he prepares for a shoot and photographs former National Security Advisor and retired general Colin Powell.

The episode is packed with brilliant insights into the photographic process and how you can improve your work from a snapshot to a photo worthy of the name.

Taking a photograph is very technical, but 99.9% is spent on this connection that allows me to reach someone, and through that connection there is a chance that you feel something too, he says at one point. You look for a moment when you feel as close as possible to the soul [...] That is when you make an iconic photograph.

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