I agree with Melanie that this collection of photographs is important in showing that some people do not have as much as others and are less fortunate. It is a great depiction of those that do not have as great of a life as others. However, I do not think this is all we can gather from the collection.
These photos were all documenting the Great Depression, an era that defined how we live and how we look at jobs, money, and resources. It changed a lot about the way people lived and what they appreciated. I think there is more to it than just people who do not have as much as others.
To me, I got from it that it was an important link between our present and our past, to see how far we've come and what those before us went through. It is an easy way to teach all of us to appreciate what we have and to be grateful for all that we've gained over the years.
I also do not agree that the Migrant Mother is completely unhappy. She looks more pensive to me, more worried about her children, but not completely unhappy. She is stuck in a situation that any mother would be distraught to find themselves in - being unable to provide for her children. If anything, knowing that she did not want her state to be broadcasted to the entire country was enough to worry her and make her seem unhappy. She did these photos out of necessity, not out of desire. To me, she is fighting between the desire to keep their troubles secret and the knowledge that broadcasting those troubles would feed her children.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Discussion Post 11 - Comparing Photojournalist Styles
Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson had a photojournalist style that required them to stay completely separate from the subject matter. They did not alter anything or change anything to their liking, simply taking photographs of what was happening at that very moment.
Smith and Salgado were quite opposite from this, in which they would involve themselves with lighting, subject matter, and change what they wanted to capture what they specifically wanted to see. They crossed ethical codes of photojournalism in this way.
I agree with the original group's post that the concept of "better" is subjective and it is hard to say which one in particular had the better style. In my opinion, however, a photojournalist should simply be a fly on the wall, taking photos of what they see, not what they want. They are not there to alter the scene, they are there to capture the moment and relay it back to the public. In this sense, Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson have a better journalistic approach. A news reporter would not alter their story and change what happened to their own liking, and a photojournalist should be treated the same.
Smith and Salgado were quite opposite from this, in which they would involve themselves with lighting, subject matter, and change what they wanted to capture what they specifically wanted to see. They crossed ethical codes of photojournalism in this way.
I agree with the original group's post that the concept of "better" is subjective and it is hard to say which one in particular had the better style. In my opinion, however, a photojournalist should simply be a fly on the wall, taking photos of what they see, not what they want. They are not there to alter the scene, they are there to capture the moment and relay it back to the public. In this sense, Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson have a better journalistic approach. A news reporter would not alter their story and change what happened to their own liking, and a photojournalist should be treated the same.
Discussion Post 9 - Photojournalism
Photojournalism has the same role as journalism itself does - it should be telling a factual news story to the person that is reading the story or viewing the photograph. I agree with the original blog post that it should be used to tell a story, but a factual one, one that is representative of true events.
The original group's blog post was very true in saying that photos used for journalism purposes should not be altered or changed. They are not there to convey a message other than what has actually happened at that moment. It is not an artistic message or feeling - it is the message or feeling that the factual story should evoke. The rules that should govern photojournalism should be the same as those that govern journalism - unaltered, true facts and images should be given to the viewer. The ethics of writing a news story and of taking a news-related photo are the same - they should remain unaltered. In this sense I disagree with the original blog post.
The only altering that should be done is possibly lighting or to fix any sort of blurry subject matter. Purely editorial changes should be made, nothing that will alter what the actual subject or message of the photo is.
The original group's blog post was very true in saying that photos used for journalism purposes should not be altered or changed. They are not there to convey a message other than what has actually happened at that moment. It is not an artistic message or feeling - it is the message or feeling that the factual story should evoke. The rules that should govern photojournalism should be the same as those that govern journalism - unaltered, true facts and images should be given to the viewer. The ethics of writing a news story and of taking a news-related photo are the same - they should remain unaltered. In this sense I disagree with the original blog post.
The only altering that should be done is possibly lighting or to fix any sort of blurry subject matter. Purely editorial changes should be made, nothing that will alter what the actual subject or message of the photo is.
Virtual Essay
I have chosen Herve Lefebvre as tyhe photographer for this assignment. He takes beautiful photos and the ones that I am most interested in looking at are his culinary photos. They are beautifully lit, at interesting angles and really make the food even more appealing than it already is. He does his subject justice in a big way. This is an example of a photo by Lefebvre:
Taken from http://www.foog.tv/?p=1046
Lefebvre using plating, design, and lighting to capture the food that he is photographing and make it stand out. Sometimes he will have items such as wine glasses or a kitchen in the background, but their outlines are blurred and they are just a backdrop for the food itself. He uses a variety of angles and takes his photos from varying degrees of closeness, adding variety and interest to each photo he takes. While all of the subjects may be edible items, it is not monotonous to look through them all.
Photo taken from http://www.imagelicious.com/services
The above photo was taken by Imagelicious Food Photography. I find it to be very similar to Lefebvre's style as it has interesting lighting and the background is simple and does not detract from the food itself. The lighting is bright as are the colours, drawing the eye right to the food itself. Lefebvre's style is prevalent in this due to the bright colours, the food being the main focus and lighting being used to especially showcase the food item.
The photo you see above is taken from Vivian Chung Photography. On her website she shows two different versions of the photos, one is the original "raw" photo while the other is under a special lighting called strobe-1 preset. This instantly shows me that she is using lighting to capture a certain aspect of the food, just as Lefebvre does. Also, background images are used but only as a backdrop to the main focus and do not detract from the food subject matter. Lefebvre does this quite often in his photographs.
What instantly attracted me to this photograph as a possible influence by Lefebvre is the angle and closeness the picture is taken at, along with the brightness. As I had stated before, Lefebvre has used a variety of angles and takes his photos from extremely close or far. This photo is very reminscent of this style as it is so close to the food itself that you can hardly see the plate, let alone any background images. It is bright and colourful, showcasing the variety of colours and therefore textures on the plate. Lefebvre uses these techniques as well.
Photo taken from http://www.kathleenhinkelphotography.com/photos/food%20photography/
While this photograph does not have the same cleanliness to is as Lefebvre's normally do, there a couple of aspects to it that are reminscent of Lefebvre's work. The blurry background image is one of these aspects as you can see the fuzzy outline of wine glasses behind the food. The use of bright colours and bringing them out is another aspect. Finally, Lefebvre sometimes used the shapes and angles in the food to dictate at which angle he will take the photograph. This photograph uses the tall, upright stance of this dish as a guideline for a potrait photograph rather than landscape. It further uses this tall garnish in a great way with the photograph being on a slight angle but with the dish itself still anchoring it in the centre.
Photo taken from http://www.culinarysnapshot.com/
The whiteness of this photo instantly attracts me and makes me think of Lefebvre's style. Lefebvre's colours often only come from the dish itself, not from its surroundings or the plating, just as this photo has done. It draws your eye to the colours of the dish and the brightness of it, instead of everything that is happening around it. It makes the food itself the focal point, just as Lefebvre does.
Lefebvre takes beautiful photographs of food and does the work of a chef justice when he does so. Many photos are reminiscent of this style and use lighting, colours, and little background interest to bring the eye right to the food itself. Lefebvre's style may have been influence by other photographers, but many photographers seem to have his style and approach to culinary photography, as well.
Lefebvre takes beautiful photographs of food and does the work of a chef justice when he does so. Many photos are reminiscent of this style and use lighting, colours, and little background interest to bring the eye right to the food itself. Lefebvre's style may have been influence by other photographers, but many photographers seem to have his style and approach to culinary photography, as well.
Photo Journal Part 2
These are my two examples of an art photograph, both captured by Andre Kertesz:
The following are my two examples of press photographs, both captured by Henri Cartier-Bresson:
The similarities between the two is that they both invoke a certain feeling to the viewer of the photographs. Whether planned and lit or taken at a distinct, spontaneous moment, both sets of photographs relay a message and emotion. They both capture a subject that speaks to whoever is looking at the photographs and causes them to feel something.
I believe that altering press photographs is not acceptable or ethical. The first part of our readings really captured my attention:
"Nowadays the photographer in the role of a photo editor (or other way around) could
make the same picture in Photoshop. Of course you have to wait for it… maybe thirty
minutes… and you might get a nice piece of art. Unfortunately some media will use it as
a journalistic photography, to tell us the news of the day."
It has become widely accepted that Photoshop or a similar form of photo-altering program is being used for lighting, effects, etc. It is also being used to crop subjects out or in and to change what a photographer or editor does not want to see. When sending a photograph out to the press and therefore to the people reading a newspaper, it should be as realistic as possible. It should be the exact photo that was originally taken so that the real story is being told. It would not be deemed ethical or acceptable to alter a press story to suit what a certain person would like to send out to the public, so it is just as unethical and unacceptable to do so with a photograph. Photographs tell the story just as much as the story itself, and they need to be the original story. Both Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson speak about simply capturing a moment and seeing that moment in a photograph when it is developed. They do not set it up or alter it, as it is the moment that was originally there. This is how press photographs should be viewed.
I feel a little more lenient towards the altering of art photographs, but only if it is done so by the photographer themselves. Photography for art takes time and technique, lighting and certain subject matter to convey what the artist would like. Taking a photograph and altering the light, colours, or sometimes even a slight subject change might be necessary to get the message to the viewer of the photograph. The artistic photo is completely up to the artist themself, and they are looking to send out a photograph that they personally want to, and therefore should have the free rein to do with it as they wish. A painter can add more paint and a dancer can change their steps without question, and an artistic photographer should be allowed to do the same. Cartier-Bresson even took it upon himself to completely destroy photographs that he deemed as less important as the rest, so that the ones that were preserved were the ones that sent the right message. This is what artists should be allowed to do.
Sources:
Readings from Module 10
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