Assignment 4 Virtual essay- Option1

Lilly Dache's hat and veil

The photographer I decided to choose was the famous German-American freelance photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. Alfred is known for capturing celebrities as well as being a photojournalist. I choose this photographer because he is a well known for photographing well renowned people like Adolf Hitler, Marilyn Manore and the V-J day in Time Square. I like the styles in which he takes his photos, every picture tells a story and captures a moment. From little children to celebrities it is evident he approaches all situations in the same way. With everything we have learned in this semester I thought it would be good to end off with a photographer of his caliber, who has done it all. His subjects are mainly of people and sometimes of objects. I used my pictures I took mainly from my photography business ‘Stain’ to compare to similarities of my work and Alfred’s.  

Show Stephens

The first picture is called, Lilly Dache’s hat and veil. I choose to use a head shoot of Show Stephens. As you look at Alfred’s picture the first thing you notice is her flower hat, then you notice she has a delicate piece of veil affront of her face. However, what catches me is her facial expression. She is very confident and sure of her self but she has no real expression. My picture of Show Stephens is similar because, the first thing you notice is his sun glasses then the Fendi print from his jacket. The facial expression is the same. He is very confident, but he exudes more expression than Lilly does because of the shades o his face that makes it’s a little more dramatic than Alfred’s photograph.

The Crowd at Guvernment

V-J Day at Time Square

The second picture I took was of the crowd at Guvernment nightclub. They were cheering and ranting, and my job at the club is to capture these moments of everyone coming together. This is similar to Alfred’s photo, where he took a picture of the crowd at V-J day. They were all cheering and ranting and just like myself, it was his job to capture the moment so millions would always remember that day. With first glance for both pictures you see the people, the excitement but when you take a closer look on Alfred’s you can see flags, different expressions and everyone becomes individualize and that’s the same with my photo. When you take a closer look you see many different expression for the same event, the same music but just a different outlook.

Orange Room Entrance

Clock in Pennsylvania Station

The next photograph that I took is of the entrance of the Orange room in Guvernment nightclub. The similarity to Alfred’s train station is the overall concept of the picture. There are people around, going onto their daily tasks, we don’t know what brought them there but they are here. It’s constructed into a profile picture to grasp all the subjects. In both pictures I did the same focusing on the walkway as the focal point and the people as a minor objects.

The couple

The couple at Guvernment

The fourth photograph of Alfred’s is of a couple dressed up for a prestige event, perhaps even a cotillion ball. The similarity of both photographs was the women’s that were captured. My subject is wearing a beautiful yellow dress that is very classy like of Alfred’s subject. They both exude, femininity but keep it very classy, with their partner nicely complimenting them. Both pictures emphasize that the couples are caught up in a moment. However, my photograph shows more of a conversational engages than on the main event that is going on like in Alfred’s.  

Children's Legs

The last photograph is of legs, for Alfred’s it’s of children but for my photographs it is of women in heels. They are similar because they focus on the same concept and section of the body. He wants to show that everyone is the same, no bias, and no discrimination because only the legs are seen and no one knows who these children are. I did the same in the sense of the concept. Everyone is equal, no one was meant to stand out but to blend in together showing unity. 

Women's Legs

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Eisenstaedt

Topic3: Alterations in journalistic photography

Dramatic photo alterations on journalist photography are neither acceptable nor ethical. Over the past three weeks we have learned about many journalistic photographers that either believe in alterations like Eugene Smith and Sebastio Salgando or not like Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Journalistic photography that has had any type of drastic alterations impacts the fundamentals of the photograph such as emotions, content, and the reality factor. Altering photos that will be shown to the public defeats the purpose of photojournalism.

Original

By alliterating a journalistic photograph it changes the impact of the photo. The code of journalism clearly talks about self-regulation as being true to the audience, being that reliable source. Not only writers are permitted to follow this but also photographers. A photo alone can tell a story with out words, the caption just elaborates what the photograph is. Sensationalism is also a factor that conflicts with photographers like Eugene Smith and Sebastio Salgando. They become raped up with the scene; grow connections with the civilians, by doing so they draw for shock value. In the end, they just become to emotionally attach and in a way develop a media bias to their pictures, forcing viewers to see things their way.

Alteration

The meaning and story it once had, has been changed to fit the photographer’s meaning and story. For instance, the photograph by Eugene Smith, on his African trip. This photograph showed Dr. Schweitzer with an Africain standing and looking off to the world, however in his eyes he seen it in a political leader aspect. By adding hands clapping and cheering, he completely changed the impact of the photograph, to appear the way he seen it. Even Salgando collection of photographs seen on Time.com was a clear indication of no longer being invisible and interfering with the scene. No one can doubt that his photographs are good however, they aren’t truth and they don’t implement the codes of ethics. They look staged, and forced and in this case should be considered fine arts instead of journalistic photography.

Time.com

Photo alterations cannot be acceptable and it is nowhere close to being ethical. They basically lie, twist the truth to make their own. It’s up to the media to crack down on cases like these. Both Smith and Salgando are just as good as Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson but it comes down to the realistic reliability. That the public has the right to, see things in its true form with out alterations.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensationalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_ethics_and_standards

Presenting the moment: Eugene Smith and Sebastiao Salgado

http://webct.georgebrown.ca/webct/urw/lc2044122001.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct

Assignment 1, Topic 2 (Photo Journal Topic 2: Press photography versus art photography

Photographed by: Eddie Adams

These two press photos were taken almost 30 years apart and were still able to capture a little bit about the person being photographed and at the same time get an emotion out of the viewer. The first press photo was taken by, the Pulitzer Prize winner Eddie Adam. The photograph was taken February 1, 1968 of general Nguyen Ngoc Lem, executing a Viet Cong prisoner in Saigon. 

Photograph by: Dorothea Lange

The second press photo was taken by Dorothea Lange’s named “Migrant Mother,” which was taken in February 1936. The woman in the photo is Florence Owens Thompson. The original photo had Florence's thumb and index finger on the tent pole, but later the photograph was retouched to hide Florence's thumb, her index finger was left untouched (lower right in photo).

The similarities of the two presses are that they grab your attention to a issue that is going on. They are talking to you with out words, telling the story of the moment, what the person was thinking and going through. They both touch on a type of emotion and played upon it to show the reality of that situation. For Eddie Adams it was the ruthlessness of the general to the prisoner and for Dorothea Lange is was the struggle of this farm lady. The only differences of these two presses were the time period and that Dorothea Lange’s photograph had been edited to make it appear perfect. Other than that the concept was the same and even the photograph being black and white was the same. 

Photographed by: Man Ray

The first art photograph was taken by, Man Ray of Gabrielle “CoCo” Chanel in 1935. This is considered a classic photograph of Chanel smoking a cigarette but still portraying class at the same time. 

Photographed by: Alexandra Catiere

These two photographs were nearly taken 70 years apart, however the capturing of both pictures are clear emphasized and understood. The second art photograph was taken by, the world-renowned fine-art photographer Alexandra Catiere. This photograph was taken in her hometown of Minsk in 2005. This photograph is part of her series titled, “Behind the Glass,” that focuses on the numerous amount of faces seen through the window (glass) of the public transportation. 

The similarities of the two art photographs are that they had a theme they were playing upon. For instance, Man Ray wanted to display Chanel’s status and role as a strong woman. She was smoking a cigarette but still looked posh and sat with grace. While, Alexandra Cartier wanted to show the disengagement from, the people looking at them and the people on, the transit. She was fascinated with the texture of the window and the frame of the face while, Man Ray was fascinated with Chanel her self and what she impetrated when she was alive. The differences of these two photographs were the time period as well as Man Ray was doing more fashion-art and Alexandra Cartier was doing fine art. 

The similarities of press photography and art photography are simply capturing a “decisive moment.” Either photographer’s goals are to capture a perfect moment that could portray a story they are intending to get across. To capture that moment it is all about good timing, a vision and intuition of how it will turn out. Referring to Henri Cartier in the ‘Cartier-Bresson’s Decisive Moment’ he explained about the ability of taking a photo is to align the head, the eye and the heart. Those are the fundamentals of capturing a photograph regardless if it is a press or art. The other similarity is having a story, a theme, or a method. Unconsciously every photographer does this, it is nearly impossible to take a photo of nothing because even that is a theme. The differences of press and art photography are the near fact that press is like writing the event. They capture the reality of things. The picture should tell the story with or without the caption to go along with it. These photographers are journalist and approach the picture and event in that aspect. That is being invisible, not interrupting the scene but freezing the information in a photograph. While art photography is done like drawing, sketching or even painting a picture. They go about it in a more abstract or surreal aspect to emphasize on the art aspect if the picture.  

 

Sources:

Capturing the moment- Andre Kertest & Henri Cartier-Bresson

Cartier-Bresson Decisive Moment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nguyen.jpg

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4630900

http://www.shanelavalette.com/journal/2007/10/22/alexandra-catiere-behind-the-glass/

Photo Manipulation

Photo taken by: Sean "Tungz" Black

Photo manipulation is another name for editing an image. When I think of manipulation I think of something that has been drastically done to an image. My favorite art period is pop art and I like the way Andy Warhol uses the colours to emphasis on certain sectors of the image. Since the original image was already slightly exposed my bone structure was already heightened and the edited version clearly shows this. When I manipulated the photo of my self I wanted to play upon the colours of my make up as well as the background. I increased the contrast of the image creating an over-exposure of the entire image. I decided not to manipulate it any further because it would loose the essence of the photo and what I was trying to portray, which is a digitized pop clip art.

Photo taken by: Ashley Halladeen

With the second manipulation I took the image and created a second layer on Photoshop ®. The first thing I did was get rid of the armpit stubs, because cropping that out would make the image uneven. To get rid of the tiny stubs I had to get a sample of my skin colour and add it on top. As you can see the colour mixed and it was hidden, well to the best of my ability. With the second layer I changed the image to the grey scale because black and white would be to dull. I then erased the scale of the scarf to bring back the colour to that section. When the colour was brought back, I then matched the colour of the scarf to the original layer. By getting the exact colour scale I added the colour to where ever was missed. The last process was increasing the intensity of the scarf so it would appear vibrant and stands out from the background. Once my editing was finished I incorporated the two layers together. My reason for manipulating the photo as such is because the pose reminded me of a President Choice picture with a Japanese Gasha. In my own way i wanted to mimic the ad but give it my own flare. It also reminded me of a picture like this of a orphan child for another ad but her scarf was red. I guess I seen a trend in photography and wanted to try something of the sort so my edited image can stand out and tell it's own story.  

 

The role of portraits in the earlr days of photography and portraits today.

A portraiture is a composed image of a person or group in a still position. The difference of the early years of portraits and today is straight forward, technology. In the early days, portraits were made exclusive, were limited and time exhausting. They were exclusive because of the cost for a single portrait. They were limited in what they could do, which was indoors only, black and white and depending on the lighting resulted in the tints and shades that would be seen. The entire process was time exhausting and making a simple mistake or taking too long could mean doing the entire session all over again.

Now a day, technology has changed and it can take a half an hour to capture 150 frames. The methods of getting that perfect portrait are much easier, and it starts with editing. Software’s like Photoshop® can make editing easier, eliminate the red eyes, reduce blemishes, softening the entire photograph, it can change everything and anything about that portrait. Technology has also allowed it to become easier to duplicate more than one of that single portrait for commercial wise, fine art or even just enough for every family member to have.

In the early days, photographers were almost like scientist. One person couldn’t mandate the entire process; it was usually a team of well skilled people, to help capture a single photograph. Only a few could call themselves photographers in the early days, because of this. The subjects were usually very wealthy and/or prestige people to the society. They were normally industrialists, lawyers, doctors, merchants and politicians. Although photographed portraits were cheaper and more accessible than painted portraits it still was too much for the middle class, ranging from $0.25 to $2.50 a portrait.

In today's society anyone can be a photographer and the subject. Portraits are now taken commemorating a special occasion such as a wedding, graduation and a baby.  The price ranges by the sizes, amount and style that's being done. Now a day, anyone can be a "photographer" with a click of a button. Workers at franchised stores who take portraits are only taught how to take the photographs and the whole developing process are done else where in a factory and are sent back to the store, when ready. The entire complication and un-easy access to gain the equipment is no longer there, making it easy for anyone to claim to be a photographer.

The impact of portraits in the early days, showed a type of status and significance to ones family and community. When that person would die they would pass that portrait down to other generations symbolizing that persons importance to the family.  “By having one's portrait done an individual of the ascending classes could visually affirm his new social status both to himself and to the world at large. To meet the increased demand for portraits, the art became more and more mechanized. The photographic portrait was the final stage in this trend toward mechanization” (Precursors of the Photographic Portrait)

The impact of technology on portraits has changed a lot since the early days. It is much easier now to capture the photo and develop it. The camera it self has become digitalized, with a click of a button you capture the composition and have access to view it on the back of the camera, then have the software to edit the picture and have the proper printing paper and ink to develop it. Technology it's self has simplified everything, impacting all generations to come. 

Sources:

Precursors of the Photographic Portrait

A History Of Photography by Lemagny Rouille 36-44

WELCOME!!

Welcome my Barbies and Ken dolls,
This is my fun site, where together we will explore the truth of photography. My taste is more contemporary art, however art in general always grasped me. I am more of a reserved person not because I am shy or timid but, because I am an analysis and thinker. I like to take in people, situations or/and even the enviornment before I react.

I love photography because it is a universal tool, something that everyone has in common but the meaning why varies. Photography keeps life in something that is no longer there, expresses things with out words and touches everyone in different ways. It just relates to me, 'somethings are just better unsaid'.

I am at peace after the storm.

--Why not understand and apprciate something that I constently use and take for granted.