Discussion Board 11

Both Andre Kertesz and Henri Carier-Bresson believed that they “need to be invisible when taking photos” (Danilovic, Photography: Shooting the Truth. Module 10) Kertesz and Carier-Bresson using their feeling to capture the moment which truly express the reality.  Kertese was one of the pioneers of photojournalism. Different from other official photographers who worked for the war department, he brought a small camera with him all the time to take the informal and candid photographs. Just these informal and candid photographs reveal the truth and present the reality to the public. Just these informal and candid photographs may help a family. One evident was those pictures of life behind the war line. Henri Cartier-Bresson said that “there is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.”  He tried his best not to involve with people who will be the characters in his photograph. Kertesz and Carier-Bresson must to be invisible in order to take the nature and objective photos.

"Behind the Lines" by Andre Kertesz

By Henri Carier-Bresson

The works of Eugene Smith and Sebastio Salgado were arranged well. Compare to Kertesz and Carier-Bresson’s “to be invisible”, Smith and Salgado have involve themselves into the lives of the people.  They believe that good relationship with people will help them create the photographs. Eugene Smith is the master of using lights as well as the story-maker. He liked to create his own picture with his designed composition. The work of the “Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath” was carefully arranged before it has been taken. The majority characters in the works of Sebastio Salgado were those laborers. Salgado believed that spending more time with people would make him to see those people’s suffering and strength, which approaches at times a spiritual ascendancy. (Danilovic, Photography: Shooting the Truth. Module 11) Furthermore, Salgado and Smith were focus on the postproduction work in their photos.

"Tomoko Uemura in Her Bath" by Eugene Smith

"Works: An Archaeolgy of the Industrial Age" by Sebastiao Salgado

“According to the code of ethics of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), photojournalists should respect the integrity of the photographic moment. The long postproduction process regardless if it is in a dark room or on a computer using Photoshop, is contrary to the basic principles of photojournalism” (Danilovic, Photography: Shooting the Truth. Module 11) The work of the Eugene Smith and Sebastio Salgado breach the NPPA’s rule. They are subjective and unethical.

Although, I’d preferred the approach of Kertesz and Carier-Bresson; I also admire the works of Smith and Salgado. Those 4 photojournalists had some passion to their job. From their works, we would feel there passion.

Works Cited

Danilovic, S. (n.d.). Photography: Shooting the Truth. Module 10.

Danilovic, S. (n.d.). Photography: Shooting the Truth. Module 11.

Discussion Board 9

“Photojournalism is the use of photographs in conjunction with the reporting of news in media such as print newspapers, magazines, television news and internet reporting.” (Westbrook) Photojournalism plays a very important role to the public. It helps audiences know the stories or news better, and it provides the visual experience about the reality of the news. Press photo would express the more than half of the story. Personally opinion, that the news with photo would be more attractive than the plain word-only news.

There are 4 basic principle of journalism that journalists should follow, which are timeliness, accuracy, fair representation of the context of events and facts reported, and accountability of the public. (Westbrook) If a news without timeliness, then it will lose the majority of audiences who care about the current news not the old ones. Additionally, inaccurate press photos will mislead the audience. “According journalistic codes of ethics journalists must not alter their image because their role is to report about various events and inform the audience about facts.” (Danilovic)

I believe that taking a journalistic photo has same ethics as writing a news story. Therefore, the journalistic photo should be as accurate as a news story. The journalists are not allowed to exclude or manipulate the photo in order to context or facts. Although the minor change in the photograph may change the fact; the impact of the altering press photographs is unimaginable. It may lead to as serious as war. However, the reasonable alter is allowed, such as the improving the quality of the image without changing the fact. (Danilovic)

Works Cited

Danilovic, S. (n.d.). Photography: Shooting The Truth. Module 9.

Westbrook, D. (n.d.). A Brief History of Photojournalism. Retrieved 04 25, 2011, from Photography School: http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm

Assignment #5: Virtual Essay

Man Chan, A Fashion Photographer

Man Chen is a young Chinese fashion photographer. Since I saw her name in my favorite celebrity’s blog, I had noticed a photographer called Man Chen. Then, I have been interested in her photographs. “A phenomenal photographer, Chen Man sees art and beauty in the human form itself,” says Andrew Patton. Also, he described the works of Man Chen as “beauty, despair, and sensuality”. (Patton, 2009) I agree with Andrew Patton’s opinion. The works of Man Chen would be found in the magazines and photographs exhibitions. The models in her photographs have no facial expression, but each photograph brings different feeling to audience.

by Man Chen

by Alessia Campostrini

From the contrast of above 2 photographs, we could see the similarities of them are the concept and the composition. Undoubtedly, the work of Man Chen is more attractive than Alessia Campostrini’s. Man Chen brings us a cold and sensual feeling, but Campostrini’s work is showing a warmer friendship.

As the photographers with cold-color photography style, Man Chen and Alessia Campostrini have many similar works. Following photos have same theme which is the sexy and colored nailpolish in the black and white photos. In Alessia’s work, she shows the more sexual desire; the evident would be the red nailpolish and red lip. However, Man Chan depicts a despaired girl as usual.

by Man Chen

by Alessia Campostrini

by Man Chen

by Guy Bourdin

Except the similar composition of the photographs, models in the photos are heavily made-up. Guy Bourdin was a famous fashion photographer who used to work for Vogue magazine. Both of the photographs express the idea of the fashion through heavily made-up girls.   

by Alessia Campostrini

by Man Chen

This is another group of compared photograhs of Man Chen and Alessia Campostrini. These are about self-reflection in the mirror. The characters in the photos are staring at their reflection. Compared to Alessia Campostrini’s no-mood facial expression, Man Chen’s photograph shows the theme of sexy as well as usual.

by Man Chen

by Man Chen

by Wei Zhou

Wei Zhou is another important fashion photograph in China. Since the non-facial expression has become the rule of sexy appeal, the model in Weizhou’s work is wearing a unqiue headgear as Man Chen’s work does. Pale make-up has strong contrast with the black cloth in the black and white photographs.  

Nowadays, Man Chen is the top fashion photographer with her unique photography style and sense of fashion. She does not only work for fashion industry in China, but also work for the other countries, such as France’s “PREFERENCE”, U.S.’s “UNLIMITED” and U.K.’s “NYLON”. I believe she will be a milestone of international fashion photography industry.  

Works Cited

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn1.iofferphoto.com/img/item/206/317/432/g_guy-bourdin-c-print-photo-sexy-lips-fashion-model-82070.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ioffer.com/i/michel-comte-photo-sexy-topless-smoking-model-lucy-liu-206323786&usg=__4BqY

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://artisticthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/4a009660fd3298ba4c7b6-1.jpg

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://2photo.ru/uploads/posts/4268/20090817/alessia-campostrini/17_08_2009_0100775001250526778_alessia-campostrini.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forum.neplaneta.ru/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D4%26t%3D798%26start%3D1125&usg=__f8vMCEbvpID

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://news.nen.com.cn/guoneiguoji/451/3486451_1.shtml

Patton, A. (2009, 01 09). Beauty, despair, sensuality. The work of Chen Man. Retrieved 02 24, 2011, from http://artisticthings.com/beauty-despair-sensuality-the-work-of-chen-man/

Press Photography V.S. Art Photography

Press photographs could be defined as those photographs which illustrate certain news in the newspapers or the magazines. Press photographers have signification effect on the journalism. They record the important moment to visually support the news or stories in the print media. Contrast to the press photography’s telling a story, art photography is focus on the visual feast. It used to “refer work created with such a desire in mind, to articulate an impression, a felling about, or relationship with the world”. (Photography Art Cafe) The major difference between the press photography and art photography is the purposes of the photographers and the functions of the works of photography. 

"The Starving of Sudan" by Kevin Carter 1994
http://caledonianblogs.net/jic09/2009/10/21/scenario-5-the-photographer-as-vulture/

by Anthony Suau
http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2009/02/worldpress.html

“The Starving of Sudan” was taken and named by Kevin Carter in 1994, a South African photojournalist. He won a “Pulitzer Prize” after he sold this photograph to a US newspaper. In the photograph, there is a famine stricken girl crawling toward the United Nation food camp and a vulture which is waiting for her to die then it can eat her. (Senario 5- The Photographer V.S. The Vulture) The second photograph is taken by the American photographer called Anthony Suau. It depicted a policeman holding a gun and moving through a Cleveland home. (Anthony Suau wins World Press Photo)

From those two examples of the press photography, both of them shoot the truth of the news.  “According journalistic codes of ethics journalists must not alter their images because their role is to report about various events and inform the audience about facts” (Danilovic) It is not ethical and acceptable to alter a press photographs to change or cover the truth. The job of the journalist is to report the truth to the public. The manipulated photo may mislead the reader or audience. However, the manipulation of the photograph is acceptable for some situation or purpose. They may alter the press photo for improving the quality of the photograph. (Danilovic)

by Toni Frissell
http://www.yesterprints.com/demo/0036-fine-art-photography-female.htm

by Scott Speck
http://www.lightweaversphoto.com/fine_art/pinhole/page001/pic16.html

The first art photograph was taken by Toni Frissell in 1947. It clearly depicted a woman floating in the aquarium. The second art photograph was Scott Speck’s “The Massive National Archives”.

the another difference between the art photography and press photography is that art photographs are allowed to be altered in order to reach the desire of the photographer. Although, there are too many different between the art and press photographs, the similarity in between this too type is existing. The similar of these two types of the photography is that photographers deliver the information through the photos more than we visually see.

Works Cited

Anthony Suau wins World Press Photo. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 21, 2011, from National Press Photographers Association: http://nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2009/02/worldpress.html

Antique Floating-Woman Fine Art Photo, 1947. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 22, 2011, from Yester Prints: http://www.yesterprints.com/demo/0036-fine-art-photography-female.htm

Danilovic, S. (n.d.). Photography: Shooting The Truth. Module 9.

Photography Art Cafe. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 22, 2011, from Definition of Fine Art Photography: http://www.photography-art-cafe.com/definition-of-fine-art-photography.html

Senario 5- The Photographer V.S. The Vulture. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 22, 2011, from Journalism In Context: http://caledonianblogs.net/jic09/2009/10/21/scenario-5-the-photographer-as-vulture/

Westbrook, D. (n.d.). A Brief History of Photojournalism. Retrieved 004 22, 2011, from Photography School: http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm

Discussion Board 6

Why the project has significant impact on the society? What was the role of Migrant Mother Photography in the period or great depression and what is it nowadays?

FSA-OWI stands for Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information. It was an organization to employ the photographer to take pictures of the rural and small-town life. In which FSA-OWI collections exhibited an extensive pictorial record of American Life between 1935 and 1944. There are more than 160 thousands of black and white photographs and 1.6 thousand of colored photography that were taken. This collection shows the rural and small-town life during the great depression. As we know, the great depression make the people suffer the hard time, especially, the farmers and the new west migrants. Those people who has little incomes and be starving most of time.

Farmer and Sons, Dust Storm by Arthur Rothstein 1936

The photograph of Migrant Mother is the famous example of the FSA-OWI collections. It was taken by Dorothea Lange in 1936. Dorothea Lange was an American documentary photographer; she also worked for the Farm Security Administration. The name of Migrant Mother is Florence Owens Thompson; she was a 32 years old widow at that time and had 7 children to be fed. They lived in a pea picker’s tent. Due to the failure of early pea crop, Florence and her children had to starve. In the photograph, we would see how helpless and worried she was. Migrant Mother represented the thousands and thousands destitute who suffer the hard time of great depression.

Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange 1936 

Those photographs have significant impact on the society of the time of great depression as well as the current and future society. The great depression was caused by the stock market crashed in 1929. Those photographers who worked for FSA saved and catch the significant memory of live of great depression. The collection was the proof about how great depression effect the U.S. peoples live, especially the destitute people. It also has impact to the people in nowadays. Even though we did not suffer great depression, we had experience about the several economic turndowns. It reminds us that another great depression may happen in the future.

Photo Manipulation Assignment

These two photos were taken by my friend named Steven Su. I’d like to introduce him a little bit. He is an enthusiastic photographer and a current university student. Also, he is an enthusiast of bicycle. He used to ride a bicycle from Downtown Toronto to Downtown Hamilton in order to take picture of view on the way.



 These two photographs were taken in the Wilket Creek Park where locates in the area of Leslie St. and Lawrence St. in Toronto. He snapped them in October. Also, we would get this information from the first photograph, which showed falling maple leaves on the creek and reflection of trees in the creek. In order to make certain what theme of this photograph is, I added contrasts and increased the exposure to this photo to make the color of maple leaves stand out. Additionally, I added white gradient in the edge of photo. The purpose of this action is to make the picture feel like it was setting for the story. The manipulated picture is like a fairyland where you are looking for.

There are a bench and a young maple tree in the second photograph. In order to build the image of a sense of happiness, I added contrasts and increased the exposure to the whole picture as well. Well then, I increased the green and red selective color. The reason of increasing the green color is in order to make the background look darker; to increase the red color is to make the young maple tree stand out. Last, I add the white gradient in the photograph to create the feeling of dreamy place. Comparing the original photograph to the manipulated one, you would be impressed by the second one which brings a stronger feeling of happiness.  

Both of photographs are manipulated by Adobe Photoshop software. At end of manipulation of both photographs, I added the photographer’s name to appreciate Steven for providing two of his works.

Discussion Board 3

Definitely, art is still art no matter how many times it has been reproduced. Also, art is still would be defined as art no matter which ways it has been reproduced, such as rewriting, reprinting, repainting or mechanically reproduced. Due to the development of technique, reproduction of a work of art has been processed from the manually to mechanically. “In principle a work of art has always been reproducible.” (Benjamin, 1935)

Mechanical reproduction is developed from the woodcut graphic art to lithograph. Mechanical reproduction is among of our daily life, such as a piece of furniture. The original piece of blueprint of the furniture is the original art. Based on the blueprint of this design, the thousands of furniture a factory produced are reproduced art. Furthermore, mechanical reproducibility has very important impact on this society. The stamps and coins are the great examples of reproductions of works of art. They had been reproduced in a great quantity everyday and contributed to the society.

Photography is the art in itself. As same way we defined the art, photography is art made by an artist. A major distinction between a work of painting and a work of photography is done by the different tools. They present different visual experiences to people. Actually, present’s technique makes photography be able to bring the same exact visual experience as we see in the real life.  Mechanical reproduction of photography would be express in photocopy or reprinting of photo.

“Fading away” was created by the Henry Peach Robinson who was the pioneer of pictorialist photography. (Leggat, 1999) In the photograph, it depicted a dying girl and her despaired family members. Due to the shortage of the technique and the desire of learning of photography, Robinson had developed the skill of composition of negatives with his friend, Oscar Rejlander. Since he was used to be an enthusiast of oil painting, he took advantage of knowledge of composition of painting into the photography. Under the help of Oscar Rejlander, Robinson had created the “Fading Away” which was a composition of negatives.

If mechanical reproduction created revolution of art, well then, the digitalization is another tide of the revolution of art as far. Digital products are favorable, such as the digital camera. Nowadays, digital camera does not only have the function of capture the picture and video but also be easy of delivery and store. Maybe in the future, a new technique will take place of digitalization to another tide of revolution.

Works Cited

Benjamin, W. ((1935). TheWork of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Retrieved 04 21, 2011, from http://www.kpaulsen.com/WalterBenjamin.pdf

Leggat, R. (1999). ROBINSON, Henry Peach. Retrieved 04 21, 2011, from Robert Leggat's Home Page: http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/robinson.htm

From Alfred Stieglitz and Minor White to Man Ray and Laszlo Moholy- Nagy

by Alfred Stieglitz

by Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred Stieglitz was one of early Pictorialist photographers who promoted the photograph as art. In the end of 19^th century and early 20^th century, the photograph was considered the advance of science; photographs were not able to be as vivid as drawings and paintings. He considered that camera is a tool as same as brush for painting. The technique of manipulating is one of the tools to create the art as well. He usually used tricks and techniques in the dark room to process a photo.  Except the tricks, he was also a fan of “soft-focus lens” (lens of atmosphere); however, he preferred the naturally- occurring atmosphere rather than the “soft-focus lens”. In one of his early photo called “Winter-Fifth Avenue”, the snow gave the atmosphere, the fuzzy and soft-focus effect that soft-focus lens would not create. “winter-Fifth Avenue” could also tell how deep Stieglitz love photography; he used to stand in a driving blizzard to get this photo.

by Minor White

Even though, Stieglitz was a hard representive of Pictorialism in most of his photography career; it did not mean that he did not subscribed to Naturalism. Stieglitz changed from pictorialism to naturalism. Naturalism is a theory that the principle subject of a photo should be in sharp focus while secondary elements should be left out of focus.  In his photo “Spring Showers, New York” is a representive of his “naturalism”.

by Minor White

Minor White, who had contact with the work of Alfred Stieglitz, was a famous photographer as well. He looked upon the photography as medium of art. In the 60s, his style of photography had become the one of most models the photographers followed. Among most of his photographs, the nature is the theme, such as landscape, snow feature, and rock. He thought that clear and unchanging picture is the way of self-expression. White was a fan of spiritualism; he was interested in psychology which made him believe that the spirit is prior than anything else. From his work, we would see his attitude about art.

by Man Ray

Both Stieglitz and White are the painter of art. They devoted most of their lives to intent to “paint” the moment that could move theirselves and others in cameras.

by Moholo-Nagy

Man Ray, his photographs were basically focus on human body and countenance, and his objective were mostly on female than male. Also, some of his photographs were naked, he tried to specified artistic visions of females. Also, his photographs were absolutely different with Alfred Stieglitz, Stieglitz’s photographs were focusing on scenery, like building and city view. There only few of his photographs were focus on portrait.  



by Alfred Stieglitz



Moholo-Nagy’s photographs were usually using simple object or pattern, combine it together, and frame it with different lighting or coloring. His photographs were kind of nonrepresentational, with the special light, color and texture that he created for each photographs, each one of them were special and unique.

 After viewing most of Moholo-Nagy and Man Ray’s photographs, I believe all of their photographers are frame with their cameras. They used different techniques, lenses and lighting to create these unique photographs.  

Reference:

http://artsmia.org/get-the-picture/print/stieglitz.shtml#

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/W/white/white_articles3.html

http://alafoto.com/listing/thumbnails.php?album=51

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/stgp/hd_stgp.htm#slideshow5



The Role of Portraits in The Early Days of Photography And Portraits Today

Assignment 1: Photo Journal Part 1

Photography had been started in early 19^th century. The most mature and developed photograph skill in that period is Daguerreotype. Due to the cost of silver plates of Daguerreotype and the time progressed; it was hard and complicated to produce a photo.  As treasury as gold, the portraits photography was captured at most of time, especially the important and wealthy people. In addition, the people should stand or sit for hours in order to be taken the photo. They would not even change their facial expression and pose since they started.  Therefore, the people in the most of image of early portrait photography are uncomfortable and not smiling. Furthermore, exposing photos were longer. Later on, the cost of Daguerreotype had decreased the portraits photography began popular. However, it is only popular during the royal families and wealth families.  They used painted backdrop and wore colorful cloth, but the photo is black and white.

The biggest developing step was the invention of film. It took less time to record the image and wash a photo after it exposed. As technology grows, the photographic studios have been popularized as well. People just went there, picked a backdrop, sit in couple minutes, and pick up in next day. Photographer encouraged people to smile and look directly to camera.

Today, taking a picture is as ordinary as dining. Everyone has a camera; photograph could be taken in anytime and anywhere. It would clearly show the moment even you are running, jumping or swimming since the digital camera came out. People would take the photo and see the image right after it on the digital screen. Additionally, there is plenty of software to fix the photo in order to reach the satisfactory, such as Photoshop. At present, everyone would be the photographer. It divides into unprofessional photographer and professional photographer. Professional photographer is who devote their time to learn; unprofessional ones are those are either passionate or knowledgeable.

In the past, the complicated operation of a camera and huge cost of equipment was only afforded by those knowledgeable and rich people. The photographer should memorize all the steps to take and produce a photo. For example, Louis Daguerre who created the Daguerreotype was an artist and chemist from a wealth family.

The technology’s advancement affects the evolution of portraits from the earliest portraits sketching to the color painting to the black and white photography to today’s color photography.  In the past, the technology of photography is really simple; correspondingly, the operation of photography is complicated. The portraits photography in the past needed enough sunlight to expose the photo; therefore, most of the photography was happened under the sunlight. Since the incandescent lamps had come out, the lighting has been improved. Photographers could use the lamps in the studio room instead of the outside; or they could use the lamps to strengthen the lighting in the outside of room.

Today, lighting system has been developed to LED (light-emitting diode). Photographers still use the lighting system to increase the quality of the photograph, especially the portraits photographs in the magazine. On the other hand, the one of the new technology is using in photograph is the using of Photoshop Software.

 References:

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

http://www.vam.ac.uk/school_stdnts/schools_teach/teachers_resources/image_identity/portrait_photography/index.html

http://photo.net/history/timeline

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