Vitrual Essay

Photography is a common connection for people around the world. All around the world we have people walking around capturing photos and creating their own styles. We have learned about many different photographers with different styles and cultural beliefs.  I thought that all of their styles and approaches were unique and effective.

 I decided to create my own style and take portraits of random people on the streets of Toronto. My style is similar to the style of photojournalist Henri Cartier Bresson I try to capture a photo as it is without any retouching. The photos from the website magnum photos inspired me to take portraits of the people and to bring a story of multiculturalism to the readers of my blog. Just like Henri Cartier Bresson, I try to tell a story of a person through a photo. Since I am very proud of multiculturalism in Canada, especially in Toronto, I thought it would be a good idea for my virtual essay to capture photos of people from different backgrounds. Another photographer who had impact on my style is my own father. He has taught me how to properly take portraits and what to look for in the photo. Also a photographer Sebastiao Salgado impressed me with his photos about the poor in Latin America. The way he portrayed those people and told their story through a camera lens was amazing.

I optioned to go for a walk and capture photos randomly. It was a sunny day in Toronto and I started my journey in downtown. The streets were very busy but on my way to Dundas Square I saw two squirrels and a dog. Someone already had their bikes ready for the spring and a very unique tree caught my attention (photos #1-8).  

When I finally made to the destination, I met Wayne(photo#9). He is a homeless, panhandling on the streets of Toronto. He gave me permission to capture a photo of him as I promised to tell his story. He was born and raised in Canada. His mom sold the house so he had to move out on the street.

After him I ran into my friend from college. His name is Onder (photo# 10) and he is from Istanbul, Turkey. He came to Canada to study Hotel Management and has a dream of owning his own establishment sometime in the future.

In front of school I met with my other friends, Marykris, Alyssa and Valentina (photo#11). Marykris and Alyssa are from Philipines and Valetina is from Russia and they always spend time in school together. This shows that multiculturalism is very strong and residents of Toronto are very comfortable with different cultures.

Another photo of an old man from Pakistan (photo#12) was taken in front of a convenience store and I thought it is powerful photo sending a message to the public how everyone can wear their own religious hats and gowns. This man was very happy just to be able to smoke his cigarette and enjoy the sun.

Victor (photo#13) has Greek background but he was born and raised in Toronto.

Nelle (photo#14) is of a Serbian background and has his own music band. All these people who were portrayed in my virtual essay have one thing in common; they are all residents of Toronto with a purpose to have a better life.

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

The dog named William - Photo #4

 

The Tree -photo #5

Biclyles - Photo #6



Busy Downtown - Photo #7

Dundas Square - Photo #8

Wayne - Photo #9

Onder - Photo #10

Marykris, Alyssa and Valentina - Photo #11

An old man from Pakistan - Photo #12

Victor - Photo #13

Nelle - Photo #14

In conclusion I can say that I have enjoyed walking around and taking many photos in order to create my own style and to compare with my favourite photographers. No matter which style we use as long as we know the purpose of the photo, we will be able to create an art piece that could change and impact the world in the future.

Discussion #11 - Kertesz & Cartier-Bresson vs Smith & Salgado

Andre Kertesz

Talented Hungarian born photojournalist named Andre Kertesz stamped his name in history of photojournalism with his great skills to make something out of the ordinary photo. He believed to be invisible and did not alter his photo. Truthful and real work of Andre followed him wherever he traveled. His best masterpieces were done in France in 1920’s yet his biggest impact was in USA in the 60’s and 70’s.

His skills of always looking for the best shot and creating angles in order to make the photo look more real brought him to the point where he was able to touch and change people’s lives forever. One of the soldiers from his photo (photo1) died later in the war.  He wanted to offer a photo to a widow of the soldier as solidarity with her loss but it was his only photo. We can see how Andre was emotionally involved in his photos but that still did not make him alter it or stage it to show his emotions. He was a true artist and a photojournalist.

Photo 1 - Kertesz



Henri Cartier-Bresson

The”godfather of photojournalism” as they called him, created a unique style of photojournalism.  He clearly promoted that a photo should not be disturbed in any way. A belief that he should be invisible when taking a photo ensured that photo will send a truthful message to the world.

His leadership skills and creative style combined and he became a co – founder of one of the most successful photo organizations called Magnum Photos. He also encouraged flexibility which would allow him to take a photo and send a message in his own words.  No matter what the photo was about he always tried his best to bring out the full potential out of a scene or frame that he was capturing. Henri described photography in his own words: “To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and the heart. It's a way of life.”  (Magnum Photos)

Photo 2 - Cartier-Bresson

 

Eugene Smith

Eugene Smith was the American who learned about photography from his mom at a very early age. He developed his style of planned and staged photography. Even if this was against all ethics, his style still brought a clear message to the readers all over the world.

He was taking photos of wars and world disasters and was inputting his own message into the photos. He believed that a photographer should be at the scene and every one of his photographs had his signature. Eugene once said: “I wanted my pictures to carry some message against the greed, the stupidity and the intolerances that cause these wars.”  (American Masters)

Photo 3 - Smith

Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastiao Salgado was a master of his own. He was from Brazil but became popular all over the world for his photos. He was capturing only black and white photos. In addition his style was to use lighting as a tool to alter the photo and put his own signature on it.

The use of light in the photo of Spanish Wake is perfect example of his style. In 1986 he published a book called “Other America” and included were photos of the poor in Latin America. Salgado focused on the sad things in life and was trying to bring the truth trough a staged photo.

Photo 4 - Salgado

What are the main differences and similarities?

Kertez and Cartier were two photojournalist artists who strongly opposed altering images.  Their styles were similar in the sense that they both believed they should be invisible in the photo. Even though their photos were not staged they still needed creativity and were transmitting a true message of a life in the world.

Smith and Salgado focused more on sadness of the life. They thought that a photo had to be altered and they were present in all their master work. Whether it is fully staged photo or postproduction editing, the message was sent from a photographer to the people.

 All four of them brought a lot to photojournalism so I believe that they helped future generations in choosing which path they want to take.

What is better journalistic approach?

Better journalistic approach would be the one that Kertesz and Cartier used. This is due to the fact that codes of ethics in journalism do not allow altering and staging of the photos. That is exactly how these two artists saw photojournalism. They wanted the truth to get out there without being changed in anyway.

The approach of Smith and Salgado was wrong as far as codes of journalism ethics go but it was a nice creative way to bring to us the sadness of the photo and the ambient.

After all if their approaches were not good, would I be writing about them now? They are masters of photojournalism and without them the people would not have same perspective of the world.

 

Works Cited

American Masters. American Masters. 2011. 26 03 2011 <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/w-eugene-smith/about-w-eugene-smith/707/>.

Cartier-Bresson, Henri;Tériade E. The Decisive Moment: Photography. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1952.

Course Notes Week 10. "Capturing the Moment - Andre Kertesz; Henri Cartier-Bresson." (2011).

Course Notes Week 11. "Presenting the moment - Eugene Smith; Sebastiao Salgado." (2011).

Kertesz, Andre. Kertesz on Kertesz, A self portrait. New York : Abbeville Press, 1985.

Magnum Photos. Magnum Photos. 2011. 27 03 2011 <http://www.magnumphotos.com/>.

UNICEF. UNICEF - Sebatiao Salgado Biography. 2011. 26 03 2011 <http://www.unicef.org/salgado/bio.htm>.

Photos:

Photo #1- Kertesz -  Course Notes Week 10

Photo#2 - Cartier-Bresson-  http://photohistory.jeffcurto.com/archives/83

Photo#3 - Smith -  http://alechronicles.blogspot.com/2009/08/w-eugene-smith.html

Photo#4 - Salgado -  http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/28/sebastiao-salgado-photography-kuwait



Assignment #1 Photo Journal Part 2 - Press vs Art Photography

Press photography and art photography both have one sure thing in common. We are  looking through a camera lens trying to capture a moment of life. Using a camera and taking a photo with it is an art just by its self and it connects the two styles.   

Press Photography

Press photography is all about being accurate and following strict guidelines to ensure quality and truth when taking photos of news, sports and other events. They bring attention to something very important that happened in the world and they are usually published in magazines, newspapers and web sites.  These photographers often “specialise in particular field” (Barker) and can work for a company or as a free lancer. They need to have both creative and technical skills in order to bring the best out of the photo. These photos are not supposed to be atletered because that would be equal to writing a fake story. Press photography should focus on true events and to distribute untouched and real photos.

The first press photo was taken at a 2010 World Cup game between Germany and Serbia.  This photo of Serbian player scoring a winning goal traveled  around the world very fast and it made a big impact on people in Serbia. When they saw this photo they felt proud and happy which shows us how press photography keeps people informed and affects their mental state as well. A moment of life and history captured on the field thousands miles away from their country brought joy and happiness to the whole nation. If it wasn’t for the press photography who knows how and when they would find out about it.

In the second press photo we can see anti war protests from the 70’s. This image sends a clear message to the world and shows that not all U.S. citizens want their government to get involved in war in other countries. The power of press photo allows people to see the truth and have their own opinion.

Art Photography

Art photography is harder to define because it has a lot more freedom and it can be altered in order to make it look better. There are no real boundaries or guidelines as to what art photos are supposed to look like. It involves the vision of the photographers mind and setting up stage to detail it to the perfection. “fine art photography tends to have subject matter that focuses on natural elements, human forms, landscape, architecture and even dramatic images dealt with subtly and in fine detail.” (Kane).

In the first Art photo we have Eifel tower located in Paris, France. It is shown so small and as if someone was holding it in their hand. This vision of the photographer brings us up close and personal to the old French architecture. It is both art and press photography because it keeps us aware and informed of the advantages of visiting Paris while still showing us creativity and imagination.

The second art photo shows an old Coliseum in Rome, Italy. The beauty of this structure takes the viewer back in the days of the Roman Empire and connects art photography with historical events. This proves that art photos of the past can have a big impact in the future events. Someone seeing this artistic photo might wish to visit Rome sooner rather than later.

Works Cited

Barker, Caroline. "Press photographer: Job description and activities." August AGCAS 2010. Prospects the UK's official graduate career website. 19 03 2011 <http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/press_photographer_job_description.jsp>.

Course Notes - Week 9. "Photojournalism - Course Notes Week (." (2011): Slide 8.

Kane, Dena. "Definition of Fine Art Photography." 1999-2011 Demand Media, Inc. www.ehow.com. 19 03 2011 <http://www.ehow.com/about_4886292_definition-fine-art-photography.html>.

Westbrook, Dillon. "Photography Schools - A Brief History of Photojournalism ." 2007. Photography Schools. 10 03 2011 <http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm>.

Photos:

#1. http://www.examiner.com/germany-football-in-national/world-cup-serbia-stuns-germany-1-0
#2. http://www.boomerslife.org/protests_rally_iran_neda_agha_soltan.htm
#3. http://www.vagabondish.com/4-ways-to-be-a-traveler-not-a-tourist/
#4. http://www.betterthangossip.com/visit-the-roman-colosseum%E2%80%99s-gladiator-chambers/entertainment/2010/06/

Discussion #9 - Photojournalism

What's the role of photojournalism?

Journalism as a profession was very sensitive since the early days and the journalists had to be very creative to bring the picture to the readers of what really happened. This all came to an end once the photography entered the world of news and journalism. The information about wars, disasters and politicians was very accurate so people trusted this method of education. . “Consumers depend upon photojournalists to bring them the images that allow them to feel connected to far-away realities, and to be educated about those realities. “ (Westbrook) The images of the situation were so real and true that people started to respect photo journalism as a profession. 

Are there rules that a photojournalist should follow? Why? Why not? 

The rules of the photo journalism had to be implemented in order to keep various journalists play with the truth. Timeliness, accuracy, fair representation of the context of events and facts reported, and accountability to the public are some of the rules that are listed in the article “A Brief History of Photojournalism”.  The article also states: “A journalist, on the other hand, cannot be held to the demands of the photographic subject, but rather he or she must be concerned with producing accurate news for the public.” (Westbrook) It is crucial that these rules are followed together with not altering any photos, erasing people or objects.

Is the ethics of taking journalistic photos different than the ethics of writing a news story?

The ethics in any kind of profession are very important. The ethics for photo journalism are same as for journalism and they reflect on everyone so it could have a big negative or positive impact to so many different lives all over the world. In order for the truth to get out the code of ethics has to be strictly followed. The code from the reading says the only acceptable change in the photo is the quality of it. There can’t be any erasing of the people or objects (Course Notes - Week 9). As we all know technology today makes it easier to alter the photo so the ethics play even bigger role than before.

 

What's the impact of altering press photographs? Should they be edited (at all) in postproduction?

As I said above altering should only be done for the quality. Also you can’t take a photo and take something out of context. (Course Notes - Week 9) Taking a photo of a man behind barbed wire fence and distributing it as a photo from concentration camp could have huge consequences. What if the man was in fact free and he just happened to stand behind the fence.  I don’t see any difference between saying a lie or making a lie by altering a photo. I recommend the movie “Wag the dog”. Besides having my favourite actor Robert DeNiro, the movie is great because it shows us how one image could have the impact to start the war. It is scary that these things not only happen in Hollywood but also in real life.  If photo manipulation becomes part of photojournalism we have to fight against it with all of our power. We have to make sure the truth stays out there.

Works Cited

Course Notes - Week 9. "Photojournalism - Course Notes Week (." (2011): Slide 8.

Westbrook, Dillon. "Photography Schools - A Brief History of Photojournalism ." 2007. Photography Schools. 10 03 2011 <http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm>.

Photos:

http://www.digitalpicturezone.com/types-of-photography/the-joy-and-heartbreak-of-photojournalism/

Discussion #6- Documenting the Great Depression

"Migrant Mother"



We often say that pictures speak thousand words. The impact the photographs of the Great Depression had on the society was a permanent one. It touched so many lives and placed photography into the center of attention for the rest of the eternity. It opened up the eyes of the ones who don’t know how it is to be hungry and gave hope to the hungry ones that they will not be forgotten. Working for the Farm Security Administration, Dorothea Lange made series of photos of a woman with a child which later became a famous and was called "Migrant Mother".                                                

 

"Great Depression Family"

This was a story about a woman who was barely surviving in the fields of the frozen vegetables eating birds killed by her children. She was very calm and did not mind the photographer taking photos from different angles. The woman was 32 years old and she just wanted her children to survive. “There she sat in that lean- to tent with her children huddled around her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it.”(The Library of Congress - Researchers) Dorothea said about meeting the “Migrant Mother". It seems as if the mother knew her story will be told and she was ready for anything. The impact these photos have today is as strong as the one fifty years ago. We can see sadness and struggle in her eyes, but willingness to make it is keeping her alive. It helps us understand what people in those days went through and how it all looked from the inside as well as from the outside.

"Migrant Mother" #2

 Works Cited
The Library of Congress -Researchers. Prints and Photographs Reading Room. 22 10 2010. 14 02 2011 <http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html>.

Photos:

Photo #1: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html

Photo #2: http://www.infiniteunknown.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/depression.jpg

Photo #3: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html

Assignment # 3- Photo Manipulation

It is very hard to have an original photo of someone when today’s technology allows us to change anything we don’t like about it. It is not enough that we take so many pictures to only choose few for the album; we have the opportunity to make them look even better. We can also cut and paste and be very creative making the photo into a piece of art. As we know from our readings, even in the early days of the photography, retouching was very popular. “Nadar, who was himself a journalist, sketch artist and caricaturist, sought to combine business with his artistic aspirations and on that account refused to resort to retouching, a practice that was extremely common at the time among photographers with more commercial preoccupations. In contrast, Louis and Ernest Mayer, who set up their joint company of Mayer Freres in 1850, specialised in the tinted portrait.” (Jean-Claude Lemagny) These kinds of companies are today replaced by Photoshop and other digital photography tools.

The first photo was taken in the park. I saw this tree which reminded me of some great beast standing over me. I took a photo and continued my journey. When we got this assignment, I started searching through my photos knowing that I could create something new. Since this photograph reminded me of an animal, I decided to make it into a Gorilla.For this photo I used the simplest program called Paint.  I cut and paste the head of the gorilla from another photo and I put it on the tree. I painted the empty space choosing the gorilla colour and then over that I sprayed some black. I used green spray to cover the background and make it seem more like a jungle. We can see how I was able to  be creative in two different ways. First way was creativity and imagination with a photo camera and second one was creativity with photo tools which alowed me to make it into unique piece of art.

Original Photo                                                               Edited Photo

In the other photo I used more simple approach and I changed it to look like a photo from 60’s. We can clearly see how something would look through the lens of the old cameras. Retouching of the photo is not always used with good intentions. People can be creative but send a negative message to the society. This is why we have to step up and spread the positive influence to the future generations who will be affected the most with the coming technology.  By using the simplest program for my first photo I proved  how in today’s technology any person who has the most basic computer skills can be creative and change the photo to their liking.

Works Cited

Jean-Claude Lemagny, Andre Rouille. The History of Photography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , October 30, 1987.

Photos:

Gorilla Photo: http://www.ecotourismblog.com/entry/gorilla-safaris-earn-70-revenue-for-uganda/

Discussion #3 Can art be mechanically reproduced?

Can art be mechanically reproduced? When something is reproduced for so many times is that art? What's the importance of the mechanical reproducibility of the art? What was the impact on mechanical reproducibility on the society?

Art is a unique creation of one person. It can be reproduced but only for the purpose of familiarizing the public with its beauty and elegance. Many books have photos of reproduced art in order to keep the future generations informed and up to date.  If it wasn’t for art reproducing we would not really know who were Picasso and Michelangelo and what did their work look like. The society was impacted and inspired by the famous artists and photographers so everyone tried to reproduce some kind of art on their own.

- Is photography art, or contribution to the art? Is it just a tool used by artists?

Photography is art especially with help of today’s technology. A photographer is able to take a photo and then use his imagination to add something creative or unique. Just like painters Photographers also use different objects or different set ups bringing the viewer up close and personal.  Different lens, shutter or focus is like painters different brushes, they bring different angles of the photography. Photographers live for photography and some of them even go as far as looking at everything through the lens of the camera.

- How and why Henry Pitch Robinson created Fading Away? What was the reason?

Henry’s photo of a girl dying tried to show how emotionally involved was her family. Using five negative and then combining them was an art which Henry created. He tried to show death through the eyes of regular people and how it affects them.  Photographers were using all of their creativity to make their photos even better and more real.

- Photography has impacted the world of art and influenced some changes in the area of accessibility to art. If mechanical reproduction created revolution, what is happening now with the digitalization?

Digitalization has brought reproduction and photography to a whole new level. Daily innovations and improvements are making it easier for us to reproduce old art or photos. This also allows us to create a memory for the next hundred years and to shoot, develop and post our photos faster and more efficiently. Digitalization also had a big impact on the photo industry in general. Customers rarely visit Photo studios because they are able to retouch their photo without professional help. This makes it very hard for some studios to stay in the business.  

Photos:

1. http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.82741610.jpg

2. http://www.burnblue.com/photos/1006/_DSC5702_f.jpg