Blog Entries #8, #9, & #10

“My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.” ~Richard Avedon.

No matter what a photographer says, it is nearly impossible to be completely objective when creating a photograph. Photography is literally an extension of what one sees, and everyone has a different way in which they view the world. That aside, when we create portraits, we often think we are describing the person when in reality it is almost as if we are assigning a story to that person that came though our subconscious and is therefore an extension of the artist.



“You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adams



Ansel Adams was a true and pure artist. During the time of his craft, as much effort went in to setting up and taking the photograph with a 4x5 camera, as it did in the dark room. This quote makes me nostalgic for the old craft of photography. The introduction of both point and shoot digital cameras, and cell phone cameras have made the snapshot less and less about creation and more about simply snapping random photos. The difference between an artist and a person with a camera is that an artist creates, or “makes,” a photograph where as an average person simply “takes” a photo.



“All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.” ~John Berger

I agree with this quote to some extent; however, the abstract nature of many paintings has the ability to change the meaning for the viewer as well. Often times neither the painter nor the photographer stamps a particular message on their photograph, in that way they leave it open to interpretation. 
 The introduction of photoshop has created the ability to make a photograph more like a painting, creating a final artwork that was never a part of reality. I think that some photographs exist to remind us of what we forget, but I would not say that all photographs serve this purpose.

Robert Frank

Robert Frank was born in 1924 in Zürich, Switzerland. He stands out in American photography, most notably during the 1950's "beat generation," where he published The Americans with a forward but author Jack Kerouac. His photographs have a strong social commentary. At first he was optimistic about American society but his opinion soon changed to an acknowledgment of the countries overemphasis on money. He was given a grant from the Guggenheim for The Americans in which he drove across the country, generally taking photographs in a "fly on the wall" approach. He was highly influenced by Walker Evans. Later in his life he made the transition to film and later back to still images in the 1970's where he created a "visual autobiography," creating collages and distorting negatives.

Blog Entries #5, #6, & #7

#5 Give your thoughts on one or both of the following quotes.
“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ~Edward Steichen



“I just think it's important to be direct and honest with people about why you're photographing them and what you're doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul.” ~Mary Ellen Mark




Although it has been said that taking a photograph of someone is similar to taking a part of that person, I tend to agree more with the first quote where the photographs of that person become a record and a shared object, adding more to that person rather than taking away. One of the main uses of photography is to capture the world and express it to the people. For example, few people in the world will travel to all of the locations in a National Geographic magazine. Therefore, the images in National Geographic allow the unique and awe inspiring fascinations that exist in the world to be brought to the reader. Photographs unite man by creating a shared experience while instilling knowledge.

#6 In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?

Personally, digitally altering photographs frightens me. Certain things I have seen performed in photoshop make it hard to believe the “reality” of any photograph. An area where I am sure this occurs more often than not is in celebrity gossip magazines. I have found it appropriate to digitally alter portraits when the sitter has a blemish that they would like to cover up. Enhancing their complexion in order to make them “the best they can be” is now done by most photographers and is therefore considered fair.

#7 Pay close attention to the types and number of photographic portraits you see in one day. Where did you see them? How do you think that the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image (news, facebook, magazine, advertisement, television, youtube, etc)? In other words, what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?

Every day we are flooded with images. A large amount of those images are portraits, mainly in magazines, advertisements, on television and facebook. A portrait can range from amateur to fine art. The “portraits” on facebook are snapshots portray the lives of the people in the image and record history. They mainly are in a bar or college party setting and create a range of viewpoints of that person’s life. Facebook profile pictures are slightly different in that they are portraits of that person and the image in which they wish to portray to the world. When I think of a portrait on the news I instantly think of a mug shot. The portraits displayed on the news are informative. As for magazines and advertisements, the model is generally highly idealized in order to sell the product. The intent of an artist’s portrait is much more pensive and purposeful than portraits seen elsewhere. Certain magazines and news sources use photographs to document issues, these photographs are often well thought out and powerful, with the photographers “viewpoint” being to shine light on a subject. The content of a portrait gains more substance, meaning and power and it progresses from a “youtube” or facebook setting to that of documentary photography or fine art.

Samantha, Untitled #2

Assignment 2, Portraits: Samantha, Untitled #1

Assignment 2, Portraits: Insecurities: CB #2

Assignment 2, Portraits: Insecurities: CB #1

Assignment 2, Portraits: CB paint, Untitled #1

light/motion

light

circus variation

Circus

Complimentary

Blog Entries #3 & #4

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.” ~Duane Michals. Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why?

I agree with this quote. On a philosophical level, it is quite possible that nothing truly is at it appears. Everyone has different perceptions of the world. Photography in particular has made this debate a reality with the introduction of photoshop, allowing for objects or people to be removed, replaced or implanted in a different setting. Even before photoshop it was possible to create scenes and photograph them, leaving it up to the viewer to determine the reality and allowing for the artist to create their own.


“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine


Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? Describe situations when photographic images reveal “the story” (as compared to words). Describe situations when words reveal “the story” (as compared to images).

I disagree with this quote primarily for the reason that photographs are not always intended to document. If a photograph is documentary it often contributes to the delivery and understanding of the story, especially when both words and images are delivered. Carefully chosen words in artfully delivered sentences have the ability to paint a picture in ones mind. A photograph can sometimes remove this sense of imagination by delivering the image instantly. Verbal traditions such as stories told around a campfire are a situation where words better reveal “the story” than images do. The setting allows the imagination to wander and the listeners to create their own images. At times, things are seen that words cannot describe. For example, an erupting volcano can be described, but to truly grasp the massive natural phenomenon, a photograph is necessary. Furthermore, an image can tell a story that allows for multiple interpretations, where as words often implant the speakers interpretation.

Recreation Image: Assignment #0

Recreation Image: Assignment #0

Recreation Image: Blue Dress at MOMA. Nan Goldin Exhibit.

Katy Grannan

Katy Grannan is an American photographer from Arlington, Massachusetts born in 1969 who now lives in Berkeley, California. She earned BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MFA from the Yale University School of Art. She has been exhibited in many Museums and Institutes including the Guggenheim Museum and publications such as Artforum and The New Yorker among others.
Grannan finds her models by placing ads in local papers. "Art models wanted: Female photographer seeks people for portraits. All ages. All types. No experience necessary. Will pay." These models therefore convey individuality, fantasy, rebellion and intimacy.
Her photograph, Ghent, NY created in 2000 shot with a 4 x 5 camera, lights and a fan inside the mundane environment of a strangers home portrays a young woman wearing her mothers prom dress, holding one of the many birds that occupied her mother's house where she resided. The adolescent female transforms for an instant into an elegant heiress of another time.







“A static image [..] is never the same as the person or the moment I’ve tried to describe. In fact, these subjects, and these moments are new stories. The process itself is theater, and among other things, the photograph has a life of its own. It is a document of nothing, really. What is true and what is invented are constantly overlapping and indiscernible.” - Katy Grannan

Prompt #1: Imagine a world without photographs. Describe what this world would be like.

In a world without photographs there would be no visual documentation of exploration or personal expression that is the closest to reality. Memories would be less vivid and not concrete and history could be rewritten without representative documentation. As Andy Warhol stated, “The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.”



Prompt #2: What does the word "photograph" mean to you?

A photograph is an art form that has many elements and a vivid history that has expanded and advanced immensely. It is a representation of reality and a way of capturing the world around you and expressing your viewpoint.