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.