Identical Twins (1967) - Diane Arbus
Denotative:
In this picture we see "identical twins". They wear the same outfit and are the same height. They are both looking into lens with an all white background. However if we look closer we see that the one on left has messier hair and dress with an uneven fringe, making us feel like something slightly off, the twin on the right is smiling whilst the one on the left is frowning, and the angle of the floor angle of floor isn't straight. They are called identical but they aren't, solidifying the idea that photography can be deceitful. |
A Family on their Lawn One Day In Westchester (1968) - Diane Arbus
This photo shows two parents and their child.The parents are laying on sun beds and are facing away from the child, hinting at neglect. The father looks in distress or as if he doesn't want to be in the picture, and the mother looks like she is trying to look relaxed whilst upset. She is sunbathing with a full face of make up in a posed position. Both the mum and the dad's fingers are spread out like the want to reach over to each other but can't possibly due to a failing marriage.
All of the children's toys are far away from them, so he can run off while they are unbothered. The kid has lots of toys but they are very far apart and close to the ominous woods. The trees in the background are compact and act as a background. The camera angle looks down onto the family from a slightly raised area to show the child and how far away they are. The photo represents a broken family and has a sense of loneliness even with the ones you love. |
Different emotions, although they are seen as the same on the outside, they are not on the inside. Different personalities.
Photography can lie, and be deceitful.
Connotative - Emotional suggestions of a word not literal.
Denotative - The direct word that you find in the dictionary.
Connotative goes into deeper meaning.
Photography can lie, and be deceitful.
Connotative - Emotional suggestions of a word not literal.
Denotative - The direct word that you find in the dictionary.
Connotative goes into deeper meaning.
The Early Years
What is the difference between a Camera Obscura and a Camera Lucida?
A Camera Obscura is a box that is sealed completely from light, it has a small hole at the front of the box with a lens in it, because of the hole at the front, light is let through, and whatever is in front of the box is displayed upside down inside the box on the wall that faces the hole. You cannot capture this image.
A Camera Lucida is an optical aid to artists which is used to help painting, they were used frequently in the 17th century for portraits. Light is mirrored so that an artist can see what they are drawing or painting and have a stencil.
A Camera Obscura is a box that is sealed completely from light, it has a small hole at the front of the box with a lens in it, because of the hole at the front, light is let through, and whatever is in front of the box is displayed upside down inside the box on the wall that faces the hole. You cannot capture this image.
A Camera Lucida is an optical aid to artists which is used to help painting, they were used frequently in the 17th century for portraits. Light is mirrored so that an artist can see what they are drawing or painting and have a stencil.
Louis Daguerre on a daguerreotype.
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What is the difference between a Daguerreotype and a Calotype?
A Daguerreotype is a type of image which creates a very detailed image on a copper plate with a thin lining of silver without the use of a negative. This processed was created by Louis Daguerre, and was used a lot from the 1840's to 1850's. A Calotype is a type of photograph and is the original negative and positive invented by William Henry Fox Talbot. This uses a paper negative, which has a softer image and is less sharp than a Daguerrotype. |
William Henry Fox Talbot on a calotype.
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Timeline of Early Photography
Photography of The Renaissance
The idea of the photograph (wanting to capture reality) emerged during the Renaissance. One artist of that time was Leonardo Da Vinci. Da Vinci is well known for his anatomical drawings and took a large interest in contemporary advances in science.
Photography Early History Timeline
16th Century - The Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of ideas such as literature, classical philosophy and art. Artists became more and more interested in representing the reality of nature. Leonardo Da Vinci is well known for his anatomical drawings, inventions, and interest in contemporary advances in science.
1760 - 1840 - Industrial Revolution transformed society with mass-production inspiring the desire for scientists reproduce reality in a fixed form. The first known photograph was taken after these developments. In 1827, Joseph Nicephore Niepce fixed the first projected image of his view from his window. As he wasn't able to draw well, Niepce first placed engravings onto engraving stones, coated with a light-sensitive varnish he created. He created the first known photograph on metal and called them heliographs.
Louis Jacques Daguerre worked with Niepce in his quest to fix the projected image. He was a painter of stage sets and illusionistic scenery for The Diorama, a popular visual entertainment area in Paris during this time. In January 1839, Louis Daguerre announced his invention, the daguerreotype his type of photograph which was printed onto a metal plate. |
Niepce's first photograph ever. (1827)
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Daguerreotype camera.
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In 1839 William Henry Fox Talbot created the calotype. This had an advantage in comparison to the Daguerreotype, as it could be reproduced as a negative as opposed to being a single, non-replicable image. However, the calotype was improved over time and advances in paper technology led to more advanced processing. Therefore, the Calotype soon became the most popular type of photography at the time and is even still used today.
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Herbert Bayer
Herbert Bayer was an Austrian and American who had a whole range of expertise including work as a graphic designer, painter, photographer, sculptor, art director, environmental and interior designer, and architect. Bayer played a key part in the development of the Atlantic Rich-field Company's corporate art collection until his death in 1985. Herbert Bayer was one of the Bauhaus’s most influential teachers and students at one point. Bayer started to study as an architect in 1919 in Darmstadt, Germany. From 1921 to 1923 he attended the Bauhaus in Weimar. He began making his own photographs in 1928, after leaving the Bauhaus. Most of Bayer’s photographs are from 1928–38, when he was based in Berlin as a commercial artist. They represent his broad approach to art, including graphic views of architecture and carefully crafted montage. Bayer remained in America working as a graphic designer for the remainder of his career.
"Lonely Metropolitan" - 1932
During 1928, there was a recession in Germany, which was the reason for Bayer to leave and study in the USA. In this picture he connotes his feelings of loneliness and sadness in this collage of two hands with eyes. The collage makes the viewer feel uncomfortable at the sight of this as it is so abnormal, but looking past that initial discomfort we can understand that this is how Bayer feels in a city full of people, alienated.
There are also topics that Herbert Bayer touches on in this image such as cramped living spaces and poverty, which is shown by the buildings behind the strange hands which can almost make the viewer feel claustrophobic because of how close together everything is. From this we can see that he is focusing on his issues with the people in the city and the way that it is structured, almost suggesting it was made for the average person to feel alone in. |
Photography Presentation
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My photographer is William Eggleston. He was born in the USA in 1939 and has since been regarded as an extremely talented photographer. Eggleston is prominently known for his use of colour and subtle deep meanings in some of his photography which attempts to capture everyday life.
His work is important because during the time he started taking pictures in 1965, colour photography was derided by fine artists for its use in advertising and photojournalism. For example in 1969, American photographer Walker Evans said "Colour photography is vulgar." Eggleston's greatest influence is the French photographer Henri Cartier Bresson, especially his 1952 volume "The Decisive Moment", this focused on everyday life and is shown in the slide show. Although critics have said Eggleston's work looks cheap, to make it he used dye transfer printing, which costs around 1,000 dollars for the first print, but it allowed him to define the colour and saturation of his images in exchange for this price. Overall, his work is important as the use of colour and every day photography was revolutionary at the time. |
Presentation
Well researched presentation. Thorough discussion of the context surrounding the photographer and the work, you also clearly discussed technique- your understanding clearly came across. Intelligent links to other ideas and photographers. Make sure that you include titles and dates. I also feel you could have expanded the last quote to further illustrate Eggleston's intentions.
Grade: B
Well researched presentation. Thorough discussion of the context surrounding the photographer and the work, you also clearly discussed technique- your understanding clearly came across. Intelligent links to other ideas and photographers. Make sure that you include titles and dates. I also feel you could have expanded the last quote to further illustrate Eggleston's intentions.
Grade: B
Documentary Hero
Dorothea Lange
The Documentary Hero I chose is Dorothea Lange for her photography that documents life in the "American Dream" during the depression in the 1930s. Her photography forces the viewer to question this dream and come to terms with the fact that too many people were living in terrible conditions in a state of pain.
"Migrant Mother" is a black and white photograph taken by Dorothea Lange in 1936 during the Great Depression. The photograph features a tired-looking mother with her three children huddled close to her, the youngest child nestled in her lap. The mother's face appears worn and her eyes gaze downward, suggesting hardship and uncertainty. The image is a powerful representation of the poverty and despair faced by migrant farm workers during the Great Depression.
The photograph is considered an iconic image of the era and is widely recognized as one of the most important photographs in American history. It has become a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, and a reminder of the struggles faced by those living in poverty. The photograph has been featured in countless books, documentaries, and exhibitions and has had a significant impact on American culture and society. It is also considered a masterpiece of documentary photography and is widely studied by art students and historians. However the picture does raise questions about whether her photography created reality or documents it, as this picture was set up before taken. |
Can "A Fact Clearly Described Be Mysterious?
Framing
Within framing we study how the crop of an image can tell a completely different story. This can be misleading and create meaning behind a photograph which may not be realistic.
In a task we chose an image and cropped the framing of it to tell a different story. To the right is the image I chose and below are the crops I made of it. |
Each crop of the image tells a different story when the original image isn't shown.
What a shame you have not completed the task.
What a shame you have not completed the task.
In the top crop, you see disaster in a city, possibly a photograph of war.
In the next crop you see a group of friends enjoying a sunny day by the water.
In the third crop you cannot see emotion or facial expressions, but it still looks like a day out with multiple people.
How you crop an image tells a very different story, which begs the question - do photographs document or create reality,
In the next crop you see a group of friends enjoying a sunny day by the water.
In the third crop you cannot see emotion or facial expressions, but it still looks like a day out with multiple people.
How you crop an image tells a very different story, which begs the question - do photographs document or create reality,