Virtual Essay-Brassai

The photographer I chose to emulate is Brassai. He was born on September 9, 1899 and died July 8 1984. Brassai, whose birth name was Halas Gyula, was born in Brassov, Hungary. The name Brassai originates from his place of birth.

He was not initially a fan of photography. However, now he is known for his use of high contrast black and white and lighting techniques. What lead Brassai to photography was his love of the city and his job. (Sayag,2000)His desire to capture the beauty of the streets and gardens during foggy and rainy weather inspired him to start taking photographs. His subject matter of choice were city streets, people, urban settings during inclement weather. (http://www.photo-seminars.com/Fame/Brassai.htm)In a way his photos made rain and fog look beautiful through using special high contrast lighting techniques.

An example of Brassai's work
(Photo Credts: http://www.foto-magazin.ro/despre-fotografie_open.php?art=ftm20/archives/2007/08/brassai_gyula_h.html)


Many of his photographs have dominant light sources that illuminate his photos even during unfavourable weather conditions. Brassai photographed mainly in black and white. It adds a more dramatic effect to rainy and foggy weather. His photographs are also well lit and sharply defined. He also focused on line and shapes when taking his photographs. In some of Brassai's photos (such as his famous gutter photo), the black and white style helped bring out the textures in his photographs.

Brassai's "gutter" photograph. (Photo Credits: http://www.masters-of-photography.com/B/brassai/brassai_gutter.html)

One of my favourite Brassai photographs (Photo Credits: http://unnaturaleye.blogspot.com/2010/07/gratuitous-brassai.html)


Brassai also favoured Paris for his work. He liked to photograph people who lived in the underground such as prostitutes, pimps, and the Paris nightlife. He also liked to photograph scenery. For this virtual essay, I have chosen to take photographs in the style of his scenery type pictures. I attempted to do so by taking my photographs on rainy and foggy days and taking my photographs of similar subject matter to Brassai's.

Brassai liked to integrate lamp posts as his source of light in his photos. In this photo, I photographed a person walking along a path lit by lamp posts. I increased the contrast and manipulated the lighting effects to make it look similar to Brassai's style. In many of Brassai's photos, his subjects are still or posing for the photograph. My photograph is different from Brassai's because the subject in my photo is actively walking. It is similar to Brassai's style in the photograph above it in terms of clarity and light source.

In this photograph I wanted to capture Brassai's most basic element: his use and exaggeration of light in hi photographs. I also wanted to reflect the fog element Brassai often incorporates in his photographs. I darkened the photo and adjusted the highlights in order to make the lights in the photo really stand out as a main focal point. It also gave the photo a more high contrast look similar to Brassai's. I enjoy this particular element because it results in a clean looking picture with clean lines and really makes the subject of focus pop out of the photograph.

This photo was inspired by Brassai's famous "gutter" photo. This photo has distinct contour lines and is rather dark so that the texture of the ground can be seen. I used a similar effect and darkened my photo more than the others. Brassai's gutter photograph is also one of his darker photos.

This photo was inspired by Brassai's "Le Pont Neuf" seen below. Both photos were taken with the intent to draw the observer's eye across the water and to a certain focal point. In Brassai's photo it is the bridge in the background. In my photgoraph,it is the bike initially, but then becomes the lights from the buildings and towers hidden by the fog. The lights in the both photos are reflected in the water as well. The fog is also visible in both photographs.

Le Pont Neuf by Brassai (Photo Credits: http://www.squidoo.com/brassai-photography)

This picture is similar to my previous one but the focal point is what is different. My goal was to have the observer's eye notice the bicycle first, then focus in on the couple walking by the lake. They are made the focal point by the light post they are walking by. It almost acts as a spot light to attract the eye to it.


Works Cited

Alain Sayag, ed., Brassai: The Monograph, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 2000.

Masters of Photography.Accessed 6 April 2011. http://www.masters-of-photography.com/index.html

Gratuitous Brassai. Accessed 5 April 2011. http://unnaturaleye.blogspot.com/2010/07/gratuitous-brassai.html.

http://www.squidoo.com/brassai-photography
About.com "Brassaï's father was Hungarian, a professor of French Literature at the University of Brassó, but his mother was of Armenian origin."Accessed 2 April 2011.

Brassai.Accessed 5 April 2011. http://www.photo-seminars.com/Fame/Brassai.htm
Brassai, Letters to My Parents, University of Chicago Press, 1995, p. 241. Accessed 6 April 2011

Discussion Board for Week 11

The works of Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson versus the work of Eugene Smith and Sebastio Salgado vary in many ways. Their philosophies and approaches to photography are the biggest differences. Eugene Smith who is famous for the "Spanish Wake" wanted his photographs to reflect reality as he felt and saw it. He did this through using special post production lighting techniques when developing his photographs. His approach to photography involved interfering with his subjects. This resulted in creating a specific atmosphere rather than portraying how it is. He makes no attempt to be "invisible" to his subjects so that they are aware of his presence. He allows his emotions to influence and affect his work. Smith also plans and stages his photographs. He believes that being an insider creates a better picture despite the lack of authenticity to it. It can be said then that Smith "creates" reality rather than capturing it.

A staged photograph by Eugene Smith.

The same can be said about Sebastiao Salgado. He believes that crossing the imaginary line (between photographer and subjects and getting involved with subjects is necessary to understand the subjects being photographed. He manipulates his photos post production but also in a different way. He usually photographs less fortunate people who are in despair. He creates "heroes" in his photographs. These heroes often show people suffering but the way he manipulates some photos gives the impression that the subject can over come their adversity. His photographs not only depict reality, but do so for a specific purpose. He photographs individuals to express his global political stance on the effects of politics and the economy on disadvantaged people. His photos convey a personal message of his to the audience about his discontent with certain political and economic establishments. For this reason he cannot really be considered a photojournalist. He is depicting reality for many impoverished people and nations, but he does so with an ulterior motive. Journalistic standards dictate that this is unethical for that profession. Both Salgado and Smith can be considered as art photographers rather than journalists since their approaches do not reflect journalistic standards.

Photo Credits: Sebastiao Salgado

Conversely, Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson maintain a more traditional approach to photography. They believe that the photographer should be unnoticed when photographic subjects. This preserves a sense of authenticity to the photograph. It can be said that a level of professionalism is maintained through presenting reality as it actually happened. Crossing this "invisible line" as Smith and Salgado are known for negates professionalism. Having considered this, Kertesz and Cartier Bresson's approach is better when discussing journalistic approaches. Smith and Salgado's approach is better suited for art photography.

The role of a photojournalist is to capture reality and present it in the most accurate way. Interfering with subjects (including staging photographs) is not only unethical, but can be dangerous in the wrong hands. Interfering with subjects when you are supposed to portray reality can create and change reality. It can tell a different or complete opposite story than what is true. If photojournalists are allowed to do this, then we stand the risk of being misinformed by those we rely on to capture reality.


Works Cited
Lecture slides from Week 11.
http://www.thepaepae.com/dragonflies/1694/
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/salgado/salgado_mali_full.html

Photo Journal Part 2

Art photography can be interpreted and appreciated in many ways. It sometimes tries to convey certain messages or make a statement or impact. It is also created for appreciation. It can be a lie, misrepresentation, completely obscure and ridiculous, but it is art. Since art is subjective and abstract, it is acceptable for photographers to alter and edit their art photographs. Art photography does not have the responsibility of accurate representation.Art photography can be altered to highlight, accentuate and exaggerate certain features in a photograph. There aren't as many ethical rules to art photography as there is with press photography. As mentioned in the lecture slides (week 9), photo journalists have a code of ethics to uphold. Art photography does not have to represent facts or accuracy.

I altered this photo I took by cropping it to bring up the horizon line. I also used a black and white effect to bring out the textures in the scenery. I did this to enhance the photo.

I also altered this photo of mine by also using a black and white effect. The original brought out the colours of the stones but I was more concerned with making the texture of the rocks stand out and the black and white effect helped enhance it. I also increased the highlights which brought up the contrast to bring out a more vivid and intense quality to it.


Once a photograph is altered, it loses a certain authenticity to it. It is no longer accurate. Therefore, press photographers should not alter their photographs because of the responsibility they have to the public to represent the truth accurately. Almost everyone relies on news reports and newspapers as a primary source of information. Press photographs should not be non partisan and free of any influence of thought. In Brian Gilden's photo essay "Detroit Foreclosures", he is able to maintain authenticity by showing unaltered pictures of Detroit's slums and having a Detroit native speaking about their every day living conditions. His photos contextualize a message, not invent one. Altering press photos could result in a misrepresentation of the facts, be misleading, and can change the story behind it completely. Since it is difficult for a photography to contextualize itself, the photograph must remained untouched, unless it is to improve the quality of the photograph itself, for example, lightening and darkening photos from under or overexposure.

Post tsunami/earthquake Japan (Photo credits:Kyodo/Reuters, Toronto Star, http://www.thestar.com/topic/japan#photo)
Since there is no other way for the rest of the world to understand or see the impact of this natural disaster, we rely on photographs such as this and videos to keep ourselves informed. This photograph is remains unaltered to accurately depict the destruction and tragedy in Japan.

African Child with Vulture (Photo Credits: Kevin Carter, http://my.opera.com/yeeliberto/albums/showpic.dml?album=285129&picture=6019622)

This infamous photograph is more than it first appears to be. The photographer (Kevin Carter) intended the photograph to be only of the child to highlight the famine and starvation crisis in Africa. The photographer originally tried scaring the vulture off but it didn't move. He took the photo, and later realized that the vulture knew the child was slowly dying and the vulture was essentially waiting on his prey. (Time Magazine, 1994). As tragic as this photograph is, if Carter had chosen to crop the vulture of the photo, it would have told a completely different and possibly inaccurate story. It would have shown that the child was starving, but not that there was a chance the vulture would attack the child. The unaltered photo shows that many African lives are in danger not only of starvation, but of being hunted by wild animals.

Works Cited
Danilovic, Sandra. Lecture slides from week 9. Photography: Shooting the Truth. George Brown College. 2011.

Gilden, Bruce. Detroit Foreclosures. Magnum in Motion. http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/foreclosures-detroit. Accessed March 19, 2011.

Macleod, Scott. The Life and Death of Kevin Carter. Time Magazine. 1994. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981431,00.html. Accessed March 18 2011.

DB 6- Why the project has significant impact on the society? - What was the role of Migrant Mother photograph in the period or great depression and what is it nowadays?

This project has a significant impact on society because of its historical representation of society and the changes it underwent during that time period. It reflects not only the lifestyle, but the adversity people of all backgrounds, nationalities and social class experienced through the Great Depression. It also highlights the effects of the Dust Bowl and the trend of increasing mechanization. Since most of our knowledge of this era is limited to what is taught in school and books, these photographs contribute to a visual understanding of the "Dirty Thirties."

The Migrant Mother photograph is a raw, realistic representation of how desperate the conditions were during the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a result of the stock market crash in 1929. Coincidentally, much of North America was hit by dry dust storms. These storms caused significant damage to homes, farms and crops. This was devastating to many families and farm owners, as their plants and crops were a main source of food and income for families then. These pictures serve as proof of the absolute poverty Americans and Canadians had to endure.

The story Dorothea Lange shared about her encounter with the woman photographed gave context to her photographs. It gives the audience a deeper understanding of how little food they had to survive off. Lange described this photographic experience as having a "sort of equality to it." This is significant because it demonstrates how Americans and Canadians were equally affected. There were no victors during this time period. Everyone felt the impact of the Depression. One could say it leveled the playing field in terms of socio-economics since it affected the wealthy and the poor. The lady in the photograph helped Lange because she thought it would help them both, in a "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" sort of way. The Great Depression also served as a wake up call for many who may have previously thought they were invincible because of their wealth. It showed the enormous power the stock market has on our economy.

The photographs also display a loss of pride amongst those affected. Most people would not want to be photographed during their most difficult times. The fact that the woman consent to the photographs may indicate that she was aware that her life was also a reality for virtually everyone in the world. Today, these pictures should serve as a reminder of how dangerous relying on the stock market can be. While most of us have experienced the effects of a recession, we have not truly experienced a depression to the same caliber as in the 1930s.

Assignment 3 - Photo Manipulation Assignment

Why Do We Manipulate Photos?

While the debate over whether photographers should be manipulating their photographs remains a topic for debate, I believe that photos can be altered and manipulated for positive reasons. Editing photos allows the photographer or artist the opportunity to further express themselves, convey a message or illustrate a point that normal, unedited photos would not be able to do. It also allows them to add or remove elements from a photo. For example, the photo in the link below has obviously been manipulated. Its goal is not to accurately represent the world, but has more implicit meaning. Despite the face that there are many different people, cultures and languages in the world, the photograph serves as a reminder that we as humans, share the same planet and that we are not as far apart, or from "different worlds" as we think we are.



For the photos I have chosen, my goal was to highlight and communicate what the focal point of my photos are. I did this by highlighting certain features and manipulating the photographs accordingly. I wanted to maintain a sense of realism in my photographs as opposed to conveying a meaning. I want the audience to see the photographs the same way I perceive and appreciate about the subjects in the photographs.

Photo 1: Intimacy

I began my manipulation of this photograph by using the crop tool. Cropping the picture also repositioned the horizon line, giving the photo a more horizontal composition. This horizontal composition creates a more peaceful and intimate feel. I also experimented with the shadows, midtones and highlights to bring out the details in the hands and place more emphasis on the hands. I increased the saturation in the photograph to give it a warmer feel. This also creates more intimacy in the photo as the restaurant that can be seen in the original photo is not as visible in the edited version of the photograph. This prevents the audience from getting distracted from the focal point of the photo. These effects I used exaggerate the point of focus and the details within them.

Photo 2: Historical City

Unlike the first photograph, I chose not to crop this one because I like the placement of the horizon line and the way the lines intersect in the middle of the photograph. Cropping the photo would change the horizon line and in turn, the focal point of the photograph. For this photo, I chose to bring up the reds and greens which highlighted the yellow tones, giving it a warmer feel. I also in creased the vibrance and saturation (slightly) which created a contrast between the colours, in turn making the building stand out more. I basically experimented with the existing colours and effects and exaggerated them slightly.I intentionally did not "over do" the effects in order to maintain a sense of realism in the photograph.

ASSIGNMENT 1: Photo Journal

Portraits in the early days were more labour intensive and difficult to produced. They were also comparatively more costly when taking into account dollar equivalencies then and present day. It also required more than one person to complete the portrait process. Photography was revolutionized when Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre invented a way to capture images on highly polished silver plates of copper. In the early years of photography portraits took longer to produce due to longer exposure times. This also meant that having a portrait done was far more time consuming and uncomfortable for the subject being photographed. The subject must remain completely still or their photograph would be ruined and come out with a smudged appearance. Photographs can now be taken in seconds and printed within minutes of taking the photograph. Photography now is more instantaneous and easily produced and mass produced for a fractional cost. Mechanically speaking, virtually anyone can have a portrait done by anyone with a camera. It is now possible to take photographs of yourself within seconds. Anyone can take multiple pictures of themselves within a 30 second span, where as in the past, taking one portrait took considerably longer and required more than one person. 

The subjects of photographers were usually important figures or the wealthy since they were the only ones who could afford to have portraits taken. Portraits were not only more costly, but were also a reflection of one’s social status. Some say that the rise of photography (including portraits) coincides with the rise of the middle class, which would undermine aristocracy. This is because people were demanding the same rights and privileges as aristocrats. This included portraits which were originally exclusive to the rich and powerful. Now, anyone, regardless of social class or status can have their portrait taken at a minimal cost. Portraits are no longer a reflection of social status. They have lost that original connotation. Portraits can be mass produced quickly and cheaply by virtually anyone.

                                                          Evita Peron

                         (This is what I meant by "anyone" can get a portrait done.)

Photography was not a common career in the 1850s. There were only a handful of “miniaturists” as they were called. As time went on, the number of these artists rapidly grew until it became a very popular art form and career for some. Now anyone with a camera and some training can call themselves a photographer. It is not a highly technical skill to take portraits like it was in the past. It no longer requires more than one person to take a portrait.

Technology has helped improve the quality speed and cost of portraits through out history. It has also helped improve the quality of the pictures we take now. We can take photos of objects far away, or up close with ease. It has also allowed for shorter exposure times, allowing portraits and photos to be produced and reproduced more quickly. It has also allowed us to take higher resolution pictures which allow the photographer to showcase and highlight specific details. It has allowed photographers to add effects, and correct photo faults (eg. red eye, blurry images, low lighting). Technology has made it simple to manipulate photos in virtually any way imaginable. It is now possible to super impose photos on a variety of objects other than photo paper, for example, posters, mugs, t-shirts, even metallic surfaces. Most of all, technology has allowed for photography to be more portable and convenient. It has allowed for photography to be more spontaneous, and indirectly, more creative.

Works Cited

2 Precursors of the Photographic Portrait by Gisele Freund 
Excerpt from A History of Photography by Lemagny and Rouille 

Photo Credits

www.thedaglab.com

http://www.photohistory-sussex.co.ukfunnyphotos.net.audagprocess.htm

www.voiceseducation.org
www.funnyphotos.net.au

 www.techxo.com

DB3

Are Posters Ruining Art?.....and then some.

Art can be mechanically reproduced for the purpose of accessibility but not for originality.  It is impossible and impractical to have an artist, more specifically painters produce thousands of copies of one painting without the aid of mechanical reproduction. Having said this, one cannot have and “original” piece of art if anyone off the street can walk into a store and buy the same thing.  The best example of this is posters of original paintings.

When something is reproduced for so many times it is not art, but merely a replica or representation of art. It is not “original.” Therefore, mass production of an artwork is no longer original. For example, is someone has a poster of the Mona Lisa, they do not have an original piece of art. They have a representation of the original artwork, in a different form. Mechanical reproduction of art is important, not for the sake of originality, but for the sake of availability to people who appreciate the original work, since it is impossible for everyone to own the same original artwork. 

Mona Lisa poster vs. Mona Lisa bastardization. Which is more "original"?

Photography is an art. In my opinion, art is all encompassing. Art can be expressed in many forms: photography, painting, visual arts, music, dancing, and virtually everything that requires creativity and expression in a non conventional way. All these forms contribute to what I think art is. Photography art contributes to the growing and thriving world of the arts. No two people are the same. In the same way, the (original) art of two people will never be the same.

Henry Peach Robinson created “Fading Away” in 1858 to prove a point and perhaps change the way people viewed photography. He wanted to use original and innovative techniques on his photographs to create something original that no one had ever seen before. He did not like the idea that photographers were limited to the basic effects of the camera. He wanted his art to be more eloquent and vibrant than a normal camera at the time could produce. In short, he did not want to be restricted by the machinery he used. Robinson also wanted people to “see” the image he photographed the way he did. His new method of composition helped him achieve this by highlighting what he thinks is beautiful about the picture. Parallels can be drawn between the photographers and the restrictions of their machinery and the criticism of Robinson’s work. Traditional means of photography did not always provide the best results for clarity and were not always able to showcase different elements in the photograph (for example, the sky and the subject of a picture). Robinson’s composition technique allowed for this, and proved that it is possible to portray the sky as clearly as the subject in the photo, inadvertently breaking beyond the restrictions of the machinery at the time. Similarly, Robinson felt that the criticism he received to avoid altering a photograph limited his creativity and originality, and this new method was his way of protesting against traditional methods of art photography. 

Digitization will allow a quicker and cost effective means of obtaining replicas or representation of art. More demand means there is a need for faster and cheaper means of reproducing art. We should not deprive people of art for the sake of originality. Although, the person who possess such replicas should be aware that what they have is not original art. It is a representation of the work in a different form. However, the more accessible and mass produced these become, the less original one can call their copy “art”.

 Marilyn: "Is pop art still original if anyone can own it?"

Works Cited
http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/robinson.htm

Photo Credits
http://en.popart.name/
www.artchive.com
galleryar.blogspot.com
http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/robinson.htm

Welcome!

Hello! Welcome to my blog page! I've always been a visual person and understand things better through visual aids. Although my main passion is baking and creating delicious desserts, I do appreciate photography and have a (modest) collection of photos I've taken. I'm not the type of person who goes out to look for things to photograph. Usually, I just "see" something that catches my eye and have the overwhelming need to photograph it. From time to time I will be posting photos that I have taken, and photos by other people that I find interesting. The one you see here is one of the first "artsy" ones I took. It's from Labour Day a number of years ago. My brother and I were walking through a park and I had taken notice of our surroundings and thought it would make a great black and white photo. 

I hope you enjoy your stay!