Art movement between the 1900 to present day.

An art movement is a  certain characteristic or style within art this will have a certain philosophy  or a goal.These would be created by a number of artist threw a certain period of time that can range from a few months , year or decades. These were very important as they showed the progression of art.

One of the first Art movements in the 1900's was expressionism which was known as fauvism for a short while before. This movement made artist stray away from the traditional art and allowed them to express emotions with bright and extremely vivid colours and subjects creating these emotional images. The aim of these images were to express "personal feelings about the object painted, rather than merely record his observation of it. Thus, in order to achieve maximum impact on the viewer" (http://www.visual-arts-cork.com). The prime time for this movement was 1905 to 1925. This work focuses less on reality and more on emotions. This is achieved threw distortion, exaggeration and fantasy threw all these vivid colours this started art should now come from within. These pieces of work were very distorted and quirky. The inspiration for this work was founded in European art and culture and tribal art.

This work first started with artist such as Vincent van Gogh, Edward Munch and James Ensor who brought this unique style to life who were brave enough to break away from the traditional styles of art. A lot of the work showed emotions of frustration and anxiety with these fast brush strokes and aggression this was so shocking to people as it was the first step away from traditional art.







I really like these pieces of work as they show boldness and ambition as they strayed away from the traditional style of art and the injected these amazing bright colours to create emotion and fantasy into their images. I think these pieces are so unique and are really pleasing to the eye they also make you really think about the images and looks at them in greater depth as at first glance some of the image are not as clear and I think this makes you appreciate the art work more as you take more time to look at it and take it all in.


symbolism was a art movement in the 19th century this was very unique just like expressionism however this focused on using forms, lines, shapes and colours to suggest ideas or meaning. This again was another way to express emotions rather than using realism to express these feelings. Their work was extremely personal. "The subject matter focused mainly on religion however it also focused on a dream world of feelings of being morbid, death or evil" (http://www.theartstory.org//) Some of the artist who were well know for this kind of work were Paul Gauguin, James Abbott McNiell Whistler and Odilon Redon. This art movement was opposite to expressionism as it did not consist of bright colours or didn't express fantasy as this focused on death and evil and had depressive tone to it.


 

 all of these images have an atmospheric feel to them and almost and eerie feel to them. They all of consist of quite pale colours and they have a lot of pale green yellow and brown within. None of these images have a clear narrative to the images which I like as I feel you have to really to think about these images. These images are really symbolic. However they use simple objects to make it effective and focus very much on fantasy however it focuses on the dark side of fantasy.



 Surrealism first started in the 1920 this movement focused on dreams and fantasy however in a very different way this looked at dreams and the unconscious mind. These images were very out of the ordinary and did not make much sense as they were things people would of never seen before as they were so unrealistic. "The aim was to make dreams into reality by creating this "super reality" (http://www.artmovements.co.uk/surrealism.htm). This particular art movement was founded in Paris by Andre Breton in 1924 and can also link back to French poets who put the idea of surrealism in words. The main artist threw this movement were Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte an Joan Miro who played a big part in this movement that is still making an impact today.







I really like these pieces of art as they don't make sense at all yet you can understand what is going on in the picture.The narrative of the image is so unclear and they do that the element of fantasy into them however this is linked in with confusion.. I also like these images are very out of the ordinary each image is unique. Most of the images have a lot of blue within the images this adds a calming effect to  the images which links in with dreams as sleep is usually associated with being calm. I think this art movement has had the most impact on the progression of art as it still exist today and is still used in many ways.


Photorealism was first founded in the 1960's This was an art movement where artist would create very realistic painting inspired by a photograph however these were flat images. With brush strokes almost unnoticeable these painting looks accurately like photos."Photorealist paintings take many hours to complete, requiring intense concentration and in-depth knowledge of the materials. The end result can be breathtaking and wondrously fun."and. "Photorealist art is also often referred to as Super-Realism, New Realism, Sharp Focus Realism, Verism, or Hyper-Realism" (http://www.art-is-fun.com/photorealism/).  These paintings usesally consisted of objects, landscapes and sometimes portraits. These pieces of work needed great planning unlike expressionism that was very spontaneous when it came to brush strokes. These images provided great detail. Ralph goings,Richard Este and Charles Bell who used oils or arclylic and often displayed them as large images as they were so full of detail the surface was often smooth as they did wanted no visible brush strokes so they looked like photographs.





 These images are truly amazing they have so much detail within them, its hard to believe they are not photographs. They are so crisp and clear that they always represent reality. The colours and shading in all of these images are spot on to create these life like images and  I think this is what makes this work so significant. Some of them you really cannot tell if they are paintings. The process to create these images must of been very time consuming but it really shows threw with the effects of this method.





Pop art emerged in the mid 1950s in America this was an art movement that was in a post- war society. It looked at creating pieces of work celebraiting everyday items such as drink cans, soup tins and wash powder. These images are usally associated by bright vivid colours and almost gaudy esicially red and yellow these were made to stand out. "Andy Warhol, however, who really brought Pop Art to the public eye. His screen prints of Coke bottles, Campbell’s soup tins and film stars are part of the iconography of the 20th century By embracing commercial techniques, and creating slick, machine-produced art, the Pop artists were setting themselves apart"(http://www.artmovements.co.uk/popart.htm), Roy Hamilton and Jasper Johns also played a big  part in creating these eye catching images.





I really like this style of work however I do feel this work is maybe a bit garish and brave as the colours are extremely bold. I do prefer the pieces of pop art that are not as bright. I really like how cartoon this looks with blocked colours and the really harsh shadows this creates depth to the images. The colours in them almost add a element of surrealism into the work as they are not the normal shades found in the images. I can see why these pieces would be used for advertising as they are very striking.




by looking at all these art movements i can see why each has contributed to the progression of art.They are all similar in the way that they are all so unique and all have made drastic changes to art. My favourite movement has to be photorealism as i find the images stunning and so realistic and to make a pieces of art so precise must take a lot of patience i also really like the inspiration behind these as they are inspired by photographs. its almost like creating a photo without having to use a camera. This makes the images so unique as they take so much care in creating these images. In contrast my least favourite is the pop art as i feel it is to garish although i feel the earlier work is better such as the work of Andy Warhol as i think these were not to extravagant. Art has progressed massively threw the years and it seems as the years go one some elements seems to repeat themselves such as bright colours which featured both in expressionism and popart.





sources
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com
http://www.art-is-fun.com/photorealism/ 
http://www.artmovements.co.uk/surrealism.htm
http://www.artmovements.co.uk/popart.htm

Visual communication Research blog 3 Nicolas Ruel and Yongjun Qin

Nicolas Ruel was is a Canadian photographer born in 1973, he studied photography and national relations, His first work was published in in 2000.  In  2007 he started a series featuring the images above called "8 seconds" this focused on double exposures this series ran from 2007 to 2015 and consisted of so many images. This has featured in single and group exhibitions, in Canada, Europe and the USA. These are printed onto big stainless steel sheets.



I find all of these images really appealing as they are all so vibrant and there is a lot of colours within every image. They are amazing pieces of fine art photography. He has traveled to cities all around the world from London to New York i think this shows Nicolas ambition within his work and what he wants to achieve. By using a long exposure of 8 seconds he has been able to create these almost dream like images. I really like how some part of the image look transparent almost they are a vision or something someone was has imagined.  The composition of all these images is done well as a lot of them consist of rule of thirds. They are also shot at a wide angle so you can get more cityscape within the image. I really like these images as i feel they are a unique way to look at the world these images create a dream like effect which is very calming. In my opinion i feel these images are so appealing and it does make you want to go and visit the city.  He said he wanted to photograph familiar images to exposure there hidden architecture and i really feel he has pursued this.  I also really like the way he has printed on stainless steel sheets as it would give more feeling of dimension and time. As a series i feel these images work well together as they are all very similar get so unique when they stand alone.







these images are extremely dark and have a dismal feel to them, they are also quite surreal, the depth of field in some of these images are truly amazing this creates an atmosphere and adds a erey feel it,  these images don't really have a narrative within them so you have to really think about these images. The composition in these images are done really well as this bring your eyes into the picture rule of thirds are used quite a lot within his images , this adds structure to the images, this images mainly focus on depth and dimension which creates an atmosphere to the images. I feel these images are very strong when it comes to emotions and surrealism.

Visual Communication art movements: Pop Art

Pop art is an art movement mainly associated with New York in the early 1960's. This was an abstract expression. These were images created using mass media and popular culture this was a major shift for the directions of modernism and this strayed massively away from traditional art.  This movement mixed every day objects and things of popular culture into fine art. This art form has been known to have a "hot" expression to the images are they are are full of vivid colours and extremely bold lines that brought out  elements of contemporary culture. This art movement became one of the most popular yet as this made people believe art could be made from anything this was became popular like any other famous art movement as it went against the status quo. Pop art was very similar to Dada's surrealism as it looked at both abstract expressionism and cubism. This was the first movement to go world wide. They wanted people to know that the idea behind the art was more important. These pieces of work would be created by lots of different things especially scrap materials. This style was really good when used for advertising as they were very striking images.

I find Andy Warhol's style of pop art very interesting as it was such a unique style that took the world by storm. By using layers and garish colours Warhol  created these bright and unusual images.  Warhol was a religious man and i feel this shows threw in his images as he uses his style in a way that makes the subject look like an religious icon as they are the main focus and they have a real surreal look to them, He was a very shy and anxious person which i feel really contrast with his work as his work is so bright i think this is his way of expressing himself without actually having to be verbal. Warhol is probably one of the most famous artist when it comes to pop art as his work is so distinctive and he changed the view on traditional art.

Here are two of Warhol's most famous images. I really like the photo of Campbell's soup as i feel this is a lot more toned down however you still have the really dark shadows and bold lines that is the a important element to pop art. I also really like the block colours in the images and how they is only really 2 colours in the image which is brown and red. However these colours are bright so they stand out,  This image almost looks like a cartoon i feel this is created by the bold dark lines in the image.  He present 32 of these images all different flavors however other than that the images where pretty much exactly the same, I find his choice of repetitions when displaying this work interesting as he used this method a lot in his work which may of reflected his personality and by displaying them this way it made a massive impact on the viewer and i feel this was Warhol's way of expressing himself.






I find this work very unusual as they do not have the bright and vivid colours which a a main characteristic in pop art. These are very surreal and quite plain when it comes to colours. I think was one of the very first pop arts before it progressed into these very garish and striking images in contrast to Andy Warhol's work. These images look like an array of images cut out and and stuck on top each other. So all the layers added together make this very surreal image.  I do not really understand these images however i think this is the whole point of pop art the images do not have a narrative.

In the first image i like the use of black and white with colour i think this makes the image more interesting as Hamilton has decided to use both as it is not usually something used normally and breaks the "rules" of making you stereotypical great image. They're are a lot of layers and textures which i think  adds more dimension to the image. i wouldn't say i like this image however i do find it very surreal and interesting. The second images has a few more bright images in it. It almost looks like a updated version  as the edges of each image is smoother and the colours are brighter again this image does not make sense. I think the ideas around these images are really interesting and i would of liked to know if Hamilton understood himself what was going on these images as they are so  surreal.






This work is done by Roy Liechtenstein out of all the work i have looked at this is the one i like the most. I really like his use of bright blocked colours and dots. They images are very comic strip like.
These bold and extremely bold lines these made these images very pleasing to the eye and gave everyone individual impressions as everyone has different ideas to what these images. This make these pieces of art unique to each individual  I like how these image fill the frame making them even more striking as there is not loads of white space in the images. i like how the image i have chosen are kind of opposites as one is very bright and a few of different colours and the other one is just really 2 main colours with a pop of red. I really like both these images. Especially the right image. I really like the pale blue in it and the pop of red. i also like that he has used blue and the image is associated with water. I think the blue also tones down the extremely bold lines so they're not harsh but still create the same effect.These lines add dimension to the images even though they are very flat. i also think his uses of dots for his skin in interesting too as creates another element and adds a texture to the image.



Over all i really like the expression of pop art and i find the work really interesting.I think was such a good way for artist to express themselves especially ones who had a shy and timid personality like Andy Warhol. I think the art movement is probably one of the most influential art movements as it changed art and the way we look at art forever. It was a really good way to express popular culture but making the images striking  so they became appealing the eye and pop art is still a very popular thing still today. Pop art has influenced everything from product photography to album cover and even mobile phones as now we have software where we can turn ourselves into pop art. Pop art has really had the biggest impact on the world out of all the art movements as it changed the way we look at everything i think the most it has influenced most is advertising as now advertisement is bright and bold as ever and needs to be to get any attention these days.

Portraiture within photography

                                                                                                                                                                                                     


  The definition of portrait photography is described as being a likeness of a person mainly of the face as a photograph, painting or drawing this creates a narrative or a memory of what a person looks likes although the narrative may not be clear at first glance.It can also be used in a more formal way as a way of identification. A more creative portrait must have a deeper meaning."a creative portrait must have some deeper meaning behind it. Usually, it’s personal to the subject, ironic to the viewer, or identifies something about the subject that you may not have otherwise have known." (craftsy.com) this point can be strongly agreed with as creative images and images to do with photojournalism does tend to relate more to  feelings and trying to get a message across it focuses more on the emotional side.


From Manchester UK Lee Jeffries is a portrait photographer who originally photographed sporting events until he met a young homeless girl on the streets and it changed his approach to photography forever. "The photographer knew that the young girl had noticed him but his first reaction was to leave. He says that something made him stay and go and discuss with the homeless girl. His perception about the homeless completely changes. They become the subject of his art." (all-about-photo.com) he describes his work as definitely not photojournalism.


This image is truly stunning with the amount of detail within it, it shows elements of beauty even though that maybe something that is not normally associated with the homeless.The woman appears to be posing for the camera which may show she does want to portray beauty.There is so much detail within the image showing the element of age and wisdom in some way.The image is clearly staged which means she was comfortable around the photographer.This 24mm lens which is a wide angle lens which allows you to get in all this detail.This image is also shot at f/5 which gives it a massive depth of field creating the beautiful blur around the woman which could be seen as her dreams around her.

I really like the way Lee Jeffries speaks to the subject before taking the photo this makes the subject a lot more comfortable around the camera it gives a connection between the photographer and the subject which is portrayed within the images. He has chosen to photograph homeless people as he wants to sway public opinion of them by getting to know them he chose to do portraits of just the face as he did not want to create photojournalism . He infuses his images with light which could also have a connection with the glimmer of hope they have with getting into a home or some kind of accommodation. "I think Jeffries intended his art to honor these people, not pity them." this point can be strongly agreed with as the way of images are shot with the light as it looks they have a element of glory within them or a glimmer of hope.




Angus McBean was a welsh photographer he photographed some really famous people from Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe his work has been displayed in the national portrait gallery. He was very famous in the era of vintage film and the rise of the cinema. As his work was done in the 1904 to 1990 it was all done in black and white film which meant there was way these images could be manipulated or changed in any way they could only enhance shadows and highlights within the darkroom.  In 1935 he opened his own studio; and his prominent style was soon being published in glossy magazines.

This image is really beautiful and the light in the image is so soft the image is clearly staged yet it is natural surroundings.The way the image is so light reflects the elegance of Audrey Hepburn who was a style icon this also connects with the flowers within the picture giving them a feminine touch to the image this image also has a element of romance within which is also created by the way the light is in the image. This image shows natural beauty of her as there was no way of manipulation with this image as it was shot in film also meaning the image has been well thought out to get this beauty within the image using light. This photo was not used in any way to educate people it was to show of beauty it is meant to be beautiful to the eye as Audrey was and that is how people saw her and i think it really achieves it with such simple elements as it only really uses light to do so.


Portrait photography is used mainly to show beauty or to be appealing to the eye however some can be used to tell a narrative a story behind the person something that the view may not know or to make you feel some kind of emotion this tend to be linked with photojournalism as this is a good way to sway public opinion.The main focus when it comes to portraiture as you can see with the two images above is the eyes and that's what makes a portrait there needs to be emotion or a glimmer in the eye to add emotion into the image also light is a massive thing when it comes to portrait photography as it brings out features on the face by the way it sculpts the face or to highlights main features. It can also be used in a formal way as of identification or a way to create a memory of what a person looks like however it is more associated with showing off beauty and features of the face as it is a massive thing today within the media as portraits can be seen everywhere.



Bibliography
http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/06/creative-portraits/
http://www.all-about-photo.com/photographer.php?name=lee-jeffries&id=76

documentary within photography

documentary photography can be portrayed in many different ways it can start from photos of family to documentary a world event however the main way it is portrayed is by documenting things going off in the world from happiness to horror this is mostly shown within the news and media.The world is ruled by media we use it as a way to communicate and find out information.Documentary photography is a massive things as it acts as evidence to back the words up it also creates artifacts so we have physical memories of what has happened  using light and time to reproduce that moment.However this has become risky as now we can manipulate images easier than ever before


Before digital cameras were invented images were a lot more raw and realistic."Looking back, documentary photography has made waves of impact as a method of truth-telling in difficult times, a way of exposing disturbing scenes to raise awareness of things like poverty and famine, to ultimately reshape the public’s opinion on government policies that were often the direct cause." (learnmyshot.com) this point can be strongly agreed within the era of pre - digital as it was used massively as a way of impact producing these shocking and raw images to educate and raise awareness on taboo subjects or subjects that had not been addressed and spoke about as much,it was a really good way to shape the public's opinion as these images were 100% real and could not be manipulated in any way possible it also focused more on getting on a raw and real image than looking at ways to create a pretty image that was appealing to the eye." If i could say anything with words i wouldn't of picked up a camera"(David Du Chemin) This point is very interesting as it is stating that you can say more with pictures than you can words this has a massive impact when it comes to documentary photography as it needs to speak words it needs to get a message across, it needs to speak words.


Post- digital is very different within documentary photography as now we do not know what is real and what isn't. Images can be manipulated so easily these days and it also a lot easier to manipulate other peoples opinions and shape the way we think threw media because most of the time if it's in the media people will believe it.It has definitely made people more careful when viewing media and on what to believe,"Despite being widespread, digital manipulation provokes anxiety and unease, especially when news photographs are involved. "(David Campbell 2016) This point states that sometimes it is used as a way to enhance fear and make things worse and they seem its a good way to get reactions out of people by exaggerating the situation with photographic manipulation and big debates about guidelines on how far images should be able to be manipulated in media. This can be strongly agreed with as guidelines should be put in place so people can feel more safe when viewing the media.

Should media and documentary photography be trusted is a massive question within today's society where it is really easy to make facts into fiction by this process as it is so easy to manipulate images today and also it is easy to take old images and manipulate them to.


"Iconic: Historians say the couple captured in a passionate embrace on V-J Day in 1945 didn't know each other before the kiss; and in fact, the sailor's future wife, Rita Mendonsa, can be seen peering over his right shoulder" (mailonline) this picture is very iconic as it was done to celebrate the end of the seconds world war  this kiss was shared by 2 complete strangers which i think it make it really iconic the fact people where so happy and the war had ended this image created evidence for this period of time, a artifact of a iconic moment in history.This image was before digital camera so it is certain that this is a legitimate and has not been manipulated.This image is still composed really well even though it was a spur of the moment you can tell the photographer still thought about the image.




  This image was taken Rohan Gosh this image speaks about a woman who is a widow."Every morning, at dawn, come rain or shine, Durga Devi walks the short distance from her ashram to the bathing ghats on the banks of the river Ganges (Hoogly) in Kolkata." (Rohangosh.co.uk) This image could give feelings of sympathy as this woman does look in pain and does have some kind of body deformity.|This image could have been manipulated or tweaked with to make the image appear worse than it actually is,This image appears to be cropped this again maybe so you focus more on the lady and not the surrounding areas however if this image is not manipulated it does show some beauty within the image as it shows true beauty of a lady and her motivations to not give up no matter what her situation is.



There a few questions when it comes to documentary photography should we trust it with modern day technology or should there be guidelines when it comes to documentary photography within the media and is documentary photography dead? guidelines should be put in place when it comes to documentary photography to a certain extent as it should not be used to changed the opinions of the people viewing the images and to changed public opinion .This does not mean documentary photography is dead however it may mean we are loosing the authenticity of it and even the beauty of it.Film photography was a lot more trust worthy when it comes to using it as evidence and artifacts for historical value but then it is a lot easier to access images since the process became digital both sides have pros and cons.It seems a lot more pros are related to the practical side when it comes to the digital process. 







Bibliography

http://www.rohanghosh.co.uk/the-ritual#0
http://learnmyshot.com/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187071/Times-Square-Sailor-nurse-kissing-iconic-WWII-photograph-reunited.html

women in photoraphy

In this essay I want to look at the way woman have changed and influences within photography I want to look at how women have changed the way we view photography I want to look at the shock factor within photography and the way women have used it to educate and the way society has reacted to it. I wanted to look at women photographers as the photography industry is ruled by men I want to look at woman that stood out from the crowd when it came to photography and there work by shocking the world to educate them.


Diane Arbus was born in 1932in New York. She learnt her skills as a photographer from her husband. They found massive success within their fashion work however Diane wanted to branch out on her own. She started to create these very distinctive portraits of people who are perceived as ugly or freaks, who were people who were not perceived as normal in society this could be anything from travesties to dwarfs. many people found her work disgusting or as if she was making a mockery of these people when I believe she was trying to educate people and show we are all the same on the inside. A source says "If Arbus undoubtedly felt at home among the outsiders she photographed, she also experienced a frisson of guilty pleasure when photographing them. "There's some thrill in going to a sideshow," she once confessed of her nocturnal visits to the circus tents of Coney Island, where performers were still earning a living in the 1960s. "I felt a mixture of shame and awe." (Sean O'Hagan 2011) this showed Diane did have mixed feelings about her photography as she did feel shame but also felt proud and she looked up to these people this supports the fact she wasn't this horrible person people thought she was and she wasn't trying to embarrass them. She felt comfortable enough to be around them but at the same time did feel shame for them as they were out of the ordinary in society. I find her work extremely powerful and educating and I do feel it is used to embarrass anyone.


 Here is a picture Diane Arbus she called this piece the Jewish giant.I think this may be one of her most extreme images.It shows someone who would stand out extremely within society but I also like how it shows his parents who are "normal" in society. I really like the simplicity of the image as it doesn't really experiment with angles or composure however I feel Arbus really just wanted to educate people by getting a message across that people like this do exist and that's okay and they are no different to the rest of us. I really like the vignette she has used around this image it makes you focus more on the person than the background.The second image is of a transvestite Arbus took this again was extremely out of the ordinary. This was very frowned upon within society. I love the graininess within this image as I feel it gives the image a raw quality as Arbus shot in film and her images were always in black and white. The image looks very natural yet really contrast with what candid image is as a candid usually shows elements of beauty within them.But at the same time Arbus may of found beauty within these image and that's what she wanted express. The shadow adds depth the image. Arbus defiantly wanted to use the shock factor to educate people within her work however many people did frown upon it or feel it was a way to embarrass these people who are pictured within society.



Nan Goldin was born in 1953 in America she captures captured a world of sexuality, violence and addiction in her slideshow and book, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1981). Goldin herself left home at the age of 13. She joined a group that were involved in sex drugs and violence she documented this by taking photographs in the late 70's then she then put together to create The Ballad of Sexual Dependency book. This showed images of her friends which included addicts, hustlers, transvestites and prostitutes. A source states "In doing so, she redefined what photography could do and what it could be – a mirror of oneself as well as the world."(Sean O'Hagan 2014) I feel this is stating Goldin went over the boundries of what photography could be and really pushed it in what was acceptable in photography and in society just like Arbus did. Her work may have been perceived as shocking however I wasn't to Goldin as she had lived this, it was her reality.




 I really like the colour in these images as she shot in analogue film it gives it a soft effect with colour which really contrast with what the images are about as they are the gritty truth of violence, sex and drugs. The first image is of three transvestites they come across as very pretty and prim and proper in contrast to what their lifestyle would be. I really like the use of rule of thirds within the image as it gives it structure and makes you look at each man individually. The image looks very staged however is candid. Not a lot is going on in the background so this again keeps the attention on the men. The image shows a lot of beauty in the image but in a unique way The second image shows strong feelings of violence this image is shocking and does push the boundaries of what photography should be as it does not show beauty in the way its suppose to be perceived in society. It the extreme and gritty truth of violence within society and shows things you may not seen normally in photography. I really like how this image is framed as it fill the frame and as the woman is in the centre it and how her hair fills the frame this makes the image work better as this is the only thing you focus on. The darkness of the image adds to the effect. Only basic colours are used within this image it is very simplistic just like Arbus.


Both these woman have made a massive impact on photography by pushing the boundaries to the limit on what photography should be by focusing on the ugly instead of the beauty society is usually associated with it. I feel the images are unforgettable as they are so raw and focuses on subjects that back then were taboo subjects. Both used this method to educated however some people had mixed opinions on their work as some did find it offensive I find both of their work really interesting and extremely unique. They have influenced many people to not be afraid of the hard truth or don't be to afraid to push the boundaries and photograph it as photography should be open and not structure we all have to stick to.

landscaping and photography

what is landscape photography? Andrew Carter (2013) says " landscapes  were originally used to fill in blank spaces behind people or objects in painting however as art and photography has evolved. However as art and photography has evolved, the “background” was seen to have artistic value in and of itself. Today, landscape photography is a very popular pursuit." I do agree with this point as I do feel landscape photography has blossomed and it does have a lot of artistic value now and this is all thanks to the work of people like Ansel Adams.

What makes a landscape?

  
Born on February 20th 1902 Ansel Adams in San Francisco California rose to fame as a photographer of the American west. His black and white images showed fine art within photography. His images were used for environmental purpose. His work showed natural beauty within landscapes. Adams work consist of so much detail and extreme lines and layers. I also like the way he it was not possible for him to manipulate the images so this is the true beauty of the landscape. His work has lots of contrast and tonal ranges within them and a lot is going on in each image however I do not feel the image is to overpowering, as Adam shot in film a really long exposure would of been used to get the detail for this he would of needed a tripod. On his first trip up to Sierra Nevada with a Kodak no1 brownie and started taking shots. sources from national geographic (October 2011) state he said  "I expect to be broke if I keep up the rate I am taking pictures," This statement shows that film was very expensive however Adams did not want to give up his dream just because it was expensive and that he did have faith in himself when it can to making a living.


William Eggleston has almost changed the way we look at landscapes as he showed landscapes in a way that injected colour. Born in 1939 he was an American photographer.He is know for being the genius of colour. A source written Eric Kim shows a quote from martin parr written about William eggleston this states. "His color is just sort of the color of nothing, if he likes- just ordinary life. And its funny that originally he started in black and white and moved to color. And I guess for him, it wasn’t an issue. But at the time, you have to understand, if you were a serious photographer you had to be working in black and white. So when he came along and did this sort of nothingness color, it wasn’t decorative, it was just ordinary life –it was quite radical, because it was so underplayed. And it took us a long time to understand and appreciate that.” and I feel this is a really big reason why William eggelston made a breakthrough as he had the confidence to use colour why everyone was else stuck to black and white.



composition has been done really well in these images as he uses a lot of rule of thirds and lines. This technique makes the images more easy to read as your eyes follow the lines creating dimension and depth to each image. The colours in the image are extremely strong and just like in Ansel Adams work a lot is going on in each image yet again it is not overpowering. He also shot in film as well and i feel this helps a lot with the effect of the images and the graininess. The colour shows extreme passion and enthusiasm in his work and this also reflects his personality and feelings towards photography. I do agree one the statement that he is the genius of colour as I feel the film he has used to shoot did bring out these extreme colours he wasn't afraid to experiment.


After my research and evidence I feel one of the main factors about creating a landscape is composition as this is shown strongly in both Adams and Egglestons work. Both use lines and rule of thirds to create depth and dimension within the images. Both also use a lot of texture within the images but Adams does seem show more as he did high contrast black and white however Adams did shoot at a wider angle so he could get more detail within both would of used long exposures to get this as they both shot in film. Yet both capture the natural beauty of the landscapes both in a different way Egglestons focused a lot more on street and man made things why Adam focused mainly on natural landscapes and mountains. I feel both have contributed massively in the way we look at landscapes and landscape photography today they are perceived now as something beautiful and unique instead of using it as something to just fill in the space. I feel this would not be the case if it wasn't for these two photographers, they push way out of there comfort zone and was not afraid to try new things. Both of their work was extremely unique the time they were around and both photographer did think their images threw carefully before shooting them. In a way i do feel Ansel Adams did have more of a impact as he started taking landscapes first and his work does show so much detail because of the black and white contrast however William eggleston did modernise landscapes by injecting these big bright colours into these landscapes. Overall i feel both photographers made a massive impact in the way we see landscapes today and they were big influence's to photography as a society.They have taught many photographer to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try new things as this is what they did as got amazing results from it by also  shooting with film they both show that the process to a great landscape photo isn't quick and it does take a long time and thought in the shooting and development. I feel this still applies to digital photography today as I think you do really need to think about your photos like composition to produce good photos.












http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2013/04/01/10-lessons-william-eggleston-has-taught-me-about-street-photography/
http://carterlandscapephotography.com.au/what-is-landscape-photography/
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/ansel-adams-wilderness/poole-text

Politics within photography

political issues surround us in today's world photography is on the main way of expressing these issues as is a massive part of today's society. This can be used as a way to shock the world or can be as propaganda to manipulate opinions. Photography can be used as a way of portraying these issues in the media.Animal testing is a huge issues when it comes to today's society it has been protested against for many years. Using photography of what really happens within these labs to shock the world has been used a lot to protest against it and people feel people have the right to know what is really going on behind closed doors. Animals can be tested on for medical research to cosmetics. source says "People do argue for animal testing as they feel human benefits are made." (bbc ethics)  I strongly disagree with this point as I feel animals do have feeling and it isn't right they have no informed consent also there is so many ethical issues within this topic we are not exactly the same as animals so sometimes benefits are not  even proven towards humans I feel this is really not ethical.



Photography Is used mainly used a defensive to protest against animal testing however it could also be used a evidence to support research between labs however we never get to see this. So many images are used to protest against as it is such a massive issue this shows animals in such a defenceless way and in such shocking conditions this is all used to shock the world as this is the real hard true the images push boundaries as they are not what a normal photo would be that consist of elements of beauty this can appear offensive and upsetting to people when it is suppose to educate people.



when I look at this image I feel it does make me think more about the reality of animal testing as it isn't nessicarly something that crosses our minds when buying products.This image is very tame to other protest against animal testing.This is used more as a advertising pieces protesting against instead of a really offensive picture of what is reality.This pieces is used more to educate than shock people. However it is still quite upsetting as it is about beauty companies and I feel they have chosen a beautiful looking animal also the expression on the animals face shows emotions of defenceless and sadness.The image is very simplistic and spacious this makes you only focus on the main subject which is the animal and another else as there is nothing else to take you attention away. I also feel the way they have changed the name very cleaver as it gives a vey clear message that this is the reality this is how it really is. I find this piece very effective in a tame way it does not use the shock technique to educate people.






I find this image extremely uncomfortable to look at. This uses the shock factor to educate people but not in a violent way yet it still has the same effect in my opinion. By using dark colours this links with the dark truth of animal testing again the image is very simple and spacious so this is the only thing you focus on. They have used images layered together to create this shocking image however I feel it is very effective by making the dog smaller this also shows the power we have over animals not just in this subject but in general as they don't get a say in anything by making the animal the product the human is using this makes me feel really uncomfortable as it makes you hit reality that what you are using has been tested on poor defensive animals. This image does has an element of beauty however not in a good way as the only thing showing beauty in this is the woman as she has a full face of make up and looks just like what society labels as beautiful. This image is extremely shocking as it shows a really good example of the power we have over animals and the way animal testing is being used to test products and it is basically getting the message across that you are using these animals by using the products.



Overall when It comes to animal testing photography is used a lot to protest against as poster are made with photography within them. They are used to shock and educate people as this is a truly and unethical here are so many issues within in this subject it is hard to get the point across without being extremely offensive. Photography is a lot more powerful when it comes to educating people as it  shows more than words and shows a lot more. Photography is a lot stronger evidence than words and this is the strongest way of evidence when it comes to animal testing the only thing is its so hard to get photographs of the conditions they are as the labs are extremely confidential as they don't want us to see the truth so poster campaigns with different images place together are the best evidence we had at the minute. Also people remember images a lot more than words as it is a visual object. a sources says "The RSPCA has long campaigned against this use of animals. There are already more than enough cosmetics products available and thousands of existing cosmetics ingredients are accepted as safe. It is simply not justifiable to cause animal suffering to develop more."(RSPCA) this states that changes have been changed to some degree however animal testing is still a massive issue and how it is just not humane to injure and harm poor defenceless animals for are benefit I strongly agree with this as this is not ethical and animals do not have any informed consent.

what is a photograph?

what is a photograph? the answer to this question can be interpreted in many different ways. there is the scientific or technical way which states "a picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused on to light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment, or stored digitally" however I want to look at the more of a deep meaning. I feel that a long time ago photos were objects or artefacts of moments frozen In time however I feel as photography has progressed it has evolved to more than that as we now have photos everywhere such as Facebook and instagram and photos are used everyday now days from magazines to social media but has this took away the beauty and feel to what a photograph really is?


I feel that for a photo to be a photograph and successful it need to have some kind feeling within it needs to speak emotion especially when it involves people and that makes me think does photography have to link with beauty? conscientious photography states (march 2014)  "This connects why the question “what is a photograph?” matters with the idea of beauty. Robots or machines have no concept of beauty (again, not yet). They can’t make photographs because they are unable to make decisions entirely based on their own whims (instead of relying on scripts or algorithms programmed into the memory banks), and they’re unable to make photographs because they have no concept of beauty. All they can do – right now – is to robotically record parts of the world so that humans, at whatever stage, assign value and sense to the resulting images." This piece of evidence states that camera can not fully record the world properly as now they can only record parts and place then together to create an image from their whims. I think this is trying to say that the image you take on your camera isn't actually a photograph as it is only the camera representation of the word threw their parts they have recorded I do not know if a agree so much with point as I feel a photograph can lots of beauty within even though it is not the exact representation of the world. This article argues mainly on the question of what is a photograph to mainly have a practical answer and looks at the way robots are used to create these images with all the information they record.


 Another source says; Pixelated mind ( January 2013) that "People will always ask me how I made the photo. Tell you honestly, most of the time I will not remember what f-stop or shutter speed my camera was at. But I will always remember the moment when I took the shot, where I was, and the feeling it gave me right after I pressed the shutter." I feel I agree with this point as I do feel their is a deeper meaning to what a photograph is than the practical elements and I agree with this as I feel its a lot more about how the photo makes you feel how you felt when you took it and how it continue to make you feel because every photograph has some feeling it, it just depends on how the person has interpreted it. The feeling when we see something we want to take a photo of is why we take it as it intrigues us or gives us some kind of emotion for us to take the photograph otherwise what the point at just shooting something random that does connect with you in anyway.



History of photography states "Some people find that photography is a way to express our ideas instead of letting them sit in a sketchbook. It allows you to show people the world through your eyes-whether it be bad or good. For others, it is an addiction, a hobby, a way to relax when you are stressed. For them, after a stressful day, just a few minutes with a camera is therapeutic-even if they are taking a bad picture of a bad subject. It is an escape, a reason to get out and do something. It gives their days meaning to be able to capture and preserve special moments that may never happen again. It helps them to look back on those moments and smile, even if they aren't particularly happy moments."  I feel his pretty much covers people opinions of what a photograph is yet all of them link to feelings and emotions and the connection of feelings so again it that saying that a photograph needs to link with feelings which makes the point above stronger.


I feel that this question does has a practical answer to it however I feel the more psychological answer is more important as I feel what really makes a photograph is emotion and feelings I feel you need to connect with a image for it to be a photograph you need to feel something when you press the shutter. The image needs to speak something. It is almost like a moment frozen in time as it captures a moment forever. It can create memories a artefact of how you felt that exact moment. I feel the more practical answer would apply more to professional photography or staged images as this is all set up and planned ahead however it can still speak emotion however they will probably not be natural unless it was candid photography. But then you could also argue the fact that you need to have people in a image to create emotion however I don't feel this is true it can also be spoken threw objects or landscapes. The practical answer pretty much states the obvious as it looks at the elements needed to create an image and looking at the way we process it. I think it is more important to look at the more psychological meaning as the practical reasoning is just to obvious. 






































bibliography
https://samcoran.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/a-deeper-meaning-of-photography/
http://isabellaphotographyepq.blogspot.co.uk/p/deeper-meaning-of-photography.html
http://cphmag.com/what-is-a-photograph/