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Sebastiao Salgado’s ‘Genesis’ series

If you are a photographer you will have heard of Sebastiao Salgado, if you have read major publications that feature photojournalism you are likely to have seen his work, there will not be many people who have not heard of Salgado.

Salgado is one of the most well known photographers currently practicing, completing an 8 year project called Genesis a few years ago. Despite being hugely popular there are criticisms levelled at Salgado’s work, one of the most notable being that the aesthetics of his images can obscure the message. This can relate to semiotics, the way viewers read an image, of which there are many different theories.

Above is an image from the ‘Genesis’ series, striking in black and white and stunning overall. Given the subject matter a viewer may well think about the Environment once the aesthetics of the image has washed over them.

The second image is also from the ‘Genesis’ series, and is very reminiscent of work by Ansel Adams. It is a fabulous landscape image, with a good tonal range, however does it really inspire in-depth thinking from the viewer, particularly in relation to the environment?

Salgado is an outstanding photographer, of that there is no doubt, whether he achieves some of his own aims for the ‘Genesis’ series.

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Semiotics

Semiotics, as a subject, is fascinating, relating to both visual and linguistic interpretations. It is something we all utilise daily, whether it is something as simple as understanding the ladies toilet sign, or something more in-depth such as identifying the hidden meaning of an everyday object. There are many sub-categories that have been identified by different theorists, for example Ferdinand de Saussure argues that semiology has two sides, the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the object, shape or sound which stands for something more than itself. The signified is inseparable from the signifier, it is the concept, idea or mental image. Other theorists on the subject include Roland Barthes, Daniel Chandler and Charles Sanders Peirce.

Semiotics relates to everything a photographer does, whether they realise it or not. It affects the photos they take, the composition, however it also affects how the viewer of the image reads it. Pre-conceived ideas, stereotypes, social class, psychology and many other things can affect how someone reads an image, and the photographer needs to be aware of this, particularly of trying to convey a specific message.

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Becoming Selective

Over the past weeks I have performed a lot of research on various topics that interest me and have relevance to my own personal practice. I have mentioned a couple of these areas already, semiotics and stereotyping, however I have expanded that to also include ‘After Photography’. This primarily relates to photo manipulation, and I read a very interesting book on this, After Photography by Fred Ritchin.

All the aforementioned areas relate to my general practice, however within my major degree project only two will have definite relevance, semiotics and stereotyping, as I have refined the project to Environmental photography.

In my upcoming posts I will identify relevant practitioners/work that have influenced my decisions, as well as theories and big concepts that are involved.

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In the beginning...

Hi, welcome to my blog, which will document my journey, creative ideas, development and influences during my final months of my BA in Photography, I am Debbie Priestley and you are going to learn how I tick. At the current time I am working hard to identify topics relevant to my own practice and my final Major Degree Project (practical module), which is based on everyday environmental pollutants. I am keenly aware of how images need to be composed, however this is not always the first thought in my head when having to rush to get an image. I am considering both stereotyping and semiotics as topics for dissertation, both can be related to my interests and my Major Degree Project. There are many different types of stereotyping, obvious ones that immediately spring to mind include sexual, racial and religious stereotypes, however there are many other forms that existing, for example, the stereotyping of car drivers and environmental stereotypes. Stereotyping is important, it can inform the images that photographers create, whether deliberately or unconsciously. Semiotics relate to the symbols within a photograph, which inform how a viewer reads (decodes) an image, which ties in with stereotyping which utilises preconceived ideas about things. Some photographers and organisations are fighting back against stereotyping, challenging ideas through photography. The United Nations consistently challenges stereotypes through multi level campaigns that utilise photography, one such campaign is 'Lets Fight Racism'. I have identified photographers who use their images to challenge different stereotypes, Toufic Beyhum challenges racial stereotyping, Luo Yang challenges the stereotyping of Chinese Women and Maud Fernhout challenges sexual stereotypes, however there are many other photographers who are challenging stereotypes that could be referred to.