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Digital Journal V: Documentary Photography

I focused my search of documentary photographers on environmental photographers. I found that there was a large movement that took place during Nixon’s presidency that dealt with documenting the present destruction of the environment. Discussed are the following photographers; Martin Schneider, Eugene Richards, and ED Kashi.

The first photographer I will focus on was featured in Life Magazine in February of 1969, Martin Schneider. Schneider photographed different types of air pollution and smog. He utilizes the visual clouds of smoke and pollution to depict the impact of humans on the environment. By capturing the unnatural and clashing colors of the smoke and the surrounding environment he is successful in telling his story. These photographs are taken from a while back and the quality of the prints could be mistaken for the smog or smoke that fills the frame. The photograph picturing the smoke enveloping the mountains in the background and contrasting with the yellow plants on the bottom of the frame is very successful and makes the viewer look deeper into the photograph.

Eugene Richards takes a more artistic approach in framing the destruction of the environment in his project, “the landscape of oil”. He somewhat makes the pollution look beautiful in his simplistic framing. My initial reaction to this choice is frustration because this issue is not something that should be made to look pretty and inviting because this validates and almost encourages the continuation of bad behavior. Looking deeper into the photographs however, I can appreciate this artistic choice because it does cause the reader to really look closer at the photographs to find the source of pollution. This contrast of beautiful subjects such as wild horses and the thick black smoke from burning oil effectively communicates the message I believe Richards is trying to get across.

ED Kashi contributes to collaborative Instagram feed launched in January of 2015 called @EverydayClimateChange. This account is shared by photographers from all 7 continents documenting the worldwide issue. The photos that ED Kashi specifically submits focuses on how climate change impacts people. Many of Kashi’s photographs force the viewer to search for the issue, I think this is something that works to his disadvantage because the issue isn’t blaring at first glance. These photographs are effective in telling the story of how impoverished countries have to deal with pollution and how the lack of sanitation technologies affect them.

Works Cited:

 Bogre, M. (2012). Photography as Activism : Images for Social Change. Saint Louis, US: Focal Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

 Everyday Climate Change. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from http://edkashi.com/project/everyday-climate-change/

 THE LANDSCAPE OF OIL. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://eugenerichards.com/the-landscape-of-oil/rzqsk3e7ef3dfkn2bvrde1f2rgr5gv

 LIFE. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://books.google.com/books?id=s1IEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=martin%2Bschneider%2Bis%2Bthis%2Bthe%2Bair%2Byou%2Bwant%2Bto%2Bbreathe&source=bl&ots=2LRKxkCfnE&sig=6H9LfbEk8iqvCRIF4pLQcj3tXcY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_3bL4hYzTAhVFNSYKHZHrDpIQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=martin%20schneider%20is%20this%20the%20air%20you%20want%20to%20breathe&f=false

 Parak, G. (2015). Image : Photographs of Environmental Phenomena : Scientific Images in the Wake of Environmental Awareness, USA 1860s-1970s (1). Berlin, DE: transcript Verlag. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

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Journal Entry III: Light Painting

Keimig, L.,     & ebrary, I. (2016). Night photography and light painting:     Finding your way in the dark (Second ed.). Burlington, MA: Focal     Press, Taylor & Francis Group.

  David Lebe

http://www.davidlebe.com/

I was excited by David Lebe’s work. I absolutely loved the originality and creativity that he shows in his style. He was the first person to ever take a long exposure and outline the subject with a flashlight. This style takes two art forms; drawing and photography and creates a beautiful marriage between them to create stunning images that glow and emphasize very specific parts of the image. With this technique the photographer is able to actually chose what your eye is drawn to or even create something that wasn’t there before to communicate his message. For example one of the photographs shows a man who is the subject with his arms elongated, Lebe traced the shape of his arms which added an element of movement to the photo.

   Rinko Kawauchi

Kawauchi, R.     (2001). hanabi (Shohan. ed.). Tōkyō: Ritoru Moa.

Kawauchi’s work is interesting, mostly focusing on the movement of firework light. The slow shutterspeed creates a sort of whimsical light envelope. I notice that he or she has used a flash or off camera strobe to illuminate the people in the foreground.  Often the placement of his subjects in relation to the fireworks worked together. They added to eachother, the fireworks would create movement or add to the movement of the crowd. One photo pictures what looks like a cart on a Farris wheel and behind this is a firework burst.

  Harry Callahan

Davis, K. F.,     & Hallmark Cards, I. (1989). Night light: A survey of 20th     century night photography. Kansas City, Mo: Hallmark Cards.

  Callahan’s work is very different, instead of utilizing a tripod and creating exposures that are crisp and sharp he choses to move the camera to paint trails with the light of inanimate light. He does this in two photos, one that looks like its shot in a mirror of cars, and another one that is shot of a sign that says dancing nightly. Additionally, he has one photo that is hard to decipher. It looks almost like the outline of a profile of a face. Overall, I feel that this work isn’t awe inspiring but it is creative.

 Overall, I feel that these photographers and photos (save David Lebe) were not too exciting. They are all film photographs and shot long ago so I feel that I look for more innovative and complex photographs but I feel that these photographers accurately fit the process of light painting.

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Journal Entry II: Still Life

     For still life photogrpahy, I looked at the second floor magazines that focused on interior design and more modern photography. I found three artists, Aaron Tilley (Kinfolk), Brooke Holm(Cereal), and Bobby Doherty(Tumblr). I appreciate all of these artists’ work because they are all vastly different. They all communicate some sort of message or story through their work which is something I think a successful still life must include.

Aaron Tilley in the magazine Kinfolk caught my attention with his segment entitled, “An Anxious Anticipation”. In this series of photograph, Tilley captures the moment before small disasters. Although the color palette he uses is calming and neutral, the subject at hand is just the opposite. I think that it is a wise choice for him to use the pastel colors as backdrops and soft lighting to make the viewer take their time in discovering what is really going on in the photograph. They are all aesthetically pleasing to the eye and minimalistic which is an ironic choice when you look at the subject that is being photographed. My favorite photograph is the one where the eggs are about to be hit by a pool ball. All of the photographers I have chosen have a very minimilistic style and utilize a pastel color palette. This seems to be a trend in the still life photography field. 

Brooke Holm takes a more advertising photography feel where it seems that she is trying to convey a specific message. For example, the first photograph this could be an ad for dusters or allergy medication because of the old duster and the fan. The second two photos are a little more obvious in what they are trying to sell. The placement of the watch on the mannequin’s wrist, obviously facing the audiance and the lighting on the watch makes it compelling and appealing. These photos are harder to find a message in but they are very successful in marketing the project. Overall, I think that Holm had less of a variety of successful and compelling images when compared to Aaron, however she was coming from a different motive.

Lastly, Bobby Doherty’s images are slightly humorous. They picture situations that are common but often overlooked. For example, clumsy chinese food eaters trying to use chopsticks to eat dumplings in soy sauce. The potato, which could quickly be mistaken for a person with earbuds where ears should be. Finally, the ever familiar gum bubble that we have all done or failed to have blown. All of these images tell a short narrative or convey a bit of a snarky message of humans messy and goofy tendencies. Utilizing a plain background that correlates with one color of the subject creates a very aesthetically pleasing scene. Overall, I think that Boherty’s choice to slightly over saturate his photos is very successful in conveying his message. 

Sources:

Bobbydoherty. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2017, from http://bobbydoherty.tumblr.com/

Cereal Travel & Style. Cereal Volume 11

Kinfolk. Kinfolk Volume 19. Place of Publication Not Identified: Kinfolk, 2016. Print.

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Journal Entry I: Natural Light

February 9, 2017

     I have chosen to focus on the following three artists and their respective works: Espen Eichhöfer (The emergence of the state South Sudan), Pepa Hristova (Labyrinth of Glass), and Luc Delahaye (A Rally of the Opposition Candidate Alexander Milinkevich and Taliban Soldier). All of these artists have shot their photographs in daylight conditions using natural light. I discovered the Luc Delahaye when flipping through the book, “Documentos, La Memoria del Futuro” and found Pepa Hristva and Espen Eichhöfer in the book, “Über Grenzen On Boarders”.

Espen Eichhöfer:The Emergence of the State South Sudan

(http://www.espen-eichhoefer.de/gallery/ein-staat-entsteht?detail=true#18)

           Eichhöfer’s project, The Emergence of the State South Sudan speaks about the borders set up in South Sudan that divides the North and South side. The two sides have been fighting for over twenty two years, while Espen shot this project both sides were adhering to a peace treaty. These photos show not only a division between the government and the people but also it shows a division among the people under the militant government. Although these photographs lean towards a minimalistic style and are edited to look pristine (bright colors, pure whites, crisp and clear focus) they all seem to picture one flaw. For example, in the photo below, the men in uniform are in a perfectly straight line but not all are standing at attention.

The next photo pictures a crowd of what looks like citizens in a gathering or march but their faces all seem to have a confused, tired, or lost expression. They all seem to be unified but with a lack of nationalism.

All of these photos are shot in broad daylight, which is challenging because of the contrast between the dark colors that the people wear and their faces as well as the barren land and wide views of the sky often pictured behind them.

Pepa Hristova :Labyrinth of Glass

http://www.pepahristova.com/labyrinth-of-glass/1/

           Pepa Hristova documents the lives of a handful of orphans residing under the care of the Bulgarian state. The photos illustrate the isolated lives of these infants and toddlers who were given up by poor or socially disadvantaged families for medical care. These children are given the bare minimum, food, a bed to sleep in, and medical care if needed. They spend their days alone and behind bars, rarely allowed to play with toys and watch television. Many of these photographs picture what looks like an abandoned nursery, utilizing soft natural light that pours through the drapes over the windows. Although the photographs are very light and seem cheerful there is a sad undertone showcased by the curled up bodies of these children. Only one photograph shows the presence of two children, one in the reflection of a window and one laying on her stomach. This Hristova also utilizes a minimalistic style in this series.

 Luc Delahaye

           Delahaye is a photojournalist, I would like to focus on two of his photographs from two projects. The first photograph is entitled, “A Rally of the Opposition Candidate Alexander Milinkevich” shows a crowd of protesters in Grodno, Belarus. The angle of this photograph makes it feel as though you are standing there with these people, with their determined looks. Although this photo is very crowded with faces, it is simplistic in its composition. Delahave’s second project picturing the, “Taliban soldier” is raw and unnerving. In this series of photos, he takes photos of dead soldiers or citizens wounded by the Taliban. They are heart wrenching and haunting reminders of the horrors of terrorism and the innocent civilians affected. Delahave utilizes natural light in all of the photos in his projects however, instead of utilizing the warmness of daylight, he captures the cooler light or edits out the warmth to drive home his message of despair in his photographs.

 Works Cited:

 Bohm, A., Buscher, W., Dietrich, F., Hartmann, A., & Jauer, M. (2012). Über Grenzen = On borders (J. Spading, Ed.). Ostfildern: Hatje/Cantz.

 Olivares, R. (2007). Documentos, la memoria del futuro erakusketa Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea, Erakustaretoa - Sala de exposiciones, 25.01 - 17.03.2007, exposición MARCO, Museo de Arte Contemporánea de Vido, 30.03. - 24.06.2007 = Documentuak, etorkizuneko memoria. Donostia-San Sebastian etc.: Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea Erakustaretoa.