Description: Upon first glance, you can clearly see four people in the frame. Two of them, man and woman, are dancing together, a man is leaning on a pool table and the other man is strumming a guitar on a stage with curtains behind him . Behind the two dancing, there is a drum set and a microphone to the left in the forefront of the stage. The woman's left arm is raised, but you can make out the shape of another person's head behind it. There are stains on the walls, and the windows are boarded up with wood.
Reflection: In a place where a band is playing, with people dancing, and a pool table you would expect to see some joviality. However, the overall atmosphere seems to be austere in nature and the expression on every face is somewhat somber. Even though the man and woman dancing together are touching, they look isolated. He is not looking at her or even smiling, for that matter. The man leaning on the pool table is wearing a dirty white shirt and a baseball cap. It makes me think that he just finished with a day’s work and decided to come to this place to enjoy the entertainment, but he does not look entertained. His stance is slouching and he seems to be on guard because of the way his arms are folded across his chest. The walls are dingy and dirty, the man on stage is playing in front of mismatched curtains and the boards on the windows do not tell a story of a flourishing nightclub, but a much sadder place.
Formal Analysis: Because of the stark contrast between the white of the man's suit and the darkness of his skin and his forward position in the photo, the eye is immediately drawn to the man dancing with the woman and the look on his face. Then, my eyes are drawn to the man leaning on the pool table, and his overall demeanor. Then, to the center, where the man is standing on stage with a microphone. There seems to be balance in the frame, since your eyes are guided first right, then left and center.
"Surveyors and Surveyed"
"Surveyors and Surveyed," told the history of documentary photography from its' inception. The article highlighted specific photographers and their subjects and offered a lot of insight into the rationale behind the photography. It also seemed to attempt to define documentary photography.
Since the beginning, documentary photography endeavored to be trustworthy and portray reality. However, critical questions arose when people began to realize that the camera does not choose the frame, the person behind it does. This lead to some skepticism.
Documentary photography serves many purposes, such as a tool for social reform, informative, historical record, evidence and as a way of experiencing foreign lands. A lot of photojounalism emphasizes negative images, such as those of poverty, struggling immigrants and hopelessness. The negative connotation raises awareness of critical social issues, which, in turn, brings about change.
Throughout history, documentary photography has proven itself to be indefinable. It changes according to social demands and norms of the time. Documentary is multidimensional, and with time, it will only acquire more dimension.
One point that I agree with is that documentary photography should stay as close to the truth as possible, otherwise it is just "straight photography." I believe that your publics deserve authenticity in the images you present as truth, so that the process of consideration is not clouded by lies. I think that being able to provide that is an artform in itself. I disagree with the section referring to documentary, on page 90 when it says that, "the camera imposes rather than creates meaning." All perceived meaning is created or constructed by someone at some point. Photographs are riddled with codes, and the observer is left to decipher them, more so than the body of a text.
I agree with the last paragraph on this site: http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/history/document.htm. It confirms that "the old adage that the "camera does not lie" is a misleading one." Photography, like any creation of the flawed human is able to be manipulated. So, the old saying, "Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see," holds true today more than ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment