Surveyors and Surveyed

This text deals with the history of photography, specifically documentary photography, as a social phenomena. Almost immediately following its invention, the photograph was being used as a documentary tool, exposing people to faraway places and recording everyday life. Initially, the photographic medium was seen as a purely objective transcription of reality, but it soon became clear that it was the selective eye of the photographer, not the apparent reality of the scene, that had the greatest impact on the final image.
It is through this lens that "Surveyors and Surveyed" gives its history of the photograph as a documentary tool, moving through several areas of subject matter that typically define the documentary genre (Travel, War, Street, etc.). It describes the trend toward, and subsequent commercial market for, photographs of alien peoples and worlds that were prevalent throughout the early years of photography, and goes on to describe the deep impact photography had on public perception of war in the 1940's through 60's.
The text does, however, attempt to make a distinction between travel and war photography, and true documentary, citing a difference in attitude as the main distinction. Where these genres are concerned primarily with the unfamiliar, truly powerful documentary pieces tend to look inward, casting new light on the familiar and commonplace, redefining the viewer's perception of his own reality.

Cow Picture Analysis

This is a picture of a cow peeking over its fence, presumably in its pen. The cow has a very distinct "deer in headlights" look about it. In its eyes there seems to be a feeling of some type of wild or naked fear. Were cows a more serious looking animal, the picture would probably by very frightening, but they are not. This still does not stop the photograph from conveying what can be percieved as the cow's sense of fear, and while the picture isn't frightening, it can make the viewer feel mildly uncomfortable. In the back, green trees and blue sky can be seen. This can be interpreted as the photographer making a statement about the cow's conditions in captivity and in that pen, that they are detrimental to it, and that it should be roaming free with the nature behind it, or maybe the photographer just saw a funny face on the thing and had to get a shot of it. Who knows.

Visual Analysis One.

In this black and white image, a black man is dancing with a black woman to the music of a live band. The dancing man stands wearing a white collared shirt with white pants, while the woman wears a dress with low heels. A heavy set black man stands leaning against a pool table with arms crossed while observing the musicians. He wears a white undershirt and vented trucker hat. The guitarist from the band is dressed similarly to the dancing man, donning what appears to be the same white
collared shirt and pants.
The heavy-set man leaning against the pool table stares intently in the direction of the drummer. He does not look terribly entertained. For having a live band, the atmosphere in this locale is rather grim. One of the two individuals dancing in the photo appear to be part of the band. While this may or may not be true, he certainly does seem to be enjoying himself. He seems completely enveloped in the moment, dancing away.
The subject of the photograph, the dancing couple, is off center. The three main features of this photograph, the couple, the heavy set man, and the guitarist, appear to form a triangle. The white shirt and pants seem to contrast with the dark skin of the dancing man, and accentuate his facial expression. The distinguishing features of all the characters in this photograph are enhanced by the black and white image.

Flesh Hues

The most striking thing about this image is the abundance of frames. Not only does the window frame the two participants in the image, but the frames which surround the art frame the man and woman. In the foreground, a frame is continuing into the viewer's focus while the background presents cement blocks and windows of a van. Because most of the picture is comprised of squares and rectangles (specifically: the fire escape, the building, the van, the windows, the telephone booth, the art, all taking place in the corner of a room), the images presented in the photograph that are not rectangular are most prominent and attracted the viewer's eye.
Immediately, the viewer notices the man and woman. She poses in a seductive manner while he seems a little reluctant. She appears to be on the phone so while enticing the man to come closer, she still retains some form of distance. She is not completely involved with the situation. The colors in the image are mostly muted grays and blues, contrasting greatly with the presence of flesh hues. The nude figurine in the corner appears to be attempting to cover herself. This posture directly opposes the inviting nature of the woman and the man's exposed upper body.

Image Analysis

The image is taken in black and white. In the image, a black man is dancing with a black woman as a band is playing music in the background. The man is wearing a white polo shirt and white slacks, while the woman is wearing a dress with heels, has short hair, and has hoop earrings. A heavier black man is resting his backside on a billiards table with his arms folded, wearing a light shirt and a baseball hat. The windows are boarded with cloth draping down to the floor. There is a “P” painted on the wall to the right of the heavier man. The one band member is wearing a polo shirt, white slacks, black shoes, and is playing guitar. There are drums behind the dancing couple, and a speaker hanging from the ceiling.
The location does not appear to be that of a good one. The room appears to be made of concrete, with some form of liquid-based stains strewn along in various places. The location of the concrete room looks to be very worn down, as the windows have been boarded and the drapery being used looks like bed sheets put over a rope or a pole. The lighting in the room is probably dark, as a flash has clearly been used to get this image. The heavy man appears to have sweat and dirt stains on his shirt. He seems to be looking at the dancing couple, but in an emotionless way. The dancing couple could be a romantic couple, by the look on the dancing man’s face, he is looking enveloped with this woman. Her head, however, seems to be pointed towards the band. The way the dancing man is dressed and the band member in the back, it seems as if the dancing man could be a band member. Underneath the “P” on the wall, there seems to be aluminum foil going to the floor due to its shine.
There are lines formed by the billiards table to the left to the right, and the stage, for the right to the left/center. These two lines lead towards the dancing couple. If you follow the stage past the couple, it goes to the guitar player in the back. The pole on which the speaker is hanging forms a line down to the guitar player as well. The guitar player, the man on the billiards table (as well as the table), and the dancing couple form a triangle. There is a sense of balance and symmetry in the way the human figures are placed in the picture. The stark contrast in the clothing the people are wearing, to their skin type and the room itself is enhanced through the use of black and white in this photograph.

Visual Analysis & Reading Summary 1

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.

Visual Analysis - Peter.jpg

This image, taken at street level in what looks like LA, shows the tiny storefront of "Gus' Barbeque," surrounded by much taller buildings, including an enormous parking garage directly to the left, and some skyscrapers/office buildings behind. The square, medium format frame of the image suits its subject well, as the image is immediately divisible into three main parts, formed by the straight lines of the buildings: the left half of the frame, which is taken up by intricately patterned wall of the parking garage, the lower right quarter of the frame, made up of the storefront of gus' and a neighboring building, and the upper right quarter, made up of the sky and the buildings visible in the background. The most immediately apparent visual element of this image is the contrast between the tiny "Gus' Barbeque" building and the immense structures surrounding it. This suggests perhaps that Gus' is something of a remnant of a forgotten time, a small business that has managed to survive amidst the growth happening around it, but may not last much longer. Interestingly enough, this sentiment is echoed in a review of Gus', that I looked up out of curiosity: "Everything on Gus's menu is as old, slow and tough as the geriatric waitresses that don't give two shits about you or anybody else. The food was below average and the experience was downright awful. And it's all because of the old people." Based on this, it seems that the photographer (Peter?) did a great job capturing the mood of an establishment that unfortunately seems to be on its way out, though I doubt it is really the fault of the old people. A great documentary photograph.