The Test of Time: The Power of the Photograph
What is a photograph? The simplicity of taking a photograph leads many to ponder its artistic value. Yet, it is undeniable that there are some photos that cause an emotional reaction deeper than simply observing a recorded point in time. Surely, there are photographs that cause more reaction than some modern art pieces. There seems to be two types of photographs. The first classification is the ‘time capture’ photo – an image with the sole purpose of recording a particular event or point in time. The second nature of a photo carries a ‘deeper meaning,’ which has the ability to change the observer’s mood and cause a reaction. But what distinguishes these two varieties? There are a couple factors. The first is the ability of the photographer to make a photograph of ‘deeper meaning’ out of an obscure or random scene. The second is the capacity of the viewer, whether viewing the photo in a museum or in the privacy of his/her own room, to interpret the image as art. A photo can be classified as art when the thoughts and interpretations of both the photographer and the viewer overlap. In this case, any photo is taken beyond the simple ‘time capture’ classification.
Perfect examples of these factors present themselves in the photographs of Elliot Erwitt. The first photograph is presented in the Lowe Art Museum and is titled Church at Wounded Knee, shown in Figure 1. The image, as seen in the exhibit, is presented in black and white. The focus of the photo is a simple white church in the center of the image on top of a small hill in the distance. There is nothing fancy or particular conspicuous about the church; it is white and unadorned with a black entrance in the mi...
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...be aligned either. One evokes a sense of melancholy peace, while the other is simply a recorded point in time. Both are art – how could one beg to differ. Perhaps the distinction of art needs to come exclusively from the viewer. Maybe it is the photographer’s job to present the picture, to present what had interested him/her at that given moment. Perhaps it is only the gifted individual who possesses an unconscious artistic eye that the events or objects that he/she finds interesting also interest the viewer in an artistic manner. All these photos seem to be are suggestions; hints of emotion which pry into an individual’s private thoughts.
Works Cited
“Elliot Erwitt: Interview” Elliot Erwitt 2003. 27 Sept. 2006
Marien, Mary Warner. Photography: a Cultural History. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2003.
Practiced by thousands who shared no common tradition or training from the earliest days of taking photos, the first photographers were disciplined and united by no academy or guild, who considered their medium variously as a trade, a science, an art, or an entertainment, and who often were unaware of each other’s work. Exactly as it sounds photography means photo-graphing. The word photography comes from two Greek words, photo, or “light”, and graphos, or drawing and from the start of photography; the history of the aforementioned has been debated. The idea of taking pictures started some thirty-one thousand years ago when strikingly sophisticated images of bears, rhinoceroses, bison, horses and many other types of creators were painted on the walls of caves found in southern France. Former director of photography at New Yorks museum of modern art says that “The progress of photography has been more like the history of farming, with a continual stream of small discoveries leading to bigger ones, and in turn triggering more experiments, inventions, and applications while the daily work goes along uninterrupted.” ˡ
Some people may have the same or similar interpretation but as a whole group of people, it is different. The artist whom took painted or drew the piece most likely had a different perspective than the audience. Every moment is different from the present or past. When an artist is creating their artwork, their interpretation can be different than their views a few years ago. Capturing the picture at a certain point in time can be powerful because it shows what the feelings, interpretations, emotions that were expressed at that time. These emotions translate to what the artist chooses to put in their piece, which can be very powerful. In this short essay, “Every Portrait Tells a Lie” by Debra Brehmer, she says “The portrait, in the choices the artist makes, alludes to the fact that who we are involved selection, interpretation, and chance.” (386) Brehmer makes an excellent point that the artist has the control to choose what goes into their piece. The artist can choose to include what they want into their piece, like a person, a plant, and etcetera. In the book The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, the artist, Basil Howard claims that another character, Dorian Gray, is his muse. Basil paints a portrait of Dorian and this indicates how much power Basil has over the portrait. Basil has the power to choose what goes into the painting and how Basil wants to paint Dorian. Taking or painting a photo shows how much power the artist has because of their interpretation when taking the photo and their decision of what goes into the photo. The choice is completely up to the artist, which makes taking photos such a powerful
Unlike science, art is subjective. The artist leaves behind a part of himself in his work. Therefore, each piece has its own distinct perspective. Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits show her view on her life, on how she has faced so many struggles, yet managed to be a strong person. When we see or hear or read an artistic creation, it produces a mood such as calm or loud, fear or safety. For example, the Eiffel Tower gives Paris a majestic awe; everyone who passes by feels the strength of the 113-year-old grand structure. Art also has a texture. Photographs reveal much through their textures; grainy surfaces often make the picture more realistic while smooth ones seem softer. When we hear a piece of music or see a film, a rhythm carries us from one part to another. Not just true for these two genres, rhythm is present in any artistic work. These few properties are characteristic of everything we encounter in the world of art, the world of human expression. Most have other special features also. Most of the time, though, we do not think about these characteristics because we do not have enough time to pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds.
Susan Sontag has a very strong and interesting take on modern photography. In her essay, “In Plato’s Cave”, she talks about the power of photographs and what they convey about reality. Sontag states that “Strictly speaking, one never understands anything from a photograph.”(23). Sontag argues
Today, the movie industry has become a huge moneymaker in the entertainment business. You cannot turn on the television without seeing advertisements for the next big blockbuster film. While most of the films these days entertain with amazing special effects or raunchy comedy, there are still films that thrive because of great acting, directing, and editing. Three films that I believe would be great examples of the way these aspects can cause a film to excel are ?Any Given Sunday?, ?The Cell?, and ?Almost Famous?. ?Any Given Sunday? shows how, by using editing, a movie can portray an intense situation realistically. In ?The Cell?, color is used to differentiate between how we see things in reality and how things are seen inside our heads. ?Almost Famous? is a great example of the ways that sound and acting can enhance the quality of a film.
the emotions excited by the actual sight of the stained and sordid scene, strewed with rags and wrecks, came back to us, and we buried the mutilated remains of the dead they too vividly represented” (Harvey 76). For him, these photos presented war from a rural perspective (Harvey 82). Photography presented natures presence through capturing exact scenes (Sweet 127) while not explicitly representing war, but allowing the viewer to interpret the battle (Sweet 96).... ... middle of paper ...
These subjects are often remarkable in their minds, something they deem worth the effort and time of a photograph. A camera makes what someone experiences real, tangible, and permanent. While the outcome is simple – permanent proof of a moment – the “stop, take a photograph, and move on” process may be a handicap (10). Sontag believes putting a physical barrier between a subject and a person causes a mental and emotional barrier between that person and the subject as well. The Grand Canyon, for example, is a landmark said to have changed lives with its beauty and immensity.
“I wanted my photographs to be as powerful as the last thing a person sees or remembers before death" Joel-Peter Witkin (Marino, Joel-Peter Witkin: An Objective Eye).
Interpretations of Photography Different people interpret photographs in many different ways. The way the photo is interpreted by a person can depend on what kind of job they have, how old they are, and how or where they grew up. Photos can also have an emotional effect on a person and bring back memories. How do you interpret the photograph on page one? Does it bring back any memories?
Photography is more than just a means for documentation. Photography is more than snap shots at a family reunion. A fine art photographer makes more choices than people realize. Point and click is not the solution for taking a photograph (John Szarkowski 9-12) . A fine art photographer may choose to freeze action or to blur it. The freezing or blurring of action is not just done at the push of a button, it takes knowledge and an understanding of how apertures and shutter speeds relate to each other under different circumstances with different types of film (Barbara London and John Upton 98). Art or not, photography is a creative process.
When going for a walk, a person takes in the beauty around them. On this particular day, the refulgent sun is extra bright, making the sky a perfect blue. White, puffy clouds fill the sky, slowing moving at their own pace. The wind is peacefully calm, making the trees stand tall and proud. There is no humidity in the air. As this person walks down the road, they see a deer with her two fawns. The moment is absolutely beautiful. Moments like this happen only once in a great while, making us wanting to stay in the particular moment forever. Unfortunately, time moves on, but only if there were some way to capture the day’s magnificence. Thanks to Joseph Niépce, we can now capture these moments and others that take our breath away. The invention of the camera and its many makeovers has changed the art of photography.
When you see a well taken photograph you immediately feel something. There is no need of words, no needs of a second look: they only came in a second moment. At first, it's just you, the picture in front of you, and the feelings it creates. We can all think of a picture, famous or not, that makes us feel something: a Russian soldier kissing a cross, a little girl drawing a bed under his brother asleep on the floor, or simply a relative smiling, there, forever on paper. This is the real power of photography: it moves you, somehow, and it also collects instants, crystallizing them as images of a moments existing for the eternity.
Photojournalism plays a critical role in the way we capture and understand the reality of a particular moment in time. As a way of documenting history, the ability to create meaning through images contributes to a transparent media through exacting the truth of a moment. By capturing the surreal world and presenting it in a narrative that is relatable to its audience, allows the image to create a fair and accurate representation of reality.
”‘Manufactured’ or staged photography does not concern me. And if I make a judgment it can only be on a psychological or sociological level. There are those that take photographs arranged beforehand and those who go out to discover the image and seize it. For me the camera is a sketchbook, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to ‘give a meaning’ to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline of mind, and a sense of
Photography is not practiced by most people as an art. It is mainly a social rite, a defense against anxiety, and a tool of power (Sontag, 176). Photographs that have social and historic meaning form public opinion and spread the information. However, the point of view on the certain period of history changes and the fresh look at the photograph opens new historical pr...