Virtual Essay

I recently discovered David LaChapelle’s work after hearing the claims of singer Rihanna’s new music video “S&M” apparently stealing ideas from LaChapelle’s photos. Curious, I found his website and immediately fell in love with his work. I love how the pictures are over the top and busy. A whole story is told in one frame. And I love how even though there is so much going on, the focus is still on the model.

When I first saw this assignment, I had in mind to grab a bunch of friends and take some pictures inspired by David LaChapelle, but due to camera malfunctions and busy exam schedules, I decided to start looking for another photographer who’s work reminded me of LaChapelle.

I was watching America’s Next Top Model, one of my guilty pleasures, and decided to google judge/photographer Nigel Barker. When I was going through his work, I realized a lot of his pictures reminded me of much tamer versions of David LaChapelle, and I decided I had found the other half for my virtual essay. 

Nigel Barker
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Nigel Barker
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This is the first set of pictures that I found by Nigel Barker that reminded me of David LaChapelle. They’re from cycle 2 of America’s Next Top Model, where the girls participated in an “Adam and Eve” themed shoot and were covered in body paint instead of clothes. They reminded me of David LaChapelle's picture of Lady Gaga and Kanye West. 

David LaChapelle
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An obvious similarity between the two pictures is the jungle theme background. I think the lighting is also similar, since it seems to be focused on the female instead of the male. In both photos, my eye is drawn to the female first. In Nigel's photos, the male model is just a part of the background, and in LaChapelle's photo, I feel like Kanye West is more of a prop holding Lady Gaga, than as a focal point of the picture. A lot of the same colors are used in both photos, such as green, yellow and red. 

The next similarity I saw was the similar way they direct the models to pose. In the pictures above, the female models are sitting or carried in the same pose. I found a picture by David LaChapelle of Alan Cumming and thought the pose was very similar to poses of models from the same shoot as above by Nigel Barker. 

David LaChapelle
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Nigel Barker
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Nigel Barker
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The next picture I found was of Britney Spears by David LaChapelle. It automatically reminded me of an episode of America's Next Top Model where the girls had to model on a beach with a bunch of people in the background and still remain the focus of the picture. I remembered Nigel Barker was the photographer for the shoot and found the pictures. Both pictures are similar because one frame tells a whole story, there's a lot going on in both photos but the model remains the focus. 

David LaChapelle
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Nigel Barker
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The next set of similar pictures I found where of Alexander McQueen (David LaChapelle) and from cycles 11 and 14 of America's Next Top Model (Nigel Barker). 

David LaChapelle
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Nigel Barker
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Nigel Barker
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I think the photos are similar because of the lighting, they both have a dark feeling to them. The colors of the hot balloon of Nigel's photo remind me of the colors of the dress in LaChapelle's photo. The big flow-y dresses are also another similarity in the two photographs and are used to give the photo direction. 

I think David LaChapelle and Nigel Barker have similar photography styles because they are both heavily involved in the process. It doesn't seem like any of the photos happen by chance, it seems like both photographers have a certain image in their minds that they are trying to capture. 

Week 11 Discussion

Compare the work of Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson versus the work of Eugene Smith and Sebastio Salgado. They are photojournalist with different approaches.

- What are the main differences and similarities?

The main difference between Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson versus Eugene Smith and Sabasito Salgado is the level they are visible in their photographs. 

Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson both believed they needed to be invisible when taking photos. (Danilovic week 10)

Kertesz is considered a pioneer of photojournalism. He waited until the right moment to capture his image. He could capture a moment by feeling it instead of staging it. He thought that "the subject offered itself to me and I took advantage" (Danilovic week 10). 

1. Andre Kertesz
Arm and Ventilator 

2. Andre Kertesz
People and Shadows

Henri Carter-Bresson is considered a godfather of photojournalism. He believed in not interrupting the scene and having to "approach the subject on tiptoe" (Danilovic week 10)

3. Henri Carter-Bresson
FRANCE. 1932
Paris. Place de l'Europe.
Gare Saint Lazare. 

4. Henri Carter-Bresson
USA. 1947. Fire in Hoboken, facing Manhattan

On the other hand, Eugene Smith and Sabasito Salgado were very visible in their photographs. Smith was known to become close to the subjects of his pictures (Danivolic Week 11). He also would edit his photos in the dark room before he felt they were ready. In his picture, Spanish Wake, Smith adjusted the light so that the audience would see the picture the way he wanted them to, instead of seeing the image that was really captured (Danivolic Week 11). 

5. Eugene Smith
The Walk to Paradise Garden

6. Eugene Smith
Spanish Wake 

Like Eugene Smith, Sebastiao Salgado would interact with the people who were in his photographs. He felt that he had to enter the circle, almost becoming the people he would photograph, so he could better understand the existence of the people (Danivolic Week 11).

7. Sebastiao Salgado
The Refugees: Iraqi Kurdistan

8. Sebastiao Salgado
The Dispossessed

The similarities between the four photographers are that they all captured real life events/moments. After viewing the photos, you can see that no matter how visible/invisible they were in the process, they captured true emotions. 

What’s the better journalistic approach?

The Code of Ethics of the National Press Photographers Association state that photojournalists should respect the integrity of the photographic moment. The long postproduction process, regardless if it is in a dark room or on a computer using Photoshop, is contrary to the basic principles of photojournalism. Photojournalists should also “resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities”. (Danivolic) Taking this into consideration, we think that Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson have the better journalistic approach.

Kertesz said “I never had to go very far for subjects, they were always on my doorstep. But I can’t analyze it. People ask me how I did it. I don’t know; the event dictated it.” (Danilovic) This quote almost defines what photojournalism is. 


While Smith and Salgado's photographs are very good, they were edited so they show an edited version of the truth. Also, some people might be shy around cameras and not give 100% of themselves and their emotions if they know they're in a photograph, whereas if it's a candid photograph and they didn't know they were in it, their true emotions will show. 




References


Photos:
1. "Arm and Ventilator, New York (Getty Museum) ." The Getty. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=62352>.


2. "Study of People and Shadows, Paris (Getty Museum) ." The Getty. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=62327>.

3 and 4. Henri Cartier - Bresson. (n.d.).Magnum Photos. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R14T1LX&nm=Henri%20Cartier%20-%20Bresson

5 and 6. "W. Eugene Smith." Magnum Photos. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R139C2T&nm=W.%20Eugene%20Smith>.

7 and 8.  "Outcast: Displaced People of the World 3/17/2000." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/photo/salgado/3.html>.

Danvolic, Sandra. Photography: Shooting the Truth, Presentation Week 10

Danvolic, Sandra. Photography: Shooting the Truth, Presentation Week 11 

Photo Journal Part 2

Art Photography

1. Lady Gaga and Kayne West - David LaChapelle 

2. Cameron Diaz - David LaChapelle 

vs.

Press Photography 

USA. 1947. Fire in Hoboken, facing Manhattan.
Henri Cartier-Bresson

FRANCE. 1932.
Paris. Place de l'Europe.
Gare Saint Lazare.
Henri Cartier-Bresson

I think the two press photographs and the two art photographs I chose are completely different from each other. In the two art photographs by David LaChapelle, you can tell that the photographer planned the shoot and that he is highly visible. In the two press photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson, you can tell that these photographs weren’t planned and the photographer is invisible. In the art photos, especially the one with Lady Gaga and Kayne West, you can guess that this photo was definitely edited after the picture was taken (the volcano in the background and Kayne West’s eyes), whereas the press photographs look unedited.

Charles Caffin said “There are two distinct roads in photography – the utilitarian and the aesthetic: the goal of one being a record of facts, and the other an expression of beauty” (Danilovic). I think art photography is an expression of beauty, and it’s supposed to be enjoyed for what it is. Therefore, I think it’s ethical and acceptable to alter art photographs. Art photographers may have an image in their mind that they want to capture, and since their photograph will be used as an expression of beauty, I think it’s okay for the photographer to edit the photo after the picture is taken to make it into the image they imagined.

As Charles Caffin says in the quote above, I think the goal of press photography is to record facts. Andre Kertesz and Henri Cartier-Bresson both thought they needed to be invisible when taking photos (Danivolic). I completely agree that a photojournalist should be invisible when taking photos and for that reason I think it is not ethical or acceptable to alter press photographs. By altering press photographs you are removing the truth behind the photo. If the photographer stages the shot, or changes parts of the photo (such as lighting) to pull the eye to a certain part of the picture, the photo is no longer showing the truth because it has been manipulated to draw your eye to what the photographer wanted you to see instead of seeing exactly what the situation was.

References:

Danivolic, Sandra "Shooting the Truth" Week 4

Danivolic, Sandra "Shooting the Truth" Week 10 

Pictures:

1. LaChapelle Studio - Portraits - Lady Gaga. (n.d.). LaChapelle Studio. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.lachapellestudio.com/portraits/lady-gaga/?ci=112 

2. LaChapelle Studio - Portraits - Cameron Diaz. (n.d.).LaChapelle Studio. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.lachapellestudio.com/celebrities/cameron-diaz/?ci=27

3 and 4. Henri Cartier - Bresson. (n.d.).Magnum Photos. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R14T1LX&nm=Henri%20Cartier%20-%20Bresson

photo editing

A year ago, my Mom and I started taking photography lessons together. It was just an introduction course and we just learned the basics, but ever since then I like to pretend I'm a photographer. Sometimes I'll go out and see something that just gives me the urge to take a picture. So I'll usually bribe my sister with Starbucks and make her be my model for a couple hours. Lets be honest, introduction classes only get you so far. I don't care how beautiful my sister is, sometimes I can't make my camera capture the image I had in my head. That's where photoshop and photo editing come into play.


Last summer my family and I drove to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a shopping weekend for us girls, and so my Dad could check out an old car show. Beside our hotel was a tiny field with what I called wild flowers (but were probably really just weeds). I grabbed my favorite model, my sister, and made her sit with the bugs for an hour in the blistering sun while I snapped away on the camera. In my head, I pictured my sister in a wild flower patch in the middle of a secret forest somewhere. Instead what I got was my sister, surrounded by flowers, with the highway in the background. Needless to say, not what I wanted. By playing around with all the features on Picnik I created the image I couldn't get my camera to capture. 

(thank you Picnik for fixing this mess)

Although sometimes Photoshop and photo editing can save a picture, there's such thing as too much photo editing. For example, I have a favorite baby picture of myself. I'm in the backyard enjoying a orange popsicle (that looks huge compared to me) with a little ponytail on the top of my head in some bright neon overall outfit my Mom dressed me in (it was the early 90's, I can't really blame her). I played around with it on Picnik. First I made it black and white in an attempt to show it was an old distant memory.

Although the black and white definitely made the picture look older, it removed my favorite parts of the picture, the crazy colors of my overalls! Then I tried to leave the picture black and white but have the colors of my overalls and popsicle pop out. 

 The result is an Andy Warhol-ish pop art picture. Not what I wanted. Although it looks cool, I felt like it was still missing something. So I left the picture in it's original state.

There are definitely imperfections in the original. It's not exactly focused and the colors don't pop as much as they should, it's the imperfections that photo editing would make perfect, that make this picture perfect to me. 

Photo editing tools are definitely awesome. They can completely change your picture and make the picture tell a whole different story. But as with any good thing, there's such thing as too much. Sometimes the imperfections make a picture perfect! 

Who Started Photography?

When you're looking through your pictures of a recent trip or last night when you went out with the girls, do you ever wonder who created the invention that helps you capture all the important moments in your life? I'd never given it much thought before now, I was just thankful I had my camera around.

Here's how photography started and the people who made is possible.

Joseph Niepce is credited with producing the first successful photograph in June/July 1827. He started his research in 1814 and eventually succeeded, calling his invention the Heliographs. He teamed up with Louis Daguerre in 1829, and the two worked together until 1833 when he passed away.

Joseph Niepce

Joseph Niepce's First Photograph

Daguerre continued to experiment and in 1835 made an important discovery by accident. He discovered that a latent image could be developed due to mercury vapour. It took him two years to figure out a way to fix the image, which he called a Daguerreotype. His discovery was made public in January of 1939, but details weren’t given until August. There were several drawbacks on the first daguerreotypes. Not only was it very fragile but, portraitures were the only images possible due to the length of exposure and images were laterally reversed.

Louis Daguerre

William Henry Fox Talbot created the Calotype process, which was considered competition to the Daguerreotype. The Calotype worked by exposing silver iodide to light. When exposed to light, the silver iodide decomposes to silver leaving iodine. Excess silver iodide is washed away with a solution of silver nitrate, acetic and Gallic acids. Because silver oxide is black, a image is visible. This is the negative image which positive images can be printed onto silver chloride paper. This made Calotype superior to the Daguerreotype in the aspect that Daguerreotypes could only produce one image whereas the Calotype could create multiple copies.

William Henry Fox Talbot

Scott Archer changed photography with the development of the wet collodion in 1851, which allowed the making of finely detailed negatives. He mixed collodion with potassium iodide that was then immersed in a solution of silver nitrate. The exposure and development had to take place in the camera while the plate was still wet. The new process reduced exposure times to a matter of seconds. The downside was that the collodion dried fast, and the need for pre-prepared plates became evident.

Scott Archer

Dr. Richard Maddox loved photography, but found the collodion process was negatively affecting his health. In 1871 he suggested that the sensitizing chemicals should be coated on a glass plate in a gelatin mixture instead of wet collodion. Years later, Charles Bennett, made the first dry plates for sale and by the end of the decade the dry plate process surpassed the wet plate process. 

Dr. Richard Maddox 

Where did I find all this information and pictures? :

"Frederick Scott Archer." index. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.samackenna.co.uk/fsa/FSArcher.html>.

"Joseph Niecpe First Picture.jpg." Wikimedia Commons . N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Niepce_First_Picture.jpg>.

"Joseph-Nicephore Niepce." The Robinson Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.robinsonlibrary.com/technology/photography/biography/niepce.htm>.

Leggat , Robert. "A History of Photography." Some of the sites managed by Robert Leggat. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.rleggat.com/photohistory/>.

"Louis Daguerre." Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/154813>.

"William Henry Fox Talbot." NNDB: Tracking the entire world. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.nndb.com/people/397/000098103/>.

case., prosecuting Claudet. But in the end Claudet won the. "VIPS in photography." Under Construction. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. <http://webh01.ua.ac.be/elmc/website_FL/VIPs_eng.htm>.