This
reading first brings us through a brief history of photography. It explains how
photography began as this transition from painting scenes, to capturing them
using cameras. In the start of its existence, photography was a very scientific
process. However, as the overall design of the camera developed, the
photography process was made easier. This created accessbility for individuals
that were not considered professional photographers to take photos when or how
they liked. The author briefly explains five issues that a photographer must
keep in mind when photographing.
The Thing Itself:
This
section explains that photography is an amazing tool because it can capture one
moment from a specific event, time, day, etc. and basically freeze it in time.
This allows for better appreciation of a certain moment or memory, or perhaps to
better understand the memory. Though there is nothing that can exactly
translate one moment from history in a clear absolute way, a photograph can be
used to attempt.
The Detail:
In this
section, the shift from painting to photography is discussed. When painting a
picture, it was up to the artist to illustrate the images he/she experienced;
the artist was somewhat of a ‘middle man’, illustrating their personal reality
of the imagry. Conversely, the photograph brought a whole new meaning to the
word ‘reality’. Now the artist had the power to clearly and accurately capture
a moment in time with no question of authenticity; the details of this way of
art had become so incredibly real that the viewer could not deny. This is
something that paintings could never do.
The Frame:
Though the detail was
something the photographer had no creative/modification control over, framing
is something that the photographer had absolute control over. The framing is
very important because the photographer is essentially choosing what small
parts of a scene are the most important, and how they relate to best illustrate
the specific moment in time.
Time:
This
section explains the use of frame rate and motion. Before the sensitivity in
cameras developed, long exposures were needed in order to produce a pleasing
photograph. Once the photographing process developed, however, short exposures
became possible, allowing for a quick capture to fast moving scenes. The photo examples
of long exposure mistakes from this time in history are very interesting. Through
this development, a new freeze frame style of photography was born.
Vantage Point:
The vantage
point is the way that the photographer decides to illustrate the scene, from
what angle, etc. This can create a certain emotion, thought, or feeling when
the viewer looks at the photograph. It could be a scene that we see often, but
from a completely different vantage point, changing the meaning of that scene
for the viewer.
Personal Response:
This written
piece really reminded me of the complexity of the photographic process. I think
that in the technology-based era that we are in right now, we often forget how
we got here. We have some amazing cameras that exist today that can capture
incredible things, but when the photograph was first invented, the photos were
just as amazing. Looking at the visuals for this article, we can see each
detail and all the technical features. I think that as artists, we can
appreciate things like this; looking at a photograph or work of art and break
down the details and try and imagine the process. Like the article says,
photographers are influenced by photographs. The process, whether it be personally
or as a whole, is a growth. Today, photographs are just an everyday occurance;
if we see something we like, we’ll probably take a picture of it. Personally, I
love the fact that technology is to the point where we can literally capture
any moment if we want. This gives us a sense of freedom that wasn’t always
there. However, we need to appreciate the history behind this process and how
far it has grown.
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