Photography: The constant reminder and the biggest truth in untruth

Sonntag states, "Even when photographers are most concerned with mirroring reality, they are still haunted by tacit imperatives of taste and conscience." Basically, no matter how realistic the picture looks, behind the camera there are hidden and unspoken wants to portray the picture in a certain way. Sonntag explains further, "There is an aggression implicit in every use of the camera." Once again, it is clear that Sonntag believes that in every picture there is a purposely made message that was created by the photographer. The camera captures the world, but it is the interperation of the world that is constructed by the photography that maintains the undertones of conscience. She explains, "The immensely gifted members of the Farm Security Administration photographic project of the late 1930's would take dozens of frontal pictures of one of their sharecropper subjects until satisfied that they had gotten just the right look on film-the precise expression of the subject's face that supported their own notions about poverty, light, dignity, texture,exploitation, and geometry." Numerous pictures were taken of the sharecroppers, however, it was the picture that communicated what the photographer wanted that was chosen to depict the subject. I agree with Sonntag, because I know that no matter what the picture, the photographer chooses the frame, detail, vantage point. Also, I know that the photographer uses these techniques to alter a picture and that can make the photographer's purpose shine through.


Sonntag says, "All photographs are memento mori". Sonntag might mean that photographs are reminders that everything dies. Sonntag explains, "Most subjects photographed are, just by virtue of being photographed, touched with pathos." Pathos means relating to emotions. She is explaining that subjects are embedded with emotions that later evoke the emotions of the viewer. By capturing this, immortality is created for that split second, but it will be a constant reminder that time passes. Sonntag express this idea by stating, "To take a photograph is to participate in anther's person's mortality, vulnerability,mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt."

I have to put my "face" on first!

 

 

Almost every girl knows how to apply makeup. The routine is second nature, the brush becomes an extension of the hand, and the face becomes an empty canvas. Putting on makeup is thought of as glamorous, graceful, intimate and entirely feminine. Realistically, this is untrue. Almost always, the shoulders are slouched, eyes are wide or unfocused, mouths are agape, faces are twisted and contorted, and afterwards a more "put-together" face arrives. I find it ironic that the application of makeup is messy and fussy, but the end result is supposed to be elegant, clean, and sophisticated.

 

 

To portray this, I decided to create clear images. I wanted a high shutter speed to freeze motion. I had a difficult time using light in my images, because I was in a small, dark bathroom or a room that was filled with natural light. I edited the pictures in photo shop to correct the lighting. Also, It was difficult to shoot the "decision moment"; this moment for me was when the girl focused on applying their makeup and forgot about the camera. I wanted the camera to capture very accurate depictions of how the girls put on their make-up.

 

I knew my images were not going to be flashy or strikingly beautiful. I wanted a strikingly realistic picture that portrays makeup as it should be. The frame and detail are simple, but I really wanted the idea to stand out. I wanted to depict the posture and body language of the girls. I wanted to document every aspect of makeup. Everything from how they held the brush to the way they held their shoulders.

 

What's scarlet, studying, and gray all over?

What's Scarlet, studying, and gray all over?
-An OSU college student! :)

Instead of documenting a place, I wanted to document an idea. I wanted to document one student studying. I wanted to see if there were any characteristics to how she placed her books or how she sat that would be uniquely thought of as a "college student". I wanted the items to show the relationship to the student and the less glamorous part of being a student.

All of the objects make up the idea, but they are not a student. I wanted to show this relationship through the use of red in the black and white pictures. Through the frame and colors, I wanted to highlight the importance of the correlation between the objects and the person. I also wanted the viewer's eye to be drawn to the red in the student's hoodie and the other objects. This was to show her posture, body language, and to restate the idea of being a student. I wanted to show the floor and the house to show the entire life of a student. While shooting I began to see the books start to become the furniture and the laptop became the table. The backpack was an added decoration. Her objects took over their surroundings and made the space into a studying paradise. I wanted her array of items to represent the idea of being a student, as well as the student, herself.

I made sure to take candid pictures and I did not pose or ask her to move.
 It was important for me to have her think that I was just messing with my camera, because I did not want shots of a smiling person. I wanted a sleep deprived, studying teenager and her stuff. I saw how she dumped her books out of her book bag and then neatly stacked it up. Her book bag was left abandoned and her legs were hidden under her over sized hoodie. I wanted a realistic picture of a focused college student in her normal habitat.

The Buckeye College Student

The black and white photo that sat inside a black frame that was hanging on a white wall.... that created excitment.

I see this picture. It is not a front page headline picture or important historical illustration. It is an old women sitting in the crowd at a wrestling match. The title of the photo, "Elderly Fan at Wrestling Match", is even as simple as my description in the previous sentence. The photography gives some information about the picture. He states, "She was rooting for her grandson who was wrestling at Madison High School." We also know that the photo was created on February 9th, 1983. The photo is a digital silver gelatin print and we know that the wrestling match was at a High School. This black and white picture sat inside a black frame that was hanging on a white wall. But don't let those colors give you an idea of an entirely boring picture.

You can feel it in the picture. The excitement and the crowd's energy. This photo encompassed the enthusiasm of the fans. I found myself staring at an elderly women sitting in the bleachers with her hands clasped in joy. The action in front and the activity in the back are not shown. This is a very interesting usage of frame, because the photographer decided to focus the camera on the reaction to the crowd provoking activity. This photo could be in response to the clique pictures of the cheering, happy fans or the idea of focusing only on the athletes. However, I feel that the artist just wanted to show the joy that every fan from any age has. Although the picture is in black and white, the viewer can almost see the school color shirts. The faces in the crowd radiate happiness more than any color could display.

What I find so fascinating is that for that minute your world stops. You see the athletes. You hear the screaming. But nothing matters for that moment. In the center of the jumping young men and women an animated face said, "If my body would let me, I would be jumping too." I feel that the crowd's bodies express this, but the elderly women's face highlights this idea. This brings me to the theme of age. I feel this photo represents the idea that when excitement takes over, we revolt into a dreamlike state where everyone is young. Age is feeling not a number. This creates the mood of happiness and freedom. I can't help but to think, "We are only as old as we feel". I think that elderly people are thought as fragile, emotionless artifacts. Through this woman's face we can see her vigor and energy. She challenges this preconcieved idea.

1.) When taking pictures, what objects were you looking to capture for the readers?
2.)What was your favorite photo?
3.)What did you want your viewers to feel about certain photos?