#5
“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ~Edward Steichen
I think this quote explains what photography can do to a T. This is how I feel about everything I do with photography and how much you can do with a camera. You can do so much with a camera in hand. You can take the feelings written on the human face to so many levels and ideas and concepts it could never end. As well as all the earth, the skies and wealth and confusion man has created.
#6 In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?
I believe that if you are altering something that would better exemplify or better explains the person you are portraying then it is ethical. But once you cross the boundary where what you altered changed the meaning of the person and isn't the truth about that person then is is inappropriate. The only time that altering is ok is if the concept is not the person itself but the concept of the change, then I think it is alright but I normally do not agree.
#7 Pay close attention to the types and number of photographic portraits you see in one day. Where did you see them? How do you think that the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image (news, facebook, magazine, advertisement, television, youtube, etc)? In other words, what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?
Between facebook, magazines, the internet and flickr I see hundreds of portraits everyday. Each context changes the meaning. The portraits of people I have seen in Joplin where they are in what little is left of the town I believe is a raw portrait. The subject did not dress up, or choose which image to put up. That image is the raw emotion and life of that person. The photographer was capturing the raw emotion of the moment and that person in that moment of their life. Compared to images on facebook and even some of celebrity type magazines, those images are a lot of the times alters and the subject, especially on facebook, has a huge say in which images they want the public to be seen. Although these portraits can hold some truth, they are not raw images of that person. They are chosen images. They are posed shots and do not always reflect the real emotion or personality of the person. It is what they want to portray to the world.
#8 “My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.” ~Richard Avedon.
I understand this quote. To me, I interpret it as Avedon talking about how the portraits portray his relationship with the people. The images reflect what they mean to him and how he thinks of them so it becomes more about the photographer and what they see.
#9 “You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adams
Photograph is an art and you make that art. You create concepts, you create the art with the light and the technicality of the camera, you create the photograph with various subjects and backgrounds. What you put into a photograph and the perspective you have is how you make it. Anyone can just take a picture but not everyone can make a photograph.
#10 “All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.” ~John Berger
This quote provides a good insight as to what photography can do and mean to people. For example, when you miss someone or don't want to forget what someone looks like, you can pull out a photograph of them to help remember. To each person that looks at that photograph of that person, it will mean different things. A photograph of my sister will mean something completely different to a random person. As for any photograph, a photograph of a location and of a landscape can evoke different memories for each person and hold different meanings. That is the glory of photography, everyone has a different view and every photograph evokes a different emotion for each person.
I think this quote explains what photography can do to a T. This is how I feel about everything I do with photography and how much you can do with a camera. You can do so much with a camera in hand. You can take the feelings written on the human face to so many levels and ideas and concepts it could never end. As well as all the earth, the skies and wealth and confusion man has created.
#6 In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?
I believe that if you are altering something that would better exemplify or better explains the person you are portraying then it is ethical. But once you cross the boundary where what you altered changed the meaning of the person and isn't the truth about that person then is is inappropriate. The only time that altering is ok is if the concept is not the person itself but the concept of the change, then I think it is alright but I normally do not agree.
#7 Pay close attention to the types and number of photographic portraits you see in one day. Where did you see them? How do you think that the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image (news, facebook, magazine, advertisement, television, youtube, etc)? In other words, what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?
Between facebook, magazines, the internet and flickr I see hundreds of portraits everyday. Each context changes the meaning. The portraits of people I have seen in Joplin where they are in what little is left of the town I believe is a raw portrait. The subject did not dress up, or choose which image to put up. That image is the raw emotion and life of that person. The photographer was capturing the raw emotion of the moment and that person in that moment of their life. Compared to images on facebook and even some of celebrity type magazines, those images are a lot of the times alters and the subject, especially on facebook, has a huge say in which images they want the public to be seen. Although these portraits can hold some truth, they are not raw images of that person. They are chosen images. They are posed shots and do not always reflect the real emotion or personality of the person. It is what they want to portray to the world.
#8 “My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph.” ~Richard Avedon.
I understand this quote. To me, I interpret it as Avedon talking about how the portraits portray his relationship with the people. The images reflect what they mean to him and how he thinks of them so it becomes more about the photographer and what they see.
#9 “You don't take a photograph, you make it.” ~Ansel Adams
Photograph is an art and you make that art. You create concepts, you create the art with the light and the technicality of the camera, you create the photograph with various subjects and backgrounds. What you put into a photograph and the perspective you have is how you make it. Anyone can just take a picture but not everyone can make a photograph.
#10 “All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this - as in other ways - they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it.” ~John Berger
This quote provides a good insight as to what photography can do and mean to people. For example, when you miss someone or don't want to forget what someone looks like, you can pull out a photograph of them to help remember. To each person that looks at that photograph of that person, it will mean different things. A photograph of my sister will mean something completely different to a random person. As for any photograph, a photograph of a location and of a landscape can evoke different memories for each person and hold different meanings. That is the glory of photography, everyone has a different view and every photograph evokes a different emotion for each person.
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