The 'truth' of a photograph

I watched the above video of photographer, Gary Winogrand, as he shared his thoughts on the truth of street photography. I made some notes of his points below:

• Photographing something changes it.

• There is not a photograph in the world that has any narrative ability - any of them.

• Photographs are mute. They cannot tell you what is happening. They do not tell stories. They tell you what something looks like to a camera.

• The minute you relate this thing [an image] to what was photographed, it's a lie.

His comments appear to be confined to his own genre of work (street photography) but also ring true with me and align with my own thoughts on the shaky ground that photojournalism and documentary photography can find itself.

I do wonder about his point that photographs do not have a narrative ability. I am curious about what Winogrand would make of conceptual photography. In this genre images are often specifically made to convey a narrative message. I'm thinking here of photographers like Jeff Wall.

I think that because Winogrand is specifically speaking about street photography he is conflating narrative with truth. In his view the actual narrative events taking place in reality can be misrepresented by an image - a slice of time that is frozen can easily be used to deceive. In that sense he is right. But I do not think it is true that all photographs (I'm thinking of constructed images here) are without narrative ability.

Although it is also true that the reader of an image will add much more in a narrative sense to an image than may be there in truth or reality. The viewer can add many levels of denotation or even connotation and take the reading in a completely different or oppositional direction. In this respect Winogrand is right.

'All images are mute. They tell you what something looks like to a camera.'

It is only through reading the Semiotic signs and symbols correctly, based on mutual cultural assumptions, that an image creator can hope to convey an intended message.

Exercise: The Journey

'Go on a journey. This needn't be a long journey but make it a journey you haven't done before.'

This is my second attempt at this exercise. The first one to a local beauty spot was a bit of a failure in terms of a photo essay. I liked the images. I just couldn't find a narrative in them and they were all a bit too similar. Knowing when to put aside work is a valuable skill that I've acquired in the last module. It's all about confidence really, and having the strength to move on - even if a lot of work and emotional energy has been invested.

With my second attempt I decided to use Hastings as a location. I've been to the seafront here before and I wanted to see if I could look at the place with fresh eyes - find vistas and elements that were new to me. Hasting's seafront was easily a good choice to go on a journey. The British seaside is awash with sights and sounds to inspire a photographer - bright colours, crazy people behaving out of character etc. Once I had the images processed I analysed what I had and began to detect certain key elements to form a structure to my photo essay. I'd photographed a number of signs and symbols, most of them made out of brightly coloured plastic, such as the ice cream cone pictured below. In my sequencing I paired these up with other more explanatory images using long shots of the pier or landscape type images of the sea and beach. I've also included brightly coloured municipal flower beds and other detail shots that I found interesting.

I find that pairing them up with one another on a spread is a complex matter. There are a lot of elements in the design process that need to be taken into account. To keep it simple I decided to use a plain layout with centred images that match in either colour, style, or content. So, I looked at the sequence below and attempted to make matches using my planned strategy. The chosen sequence has a certain Martin Parr feel about it - although I have opted more for a 'sense of place' as denoted by the objects and street architecture than by the people themselves.

My discards from the contact sheet are below. I printed all my first selections out and cut them up to arrange on a table. I've probably mentioned this before but I find that the best way to sequence images is to physically move them around, sorting and re-sorting. I just cannot do this in the same way on a computer screen. Patterns and links between images are much more easily spotted when laid out like this.

As you can see I photographed the area with a number of different concepts in mind. The easiest one to spot is the images of shop fronts. I was thinking about highlighting some of the quirky and more traditional business premises. Similarly I took a number of shots of the fire damaged pier and the construction work being undertaken. These were weeded out of my first selection and the remainder on subsequent revisions.

Spectacles and Illusions - Anandi Ramamurthy

I read this chapter of the course reader  'Photography - a critical Introduction' edited by Liz Wells, and found it to be very informative with regards to how advertising photography operates in a modern day capitalist society. The chapter begins by introducing Guy Debord, a Situationist, who has written on the nature of working class society in the industrialised world and how it has become passive and depoliticised. The means by which this has happened is, Debord states, by an ever encroaching society of spectacles in the mass media that holds our attention away from more extreme political acts or injustices. We become absorbed into this world into a state of false consciousness, thinking that we have choices and freedoms in a democratic society, but ultimately, we are slaves to a capitalist commodity culture. One that wants us to constantly consume products to make profit for corporations. Advertising photography plays a very large role in this practice.

Advertising photography is described in detail, breaking down its function and process. The history of photography and its popular appeal and how that has been subsumed into a means to make a profit in commodity culture is touched upon. By glamorising products using photography and advertising they have become fetishised and imbued with false meanings.

Semiotics is discussed and how signs and symbols play a part in the way that advertising images are encoded and decoded. It is possible for images to be interpreted in many different ways, because of cultural and other factors, and advertisers frequently use montage and text to try and lock down the meaning of their images.

Because advertising photography is used ultimately to sell products and make profit, by their nature they do not tend to challenge the status quo. This means that ideas in society that are dominant are perpetuated. This leads to the construction and reinforcing of stereotypes that has increased until they appear natural.

I have ordered the book 'Society of the Spectacle' by Guy Debord as it is referenced a lot during this chapter of the course reader. I imagine it is hard going but I think to try and understand some of the concepts of Marxist thinking about Capitalist society will prove very useful in my studies.  

Exercise - the decisive moment

This exercise is to try and capture our own 'decisive moments'. There are a number of ways of doing this. By far the easiest is to use a technique whereby the photographer finds an interesting location or composition and waits for something to happen. A person may walk by and fit just the right criteria for the shot. There may be an advertisement, abandoned piece of furniture, or signpost that needs an extra element that a human figure can provide. Another way is to go 'hunting' and look for people doing interesting things. This can be much harder to do because the photographer has no control over background and may incur many 'fails' until the right shot is acquired.

In this exercise I used the latter method, and went for a walk at the beach to see what I could find.

Sequence 1:

I spotted this couple taking a rest at the shoreline and noticed the symmetrical positions that they were using - mirroring each others poses. I used my camera's telephoto lens to zoom in and took a number of shots, hoping that at some point they would do something that could be considered a decisive moment. For me, shot number two, where there is a shared look between them, strengthens the poses they're adopting. In a moment the look has gone and they look down at something in the water. Obviously I'm not Cartier-Bresson, so it's not much of a moment, but it illustrates nonetheless the techniques employed.

In this sequence I noticed the woman struggling with the parasol. I could see much more of the woman than has been captured by my camera. She is barely noticeable. At the moment I was shooting a dog suddenly wandered into shot. I kept shooting and it seems the dog now makes more of an interesting focal point than my original subject. I'd probably choose my fourth shot as the most interesting.

A line of older women leaving the shade of the bench. As they all formed a line to head for the road I zoomed in and began shooting. They began to separate out and there is only one shot that I would consider usable and that is number six. The woman at the end is lagging behind, making her more distinct from the background, and the leader of the pack has not yet started to cross behind the rubbish bin.

This exercise is very difficult to do and requires a good deal of time and effort to achieve any degree of success. I don't know how in the era before digital how photographers managed to achieve so many worthwhile images. I do think that in those days people were more accepting of photographers pointing lenses at them and getting really close. The age of picture magazines probably made it more acceptable. The course notes state that Robert Frank took 28,000 images (on film!) for his book The Americans. Out of that huge number 80 photographs were selected for publication. That is an awful lot of decisive moments to select from.

Research Point - Modernist Practice

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908 - 2004)


These images are a selection of work by Cartier-Bresson that I would say typically defines his creative output. There is a variety to the work, taken during episodes of political turmoil, or scenes of everyday street life in better times. The work is masterful. Cartier-Bresson has an eye for detail and composition that is very strong.


Some of the more quirky scenes, such as the couple covered by an umbrella on the beach, feel dated to me. But that is not Cartier-Bresson's fault - he can hardly be criticised for the numbers of imitators that followed in his wake.


This image is one that I've been aware of for a very long time - even before I began my studies with the OCA. I don't know the exact details to this scene except that it involves a collaborator being accused of crimes before a committee shortly after World War Two. Whatever the woman has done the sheer glee of her accuser at her fate is gut wrenching to look at. This image is in such sharp contrast to the ones like the umbrella couple above and the one below of a family picnicking by a river.


This image, for me, falls into the category of immediately satisfying in that its composition resembles an impressionist paining. it pleases the eye. I used to like work like this a lot before I began my studies. Now my immediate admiration quickly dissolves into so what? What is happening here. What is the image trying to say? And does what it say matter?





The next image feels like it could have been taken on a street yesterday, judging by its apparent lack of formal qualities. But the scattered people do randomly come together in a 'decisive moment' that makes the image work.come. I prefer this more modern kind of work to the 'french romantic' style that has been done to death and can be seen as Cartier-Bresson framed prints on the walls of many homes.


Waiting for a cyclist, anything to pass by, is a technique that I used to employ in my own attempts at street photography. Finding a good composition and then waiting for someone to come along and 'occupy the space' is a very useful technique. As can be seen here can prove to be very effective when done well.


I've not seen this one before. It is interesting that Cartier-Bresson chose to make this image of an obviously gay couple, rather than pretend that they don't exist as seems to be to often the case at times.




I came upon this quote from Cartier-Bresson in a biography that made me smile.


'He hated flying – 'a silly way of travelling, most unintelligent if not unsafe’ – and maintained that planes would create 'generations of little cretins, especially in our line of work.’ Henri Cartier-Breson. The Telegraph (2010).

My view on the concept of the 'decisive moment' is that the maker of the image, observes a visual scene that, at that particular moment, makes sense to themselves. The scene unfolding before the photographer is comprised of different elements that on their own may not be worth attention. It is the photographer's eye that pulls the different elements together. The final image will express an emotion or message in a visual language that the viewer may or may not find stimulating. I feel that these 'decisive moments' are happening all the time around us. It is only by freezing the scene that we notice them.  

references:

The Telegraph. 'Expert Witness: Henri Cartier-Bresson' (Article by, Christopher Turner). (2010). [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/7572563/Expert-Witness-Henri-Cartier-Bresson.html [Accessed 16th July 2014]

Exercise - analysing social documentary

An American Place, southwest 1931 - Alfred Steiglitz

The subject of this photograph is of a restricted view of a small portion of a city from an elevated viewpoint. The immediate focus of interest is the nearby wall of a building that has a cracked surface, creating an interesting pattern. The building looks tired and past its best, possibly undergoing refurbishment. The alignment of the windows create a symmetrically pleasing effect.

Secondary to this a nearby building is under construction. The sun is low, casting strong shadows across some of the building's surfaces. There are smaller, less taller, buildings in the foreground. My first impressions on reading the image are denotational - that there is a dynamic pace of change taking place within this space and that the old is making way for the new.

By investigating the context of the image I know that the photographer, Alfred Steiglitz, was in the latter part of his life after a successful career in photography and running a number of art galleries. Steiglitz frequently confined himself to his apartment high above New York City- taking views of the landscape from his windows. The connotations taken from this image, with the cultural knowledge that I personally hold about the photographer, is that Steiglitz, frequently alone in his apartment, may have been sensing the end of his life. There is a sense of isolation, up in the sky, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded streets. The old, cracked building, is being replaced by newer, more modern ones. Likewise the smaller foreground buildings are towered over by their newer, more modern, more stronger replacements. The low sun is creating dark shadows that fall only on some of the walls. This too helps to underpin a sense of time passing.

In respect of working for pay, Steiglitz was certainly working to convey his artistic expression. At the same time his work adorned gallery walls and therefore had a monetary value in the burgeoning photography art market. How aware was Steiglitz that he had a formula for making Modernist images that could further his artistic success as well as increase financial gain?

It is difficult to know about the consensual nature of the image – or if this is even relevant. There are privacy laws in the UK that prevent some images of famous buildings being published, even from public property, but it is difficult to know if there are similar rules in the USA or if they would apply in this particular case.

The images do reveal a trademark Modernist style. There is a compositional framing of elements in the work that is very recognisable. The influence of form, creating strong verticals and horizontals, and the frontal nature of the composition speak of a subject that looks to the future of a machine age. In this respect I would say that Steiglitzs' image has been successful. It would certainly not look out of place on a gallery wall for where it was intended. It is a Modernist piece of work in its trademark aesthetic style.

Is the work Social Documentary? In a way. Although this is not its primary function. The photograph is documenting social change in New York City as the buildings get taller. Berenice Abbott is doing the same thing down on the streets as the buildings are bulldozed to make way in the name of progress. I think intent, though, is the deciding factor here.

View Down Subway Car with Accordionist Performing in Aisle, New York City, 1938 - Walker Evans

The subject of this photograph is a blind accordionist who is busking on the New York Subway. The other passengers appear to be wrapped up in their daily commute, reading newspapers, staring into space. These are the denotations that I pick up from the image - and that the accordionist is probably a familiar sight to the regulars who travel on the subway everyday.

The connotations that I read into the image are that Walker Evans took this photograph as part of a series when wearing a hidden camera. It is claimed that the reason for doing so was to capture people in an un-posed and unaware state - therefore showing their true selves. I'm not so sure about that to be honest. From my own experience of travelling on the London Underground I would say that myself and my fellow passengers are anything but open and unaware. A mask is worn, just like in any other public place. In the enclosed space of the subway train, the mask of choice represents calmness, disinterest, keeping oneself to oneself, and being respectful of other people's personal space in such a confined area. Eye contact, wherever possible is to be avoided. Of course, this reading may not apply quite so well in a non-British culture, but to a certain extent, it is also a characteristic of travel on public transport in large urban cites. It could be argued that the blind accordionist is the only person not wearing a mask because, without the visual clues, he may be unaware that people even adopt one in public - of course, he may be wearing what he thinks of as his performance mask.

Again, Walker Evans was producing work for picture magazines so a monetary value is involved to some extent. As this particular series of work was taken with a hidden camera then I'd assume that consent was not given.

With regards to a trademark style the subway images feel like a departure from Walker Evan's usual style - particularly the FSA work. Maybe he was trying to move forward with his photographic work and trying new ideas out in an attempt to grow as a photographer. Yes, I think the photograph is successful despite that Evan's claim that the people are unaware. They are only unaware that their image is being taken. That does not mean they are open in their expressions. They are wearing their public masks, ones that are considered acceptable in their own particular culture. I would say that the images as un-posed portraits taken in public are Social Documentary. They do not tell any particular story other than giving the viewer a sense of place. I would not class them as photojournalism.    

Can Documentary Photography Ever Be Entirely Value-Free?

For the integrity of the Social Documentary and Photojournalist to be maintained it is essential that images are accepted as an accurate record of a given situation. Of course, we all know that this is not always the case. Many photographs throughout history that have been purported to be 'fact' by photojournalists have shown to be less than the truth, and at times, even outright manipulations.

Robert Capa's 'Falling Soldier' is one instance where it has been said that the shot is staged and that the soldier is posing under Capa's direction. It is claimed that the soldier is not even a Republican but an Anarchist fighting for the other side. The location of the photograph is thirty miles away from where Capa claims it was taken. Later work (by investigative photographers) to match the background in the photograph has shown that this is indeed the case. Instances like these can be found time and time again as great pictures that make the photojournalist look like an intrepid hero in times of crisis have been debunked. The public, to some extent, are complicit in this behaviour and seem constantly eager to make superheroes out of ordinary people. It is easy to see how a massaged ego can make a photojournalist less than ethical in the pursuit of the next picture. 

Death of a Loyalist Soldier. Robert Capa

Social documentary photographers like Lewis Hine and Jacob Riis have shown that they too are willing to stage images to help them convey their message in a photograph. How is this different from the war photographers like Capa? I'm not sure. One seems like it was made with the best of intentions and the other to tell an exciting story for a photo-magazine. So intent plays a part - but, how is the viewer supposed to be able to interpret that from looking at an image and reading the article beside it? It's impossible.

I think that is important to remember that all images are political and that even the photographer with even the most neutral of intentions can display unconscious bias. Just look at all the 'hidden histories' that are now coming to light as historiographers take another look at photographic and documentary archives. Stories of forgotten or silenced people, such as ethnic and homosexual minorities, are being unearthed all the time - They were always there; Just filed away, misplaced, mis-categorised as something other than what they really represented because the culture, at that time, would rather that they didn't exist.