Motivations of Wim Wenders, Sally Mann & Robert Adams: Why They Capture Photos, Apuntes de Derecho

¡Descarga Motivations of Wim Wenders, Sally Mann & Robert Adams: Why They Capture Photos y más Apuntes en PDF de Derecho solo en Docsity! Wim Wenders, Sally Mann and Robert Adams on why they take photographs. by Associate Professor Shane Hulbert, April 2015 Left: Wim Wenders | Centre: Sally Mann | Right: Robert Adams Why do we photograph? The question of why we take photographs is complex and reveals something about our own judgements, values and tastes. The meaning of a photographic image is loaded with history and questions about what we value and who we are. It might seem simple to point a camera at 'something' and press the shutter, regardless of the level of engagement we might have with the operation of the camera. But behind that simple act, there are questions around values, experience, perceptions, technique and intentions. Why point the camera there? Does how we feel about the subject or object we are photographing influence how we photograph it? Do I treat the camera with as much love and care when photographing a friend as I do when photographing my own child? Why do I photograph at all? One way of considering this question is to look at some of the ways artists and photographers engage with photography - why do they take photographs? • Some photographers see things and think they would look great as photographs. US street photographer Garry Winogrand claims that he photographs '... to see what the world looks like in photographs' (source).
 • Some photographers come up with ideas or reflections on a subject and photograph as a way to explore that subject. German photographer Andreas Gursky finds evidence of the hyper-real in society and makes incredibly large photographs depicting places and non-places in awesome detail.
 • Some photographers observe life, then re-stage the way they remembered the moment, or create a variation of the moment. Canadian artist Jeff Wall creates tablaux images of small moments or events, such as strangers passing by in the street, or the simple act of spilling milk.
 • Some photographers transform a moment or event, creating images that explore complex human emotions or experiences. Australian artist Bill Henson creates images that explore some of life's more uncomfortable moments. Through exploring the images and ideas of artists and photographers, it is possible to gain a greater sense of purpose about why we take photographs, and begin thinking in more complex ways about what we choose to photograph and why. The reason for this is simple, to help us take better photographic images. looking for something, he is searching the landscape of the West to find those sites and locations where 'civilization simple passed through...'. For Western World Development he has framed the image in a way that includes only the sign and the landscape. The success of the image can also be attributed to the humour and irony of this sign - the Western World Development tract, with no evidence of a Western world. Wenders' claims that the images from this series were not taken specifically as location scouts (they don't appear in his films), but 'rather to sharpen [his] empathy with the light and landscape of the American West'. ( www.americansuburbx.com) Why is his photography popular? Wenders manages to capture a part of the landscape that is unique to his interest in representations of place. We often think of landscape as being a natural scene, with dynamic skies and powerful examples of nature. However, for some photographers, landscape is a site that is mediated through people - what they do to the landscape, what impact they have and what they leave behind. For Wenders, this is about the evidence of civilzation that has passed through and is no longer there. His works are often large, sometimes panoramic and over 2 meters long. Galleries show and collect his work due to his role as an award winning film maker, but also because he has captured a part of the American West that others have not. How does he, and others, talk about his photography? The following extract is from the catalogue essay for the 2003 exhibition Pictures from the surface of the Earth. The recurrent question in photography is its relationship to the real. Rather than pose as a type of documentation, Wenders’ photographs of ‘actual’ places aim to suggest the stories and incidents generated by that place. Authenticity of location is a necessary part of Wenders’ entire project, so that what emerges from these monumental images is a sense of awe for the sacred and ancient histories of outback Australia, the joyous sensuality of Havana, Cuba, the serenity of a temple in Japan, the trauma and disassembled chaos of ‘Ground Zero’, New York. And if the locations are authentic, so too, Wenders would argue, is the technique. The photographs are not computer generated but shot with hand held cameras using a 6x7cm colour negative or 6x17cm negative for panoramic views. Filters and digital interventions are used sparingly. The larger format negative allows for higher resolution and greater detail all-over, soaking up a wider range of information, like the crisp detail of a Dutch landscape passed under an optical lens. Large scale prints, some huge and panoramic in proportion and measuring over four metres in length, are now possible; the size of the photographic paper imposing the only limitation. Other key features in Wenders’ translation of the impact and language of place are the framing of the image and the intense registration of colour. Framing is psychological in effect. Wenders’ photographs use angles and the full frame of the negative to compose the image rather than crop it, and the sweep of the panorama to extend as far left and far right as possible with the viewing figure frequently positioned optimally at the centre. Also to be found in these photographs is the empowering overview and expanse of the aerial shot suggesting the subjective grandeur of the sublime characteristic of the 19th century Romantic landscape painting of Caspar David Friedrich where a small figure is overwhelmed and enthralled by the vastness of Nature, effectively merging the self into the bigger picture and grand schemes. ... Attempting to counter the effects of globalisation. Like the city symphonies of early cinema, which became odes to a city and its people, these photographs concentrate on the veracity of place. Location is integral to their effect and content. Pausing before them and studying the image is an important part of the process. For those of us unfamiliar with our planet or unwilling to travel, these pictures reveal the surface of the earth as told and heard by Wim Wenders, giving new meaning to the phrase … you had to be there. Standing before them is, like the journeys, a beginning not an end – one that asks you to scrutinise and celebrate not what is lost but what is there before you. Deboarh Hennessy, Pictures from the Surface of the Earth catalogue essay, 2003.
 A number of key points about Wenders' photography is revealed in that essay. • The photographs are more than actual places, he has chosen specific sites because they suggest interesting stories and incidents that are generated by the place over time. Vimeo Sources and image credits Wenders, Wim 1987 Written in the West. Schirmer / Mosel Verlag, Munich Wenders, Wim 2001 Pictures from the Surface of the Earth. Schirmer / Mosel Verlag, Munich Sally Mann and her Immediate Family by Associate Professor Shane Hulbert, April 2015 I photograph my children growing up in the same town I did. Many of the pictures are intimate, some are fictions and some are fantastic, but most are of ordinary things every mother has seen; a wet bed, bloody nose, candy cigarettes. They dress up, they pout and posture, they paint their bodies, they dive like otters into the dark river. Sally Mann, Photography Speaks 2004, p. 290 © Sally Mann, Night-blooming Cereus.1988 [source - www.fotografiska.eu] Sally Mann is a US photographer and artist, known internationally for the ongoing images she has made of her family and children over the last 25 years. At times controversial (her children are often naked), and surprising in her depiction of adolescence, she aligns her photography with the delicate and emotional fine art print tradition. Utilising a large format camera, with single sheets of film sometimes 8 x 10" in size, she considers the way she takes the photograph an integral part of the experience. What is her photography about? The fragility of being human, and the development of children, both physical and emotional, from being a child through to adolescence. These are of course big topics, and that is part of the reason why her images have been controversial, however what is clear is that she photographs the unfolding story of this development, and applies an incredible sensitivity to her subjects and how she photographs them. What makes her photographs different from others is the clarity she is able to capture, and the familiarity of the stories - children playing in the river, dressing up, role playing and self-discovery. Why is her photography popular? Mann's photography takes us to places we remember, and places we sometimes would rather not. They expose the vulnerability of life and they share with us moments from our own childhood. In addition to this, she is a master of black and white photography, applying a degree of camera craft and darkroom skill rarely seen in photography. When taking her images, she sees her children do something, play in a certain way or show a particular expression, that she then decides to photograph. These are not candid moments, they are staged images from a moment that they have performed, and that she has noticed and wanted to preserve. Using the large format camera, an image might take several hours to photograph. What are some of her techniques, and how does she photograph? Mann is mostly photographing portraits of her children, in various poses or interacting with places or each other. Often she will use a technique to blur or soften the background, and focus on a particular part of the image (usually one or more of her children). This would would a long lens, with a focal length of more than 50mm (35mm equivalent) and an aperture that was wide open, around f/5.6. In the images presented here she uses film, with a large camera (an 8x10" view camera) and then poses © Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette 1989 [source - Museum of Contemporary Photography] © Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette 1989 [source - Museum of Contemporary Photography] © Sally Mann, Candy Cigarette 1989 [source - Museum of Contemporary Photography] If possible, take a few extra seconds to use your eyes and really see what it is you are photographing. A good composition for starting with is one that includes a central subject (although it doesn't have to be in the center), and will contain strong visual lines or tones that 'lead' into the image. Also, try and make sure there is some balance at the edges, and that all four corners of the frame either contain information, or are clear of cut-offs (people half in frame, cars etc). Don't have trees and poles coming out of people's heads, but rather use them to frame segments of a photograph, such as this photograph by US photographer Lee Friedlander. © Lee Friedlander The American Monument 1976 Also think about your distance, and then consider moving in closer (if possible). Lots of photographs are underwhelming because the subject is simply too far away - remember, there is a reason why you want to take the image, so make sure it becomes clear in the photograph. Also, if you crop later, it will reduce the number of pixels in the image, and may compromise print size or image clarity. Consider ways that interesting shapes and lines can add to the impact and interest in your images. Some cameras include a way to check if the horizon line is straight, and some allow us to place a grid over the LCD Viewfinder to help compose. There are rules about thirds and balance, sometimes these are helpful, other times not - exercise judgment and see the image through the viewfinder. This portrait by US photographer Alec Soth (rhymes with both) is interesting for 2 reasons; the first is that the size, leading lines and framing creates a compelling portrait of a strange looking man holding some model planes, and secondly he almost breaks all the guidelines regarding placement of trees and distracting objects. He gets away with it because the softness of the background reduces the effect, but also because the expression on the face, the confrontation and the humour all connect to offer an interesting insight into the subject. 2. Light - Look at the light before you take the photograph. There are two types of light in a photograph; natural light or artificial light. When you take a photograph of something, what you are really capturing is the way light falls onto a subject. Light is absorbed and light is reflected. Hard light will increase contrast and make for strong, hard shadows and bright highlights, hard light is usually more dramatic. Soft light will decrease contrast and make for subtle, soft shadows and reduced highlights, soft light is usually more even. Light is generally soft in the morning and afternoon, light is generally hard in the middle of the day. Inbuilt flash is strong and unflattering. It is hard, and creates a different dynamic in the image. Inbuilt flash is obvious, and often easy to spot. External flash (even on camera) is more flexible. It can be bounced of walls and ceilings, creates a soft light, and is more controlled. It can add to the contrast of an image, and usually increases colour intensity. video on light on tennis ball. 3. Standing - Be clear about what you are looking at, and WHY it might make a good photograph. How do you see things that interest you? Do you see them in the same way as other people? Seeing is a personal approach to how you react to something. One way to think about this is to look for something while photographing. At a party - look for those moments when people are connecting in some way. On the street - wait until someone is doing something interesting, or stand at a spot where things that are near make unique connections with things that are in the distance. For a landscape - stand where you can see something that others might not (so not on the spot marked for photography!). Where you stand, often referred to as the vantage point, is critical. One thing we see a lot of are images from a height of around 6ft. People put the camera up to their eyes when standing, and take the photograph. Try standing on a uses a combination of fast shutter speed, flash lighting and some post production to create a complex image, titled Bram Stokers Chair in reference to Dracula and the myth of the Vampire not casting a shadow. The use of the fast shutter speed has allowed the photographer to capture the moment and freeze time. Module 2 > Lesson 3: RAW! What is it good for? > RMIT Exclusive Simulated Workshop Video (2.3.1) The RAW Advantage 2.3.1. The RAW Advantage 10:36 (2.3.2) Working with RAW files 2.3.2. Working with RAW files 10:47 (2.3.3) The RAW workflow 2.3.3. RAW Workflow- Processing images 19:08 Module 4 > Lesson 1: Landscape, place & space > RMIT Exclusive Online Lecture Videos Module 5 > Lesson 1: Reflecting life > RMIT Exclusive Online Lecture Videos