Submission: Assignment 1 PART 2 - Web 2.0 Photo Journal Blog

Press photography versus Art photography

Press Photographs

"After an ill-fated insurgency against the Cuban government in 1953, Fidel Castro returned via the Cuban Revolution to become one of the most notable political figures of the 20^th century." (Para. 1, Sen 1)


Photographer: Henri Cartier Bresson
 http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox_VPage&VBID=2K1HZSE1RZL4&IT=ZoomImage01_VForm&IID=2S5RYD77TT1&ALID=2K1HRG00JJ&PN=11&CT=Album




"Bud Fields and his family" (Evans, W) during the Great Depression. Alabama. 1935 or 1936.

Photographer: Walker Evans
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/images/evans1.jpg


Art Photographs:

   This photo "depicts the facades of government buildings and depicts the great power the buildings posses. He also captures the met and homes in a very artistic manner by stitching pieces of the sky together." (Para 1, Sen 1)

Photographer: John Kirchner
http://img.photographycourse.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Voodoo.jpg




 "Historical Queens combining contemporary notions of beauty and fashion with traditional fine art techniques to explore the lives and contrasts of twelve fascinating women. Boudica (The Celtic Queen)" (Para 1, Sen 1)

Photographer: Alexia SinClair
http://www.bestphotocenter.com/outimages/20091017101706583.jpg



1. The main differences and similarities between art and press photography;
The differences between art and press photography are their purpose and editing techniques. Another difference between the two is press photographs should never be manipulated or altered. A press photograph is a supporting piece of evidence associated and relevant to the document(s) it’s supporting. It should provide supporting details and facts about the article giving the viewers the full view of the subject. Press photography cannot be creative leaving the only way for a photographer to be creative would be when they actually take the photograph. As opposed to art photography the photographer has many different ways to either alter or change their photographs. Examples would be Photoshop or other editing software. Art photography is anything the photographer can do with a photograph to make it original, creative and imaginative. Like with the image above by John Kirchner about him the "met and homes in a very artistic manner by stitching the sky together (Para. 1, Sen. 1)." He in this photograph showed five different houses in different countries and the sky in each of them and how they are all different. He is also trying to show the power that the government buildings possess in this photograph.

Press and art photography are similar in many ways. The two could be considered an art form. They both present a message to people when they view. They each focus on capturing a select image with a certain emotion that shows the emotion that represents the story they are trying to tell. Another similarity they have is they use the same equipment such as editing techniques and a camera. They can both have a "moment in time" photograph that can never be duplicated by another photographer.


2. Is it ethical and acceptable to alter art photographs? Why? Why not?
I think it is ethical and acceptable to alter art photographs. Art photography is basically photographs that are creative and original. The photographer uses his/her imagination when altering the photograph to make it more creative thus making it imaginative as well. When a photographer takes a photograph for their own personal use such as a painting and alters it to show what colors and technique he/she would have used when making the painting. An example of this would be the photograph above by Alexia SinClair.  This picture Alexia took of a painting and she altered it to show what color(s) and techniques she would use that the artist didn't if she was the one that made the painting. She really impressed me by the color(s) she used in the painting as well as it being about "historical queens and about using fine art techniques and to explore the lives and contrasts of twelve fascinating women like Boudica (The Celtic Queen) (Para.1, Sen.1)." Art photographs can be altered by the photographer because they are the ones that take the photographs therefore making it their property and if they want to change it than nobody can do anything about it because it was the photographers using their time and skill to make us want to view their photographs as they impress us with their beauty, color, editing techniques, etc.

3. Is it ethical and acceptable to alter press photographs? Why? Why not?
 I don't think it is ethical or acceptable to alter press photography because the purpose of the press is to provide us with unbiased information. The newspapers and the news broadcast companies are supposed to give us a clear view of the situation and if the pictures supporting them are altered than that means the facts presented by the media can be altered as well. Look at the picture above by Henri Cartier Bresson. This photograph is of Fidel Castro during the Cuban revolution giving a speech. Bresson took this photograph to support a story that after the Cuban Revolution that Fidel Castro became "one of the most notable political figures of the 20th century"(Para.1, Sen.1). Kirchner could not alter this photograph because it is of real events to prove the evolution of Fidel Castro from leading the Cuban Revolution to becoming a big notable political leader in the 20th century. Another example of why press photographs shouldn't be altered is the photograph by Walker Evans. This photograph shows how a family lived during the Great Depression in the U.S.A. in 1935-1936. It shows of how Bill Fields and his family were affected during the Great Depression by his son not having any clothes that fit the lower half of his body. Bresson did not alter the view when he took the picture because he wanted to show the viewers of the effects that the Great Depression had on people living in America during the 1930s.This will bring out emotion in the viewer’s when they look at it as it definitely brought a tear to my eye.

READINGS BIBLIOGRAPHY:
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxzaG9vdGluZ3RoZXRydXRofGd4OmIxYjJjZTkyZjQzMGVmMQ&pli=1
http://sites.google.com/site/shootingthetruth/Home/modules/week-3/art-photography
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxzaG9vdGluZ3RoZXRydXRofGd4OjRmNDAzZGZlNjZmMDhkYmE
https://gbc.blackboard.com/webct/urw/tp0.lc5122011/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct