Working in the Digital Age

Photographer - Hugh Cecil, 1926
Source - http://www.etsy.com/listing/91399265/miss-edna-best-art-deco-monochrome

Once upon a time there was no such thing as camera phones and the internet. Photojournalists had to demonstrate a great deal of patience and perseverance to produce one quality image. During 1850’s & 60’s, photogravure and wet plate collodion photography was the newest technology (if you can even call that technology). It was a laborious task just to haul your gear around, let alone the multi-step process that had to be followed, but photojournalist did it because they loved it and it had to be done. The image above was taken in the 1920’s when photogravure made a resurgence due to “the soft, artistic quality of the images.” Little did anyone know what the impact of 70 years of technology had in store?

Can you imagine the look on the faces of the photojournalists from the 1920’s if they lived to see how much their field has changed in 90 years? Now I know, even if they were 20 years old in 1920, they would have to be 113 years old today. But play along with me on this one. I just read an article titled “How Digital Technology has Changed Photojournalism” and it was about a photojournalist who was reminiscing about how much photojournalism has changed in the past 20 years! He mentioned how “Over the years, the Assignments that a photojournalist shoots remain pretty constant, but the technology has changed from 1990 to 2010 and a photo that once took five hours to send to the wire service now takes seconds. The quality level between those 1990 images and now has gotten remarkably better too.” If this photojournalist was blown away by 20 years of technology, can you fathom the look on our 113 year old friend?

Photographer – Ed Kashi
Source - http://lightbox.time.com/2012/10/30/in-the-eye-of-the-storm-capturing-sandys-wrath/#50

Fast forward to Tuesday, October 30, 2012 and look at how photojournalism is done today! This photo was taken by a photojournalist who was asked by Time Magazine “to document the hurricane and its aftermath via Instagram.” The article was titled “In the Eye of the Storm: Capturing Sandy’s Wrath” and it explained how Time placed 5 of its photojournalist across the Atlantic seaboard to capture ordinary people getting ready for the superstorm. When Sandy made landfall they braved the elements to photograph the storm’s impact on several communities using only their Iphones.




Photographer - Michael Christopher Brown
Source - http://lightbox.time.com/2012/10/30/in-the-eye-of-the-storm-capturing-sandys-wrath/?iid=lb-gal-viewagn#1

We can laugh about this photograph taken by another one of Time Magazine’s 5 man crew, but it shows the dependency of today’s society and our technology. Cell phones have not only changed the way photojournalists do their jobs, but they have changed the way people live their lives. Not to mention having a newer cell phone camera enables every person to become a citizen journalist via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc…

Looking at this evolution we can clearly see how much has changed from the days of photogravure to modern day Iphones. Photojournalist would have needed days and weeks to produce quality photos (often times of people that couldn’t move) to the press, and they went through agony to make that happen. Today Time Magazine can send out 5 of its journalist using only cell phones, and create a masterpiece of an article in a fraction of the time. It almost not fair to compare the two, but technology is what it is; a means to make things easier.  I'm pretty sure Robert Capa would have been thrilled to have an Iphone handy, and not have some overzealous photographer ruin most of his shots.  Anybody want to travel back in time and give him one?

  

The Art of Photojournalism

Photographer -  Martin Soler

Year Created - May 2011

Source - http://martinsoler.com/2011/05/08/musee-dorsay-black-and-white-hdr-paris/

Use of lines - The photographer used the lines to directly lead me to the focal point in 
the picture.  There are several things that could grab your attention, but the lines direct 
you to the statue.

Texture - The building in the background carries a great deal of texture with the bricks 
and ridges.  This adds an extra element to the image and helps the statue stand out with its 
smooth texture.

Is the image black & white or color? - The image was produced in black and white 
which helped capture certain elements within the photo.  Although I would love to see 
this image in color to distinguish how the use of lines would appear in its natural setting. 

I chose this photo because I have just begun my journey learning about the use of lines 
in photography, and I feel Mr. Soler did a great job capturing this technique within this 
image.

 
Photographer - Lynne Ayers

Year Created - August 2012

Source - http://lynneayersbeyondthebrush.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/black-and-white-shape-and-line/

Use of Shadows - The shadows of the individuals were used to break up the pattern of the 
patio they were standing on.  By doing this is made the photo more engaging to me.

In or out of focus - Certain parts of the photo remained sharp (the patio and the railings) 
but the people in the image appear soft.  I believe the photographer did this to keep the focus 
on the dark to light contrast, while giving the viewers multiple places to appreciate.

Contrast - The photographer did an excellent job of dividing the photo into separate contrasts
throughout the photo.  The multiple use of contrast from the dark and light areas enhances the 
photo while your eyes travel throughout the picture.

I chose this photograph because I loved the patio design and how the shadows of the people 
broke up the design.  I felt like this was a picture you could look at for awhile and still find new 
characteristics and details within it.

Photographer - Alexander Pyatiletov

Year Created - April 2011

Source -  
http://121clicks.com/tutorials/the-importance-of-lines-in-photography-an-overview-with-superb-examples

Rule of thirds - If you placed this photograph into thirds vertically you would see how the 
photographer slightly offset the woman from the center.

Contrast Appropriate - This is a high contrast photo with lots of bright and dark areas.  The 
darkness of the trees adds to the element of the infinite and lost feeling in the woods.  But the 
brightness and relaxed expression of the woman contradicts the darkness and lost feeling.

Subject's Expression - The woman appears to be relaxed in the depth of woods without 
shoes.  I feel her arms are overly posed for this shot, and gives you the impression she is 
doing it for the camera.   

I chose this photograph because the woman reminded me off my wife and her figure.  I 
enjoyed the element of the beautiful woman at peace deep within the forest.

Photographer - Max Vadukul

Year Created - 1997

Source -  http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/feb/10/photography-max-vadukul-best-shot

Obvious main subject - Mother Teresa consumes about 4/5 of this image, and this
is a great shot.

KEEP IT SIMPLE - The photographer used the "fly on the wall approach" and let
Mother Teresa's face do the talking for the picture.

What feelings does the image create? - This image captured the very essence of who
Mother Teresa was.  Even in her old age I can see and feel the passion in her eyes.
Her skin looks tired and worn, but her determination is what I feel when I look at her face.

I chose this picture because I am inspired by people who live their lives with a purpose.
I feel like few people have, or ever will inspire people like Mother Teresa did.
She is a Godly icon and I love and appreciate that.

Pre-Digital Photographic Technology

Photographer – Christe Garvey

Source - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201461957974949&set=pcb.10201461965615140&type=1&theater

Somebody once told me “Think about it, from the death of Christ until 1900 AD, most people got around using horses as the primary mode of transportation.  Look at how far technology has brought us in 100 years.”  I don’t remember who said that to me, but I will never forget what they said.  It’s unbelievable to me how much technology has changed and the effect it has made on society. 

The picture above is from a recent trip I took to St. Thomas with my family.  In the picture is my oldest son Cayden (far left), me (middle), and an islander (far right) on a mission to give us an island memory.  My son had already been given the official island hat made out of shredded coconut tree leaves.  But this gentleman gave my son a fresh mango, and he was showing me the proper way to cut a fresh coconut.  Thanks to modern day technology my wife was able to take this picture in about 7 seconds; 3 seconds to get the phone from her purse – 3 seconds to open her camera application – 1 second to push the camera button and capture the moment.

After reading a story about Roger Fenton (possibly the first war photographer) and how much gear he had to carry around to get one image; it made me think of the trails and tribulations photojournalism must have gone through to get where we are today.  Then I watched a video on the wet plate collodion process that Mr. Fenton used and how much skill it required, and that instilled a great deal of respect for the photographers who paved the way to where we are today.

I then went on to research the history of photogravure, and it led me to appreciate the technology we have today even more.  A man by the name of Mark Katzman went into great length to thoroughly explain the entire procedure and its history.  He wrote an article titled “The History of Photogravure” and described its “ESSENTIAL ROLE in the origin and evolution of photography.”  He would go on to say “Its history is inextricably intertwined with the earliest discoveries and pursuits of the medium. While initial interest in photogravure was motivated by an effort to solve technical problems, over time photogravure was practiced for its own distinct merits.” 

 

Photographer – Alfred Steiglitz
Source - http://www.photogravure.com/key_examples/keyworks_originals.html

 I don't know if I completely agree with the famous Weegee when he said "What I did, anybody could do."  After reading what the photographers had to do to develop a single picture using this method, I can’t help but feeling blessed for living in this current century.  Photogravure required a multi-step process of Preparing a Plate, Preparing the Image, Transferring the Image to the Plate, Etching the Plate, and Printing the Plate.  It’s unfathomable to compare and contrast what I went through to capture my image to what these photographers had to do to complete theirs.

I laughed to myself as I read a quote that Mark Katzman used from an extremely grateful publisher named Thomas Annan.  Thomas was thanking a man named Karl Klic who evolved the photogravure process and he was quoted saying "I beg to express my entire satisfaction with your gravure process... The process itself is very valuable to a fine art publisher because of the beauty of the work and the crafted manner in which the plates are executed. With many thanks to me and my son I remain, Dear Sir, yours very truly" March 11, 1883.  I can’t help but think how excited Mr. Annan would be if I showed him an Iphone.  Although Klic’s gravure process revolutionized the photography industry, and was widely used to illustrate high-quality books with photographs; I will still take my Iphone's 7 second system over yours Mr. Klic…  Sorry.

Can Photographs Change the World?

There was a famous quote from photographer Eddie James stating “The most powerful weapon in the world has been, and can be a photograph.  Military weapons can only destroy.  Cameras, in the hands of photographers with hearts can capture Love-Hope-Passion-Change lives and make the world a better place…”  I couldn’t agree more and I strongly believe pictures have a way of captivating its audience like few things can.  In the picture it shows our world for the first time as a small a peaceful globe, with no surroundings.  This image was taken in 1968 and forever changed the way we view our world.  We have never seen this view and US Nature photographer Galen Rowell describes this image as "the most influential environmental photograph ever taken".  Kristen Erickson of NASA headquarters even suggests “"It changed humanity's entire orientation."This picture provides irrefutable evidence to support the case that pictures do indeed change the world.  

Photographer – William Anders

Source - http://www.photographyschoolsonline.net/blog/2010/30-photos-that-changed-the-world/

When I think of photographs that changed my life, I immediately think of the images posted from 9/11. Personally, I joined the US Coast Guard after the 9/11 attacks as an obligation to my country; and I know for a fact that these photographs changed me and the world.  After the events took place the country would never be the same again.  Laws were changed, procedures were altered, flight patterns were changed, etc...  But soon after the news stopped showing the videos of the planes crashing into the buildings, and the aftermath; all that was left was the photos.  Each individual photograph holds a place in each of our memory banks, and we all relive that day when we see those pictures.  Whenever I see the images of that day it reminds me of why I joined the service, and it instills a sense of justice and patriotism inside of me.  The lasting impact of those photos will remain with us all every time we see them, and we will be forever changed by them.

 

Photographer - Roberto Robanne

Source - http://www.newsnet5.com/gallery/news/news_photo_gallery/Images-of-911

I recently watched a short clip of Jonathan Klein (Chief Executive Officer of Getty Images, Inc) and he mentioned how "Images have provoked reactions in people, and those reactions have caused change to happen."   I immediately thought of a funnier image that was actually a hoax, and the effect it had on the world.  The infamous picture of the “Loch Ness Monster” that Marmaduke Wetherell, his son Ian Wetherell, and model-maker Christian Spurling pulled off as one of the greatest pranks in world history through a single photograph.  Proving once again that photos can change the world as decades of speculation began, and a multi-million dollar tourism industry was created.  The fact that thousands of people around the world traveled in to try to catch a glimpse of “Ole Nessie” proves that photographs definitely have the power to change the world.

 

Photographer - Ian Wetherell
Source - http://www.neatorama.com/2007/01/02/13-photographs-that-changed-the-world/