Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson versus Smith and Salgado

One of the main differences between Kertesz and Cartier-Vresson versus Smith and Salgado would have to be their overall style.

Kertesz and Cartier-Bresson believed strongly in capturing a photo in its raw state. By this I mean that it was their intention to remain "invisible" when they take their photos.  By doing this, their photos strike me as being very organic; genuine; uncontrived. Capturing photos in this way shows the subject or subjects of the photo in its natural form without any outside interference and/or influence.

Photo taken by Kertesz
http://www.photographyblog.com/news/andre_kertesz_on_reading/

Photo taken by Cartier-Bresson
http://apphotnum.free.fr/N2BE43.html

Conversely, Smith and Salgado had a different philosphy.  They did not believe in the need to be "invisible".  They made themselves visible.  The subject of their photos were staged in order to achieve a particular photo.  A lot of time was also spent in post production of their photos.

Photo taken by Smith
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5123180

Photo taken by Salgado
http://islacocotero.blogsome.com/2008/05/

While the philosophies of these photographers were different, ultimately the final result for all four photographers was a thought provoking, timeless photograph.

Alterations in Photojournalistic Photography

Photojournalists are held within the same standards as other journalists.  These standards include the idea of objectivity, ethics, etc.  Journalists write non-fiction and photojournalists shoot photos that are supposed to be non-fiction.  The general public expects and relies on this notion.

The implications of the increasing alteration of journalistic photography are real.  The sophistication with which photos are altered is mind blowing.  It is important to note that when it comes to journalistic photography, the journalist takes the photo and then delivers it to whichever news organization he/she is affiliated with.  Once that photo is passed on to the news organization, it is taken over by the sub-editor or photo-editor.  Once that happens, what happens to the photos are how it is manipulated is usually out of the hands of the photographer.  As more and more photos, whether press photos or otherwise, are altered and published the line between what is “real” and what is “fake” becomes blurred.

With digital photography being the norm, editing software like Photoshop make editing photos extremely easy and accessible.  Photo manipulation, however, is not something new.  Back in history, photo manipulation was achieved by using a number of tools and techniques, including scratching Polaroid photos and airbrushing. 



Historic Photo Manipulation Tools
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_manipulation



The first recorded case of photo manipulation occurred in the early 1860s.  A photo of President Abraham Lincoln was altered by putting his head on the body of John. C. Calhoun.



Abraham Lincoln and John Calhoun
http://click.si.edu/Story.aspx?story=178


The next photo shows an Iranian missile test.  The above photo was manipulated to make it look like there was an additional missile being fired.  The bottom photo shows what actually took place, which actually displays the fact that one of the missiles that was supposed to go off did not.  News agencies had to issue corrections when the Iranian government agency's fraud was found out.


Iranian Missile Test
http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEP/Article/28898/

 Another example of photomanipulation in press photography is shown below.  Two photos issued by the government had to be retracted after a photographer noticed that these two photos, which were meant to depict two U.S. soldiers that had died in the line of duty on the same day.  Staff Sgt. Darris Dawson and Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin both passed away on Sept 14 2008.  If you look closely at the photos, it is apparent that the only difference in the photos are the faces.

Altered Photos of Staff Sgt. Darris Dawson and Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/19/doctored-army-photos/

A final example shows a photo of Condoleeza Rice that was published by USA Today.


USA Today- Condoleezza Rice
http://michellemalkin.com/2005/10/26/demonizing-condi/

 The original photo is shown below:

Yahoo! Espana - Condoleezza Rice
http://michellemalkin.com/2005/10/26/demonizing-condi/

Condoleezza's eyes in the photo published by USA Today appear strange: the whites of her eyes are much more visible than in the actual photo.  It is almost as if the USA Today photo is trying to make Rice appear villian like, or as the article describes it, "possessed". 



Unless a photo is altered for a reason that does not take away from the actual focus of the photo, I feel that photo manipulation in press photography is wrong.  If a photo is altered to perhaps remove a blemish, reduce the redness in someone's eyes, etc., I am okay with that.  But when a photojournalistic photo is manipulated with the intent to manipulate the viewer of the photo and to take away from the fundamental point of the photo, I feel that something very unethical has taken place. As mentioned by the Times, photos that are taken for photojournalistic purposes and are meant to depict reality should be genuine in everyway.


Sources:

http://click.si.edu/Story.aspx?story=178
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photojournalism
http://michellemalkin.com/2005/10/26/demonizing-condi/
Photojournalism in the Age of Scrutiny by Kenneth Irby (Poynter Online)
phototruth or photofiction?: ethics in media imagery in the digital age. By Tom Wheeler
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/19/doctored-army-photos/

http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEP/Article/28898/

Press Photography vs. Art Photography- Victory and Defeat

While art photography and press photography both share a similarity in that they are meant to convey a message, they both convey messages for different reasons and in different ways.  They both capture moments, thoughts or ideas, but both mean different things.

Photographers who take art photographs are creating images that are meant to be in line with their own creative vision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_photography).   These photographs can be conveyed in many different ways, including shots of people, places, and things. Press photography (or journalism) uses photos to supplement a story that is being told.  It is the use of photographs in conjunction with the reporting news in media such as magazines, television shows, newspapers and the internet (http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm).   A code of ethics exists within photography/photojournalism, one of them being that the photo taken accurately represents the story that goes along with it(http://www.nppa.org/).  Press photography also has the following qualities:

è Timeliness: the images have meaning in the context of a recently published record of events (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_photography).

è Objectivity: the situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate representation of the events they depict in both context and tone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_photography).

è Narrative: the images combine with other news elements to make facts relatable to the view or reader on a cultural level (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_photography).

The above is not always the case for art photography.  It most often is simply an expression of the photographer’s thoughts, imagination, and vision.  The following will compare and contrast the similarities and differences in press photography and art photography.  I have grouped them in what I feel is considered "victory" and "defeat".

Victory in Press Photography

The following is a photograph of track athlete Usain Bolt.  This photograph was taken by photographer Thomas Kienzle. This photograph  shows  Usain Bolt celebrating his record breaking 100m win in Beijing in 2008.  

Usain Bolt - Taken by Thomas Kienzle
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/21/jamaica-lightning-strikes-twice-at-beijing-olympics/

 Victory in Art Photography

This picture struck me immediately when I saw it.  I found this picture on the website of photographer Nigel Barker.  While this photo bore no title, description, or explanation, I think the purpose of this photo is clear.  The photo depicts a woman who has/is suffering from cancer.  She has beaten cancer, and is now pregnant with a child.  She has persevered. 




Untitled - Taken by Nigel Barker
http://www.studionb.com/

  While both of these photos, in my opinion, depict something positive, or "victorious", they both have very different purposes.  The photo of Usain Bolt is clearly meant to depict the winner and new record holder of the 100m dash.  Usain Bolt is flashy, proud, and perhaps even a tad bit cocky.  The other photo, on the other hand, depicts another type of winner.  It depicts someone who ran a different 100m dash. In fact, I'd say that the photo of the pregnant woman depicts someone who ran a marathon.  She has crossed the finish line...and is vindicated.

Defeat in Press Photography

I found the following photo on a website that awards photographers for their work.  This particular photo depicts a Georgian man mourning over his brother's lifeless body after a bombardment in Georgia.  This photo was taken in August of 2008 by Gleb Garanich.



Man in Mourning- Taken by Gleb Garanich
http://www.mirror.co.uk/2009/02/16/world-press-photo-competition-115875-21129076

 Defeat in Art Photography

The next photograph was taken by Andrzej Dragan.  I look at this photo and see a young model with a pretty face, but with a body that looks aged, frail, and quite obviously overly thin.  This young female has obviously gone through many struggles.  As a young model, she has fell victim to the idea that thin is beautiful, something that is all too common in the modeling industry.  This young model is now in therapy recovering (http://www.sweet-station.com/blog/?m=200804&paged=12 ).



Model with Anorexia - Taken by Andrzej Dragan
http://www.sweet-station.com/blog/?m=200804&paged=12

These photos are similar in that they both depict a struggle.  Both of these photos show people that are hurting, albeit for two very different reasons.  The photo of the man mourning the loss of his brother shows a man who is broken.  He has just lost his brother and is overcome with grief.  In the photo of the young model, there is hurt in her eyes.  She has perhaps lost a part of herself.  While the Georgian man will eventually move on from the loss of his brother, and the young model will hopefully get over her illness and be able to heal over time, the scars will remain for both of them.


Works Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_photography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_photography

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/08/21/jamaica-lightning-strikes-twice-at-beijing-olympics/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/2009/02/16/world-press-photo-competition-115875-21129076

http://www.nppa.org

http://www.photography-schools.com/photojournalismhistory.htm

http://www.studionb.com/

http://www.sweet-station.com/blog/?m=200804&paged=12