PR Press Project

For my Public Relations/Press Project, first I contacted Jessica McBride of Front Page Milwaukee via e-mail and expressed my interest in taking a few photos for FPM. She used two of the sample photos I sent (Stairs in Holton Hall & Student Film Making) in the "Wild Art" section in November.Furthermore, I became involved with a number of her journalism students, and I am continuing to take photographs for their upcoming articles that will also be featured in FPM. It is a markedly different and extremely worthwhile experience producing photographs for someone else; there is a lot more pressure to fulfill their request and often you end up working on their schedule, not yours.

Photo Essay -- What do you see?

For my photo essay, I ended up going with my third idea; I took a series of photographs of seven peoples’ various features and/or possessions that were important to them. I arranged the photos for each individual into a 3x3 square with the person’s eye as the center square. My initial plan was to then show the person his/her compilation of photos and ask what they see. However, I soon realized that this method would only produce a description of what they think other people see since what I asked them to describe would be nothing more than their perception of the pieces I choose to see of them through my camera. The solution to this problem was to simply ask each person how he/she perceives himself/herself with the qualifying statement that it should not include things that someone could tell just by looking at them. Their resulting answers served as the captions.

In the end, I think this project became extremely interesting. It tells not only a story of inevitable uniqueness but also of individual perception and personal identity. These photos display an honest array of perceived identities. They challenge us to consider how we judge and perceive others (especially during a time in our lives where some of the greatest changes will occur in our personal development); as you look at this series of photographs it is intriguing to compare your perception of the subject with their own. Additionally, they raise the question of how you perceive yourself as well as how others perceive you. So ultimately, the question remains: What do you see?

Photo Essay Proposal

For my photo essay I am currently undecided between three ideas. I find all of them sufficiently intriguing; however, I think it is just a matter of timing that will determine which one I end up using.

My initial idea stems from an event that is already in progress: a couple of my friends are currently filming a movie. Thus far I have been documenting their progress, but unless they wrap it up soon, I don’t feel that it would be the best candidate for a photo essay since it would be without a conclusion.

I've also considered doing a photo essay on "all things forgotten". These photos could be basically anything from homeless people to overgrown gravestones to litter on the sidewalk: any person, place, thing, or idea that has been overlooked, lost, or forgotten about.

My final idea is inspired by Jim Goldberg: my plan is to take fairly close-up photos of different characteristics of people (e.g. jewelry, hair styles, shoes, posture, etc.), intentionally avoiding straight portraits that would definitively give away their identity,arrange them on a contact sheet (probably 3x3), and ask them what they see.

People and Cameras

I think generally, I am better behind the camera. I probably feel a little more comfortable taking the pictures because that puts me in a position where I feel as though I have slightly more control over the situation. On the other hand, I don't exactly mind having my picture taken; in fact, I think I am a lot more comfortable than many people because I don't particularly feel any different while my picture is being taken. However, if the photographer doesn't tell me a specific way that they want me to look, I'll just consistently make weird faces at them until I get bored; then I'll ignore them.

I haven't encountered many people who act very uneasy when I try to photograph them. I think it helps quite a bit that I approach them in a casual manner and let them interpret the situation however they like because if I act like taking their picture is no big deal, usually it isn't to them either it seems. If they want to pose, then I let them; if they seem a bit shyer then I let them look away or just pretend that I'm not there. Basically, I've found it works best to work with your subject and allow them to act however they feel most comfortable.

Lester's Ethics

Lester discusses the laws and ethics concerning a number of situations faced by photojournalists. I think there are multiple situations where photojournalism is legal but rather unethical. One circumstance is situations where the subjects are injured or grieving. Apparently, photography of subjects under these circumstances is illegal in other countries despite newsworthiness. Also, I question the ethics of police having the authority to allow photos to be taken of people who have been killed.

I also believe that many of the activities of the paparazzi are unethical. Stalking is not legal, so what they do probably should not be either. I agree with Mundt (professor of photojournalism at Louisiana State University) who proposed that photos should be taken of famous faces only when they are involved in an activity that has “intrinsic news value".

Lastly, it seems logical to me, that people should have some kind of right over their image being published. However, the laws could obviously be more lenient for specific circumstances, but if readily possible, I think the subject should either grant permission or be compensated in some way.

In Plato's Cave

Susan Sontag makes a number of interesting claims about the role of the camera in modern society in her article “In Plato’s Cave.” One claim she makes is her comparison, that metaphorically, a camera now serves the same purpose as a gun. She even gives the example of a safari in which the camera has directly replaced the gun. Sontag explains how we use the camera to shoot subjects with a similar mindset: no so much to kill, as to preserve and to immortalize.

We take pictures and display them in our homes the same way a hunter displays the head of his kill -- almost as memorial to that thing, place, or moment in time. A more literal comparison between the two can be understood by remembering the remarkably similar terminology used during both the processes of hunting and taking pictures: load (ammunition or film), aim, and shoot.

The camera can also be compared to a gun in the way we use it to give us a certain kind of power over whatever we choose to point it at. (Similarly, I find it interesting the ways in which people react when they see a camera on them; often they try to move out of the shot or at least protect their face.) Additionally, the camera as a gun, gives us a level of protection from that which we are shooting by providing something to hide behind, separating us from whatever exists beyond our lens.

Documentation Completed

The final result of my document project deviated a bit from my initial proposition: in the end, I decided to photograph multiple individuals' faces while they played video games (i.e. Halo 3).

I photographed four of my friends (Tristan, Kyle, Ehson, and Jeremy) as they battled online in the late hours of the night. Between the four of them, over 200 photos were accumulated and eventually narrowed down to 12-16 a piece. Finally, I proceeded to compile a group of black and white photos from each person into a single image representing their range of emotion.

Document Proposal

Proposition: I intend to photograph one or more of my friends playing video games (either Halo 3 or BioShock). I will likely do it on several occasions for at least an hour to experiment with different combinations of variable including lighting, time of day, video game, number of people, framing, and the subjects' use of substances or lack of.

Basically, I'm just looking to capture the broadest range of emotions possible in the given situation. Additionally, I think it would be interesting, if I go the route of multiple subjects, to compare and contrast their expressions and/or body language.

Szarkowski's Elements

John Szarkowski theorizes that there are five key elements to a successful photograph:

1)the thing itself ~ to anticipate, recognize, clarify, and make permanent the best works & moments. also known as selecting a subject.

2) the detail ~ necessary to show symbolism, undiscovered meaning, and accurately tell a story.

3) the frame ~ deciding what to keep in and what to cut out gives special importance to what is seen.

4) time ~ be aware of the duration of the moment you're capturing. choose your 'decisive moment' with the intent to produce a visual climax.

Szarkowski on time, "photography alludes to the past and the future only in so far as they exist in the present".

5) vantage point ~ determines perspective from which the photo is viewed and affects perception of the content.

The most important element to me is undoubtedly the frame. I think deciding what to cut out of the frame is the most significant decision in producing a photograph because I believe it has the greatest impact on how the photo is viewed. It not only inadvertently decides the subject, but also where the focus lies. The frame is also a strong influence on the perception of the subject because it either provides or removes a particular amount of context.

Light

My favorite time of day is night. Whether lit by starlight, moonlight, or man-made light, the world has always been the most visually appealing to me in the night. This may likely be for a number of reasons: first, this is the type of light most of us see least often, and therefore I think it holds a bit of mystery and intrigue. Additionally, depending upon location and time, the number and type of light sources vary considerably resulting in the continuous reinvention of everyday objects, transforming the familiar into the unknown. I'm particularly fond of moonlight because of the way it allows me to see in terms of negative space. I'm also interested by the extent to which nightfall can affect a building's interior and change the way I view light reflecting off of various surfaces.

My Camera

The camera I'll be using for all my photo's, with the exception of this one, is a Nikon D40 that I've purchased just over a year ago. It is a 6 mega pixel, digital SLR and uses Secure Digital memory cards. There's a 512 MB card in it now, which holds about 325 pictures. I'm most fond of my camera's incredible battery life and manual control options (especially for the shutter speed).