Lecture 2
- 1. Lecture 2 – Documentary Photojournalism Photojournalism / documentary styles and ethics Decisive moment / staged ontology Modes (summarised) Poetic mode – Fragment of the real world Expository mode – ‘Voice of God syndrome’ Observational mode – ‘Fly on the wall’ – camera follows Less intrusive, no politics, momentary snapshot of reality – the decisive moment = realism. George Rodgers, Capa and Henri Cartier Bresson. A truthful representation of events. Participatory mode – Film maker + subject Reflexive mode – Read + engage The polar opposite of Bresson (set up) Martin Parr Interaction between subject and practitioners Performance mode – Acknowledge emotion + puts into context Political reflexivity mode – Develop audience awareness Magmum Agency – 1930 (Bresson, Observation) Lewis Hine – Americas industrial age. Ethical pictures of people, not products – slums, sweatshops, factories e.c.t.) Jacob Rees – political photographer Slow shutter speeds result in a lack of naturalism so photographic representations in the past were defined by the technology available at the time. Robert Capa worked for Magmum, he took into active and passive eve nts.
- 2. Before, middle and end are the basic rules of photojournalism. Photos should be taken at the decisive moment to be true. Photos can be event driven or photographer driven and have active or passive subject matter. E.g. photography at a party – event driven = random shots, subjects unaware and passive. Vs. Photographer stopping subjects and making the pose for photos = photographer driven and active subject matter. Dorothea Lange – 1st female photographer. Aimed to manipulate and change opinions taking political photos with W.S.I (wider social implications). Used for propaganda. Walker Evans – The Poetic Mode: Freelance, creative – only personal agenda. Robert Frank – Made statements with his photographs. Don Mcullen – War photographer Bullet in the head – Eddie Adams Vietnam war – Media sanction + embedding photographers (military escort) – keep information and photos away from public view. 1960’s onwards Corrie Day – started ‘heroine chic’
- 3. Digital staging emerged (digitally editing photographs to change them, taking away or adding elements and manipulating existing ones). Andrea Giacobbe Still image allows audience interpretation. Film in comparison is 24 frames per second and therefore individual frames get dismissed and less exposure.