‘Paper Movies’
Log on to www.learningonscreen.ac.uk with your college email. Go to BOB (Box of Broadcasts)
Locate Genius of Photography – ‘Paper Movies’ under the FOLIO 2 playlist
On watching the excerpt from Genius of Photography episode note down your observations for the following questions.
What is the significance to us of the ‘Photographic Journey’ in the three decades from the 1950s?
In my opinion the most significant meaning of a photographic journey is to see how the world looks like in the time. I also agree with what they say in the beginning of the documentary is that any Photographic journey worth making still demands blood, sweat and tears.
Joel Sternfeld is seen using what type of camera? Why would he be using this as opposed to digital?
An 8×10 view camera.
3. Why has Robert Frank’s book ‘The Americans’ had such an impact on modern photography.
What ‘narrative’ is pervasive throughout his book?
Robert Frank's book dramatically altered how photographers looked through their viewfinders and the way Americans saw themselves. Franks point of view was a new and not so nice point of view of America society, not so glamorous, his persistent narrative is a dead optimism, once’s the show is over. The people did not receive it well at the time.
William Klein had one particular photographic outlet for the expression of his photography – How would you describe his attitude to photography?
Klein was an anarchy energy his attitude to photography is very irreverent.
Always on the offensive, he liked to provoke to the public.
What made Joel Meyerowitz reject Henri Cartier Bresson’s decisive moment concept for his New York Street Photography?
Joel says about the rhythmic of New York being too fast and chaotic with people bumping into ich other also about it sizzling energy. Its dynamic changed because Paris and new York did not have the same distribution and neither the same energy.
6. Iconic NY Street Photographers Garry Winogrand, Diane Arbus & Lee Friedlander.
English Photographer, Tony Ray Jones who was heavily influenced by the above noted the key pointers to being a successful Street Photographer ………..
Can you list them….
6.1. Be more aggressive.
6.2. Get more involve.
6.3.Talk to people.
6.4. Stay with the subject.
6.5. Be patient.
6.6. Take simpler pictures.
6.7. Do not take boring pictures.
6.8. Get in closer.
7. Why have British ‘street photographers’ gravitated to the beach as an ideal location for their subject matter?
Because they could find the beach like a stage on where classic themes were played out, to capture the essence of people in where they revelled something of themselves. The human condition and human comedy.
8. ‘Surface rather than soul’. What does that mean to you?
The documentary talk about Ed Ruscha photography saying that it was more about things rather than people, surface rather than soul.
9. The Road trips of Stephen Shore & Joel Sternfeld
Your observations:
They Sought out the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Shore: tripod camera 8x9 (steady in the same position) vs modern camera (constantly in movement). Travelling conceptually, shooting in colour and often straggling with heavy equipment.
he wanted to keep a visual diary of the trip. He started photographing every person he meet. The beds he slept in, the toilet he used, the art on the walls, every meal he ate, buildings, streets. He drove in rental cars and after a couple of day he focused on the road passing.
Sternfeld: He used to move in a camper in a quite poor state, with no much money neither much food and a few boxes of film. he says it was the most exciting time on his life, always fascinated shooting only two negatives per day even thought every second was filled.
10. Why would William Eggleston be regarded by photographers as ‘King’?
Eggleston is Known for his rich and complex colour images of the American South, that he took from the early 70s onwards of his home city Memphis and the surrounding area William. Eggleston is the king of colour photography. His pictures contain all the acute observation of a master street photographer but their brightly coloured surfaces make them unreadable. He call his pictures "democratic" adding that he is at war with the obvious.