Criteria 2
Understand the work and contribution to photography of photographers between 1920 & 1945
Roll Film
Before roll film was invented photographers used glass plates covered in light sensitive chemicals to and exposed in a camera, once the image was exposed onto the glass plate it acted as a negative. This meant that taking photos was done one at once and was very difficult, needing large and heavy equipment including a tripod. Roll Film is, according to (REF FIFTEEN) "a strip of film with space for several exposures, packaged on a spool in roll form so as to permit daylight loading and unloading and ease of handling." Once each image had been exposed onto each square of the strip it was then kept inside the camera in complete darkness until opened in the dark room to be developed.
IMAGE (REF SIXTEEN)
Roll film completely changed photography drastically, where it would have taken hours to take a few photos it now could take minutes. Rather than having a limited amount of time to develop your images roll film opened up the option of leaving the negatives inside the camera to be developed whenever you were ready, this meant you could take a full roll of images at once without having to take time in between each image to develop it. This expanded photograph and opened it up to others too as people who didn't have the facilities for a darkroom or didn't know how to develop their images could keep the images inside the camera and let someone else develop them, which is where ability to have disposable camera came from. The development of the Roll Film changed photography drastically as it gave people the opportunity to travel further and to harder to reach places to photograph them without needing all the equipment.
The Leica Camera
In 1925 The Leica I was released, this was a camera that was able to shoot 35mm film and in a time when glass plates were the best to capture photographs it quickly became popular. According to (REF SEVENTEEN) "This was a time when it was still common for glass plates to be used in cameras, and those that took roll film were thought of as miniatures. So imagine the culture shock when a still photography camera was produced to take 35mm movie film." Before The Leica I taking photos wasn't easy, it needed a lot of equipment, time and patience which meant that photographs of people were mostly posed for. Where as with the Leica I it could be taken more or less anywhere, you didn't need a tripod and you could move around, so composing photographs was a lot easier and faster.
IMAGE (REF SEVENTEEN)
The invention of the Leica I was revolutionary because it completely changed the way in which photos were taken, according to (REF EIGHTEEN) "Before this, a photo of professional quality required bulky equipment; after this photographers could go just about anywhere and take photos unobtrusively, without bulky lights or tripods. The difference was dramatic, for primarily posed photos, with people award of the photographer's presence, to new, natural photos of people as they really lived." It opened up more options in how and where you could take photographs. I feel that this was such a significant development as it opened up a whole new dynamic in photography, helping in the creation of documentary and candid photography. It also made photography more available and more interesting to people and meant more photographers began to become popular and gain celebrity status. The only down side to the Leica I was that these first cameras were so expensive it was not something that was affordable to the masses, in fact it was only affordable to the wealthy.
35mm SLR Camera
In 1936 the first 35mm SLR camera was introduced, the single lens reflex camera was different to the Leica I, according to (REF NINETEEN) the Leica I "Were compact and focusing was done by calculating the distance from the camera to the subject and by setting the distance on a focusing ring." The SLR differed to this because the image that you see through the camera is the image that will be taken.
Roll Film
Before roll film was invented photographers used glass plates covered in light sensitive chemicals to and exposed in a camera, once the image was exposed onto the glass plate it acted as a negative. This meant that taking photos was done one at once and was very difficult, needing large and heavy equipment including a tripod. Roll Film is, according to (REF FIFTEEN) "a strip of film with space for several exposures, packaged on a spool in roll form so as to permit daylight loading and unloading and ease of handling." Once each image had been exposed onto each square of the strip it was then kept inside the camera in complete darkness until opened in the dark room to be developed.
IMAGE (REF SIXTEEN)
Roll film completely changed photography drastically, where it would have taken hours to take a few photos it now could take minutes. Rather than having a limited amount of time to develop your images roll film opened up the option of leaving the negatives inside the camera to be developed whenever you were ready, this meant you could take a full roll of images at once without having to take time in between each image to develop it. This expanded photograph and opened it up to others too as people who didn't have the facilities for a darkroom or didn't know how to develop their images could keep the images inside the camera and let someone else develop them, which is where ability to have disposable camera came from. The development of the Roll Film changed photography drastically as it gave people the opportunity to travel further and to harder to reach places to photograph them without needing all the equipment.
The Leica Camera
In 1925 The Leica I was released, this was a camera that was able to shoot 35mm film and in a time when glass plates were the best to capture photographs it quickly became popular. According to (REF SEVENTEEN) "This was a time when it was still common for glass plates to be used in cameras, and those that took roll film were thought of as miniatures. So imagine the culture shock when a still photography camera was produced to take 35mm movie film." Before The Leica I taking photos wasn't easy, it needed a lot of equipment, time and patience which meant that photographs of people were mostly posed for. Where as with the Leica I it could be taken more or less anywhere, you didn't need a tripod and you could move around, so composing photographs was a lot easier and faster.
IMAGE (REF SEVENTEEN)
The invention of the Leica I was revolutionary because it completely changed the way in which photos were taken, according to (REF EIGHTEEN) "Before this, a photo of professional quality required bulky equipment; after this photographers could go just about anywhere and take photos unobtrusively, without bulky lights or tripods. The difference was dramatic, for primarily posed photos, with people award of the photographer's presence, to new, natural photos of people as they really lived." It opened up more options in how and where you could take photographs. I feel that this was such a significant development as it opened up a whole new dynamic in photography, helping in the creation of documentary and candid photography. It also made photography more available and more interesting to people and meant more photographers began to become popular and gain celebrity status. The only down side to the Leica I was that these first cameras were so expensive it was not something that was affordable to the masses, in fact it was only affordable to the wealthy.
35mm SLR Camera
In 1936 the first 35mm SLR camera was introduced, the single lens reflex camera was different to the Leica I, according to (REF NINETEEN) the Leica I "Were compact and focusing was done by calculating the distance from the camera to the subject and by setting the distance on a focusing ring." The SLR differed to this because the image that you see through the camera is the image that will be taken.
IMAGE (REF NINTEEN)
The 35mm SLR camera was really important to the expansion of photograph because of the way it worked it made it easier to take photographs, this meant that it was easier to become a photographer and so it became more desirable. The SLR was also a lot cheaper that the Leica I it was available not just to the wealthy, this again meant that more people could become photographers. The SLR was a lot more compact and it was lighter which meant that it was easier to carry around and helped to develop documentary and candid photography further. The only negative that I can see to the development of the SLR is similar to photography now, where because of the shift in availability of DSLR's and how much easier it is with modern technology, it is available to everyone. This has caused the market to become saturated with amateur photographers compared with before, this would be a very similar situation, where because the SLR was so much cheaper and easier to use the interest in becoming a photographer was higher and the amount of people becoming photographers raised drastically.
The Farm Security Administration
In 1935 the Farm Security Administration was created to help poor farming families suffering through the great depression in America. As part of the FSA a team of photographers were sent out to photograph The Dust Bowl and the people there struggling to get by and to document the conditions people there were living in. The group of photographers was lead by Roy Stryker and it was made up of Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Russel Lee, Carl Mydans, Gordon Parks, Arthur Rothstein and John Vachon. They each photographed different elements of the life out there and what the FSA and the government were doing to help, according to (REF TWENTY) "His agenda was for the photographs to reinforce the social engineering ideals set forth by The New Deal, essentially propaganda to be used to convince the public that the government needed spend money and help all the people who were suffering." This was massively significant to the development of photography because it was the first time photography had been used as mass propaganda to aid in getting the American public to back the government. It brought a whole new dynamic on how photographs could be used for much more than just portraits or documentation.
In 1935 the Farm Security Administration was created to help poor farming families suffering through the great depression in America. As part of the FSA a team of photographers were sent out to photograph The Dust Bowl and the people there struggling to get by and to document the conditions people there were living in. The group of photographers was lead by Roy Stryker and it was made up of Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Russel Lee, Carl Mydans, Gordon Parks, Arthur Rothstein and John Vachon. They each photographed different elements of the life out there and what the FSA and the government were doing to help, according to (REF TWENTY) "His agenda was for the photographs to reinforce the social engineering ideals set forth by The New Deal, essentially propaganda to be used to convince the public that the government needed spend money and help all the people who were suffering." This was massively significant to the development of photography because it was the first time photography had been used as mass propaganda to aid in getting the American public to back the government. It brought a whole new dynamic on how photographs could be used for much more than just portraits or documentation.
IMAGE (REF TWENTY)
Even now the photographs taken by this team are massively popular sparking the debate of documentary or propaganda. The photos taken by the FSA showed that it was possible to use images to create feelings and help control the public into thinking, feeling and acting how they wanted. Not just that but these images became much more, according to (REF TWENTY) "The project ended up being more than just a propaganda piece. It's a story. A story of a time we've passed and an era bygone. Not just one of older technologies and different political landscapes, but how we viewed the world around us. It's a documentary, it's art and maybe most importantly - it's our history."
Socially-Concerned documentary Photography
Social photography started to become popular in the 1920's-1930's and is the documentation of everyday life. These were relaxed candid photographs and could be of anyone or anything, but documented a story that the photographer was trying to tell. According to (REF TWENTY ONE) "Social documentary photography became popular in the 1920s and 1930s as it showed life as it was. This "new objectivity" allowed photographers to use photography in a different way, it embraced this mechanical box and used it to reflect the world back at itself." In a similar way to the FSA photography it introduced a new angle for photography, rather than just portraits or landscapes it was taking pictures with meaning behind them. During the 1930's Bill Brandt was well known for his photo-journalist photography.
IMAGE (REF TWENTY TWO)
This was significant to the development of photography because it created a genre of photography that is still current and popular today, it's in everything from magazine's, newspapers to the internet and it's something people find interested. The reason that it has been and I think always will be significant and popular is because, according to (REF TWENTY ONE) "The social documentary photography of the 1920s and 1930s that they produced showed ordinary people to the world. Images that "the man on the street" could relate to." It's the ability to see a moment in time that is so natural and raw because the subject doesn't know they are being photographed.
Mass Observation
In the 1930's photographs were created for a social study called mass observation, the main photographer for the study was Humphrey Spender. The photographs that he created for the social study were candid shots and according to (REF TWENTY THREE) " As it was a sustained candid photography project, Spender was constantly wrestling not only with the problems of being unobserved but the ethics of surreptitious photography without the subject’s knowledge." This in itself was significant to the development of photography because it introduced the question of "Is it ok to photograph people without their knowledge?" It goes into whether it is invading peoples privacy, this would have been the start of putting in place rules and regulations from when and where you can or cannot take photos.
IMAGE (REF TWENTY THREE)
The images that Humphrey Spender created for the study were in a very similar style to Bill Brandt but they were created for very different reasons. Spender created his images to tell the story of the gap between the rich and the poor and the way in which the two social groupings interacted. According to (REF TWENTY THREE) "His intentions were moral, recognising that a large populace was living in squalor and indignity while another social strata was oblivious to it and uncaring, possibly even responsible for it in relation to how society was structured." This was significant to the development of photography because again it showed that photography, even if the same style as above, can have so many different uses. It also introduced the idea that photography can be used in social studies, and therefore can have its place in scientific studies.
Dada Art
Dada Art was an anti-war art movement that became popular after world war one, according to (REF TWENTY FOUR) "The art, poetry and performance produced by dada artists is often satirical and nonsensical in nature." Dada artists were so disgusted by the events in the war that they felt the art was a way to rebel against everything that was going on.
Dada Art was an anti-war art movement that became popular after world war one, according to (REF TWENTY FOUR) "The art, poetry and performance produced by dada artists is often satirical and nonsensical in nature." Dada artists were so disgusted by the events in the war that they felt the art was a way to rebel against everything that was going on.
IMAGES (REF TWENTY FIVE)
Dada Art is a prime example of how art and photography were bridged, this is because most of the pieces either contained photographs or were collages of many different photographs. The popularity of Dada Art showed how well photography works within the art pieces and the amount of artists that associated with it also showed it's popularity not only with the public but also with other professionals.
Photograms
Photograms are created by taking a piece of light sensitive paper, placing an object on top on the paper and exposing the paper with a light for a short amount of time. Once developed this creates an image that is black where it has been exposed and where the object has been it is left white. One famous photographer that created photograms was Man Ray. According to (REF TWENTY SIX) " Ray’s photographic works are considered his most profound achievement, particularly his portraits, fashion photographs, and technical experiments with the medium, such as solarization and rayographs (an eponym for his photograms), which were celebrated by the Surrealists."
IMAGE (REF TWENTY SEVEN)
IMAGE (REF TWENTY EIGHT)
IMAGE (REF TWENTY SEVEN)
IMAGE (REF TWENTY EIGHT)
Even though Man Ray's Rayographs where put into the category of surrealism and Dada Art, I feel that they have a strong link with abstract art as well. As you can see from the pictures above, the first is one of Man Ray's Rayographs and the second image is a piece of abstract art. The similarities of the different nonsensical shapes are in both images. I feel that this shows that the different ways in which an image can be created can be used to create images that fit into the different types of art. It also shows that photograph can be used to create an image that is considered as art and not just photography.
Straight Photography
The Straight photography movement was a photography style where the images were sharp and completely in focus, and according to (REF TWENTY NINE) "The term generally refers to photographs that are not manipulated, either in the taking of the image or by darkroom or digital processes, but sharply depict the scene or subject as the camera sees it." One main famous straight photographer was Paul Strand.
IMAGE (REF THIRTY)
This photography shows the relationship between art and photography very much like the photograms do. I would say again that looking at the image above Paul Strands photography style fit in very well with the abstract art approach. According to (REF THIRTY) "The round, concave objects are reduced to geometric circular shapes, defined by the highlighted linear top edge of the bowls and the depth of the shadows. The composition of overlapping circular shapes dismantles the structure of the object, making it almost abstract, and not easily recognizable." The way in which Paul Strand has turned the bowls into nothing more than circular shapes is shows that photography can also be art.
War Photography
World War Two at the time grabbed everyone's attention, it was an event that would never be forgotten and is still extremely popular today. It gathered many photographers attention as the wanted to document what was happening and going on but also because any images created would gain a lot of publicity. According to (REF THIRTY ONE) "During the six years the war lasted, LIFE magazine covered the event more than any other publication, with 21 photographers spending a combined total of 13,000 days outside of the US - most of that time spent right in the combat zones." Below I have compared Four images, two from World War Two and two from today's media.
WORLD WAR TWO (REF THIRTY ONE)
MODERN DAY (REF THIRTY TWO)
In the first image it shows dead bodies washed up on a shore sinking into the sand, to me it shows the horror of war, the truth. It's a hard image to look at and it would have been upsetting, especially seen as most people knew or had a family member who was in the war. It almost shows how little people's lives were worth during the war, these were people's loved ones who were left anonymous, forgotten and sinking into the sand. World War Two photography showed the hard truth, the images were untampered with, what you saw actually happened. Where as in the second image it looks very posed, the people on the tank almost look like they're having a good time, it almost glorifies them as these heroes all coming in waving to the crowds of people. It certainly doesn't depict the truth of what actually happens in war. It is the complete opposite to the first image that we see and to me it feels very much like propaganda. People in modern day don't want potential army recruits to see the real truth of war as it would put people off, where as in the times of world war two people were enlisted, they didn't have a choice because of conscription, this meant that photographers could photograph and use any image. It didn't matter what people thought if they were fit, healthy and were the between the age of 18-41 they had to go no matter what they thought or new of how bad it was over there.
WORLD WAR ONE (REF THIRTY ONE)
In the first image above it's in black, all the photographs for World War Two are in black and white because Colour film was relatively knew and was very expensive. Where as now there aren't many black and white war photographs, photographing is as easy as pressing a few buttons and seems to be the most popular way. In the first image it is very straight forward, the photo is not taken at an unusual angle, it's just as it is. It seemed to be that all old world war two photography was just what you see is what you get, there was no conceptual theme to them or trying to make the images artsy, where as in the second image the camera angle has been planned and thought about. The way the photo has been composed is to tell a story, the light coming through the bullet holes is distracting and it's meant to be. It's meant to show what danger they are in, that they are not safe in the hiding place, it's been thought about and it's been posed.
Own Images
Here are three of my own images in the style of Man Ray's Rayographs.
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