Photographs Flashcards
Christaud Geary
Postmodernism kickstarted interest in photography
Photos now easy to store thanks to computerised databases
John Mack
Personal perceptions of a photograph can shape representation of subject in photo
Derek Sayer
We first assume what is in photos is real - have instinct trust. eg. telescope photos from space even though we can’t see what the picture with naked eye.
Unknowns become familiar thanks to photos.
Would some events be historic without photos - eg. 9/11
Would advertisement be the same?
Walter Benjamin
Believes text accompanying photo is a necessity to claim authenticity.
Penny Tinkler
Can use photos with other sources.
How does a certain time period that you are in studying affect your photo research?
How do you form an idea from a photo?
Photo pros
Easier to understand as visual.
Can capture things by accident.
Shows what was worth capturing.
Generates questions.
Photo cons
Difficult to analyse without more info. Like who took the pic and why.
Can be edited.
Sometimes taken just for aesthetics.
(Case Study) The Cottingley Fairy Photographs
Yorkshire 1920.
Two fairies by two friends.
Many were suspicious and tested the photograph - saw it hadn’t been exposed more than once.
Some believed it wasn’t edit and they weren’t painted models - due to do it looking like they were moving.
Later in years, girls may have found it hard to admit truth
(Case Study) Roger Fenton, Crimea War
First major war photos.
No pics of fighting or injured.
Did not show how ill prepared soldiers were.
Photos of soldiers were with them posed and the rest were off peaceful landscapes.
Some after battle photos were tampered with - the Death Valley picture.
Selective photo example.
(Case Study) The Holocaust
Limit of representation.
Can become symbols of evil.
Sustainable images of event we weren’t part of.
Allie photos of camps could be after they were liberated.
