“I hope we continue to remember Chris by living our lives with the compassion and thoughtfulness that he expressed to so many of us during his brief time here on earth”

Inge Hondros, Chris’ Mother: tribute the her son after his untimely death

Chris Hondros was an American photojournalist and war photographer known for his frequent documentation of warfare in the middle-east. Hondros became highly credited as a photojournalist, becoming a twice Pultizer Prize finalist for ‘Breaking News Photography’. His career in photography lasted for 21 years, cut tragically short by his death in 2011 in the hand of pro-Government forces whilst covering the Libyan Civil War.

Early Career

Born in New York City in 1970 to Greek and German immigrant parents, the family moved to North Carolina where Hondros spent the majority of his childhood, graduating from Terry Sandford High School in 1988. A talented writer, Hondros studied English Literature at North Carolina State University,working for his campus newspaper. Hondros developed an interest for photography during this period and in 1991, he submitted a portfolio of his photography work, gaining a place at the Eddie Adams Workshop. Hondros then studied a Master’s degree at Ohio University School of Visual Communications, before working in New York for as a photojournalist for different Newspapers and Publications.

Break-through

When working as a photojournalist, Hondros developed an interest for War Photography. He started putting himself forward for war assignments in the late 90s, covering a range of European, North African and Middle-Eastern wars including Kosovo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Liberia.  He became extremely well known for his work, appearing on the covers of magazines such as Newsweek and The Economist, and on the front pages of most major American newspapers, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Hondros was awarded the U.S. Agency for International development in 1999, and in 2001 was selected for the Johns Hopkins University Pew Fellowship for International Reporting.

A young Palestine boy looks through the hole left by the bullet that killed his mother.

Rise to prominence

Hondros’ big breakthroughs as a photograph came firstly through his series covering the aftermath of thhe 9/11 terrorist attacks. Hondros photographed the wreckage of  ground zero, a theme he then returned to in 2010. His second breakthrough was his covering of the Iraq War 2005, in particular a picture series detailing the shooting of an Iraqi Family by U.S. troops, whom they mistook for suicide bombers, resulting in the death of both parents and paralysing one of the five children. This series won him numerous awards, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, war photography’s highest honor, helping to make his name as one of the leading figures in the world of War Photograhy.

Death

Hondros was killed on April 20th 2011 in Misrata, Libya. He was covering the Libyan Civil War, along with fellow photojournalist Tim Hetherington. Both men were killed by Pro-Gadaffi Libyan Forces, by shrapnel from a mortar shell.

Legacy

Four years after his death, Hondros is considered to be one of the most successful and influential war photographers of the 21st Century. Hondros captivated the problems facing middle-eastern areas in the world, during a rapidly changing political, social and demographic time for Arab and Muslim populations. Hondros’ work showed a sympathetic viewpoint towards the innocent people caught up in the midst of suppressive regimes, civil war, and the rise of Islamic Extremism. Hondros was very much concerned with the devastating consequences these changes had on the people caught up in the cross-fire of war. Hondros strongly opposed the idea of war and attempted through his photography to document an honest representation of the devastations of war. He mad no attempt to glorify war, nor exaggerate it the other way to misrepresent it as demonic. Fundamentally he attempted to show those who viewed his images the truth. He was a true photojournalist, who showed the humanity caught in the cross-fire of war.

“I’ve always felt that good art has to reflect somehow on its own process of coming to be” – Jeff Wall

Jeff Wall is a Canadian photographer, conceptual artist and art historian. Wall has received high acclaim for tableau photography, seen as as a pioneer of the medium as a serious form of art. Born in Vancouver, Canada 1946, Wall develop a keen interest for photography from a young age. From 1967-1970 Wall studied Art at the University of British Columbia. He then spent numerous years as Assistant Professor at both Novia Scotia College of Art and Design, and Simon Fraiser University. Wall first came to prominence as a photographer in 1977 with his Solo Exbition entitled ‘Installation of Faking Death’, one natable piece of the series being a self portrait of him posed as if he was dead, made into a triptych. Sicne then he has had made prominent exhitibitions world-wide, icluding.

Wall’s work is very experimental and unusual, for example his technique in enlarging photographs to extreme scales in a process known as cibachrome development. Such practices have made him very influential in the world of contemporary photography and conceptual/post-conceptual art. Wall is celebrated greatly in his Native Vancouver, and throughout the rest of Canada and North America, winning accolades such as the Hasselblad Award (2002), and Audian Prize for life achievement (2008), and having many group and solo exhibitions across North America and Europe since the late 1970s.

I would consider Jeff Wall to be an experimental photographer. Rather than being simplify a tableau photographer, the range of his work is far more complicated and diverse than this.In the past he has experimented with painting, sculptures and written text as well as his photography Wall considers the act of staging photographs to have a very open-ended meaning. He stated that he like to work in the ‘grey area’ of tableau and documentary photography. He stages elements of his photograph as a means of enhancing drama and incorporating symbolism but does not control all aspects of his photograph. He states himself that,  “I control some thing and other things I don’t even try to control”. This type of style, verging on the border of different genres, is an extremely subversive way of interpreting art because the individual is not conforming to the regulations of a particular style, but instead working outside of these boundaries, and gaining influence from different interpretations.

Wall takes influence from surrealist artist such as Salvador Dali, and the Pop-Art Movement of the 1960s

I would argue that Jeff Wall’s work in tableau photography is a form of protest against traditional views of photography. This is because his work is not purely tableau and instead incorporates influence from documentary and photojournalism Wall does not believe that photography can be truly spontaneous and therefore does not attempt to create images that would be termed ‘spontaneous’. He explores the relationship between naturalness and unnaturalness, a theory that derives from the ancient Chinese ‘Ying-Yang’ theory, which explores how apparently opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary to one another. Wall’s worked is defined by this theory as he constantly explores contradictory ideas to produce interesting and thought provoking work.

This photograph was planned beforehand, but appears to be spontaneous. It was not staged to be overly dramatic, bit instead to achieve a good composition

Here is a website to Jeff talking about tableau photography

http://www.sfmoma.org/explore/multimedia/videos/242

Acedemic

• 1970: Graduated from University of British Columbia, Canada
• 1970-73: Attended Courtland Institute, London
• 1974-75: Assistant Professor at Novia Scotia College of Art and Design
• 1976-1987: Assistant Professor at Simon Fraiser University

Solo Exhibitions

• 1977: Installation of Faking Death
• 1978:  The Destroyed Room: examining relationship between art and destruction
• 1979: Picture for Woman
• 1984: Jeff Wall: Transparencies, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London 
• 1990: Jeff Wall 1990, Vancouver Art Gallery
• 1992: Palais des Beaux-Arts
• 1995: Museum of Contemporary  Art, Chicago
• 1996: Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki
• 1998: Here and Now II: Jeff Wall, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
• 2001: Marian Goodman Gallery, New York
• 2003: UCLA Hammer Museum
• 2005: Schaulager, Basel

War photography is a form of photojournalism recording armed conflict. It is a medium with has existed since the mid 19th Century – the American Civil War of 1861-1865 was the first war to be photographed extensively. War photography covers all ranges of armed conflict; the battle; relief effort; soldiers; civilians; weaponry; border control; landscape; and aftermath of  battle.

The way we view war has been influenced greatly since the invention of photography. People have more access than ever to the events.

War photography is seen as an incredibly challenging form of photojournalism which involves great bravery, in often volatile and emotionally distressing environments. It is a highly respected role, because photography is an effective means of communicating to the general public the events of the war. Unlike radio or news reporters, a photographer is required at all times to be close to the action, and the visual evidence that photographs provide, give a much more reliable and objective viewpoint (assuming the photograph is genuine). War photographers are therefore very influential, and in the 20th Century many respected magazines such as ‘Life Magazine’ who covered conflicts such as the Korean, Vietnam and the First Indo-China War,  emphasis was actually placed on the photograph, and photographs were prioritised over written reports, meaning that reporters had to base their writing around the photographs. Photographs are much easier to view and often captivate the viewers attention much easier then reports do, because they provide an instant interpretation and recognition of events. The Vietnam War in Particular was seen as a milestone for War Photojournalism. Visual journalist had complete access to cover the war. The worldwide audience were shocked and disgusted by what they witnessed.

War Photographs look at all aspects of the War, not just the battle. A good photographer will produce work that is empathetic.

Iconic Photographs like this changed how people viewed the Vietnam War. If public opinion was not influenced by what they saw, then America’s involvement in the war may have been dramatically different.

War photography is often very dangerous, and nowadays photojournalists covering war are extremely vulnerable to deliberate, politically motivated attacks. Traditionally photojournalists in war zones were considered as neutrals, similar to the medical assistants, whose role is report the war from a balanced, well-rounded perspective. However as many cases in the late 20th Century and early 21st Century show, War Photographers have since been  deliberate targets of attack themselves, as military and national leaders started to appreciate the influence that photojournalists can have over the war, and can potentially obscure, or the organisation they work for, can obscure images to manipulate the events and produce a bias. Unfortunately therefore, photojournalism is now a very dangerous role to be in, and their is an extremely high death and kidnap rate. The Arab Springs of 2011 highlighted the extent of vulnerability of journalists and photojournalists alike. Many photojournalists have been kidnapped or killed since reporting on the events. This has forced journalists of all disciplines to re-evaluate their approach to conflict, as fears for safety are higher than ever.

Two time Pulitzer Prize Finalist Chris Hondros was killed whilst covering the Libyan Civil War in mortar attack by Pro-Gadaffi forces.  Fellow Photojournalist Tim Hetherington was also killed.  Is such a cost of modern photojournalism worth such a loss?

Joel Meyerowitz is an American street, landscape and portrait photographer. He is considered one of the greats of street photography, and a pioneer of colour in photography as a serious form of art. After discovering photography at the age of 24 in 1962, he is still actively photographing 53 years later, at the age of 77.

Meyerowitz was born on March 6th 1938 in New York City. He began photographing seriously in 1962 after becoming inspired by witnessing photographer Robert Frank at work, and after some consideration he quit his job as an art director at an advertising agency to become a full time photographer, taking to the streets as a black-and-white street photographer.

Over the next 10 years although enjoying some success, Meyerowitz had little critical-acclaim for his work. He experimented in both black-and-white and colour, but by 1972, he decided to photograph exclusively in colour, a medium that was not highly respected nor acknowledged in the art world at the time. Meyerowitz’s first book Cape White however shot him to worldwide acclaim as a photographer, was one of the first photography books of colour photographs to be given serious worldwide recognition.

Unlike Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank who are also viewed as greats of street photography, Meyerowitz is very different in his approach. His style more so reflects the work of another renowned photographer, William Klein; producing lively photographs full of suspense, drama and action in a direct close-up manner, separate  from the distant, observed style of Frank and Cartier-Bresson. Meyerowitz likes to photograph his subject whilst they are engaged in a particular movement or action, with his images telling a story. Meyerowitz believes that it is important for his photographs to tell a story about the humanity on the street. His photographs focus heavily on human interaction, usually two or more people engaging in a physical game, communication or moment. He photographs in colour, which is rare for a street photographer to do as street photography is traditionally viewed as a more appropriate in black-and-white. His style has drawn both praise as well as criticism, viewed by some critics as a cheap mockery of the work of some iconic street photographer. Meyerowitz use of colour relates greatly to his willingness to change and push the boundaries of photography, and criticism does not affect him greatly.

Since the initial success of Cape Light, Meyerowitz has since produced over 20 books, including ‘A Summers Day’ (1985) and ‘Bystander: A History of Street Photography’ (1994). As well as photographing, Meyerowitz also gives lectures on a regular basis around the world. His working methods were subject of a 1981 documentary presented by Robert Gilgberg.

September 11th: In the aftermath of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, Meyerowitz was granted unlimited access to photograph the ruins of ground zero, recording the immediate effects of the event and also the 9 month project to repair it. His work was made into a series entitled Aftermath: World Trade Centre Archive.

I find Joel’s work to be very interesting because of the way that he greatly immerses himself in his subject matter. His dedication to street photography is impressive and inspiring

Here is the 1981 documentary of Joel Meyerowitz. Gilgberg follows him working on the streets of New York, as well as talking to him more formally in his studio. Although an old documentary, I nevertheless found this to be very insightful and interesting.

This is Joel’s official blog. He has a list of all his past and current work. I would recommend it as a good read.

www.joelmeyerowitz.com

Tableau photography is a form of narrative documentation which involves the photographer creating a story through a series of carefully staged images that are decided beforehand. Tableau photographers usually create a series of images that link together, progress and expand a particular theme or story.

Tableau has a diverse meaning and is not limited entirely to photography. Any form of conceptual art which is deliberately planned beforehand can be considered as tableau, and many photographers involved with tableau will venture into other forms of art to express the story they are trying to tell. Although tableau is a documentation of a particular theme or idea, it cannot truly be considered documentary because the work produced is based on interpretation, whereas documentary photography is all about the photographer observing the world.

Re-creating old photos is a fun and popular way that has been and still is  used as a form of tableau photography.

Tableau is often used by photographers and conceptual artist as a crossover with documentary  photography. It is very hard to create a story based solely on tableau because staging every image can take away the raw meaning of what the photographer is trying to show. A lot of photo-books which include tableau therefore will either use tableau to strengthen the meaning of their documentation, or documentary photography to help convey the narrative expressed through a tableau piece.

Tablaeu  very often allows for the exploration of surrealist viewpoints

The advantage of tableau photography is that the photographer has complete control over the how the photograph is created. This is very helpful if the photographer wants to produce surrealist styled images because it allows for the manipulation of events which would not otherwise be realistically possible. Tableau photography is often used by photographers who want to explore personal themes, such as family, because it is easier to stage photographers from an insider perspective, and there is a more subjective viewpoint, which makes the staging of images more appropriate.

Photographer Phillip Toledano explored elements of tableau in his photo-book series ‘Days With my Father’, documenting his elderly father’s battle with dementia.

This brief interview explores to work of tableau photographer Jeff Wall. He talks of his preparation for his upcoming exhibition, and expresses some of his views regarding his own work and ideas.

Street Photography relates to study of people in public places, usually, but not always in an urban environment. The person is usually photographed without any awareness, or only half-awareness of such. Street photography is a form of social  documentary which aims to capture interesting moments of people, in ordinary settings. Because street photography is spontaneous and candid, it is very difficult to properly frame a photograph. Therefore street photography takes a great deal of patience and practice, because the photographer must develop an intuitive sense of knowing exactly when to take a photograph.

Street Photography began in the 1950s and 1960s.  During this period of history there were great social and political changes around the world as a result of the end of WWII, triggering Cold War and accelerating the collapse of Empire around the world, leading to many people changing and questioning the outdated conservative views of societies all around the world. During this period technology was also greatly advancing, and people’s perspective of the world was rapidly changing as a result. The lives of everyday people was altering rapidly and photographers needed a way to reflect this. Photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank took to the streets during this time, exploring how ordinary people went about their everyday life, undisrupted. Street Photography was a protest against the belief that photographing people had to have a particular focus or genre (War Photography had dominated Documentary Photography during the time). Instead,  street photographers would literally photograph anything that interested them on the street, and so would work very spontaneously.

Street photography can be seen as quite controversial due to the fact that the people being photographed usually do not consent to the image being taken, regardless of whether the subject is happy with it or not. In the UK photographers have a legal right to photograph members of the general public, permission is however needed to publish photographs. Nevertheless many people view this as an invasion of personal privacy. I find it interesting how over time this idea has become more extreme, as the possibilities technology and social media has grown to an extent that people are often fearful of being photographed  by complete strangers.

This website gives an overview of the legal and moral considerations street photographers need to take when taking photographers.

Finding the right moment to take a photograph is a common ambition and theme that many street photographers strive to achieve. Street photography is very much about the element of luck and chance, being in the right place at the right time. I addition to this, street photographers are also required to know exactly how to frame the  photograph right, as an effective street photograph is the balance of effective mood ad composition.Henri Cartier Bresson termed this as the ‘decisive moment’

This YouTube video is a tutorial by Magnum Photographer Bruce Gilden, himself a famous and suucesful street photographer. It is a very honest and blunt insight into Gilden’s opinions of what makes a good street photograph

Children play around an impromptu bonfire in The Fountain, a Loyalist housing estate in Londonderry, Northern Ireland on Aug. 11, 1989.

In the last few blog posts I have spoken in some detail about Photojournalism. Photojournalism is a specific type of photography whereby the photographer records real-life events as they happen, usually to be published in a newspaper or magazine article.

The genre of photojournalism is separate from many other forms of photography as it is very restricted in the type of photographs that can be made, due to the fact that the photographer’s objective is to truthfully display their account of the world, without any deception or falsification. Photojournalist are expected to report on the world in a very distant and objective manner, producing work that is impartial and of no emotional attachment. This can be a problem for many photographers, who are often inclined to immerse themselves deeply in their subject matter, valuing creativity and interpretation over absolute realism. As a result, the work that photojournalists produce is under constant scrutiny and pressure by the world of journalism, and their have been many cases recently such as the World Press Photo controversy, in which prize winner Giovanni Tripoli was striped from his prize as it transpired he had staged and falsified some of his photographs. These issues have opened new question of the meaning and purpose of photojournalism.

Photojournalism is a very general meaning and relates to any type of photography which conveys and real-life news story and narrative. Because of this, it is seen as a genre in itself, treated as an umbrella category of various other forms of documentary photography including; War and Street Photography.

Henri Cartier-Bresson is viewed by many to be the master of modern photojournalism. He specialized in Street Photography and helped to popularize the genre of candid photographs.