The work of Doug DuBois has had huge impact upon my work as it influenced my photography style, although, my work did not have as much narrative from strangers who live on the estates. DuBois often takes a step back in his work, giving a wider interpretation of the scenario he is capturing, a factor I have attempted to convey also as it gives the audience a broader interpretation.

A factor I have tried to understand is, other than humanising and promoting the lives of those from unfortunate backgrounds, what is DuBois’s intentions? In an interview with LensCulture, DuBois describes how his compelling images are “electrifying and inspiring” as he sheds light upon the “raw truth” of those living in the lower class. What I personally find the most interesting and unique about the American photographer’s work is the mere fact that he creates and develops upon this relationship with his subjects. When in discussion with LensCulture, DuBois reveals how this spontaneous, unplanned project last five years as he made several friends and relationships whilst using the tableaux technique of photographs. Rather than focus or solely source a brief interview, I decided to proceed further afield and onto YouTube as I wanted to discover DuBois discussing his work himself, in the flesh. I stumbled upon this low key video of DuBois hosting a lecture upon My Last Day At Seventeen and All the Days and Nights, where he discusses the stories of some selected photographs from his imagery expedition in detail as well as the concept behind his photo-books. DuBois begins to reveal insider information upon My Last Day at Seventeen in the video at around 19:12 as he discusses his Irish encounters and experiences whilst photographing Russell Heights.

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/doug-dubois-my-last-day-at-seventeen 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frnai1BavOk

 

How have the photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier explored themes of attachment and detachment in their own family through their work and, in particular, their most recent projects looking at family?

 

“As photographs give people an imaginary possession of a past that is unreal, they also help people to take possession of a space in which they are insecure.” [1]

 

My interest in photography derives from how raw and truthful an image or series of images are. I achieve satisfaction from photographs which show everything as it is without removing any factor of reality; it as it this point at which imagery loses my interest. I believe that this relates to the beauty that comes from images created from the insecurity from the person behind the camera. Within my own work, I attempt to do this. The space in which I am insecure encourages an emotional and physical urge and a sometimes-unwanted force to venture into a neighbouring space in which I feel less comfortable but more willing to experience more challenging emotions. It is with my camera and in my project looking at the reality of feeling attached yet isolated, that I can explore this feeling of lonesomeness. I am using my mum and dad’s divorce thirteen years ago as a starting point for the development of my series which centres around my experiences with the people closest to me. As I grow into an ever-maturing yet still sensitive man, I struggle to find myself in this fast-moving, fragile world; I find myself unknowingly becoming detached from the people who should be my most dear. I see this project as a way of building lost relationships. Using a subject close to my heart, I have been able to capture a view that feels very poetic, like that of Eich and Frazier’s work. My aim is to make the intangible, tangible by collaborating closely with my subjects to create a meaningful insight into my family with room for interpretation by the viewer – an aspect I have been focusing on heavily for my project – to create something for the audience to interact with (the book) and content the audience can relate with. Taking inspiration from photo-books of several artists, others including JH Engstrom and Anders Peterson and their use of images of several formats and styles, I have generated an immense interest in putting aside much of my time and effort to create a book, paying close attention to design, font, concept and other marginal details. My project is an exploration into my family and myself for personal satisfaction and as a visual documentation to cherish and keep, providing that very possession of a moment in time that can be so easily be forgotten. “Memory is fragile; the moments are fleeting and have to be wrestled into a permanent state” [2], said Eich in his statement for recent body of work, ‘I Love You I’m Leaving’. It is with my photographs that memories become realised and documenting my own familial circle, like Eich and Frazier, I can provide a structure to my family’s memory that can be built to last instead of a moment in time being brushed aside when forgotten within the busier, more active momentous of life. It is the little moments that require time to step back and appreciate that we should treasure; when I release the camera’s shutter, is an acknowledgement that a moment is significant…

When I hear the word attachment, images of love surface within my mind. I visualise scenes of a girlfriend clinging lovingly to her boyfriend in moments of laughter and intimacy within their new-found romance; young love is what attachment is. Reasoning for this visualisation comes from experience. The knowledge that I am needed by someone else is what provides me with comfort. Attachment is feeling a sense of belonging within this world which can be so harsh in its unforgiving realities. Attachment and acceptance is something I long for in a life that has shown me, face-on and in a time of tenderness at the age of four, the direct implications of what love can do to two adults – unite, yet divide. I have grown up in two different lives, one with my mum and the other with my dad. Through this, I have been gently nurtured into a still-developing young man who has learnt and is still learning the meaning of romance. I have understood the sensation of sibling-love. As well, I have accepted the fact that my parents are no longer together and I will, for the rest of my life, live this life and embrace it, as I have done for the past 18 years. There is a still, however, the underlying reality of detachment which on the other hand, connotes opposing visuals; a lonesome astronaut drifting into a deep, dark existence without anything to cling on to.

Harry Harlow, an American psychologist in the mid-1900s studied, in great detail, the concept of maternal separation and dependency needs. He experimented with rhesus monkeys, an Asian species that adapts easily to living with humans [3]. He carried out an experiment in the laboratory to confirm theorist, Bowlby’s previous theory on attachment; Harlow separated the baby monkeys from their biological mothers and paired them with a surrogate mother in the form of a baby doll. He observed that, although the doll didn’t provide them with food or drink, at a time of feeling scared, the baby monkeys clung to the doll for comfort as it had adopted the roll of mother to them. Harlow used this to verify the importance of a mother-child relationship when the child is very young because it reiterates the idea of unconditional love. I feel very strongly that my own mum and I have experienced this when I was much younger and it has benefited our relationship over the last 18 years. This maternal attachment has expanded into a much more secure relationship as we have both developed into our own selves and, along the way, we have learnt to respect and trust each other, as a mother and son should. With my dad, however, he was the parental figure who was taken away from me. Oblivious to what this would mean to how I would experience future life events, I clung to my mum as a figure of comfort because the next few years of my infancy would prove to be a time of constant change as I moved from house to house to visit my dad wherever he was staying at the time. My project embraces both attachment and detachment and how I situate myself in the centre of it all as I continue to learn the lessons of life both at home and at school with the several people I interact with on a daily basis.

Furthermore, the first 20 years of your life can prove to be the most important and impactful for the years to follow. In this period of time, the most vital events which contribute to self-growth and self-confidence occur. But not everything runs smoothly, as illustrated by my parent’s separation. It is with my camera that I am able to capture memories and when I pick up my camera and release the shutter it is then that I am acknowledging a moment of significance. Joerg Colberg said, in an article published outlining memory in photography, “just like memories, photographs are created with intent” and “all photographs, when used as memories, give us something to hold on to.” [4]. It is this interpretation by Colberg that resonates with my intent as a photographer to capture, consciously, the intimate moments in life. My parents took on this role when I was younger to provide me with the endless photo albums of my 9lb 12oz-self as a baby bouncing around the house I grew up in for 10 years. It is now that I am beginning to take inspiration from my own archival imagery of myself as a young child to capture similar moments of my half-sister, Minnie. As a photographer, I use my camera to collaborate not only with my subjects, but with myself when including myself within the images. Taking inspiration from the work produced by Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier in their diaristic black and white images for projects looking at family, I have been able to change my perspective from a witness to a performer; from being a witness to the occurrences in front of the camera, I have since found reward from being an actor who performs for the camera and it has expanded my abilities to tell a visual narrative – a skill I have developed from observations of the work of Swedish photographers, JH Engstrom and Anders Petersen. Looking at the books of these artists, I have developed the ability to collate select images which can in-turn have the power to provide meaning beyond the face of the photograph to impact the viewer.

Using the camera as a tool of documentation can provide outcomes that are very real and using these images as a way of telling a visual narrative can make for a much deeper, more meaningful story than that comprised of words, in my opinion. The work of Matt Eich shows this concept in its full affect, especially in that of his recent project ‘I Love You, I’m Leaving’. His imagery and way of composing and presenting images have the ability to work in conjunction with each other to create an obscure, yet very simple narrative in which the viewer is required to decode to derive meaning – a beauty that I believe photography encourages. This ability to present a reportage sequence which reveals only part of the story and leaves the remainder up to the audience’s imagination is something I am attempting to do in my project. By photographing inanimate states such as landscapes or still life, I can provide indirect and underlying representations of the main focus throughout the book. Much like literary stories, photographic stories can use metaphors to explain a meaning beyond the direct face value – making for very interesting outcomes. An object as simple as a car covered by a cloth (an image I will use in my book) can connote a far more captivating significance than its face value and instead, using the context of my book, it can show the affect of a lost identity; the affect of a new beginning; becoming isolated and forcing a withdrawal from the people you love because it seems easier to hide away. It is these inanimate objects that provide substance and body to fill the gaps in my book because the project is an exploration into not only the people present but of the emotions that come with the concept I am covering.

I create all photographs with the intent to create memories so that moments of importance are not forgotten. I am forever holding a camera or a smartphone to capture any point in time in which I may be present and this has become a second nature now I am a big brother to my 5-year-old sister, Minnie. It fills me with joy to document with my camera the smiles and laughter which glow off my sister’s face every time I see her. As I have seen from my own archives when I was a child, it is a way of creating these important memories that, inevitably lend themselves to never be forgotten, and in-turn manufacture a life-long feeling of attachment to what may have once been forgotten or mentally discarded. The photo albums which live in my loft are what allows me to experience my childhood again, where I can feel this magical sense of attachment at a point when it was just my mum, my dad and I. These memories; these shadows that I have near to no recollection of become illuminated when I flick through these never-ending photo albums. Mark Alice Durant, in his book ’27 Contexts, An Anecdotal History in Photography’ tells the reader of his experience when he re-lived his parent’s wedding album and quotes “in memory, colour comes alive, and for me it is only blue.” [5]. I feel very strongly about this message; the notion that an irretrievable recollection that, as the years go by, becomes a haze can be re-lived in the form of colour.

Eich’s work has a way of storytelling which affects the viewer to the point which, I for one, begin to feel quite out-of-place flicking through page after page because of the fact that it is a very personal and intimate insight into how himself and his family live everyday life. Towards the end of Eich’s book, we are presented with an image of Eich’s wife, and his two children in the bath, looking blankly down the camera lens [6] – an image that I personally find enchanting and is in fact one of my favourites in the book’s entirety because of its ability to connect with the audience – helped by the subjects immense focus on the camera, whether planned or not, it works brilliantly. The audience, although may get an urge to flick past quickly, it is vital to admire the rawness of the photograph and it echoes, again, how the camera can provide a way to tell a story easier than using words.

Another image in his book uses a technique that is rarely seen in contemporary photography – a man showing his vulnerability and his sensitivity by including himself in his photographs. We see Eich, sat down and eyes-closed, with his head leant on the support of his wife’s stomach as she stands cradling its weight. Eich is topless and his wife stands in her bra and underwear. It is an image of such grace and elegancy. Images like these are avoided in photography but I admire the braveness of Eich to present himself to his own camera as he is doing. Using images which scratch upon the surface of taboo subject matter within photography, and society as a whole; this being certain representations of women through nudity and misogynistic references is brave but it gives a very raw feel to what we are seeing. In my own project, using my girlfriend, I have utilised the casual time we spend together in my bedroom to use my camera as a way of photographing her in a way which I see her normally. We often lie, lazily on my bed and talk for endless periods of time about anything. At this particular moment, she was lying in a way which looked quite proactive; curled up, in her t-shirt and tights, in which you could see her underwear through – a blue pair of briefs which read ‘WHATEVER, I TRIED’. Her rear pointing to camera, it makes for an image which divides the sequencing of dull, inanimate scenes in my book. This image provides a sense of liveliness; it can be seen as naughty. Moments like these, shown in my project through this one image, Eich’s in his portrayal of an evening with his family and in Frazier’s through her snapshots of leisure time in their household [7] present this underlying theme of attachment. It is the moments that are thought nothing of, and seen as just part of the daily routine within your own circle of comfort and joy that make for the most truthful representations of what attachment can be. Not acknowledging the presence of the camera is how memories are formed. Yet, referring back to the wording that takes its place on my girlfriend, Lucy’s underwear – ‘WHATEVER, I TRIED’ also connotes visuals of what detachment can be. Romance amongst young couples often brings its petty arguments – the phrase on Lucy’s underwear connotes this – that often she may try to fix an argument but it doesn’t always work and we find ourselves giving each other the cold shoulder – much like her body positioning suggests in this image.

Scanlan [8], in 2012, suggested the theory which provided an explanation to the importance of romantic development in adolescence, much like what I am experiencing as I grow, maturely into an adult, with my girlfriend as a mechanism of support. He said that teenage romantic relationships are, in a sense, a training ground for adult intimacy. He elaborated on this statement and said that romance during adolescence provides an opportunity for learning to engage strong emotions, to negotiate conflict, to communicate needs and to respond to a partner’s needs as well. Both Lucy and I often joke about the fact that we have been together for two years, because, considering we are only eighteen years of age, this is a significant period of time to maintain a relationship alongside all other stresses of teenage life. At the start of our relationship, we both told one another that we would take it slow and see how it goes – because of the fact we were best friends for five years prior to our relationship, we didn’t see it going too far because we were used to living in comfort of a ‘friendzone’. However, now, in retrospect, I am relieved that circle of comfort was broken because she is one of the most important people in my life. I hope to show this in my project, ‘All My Love’ through the abilities of reportage photography and the ability to create sequencing of imagery to tell a story. We are only teenagers and love can be confusing but our relationship is simply a partnership of two alike personalities which coincide with one another to complement one another.

In Eich’s work, he doesn’t use his power as a photographer to abuse the relationship he holds with his wife, nor his children, nor his own parents and instead, like myself, uses his control of the camera to collaborate with his subjects that present a truthful picture of the benefits of clinging on to the ones you love most. Eich, in a mini-documentary series outlining his work and how he captures intimacy, said “I can articulate myself better with images than with words” [9]. This concept is very relevant to my own work also and is why I love shooting reportage images because it is the moments of intimacy between people, as well as a relationship between a person and a place that form the poetic images that make up my project. I have touched upon the relationship between people and places and the attachment that comes with this in my work through photographing the transition from my old family home to my new one – a process of losing one identity that has shaped your life for so long and generating a new identity that co-exists with the new experiences to come with it. The process of change is something I don’t deal with too well but it is with change that come new opportunities to photograph. Although I see change in any aspect of life as a negative, it is important to embrace it – as I did when my parents split; I had no choice. It emphasises the importance of forming an attachment to what comes with the change even though it is tempting to become disconnected instead.

Eich, in the same documentary, states that “photographing my family is incredibly important to me because it goes back to the frailty of memory” [10]. Memory is what Eich hopes he can use as a tool to tell his kids that he loves them and that he was there for their important moments of growth, to reflect back on when they are older. I use memory as a tool to do the same – to form a collection of imagery that holds meaning of a moment in time, but instead, as a way to show Minnie that I love her and that I was by her side to capture her moments of tranquillity and bliss. As a figure of authority over Minnie, I feel a sense of responsibility to act as a big brother should and provide her with the moments of fun she longs for when she asks me to play. I use my ability, as a teenager, to connect with Minnie as I watch her grow. She brings fun to my life and it is with a camera, and with memory, this fun is everlasting. The colour that glows from Minnie’s personality comes alive in my images, made for her, from inspiration of my old childhood images.

In theorist, Dunn’s research surrounding attachment in sibling relationships in 2007, he stated that siblings serve as companions, confidants, and role models in childhood and adolescence [11]. This study came from the discovery made by Connidis & Campbell that siblings serve, instead, as sources of support throughout adulthood [12]. Although I am 18 years old, Minnie is only 5 and there is a 12-year age gap between us, I would like to think that I serve as a role model for my younger sister, as Dunn has stated is usually the case in sibling relationships. The moment I was told I was going to be a big brother, I felt as a sense of companionship between myself and my unborn sibling because it is such a special feeling – I longed to have a younger sibling during my time growing up. I had encountered in my life, the consequences of my parent’s detachment and I, because of this, became detached from my dad. I wanted that special someone to share a life with as we grew together and Minnie has provided me with that. I hope Minnie sees me as a role model but I certainly do see her as a companion and someone I can confide in.

Eich’s project, ‘I Love You, I’m Leaving’ consists of 64 pages and 46 photos. I have picked out one in particular and will critically analyse this in relation to family and intend to include discussions about underlying themes of attachment and detachment.

This photograph taken from Eich’s series is a very simple yet well executed and elegant image full of character. Because of it obscurity, I believe that is a very attractive and intriguing image that would draw me in to know more about the photographer as well as the project.

The image frames one person – who is unknown and the only part of the subject’s body that we can see is the subject’s feet poking out of the bottom of the silk sheet which falls gracefully, and rather ghostly over the shape and contours of the body underneath which is curled up in a rather, tight clustered ball-like shape, as if the subject is scared. Connotations of ghostliness and eeriness exuberate from this image. It is likely that the subject is one of Eich’s daughters who may be playing hide and seek or may in fact be hiding underneath these sheets because she scared. The audience do not know the whole context of the image but this availability for interpretation is what provides intrigue. The image is very neutral in its formation and structure of greys which provide body to the image. The slight shadows which form from creases in the sheet which drape over the curled-up body contrast that of the harsh, darkened shadow of the feet which projects onto the wall in the background. Furthermore, the silk texture of the sheet provides a certain glow and shine to the overall look. It is a photograph of great skill and is one that I believe works brilliantly in a solitaire state, and does not need the other images from Eich’s work to give it meaning.

Although the little girl may only be playing around with her father as she hides under the sheet in a game of hide-and-seek, it is useful to look further into it to infer and interpret another meaning that could also be realistic. The fact that we cannot see the body underneath the sheet may represent a feeling a lost identity in the new life the family leads. Eich, along with his wife has made the joint decision that it would be best to move away to start a new life, to create more memories. It is likely that the children may have felt a sense of a lost identity that the home they once lived in and began their lives in has now been taken away. I am aware of this feeling from personal experience when I moved from house to house to visit my dad wherever he was staying at the time. After moving out of his, once known home, he had to find a place to live which came as a struggle at the time and as his son, I felt quite confused but found ways to make the most of the new surroundings I found myself in when visiting him. This leads me onto to the notion of children letting their imaginations run free and finding enjoyment out of discovering places in your home to act as den-like nooks; these little places where you can go to sit and do nothing, as I once did. This image may be a demonstration of this.

Alongside Matt Eich, I have also been studying the hugely influential work of American artist and professor of photography, LaToya Ruby Frazier and in particular, her project entitled ‘The Notion Of Family’. Frazier is a very highly regarded figure in American culture. She is both a photographer and a motivational talker which she undertakes alongside her photography and video work to coincide with the images she produces. She is a very well-known artist and her status is shown throughout her work through the pure thought that goes behind little details such as composition and framing. Her project looking at her family validates this perfectly.

Her work is inspired by influential American documentary-journalism photographer, Gordon Parks. He promoted the camera as a weapon for social justice. Frazier uses her tight focus to make apparent the impact of systemic problems, from racism to deindustrialization, on individual bodies, relationships and spaces [13]. In her work, Frazier is concerned with bringing to light these problems which she describes as global issues [14].

This is an image taken from LaToya Ruby Frazier’s project, ‘The Notion Of Family’ which is an “incisive exploration of the legacy of racism and economic decline in America’s small towns. The work also considers the impact of that decline on her communicability and her family.” [15].

The photograph frames both Frazier as a teenager and what looks like her mum. The project was completed over a period of 13 years in which, during this time, Frazier and her family grew yet, at the same time, declined due to the economic state of the town they were living in. She says that she does not pretend to speak for the Braddock community or African-Americans as a whole and instead intends to simply photograph the three generations of herself, her mum and her grandmother by representing the substandard living conditions and human cost of political neglect [16]. We see Frazier on the right sat on the edge of her bed and, on the left side, her mum lies, relaxed on her bed in the parent’s room, with his back to the camera – likely oblivious to the camera’s presence as I would imagine Frazier would not have wanted to tell her mum that she was taking the picture as it may have removed the element of reality.

The visual divide we see between both subjects can also represent an emotional separation between the two of them; the relationship they have with one another may be very weak and this could be as result of the economic crisis in which the town for Braddock faces due to the ever-expanding bombardment of racism on locals. They both have their back to each other and this could represent their, perhaps dislike for one another. Furthermore, the wording on the back if her vest may in fact be quite ironic because the mood that Frazier’s’ persona is indicating is one of hatred. We can’t actually see the mother’s face and instead, get a view of her back and her vest which reads ‘THE SMOOTH EDGE’ and this could be an accurate representation of him or perhaps ironical – she may in fact be the smooth edge or instead, may be a figure that causes a division between the whole family – an individual who Frazier may get along with and from this, the statement can be seen as ironic as she could be instead branded as ‘THE SHARP EDGE’. Perhaps her positioning with her back facing the viewer is how she is seen to Frazier – as though she doesn’t show her face in the most crucial of times as she has been growing up – she may have been dislocated from family life.

In conclusion, this image could represent the breakdown of family life, shown in this one image due to the crisis that Braddock faces as a result of explicit and constant discrimination against the black community. They are crying for help within and it is kept this way – internal and within the four walls of their home because they are too scared to speak up. As a result, they become isolated and damaged to a point that they don’t know how to show it – detachment from social norms and a distancing from society as a collective – this is Frazier’s family – dislocated from the rest of America and detached from one another because of it.

With reference to other images within her detailed exploration into family life, Frazier encapsulates in its entirety, the meaning of post-modernist photography. Post-modernist art borrows from references of historical, cultural, social and psychological issues – as Frazier does. Her photographs are more than just an observation of family life – they present the life of family within the struggle of racism. Frazier uses references of racism and economic decline throughout the book with added an orientation on Bill Cosby – a household name in the American society in the mid-late 1900’s but allegations of sexual assault against his name was released and he became a figure of hate and remorse – as though he betrayed the black culture. Frazier uses this post-modernist approach to highlight key events in American history. Additionally, it again restates the cost that comes with a familial detachment; becoming quiet because of a lack of interest from a parental figure. Frazier shows this consequence which she had to face alone and silently – she looks as though she is suffering in silence, as though she as well longs for an attachment with a figure because it provides a sense of belonging – something I have the knowledge of from experience.

Photography should be used as a means to form bonds within your own familial circle. The camera is a powerful instrument and should be utilised to its full function; it only benefits your ability as a photographer to create relationship with your subjects and it is a way to find that intimacy that makes for very raw photographic work. I have aimed to create a miss-matched diary of poetic imagery which, at its face value, looks muddled bit on closer inspection, holds meaning and memory beyond what that of words can express. My project intercepts the safety net that an attachment brings and expands on the damage that comes with a detachment but these themes are underlying as the forefront comprises of where I stand in my own life with the people within it. There is no easy way to document the content matter surrounding my parent’s divorce but I have attempted to achieve this in a way that recognises its existence in a light-hearted way. I have neither forgotten the relationship they once had nor have I avoided showing their divorce as a cause of damage for me. Yet, I have attempted to use my relationship with my girlfriend as a contrast to what my parents once had. The content touches upon how I, in the company of Lucy develop into the individual I am at the biter age of 18 where I drift, naturally further away from the two figures who raised me. My mum and dad are at the forefront of my quality of living but I wanted to focus on how I am centred in the middle of the experiences I am living. An attachment is bound to come at the cost of a detachment and I have learnt this in my last couple years as an ever-developing young man as I drift away from my friends and become closer with my girlfriend of two years.

Taking inspiration from artist such as Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier, I have been able to understand how to use my camera to create a skilful and expressive snapshot of a moment in time, which, eventually will come together with several other images to create a sequence and visual narrative of a personal exploration.

 

 

Bibliography:

[1] Susan Sontag, On Photography

[2] Matt Eich, article published on The Fence

[3] Exploring Your Mind, Harlow’s Experiments On Attachment Theory

[4] Joerg Colberg, Photography and Memory

[5] Mark Alice Durant, 27 Contexts, An Anecdotal History in Photography

[6] Matt Eich, I Love You, I’m Leaving

[7] LaToya Ruby Frazier, The Notion Of Family

[8] The Psychologist, Teenagers In Love, Susan Moore

[9] The Scene (Local & Emerging Art Series) Matt Eich: Capturing Intimacy (Ep.5)

[10] The Scene (Local & Emerging Art Series) Matt Eich: Capturing Intimacy (Ep.5)

[11] NCBI, Theoretical Perspectives on Sibling Relationships, Shawn D. Whiteman, Susan M. McHale and Anna Soli

[12] NCBI, Theoretical Perspectives on Sibling Relationships, Shawn D. Whiteman, Susan M. McHale and Anna Soli

[13] The New York Times, Lens, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s Notion Of Family

[14] MacArthur Foundation, LaToya Ruby Frazier

[15] LaToya Ruby Frazier Website, Bodies of Work, The Notion Of Family

[16] The New York Times, Lens, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s Notion Of Family

 

LINK TO PHOTOBOOK – ‘A STATE OF CONTENTMENT’

Below is the final layout of my book which i have produced as a part of my personal investigation. Included in my photo book is the essay for my personal study. I have decided to produce a standard portrait book as most of the images in my series are portraits so thy fill the page. I didn’t go for the bigger portrait book as i felt the images would have been too big and the audience wouldn’t of been able to take in the images as well. i had left the front cover till i had finished the rest of the layout to the book because i wasn’t sure what story i wanted to present on the outside of the book. I knew that i didn’t want the front cover to be revealing but i also wanted to to tell a broad story of what my photo book was about. i decided to go with the image below covering both the back and the front as it was taken in the morning whilst travelling to the building site and local community. the hue and inability to see faces in this images leaves a sense of mystery which i liked as its leaving the audience to imagine what the book is going to be about although through connotations of the road, it is as if the reader is about to be taken on a journey. The image wraps round both the front and back cover because it shows that the journey ended the same way it began. the front cover shows going into the community and then throughout the book it looks closer into individuals and then towards the end it begins to show moving away from the community as i am finishing the aid project and then the back cover being the road again symbolic of  how i left the situation, and that i was only an outsider in their community.

I decided the title of my book ‘ A State of Contentment’ when i was actually in Burkina Faso completely submerged in the situation that i was in. The idea came to me when we were on the building site discussing the local community and thinking of all the things we are grateful for that we were getting to go home to. It was evident to us that we would only be in Africa living a minimalist life for a few weeks whereas the reality for the local community was that they would be experiencing this hardship for the most of their lives. Although this seems like a harsh thought we had all noticed that even though the community had so little they were utterly content with what they had and i said during this discussion that it seemed as though they were in a state of contentment, because the community truly were in a state of peaceful happiness. I put the title and my name on the cover so that the writing did not take away from the cover image.

I then decided to put on the first page the title as it would be the first thing you see when opening the book. This then allows the audience to consider further what the book was going to contain. it also leads you into the book. The initial image that you come to in my photo book is a full bleed double page spread as it has the impact of drawing you into the book and the environment. The photograph shows the children helping on the building site which gives initial information to what the narrative is. Together with the girl standing in the image then links into the next image as the photo book then focuses on individuals. All of the images where kept in colour because i believe this created a more realistic representation of the situation whereas when the images were turned to black and white it over dramatized the images creating unrealistic representations which made it look like an unhappy situation.

 Following the initial images which set the scene of why i was there and what was going on, i then moved into individual narratives for a few images before finding an image which then linked to the next scene. My book is constructed in a way as if it tells all the different aspects of the community. For example he pages above and below show education and occupation as well as the sequence of the colours flows. These small selections of images show the diversity of lifestyles that these children have, for example, some of the portraits show children who are lucky enough to have the access the education but then the complete opposite is shown where a young boy is carrying is little brother as he doesn’t have the opportunity to go to school because he has the full time job of caring for his little brother.

As the book continues the double spread image of the cows is symbolic of moving onto another area. the next image still continuing to focus on portraits of individuals now focuses on a women outside of town and how she has her own business of selling cloth in the local market to gather money. The next  following image shows another family also who have their own business but this time selling grain around the local village.

The idea of linking the portraits with an ‘object image’ was that it told more in detail about that certain individual in terms of their job or general life, normally what i managed to find out about that individual through asking general questions either in french if they were adults or more educated or the native language of the village.

I was aware that my book was following the same sequence and including a lot of the same style of images, i therefore decided to take a slightly different approach on this specific image. As throughout the book i focus on specif individuals and provide a bit of insight into their lives i decided to go slightly deeper and focus on one individual which Andrew ‘the trip leader’ has had a connection with him for the last 6 years and has visited him on most of the annual trips to Burkina Faso. He allowed us too look around his home, told us about his job situation and family and then showed us some of his own persona;l archives. As Archival imagery has been a theme throughout our coursework project i decided it would be beneficial to add into the book giving even more background on life in Burkina Faso.

To close my book i considered how a day ended whilst we were over there. The last few images in my photo book show the closing activities for the community. Collecting water was allowed at allocated times when the water supply was turned on to allow for fair distribution of water, this was a job which mostly women did and would occur at around 5. The following image shows the market women after a day of work. The bike then shows the sun beginning to set as the light becomes more orange and a lot more shadows are evident in the image. Finally the closing image, the sunset over the building site. This is symbolic of the closing of a day and also the book and the journey that i embarked on. i think that this brings the photo book to a gentle close.

Also included in my photo book is my personal study. I decided to include my essay into the book at it links to the images i took. The focus of my essay was subjectivity and how it can effect the authenticity of representations of third world countries. Throughout the essay i consider different arguments and end with analyzing some of my works in the photo book and whether my images are raw representations or if i have allowed subjectivity to effect the authenticity of the local African community.

Overall, i have produced photo book which conveys community in a third world country in an authentic manner. The book is what i wanted to produce and reflects the project and the experience that i was able to be involved in, highlighting how each individual is what makes a community. The images which i made which are included in my photo book are ones which i am proud of and think were constructed thoughtfully showing my technical skill as a photographer as well as my ability to put together a photo book which conveys a narrative. I have thoroughly enjoyed this project, both capturing images which i have never had the opportunity to before as well as creating a photo book which was also very new to me at the beginning of the project

To begin my photo book design i looked at all my selected images which i had previously edited from the 4 shoots that i did whilst in Africa. I began by going through these images and selected my strongest images and giving them a green filter and other images which i thought may work in my photo book an orange filter. out of the 40-50 images which i selected i placed them into a separate file and named it Photo book. From here i started to look at the images i had selected and the type of sequence that i wanted to aim for in my photo book. I wanted a selection of wide angle shots which set the scene to be incorporated into my mainly portrait focused photo book showing the individuals from the community.

My plan for my photo book is to start with the cover being a very wide angle shot of a scene going on or use some of the drone footage we captured from above the site area which shows almost the ‘big picture’ of the 10 year project and also the community which i was focusing on capturing images of. Therefore i wanted my first photo page to be a powerful image which sums up the nature of the community and also link in the project that we were over their doing. Its like a zoom in of the above image getting closer into the message of the images. so its gone from the front cover of a a really wide angle shot to zooming in to some of the individuals of the community and as i move through the photo book i will focus on specific individuals. I put this image as a full bleed so that it cover the entire double spread of the page as its my opening photo and draws you into the environment. Also as it is a busy image i think that it needs to be full bleed so that the audience can see all the different components and individuals in the image. I also chose this image as the protagonist (girl standing in the front of the image)  has a really strong facial expression which almost focuses you in on the seriousness of their situation and her stance, which is very grown up, relates to how these young children have to mature very early on.

next i focused on individuals, i included images where the camera angle is straight on avoiding the commercial looking down on the subject of a third world country. This is as i wanted to portray the individuals as equal to me and one another. The white border around they subject creates a frame which focuses the audience in to that individual looking at their clothes, facial expression and the surrounding background. the image is fitted into the frame so that the subject is filling nearly the entire picture showing that it is a portrait. Then on the right of the picture i have included a generic shot of something which relates to that individual and gives them a story to who they are. In the portrait from these to images the young boy is holding a pole from the broken down truck shown in the right image. When i came across the little boy whilst walking around the village he was playing around the truck drawing in the ground with the metal pole. This connotes that these children make use of the materials that they have and even though they don’t have much they are content with making the most of their surroundings.

I have gone with the same theme for these two images again for the same purpose, the framed portrait to focus you firstly on the individual which has been taken as an environmental portrait as the background is very important telling the majority of the story. and then the sacks of rice on the right as this again tells us about the individuals job but also gives an insight into the diet that the community consume. So although the images aren’t directly emphasizing the issues of the community and the hardship by over dramatizing the situation and aesthetizing the images they show connotations of the hardships but show how the individuals are dealing with it and making the most of what they have. i decided to have the right image as a full page image because they aren’t as focused as the portrait they are they to add to the portraits and therefore i works that they are bigger. Between the two images i have also tried to link them into terms of colour so as the first previous image contained the colours green in both images being the initial visual link if you don’t know the immediate reason for them being paired together, the above image contains both orange from the drinks and he rice sacks.

This image slightly breaks the pattern throughout the book where all the portraits are full body shots, but i think this stops my photobook from becoming to much the same. The young boy on the left, Amaday, i could to know really well during my time in Africa. He came to the building site almost every day helped with building and was a huge character. Due to the i feel like the closer up image symbolises that relationships which were formed with the community. This also shows the transition from being an outsider to a photographer on the inside. therefore i think this close up portrait works in my photo book. I linked it with the full bleed image on the right page because it is the same boy with his friend Abadu. The images together symbolise the importance of friendships in all communities but even more so in third world countries. The wider angle shot with the close up portrait works with the theme i was suggesting with the first page of the book where i wanted to zoom into the lives of individuals linking them with images showing more about them.

After doing the same sequence a couple of times i realised i needed to mix it up more and space my images out so that the photo book was so cluttered with images on every page. Therefore i started to find images like the above which which work as a three quarter page spread. I think that this design for this particular image works really well as the subject, the boy on the bike, fits in the left page of the book and the its almost as the story flows onto the next page with the environment moving onto the right side of the page. Due to the  realisation that i needed to space my images out more i decided to add in some double pages where only one image  is on the right page. This always for spacing in the book and making sure that it doesn’t become to cluttered. For example below are some examples of images which i thought were powerful enough to work on their own.

The above images are quite busy portraits so they therefore work on their own as individual images. I’ve have placed images like this throughout my photobook so that they spread out the images leaving space so that the audience can focus on each image as the book inst becoming to busy. Below is a screenshot of the sequence of the pages of my photobook so far.

Also placed into my photobook is a variety of full bleed two page spead landscape images, which are placed throughout the book to link the portraits back to the setting and the community that they live in. I also found the use of these types of images useful when i was stuck with sequencing some images together, if i used a landscape image it immediately linked one portrait with another because it was using the link of that they was from the same community. I have not decided the final layout of my photo book as i am still working on it adding in a few extra images to complete the selection. I am also going to look further into the front cover as i don’t have a definite image for it yet as well as a closing image because i want to end the photo book with a strong image like the one i started it with.

 

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Here is one of my favourite, most successful images from my personal investigation. I took this image whilst i was in Burkina Faso, Africa. The image is of a young boy standing with his younger brother. They are presented in the centre of the image  with the local area behind them. The protagonist of the image is the older boy, he stands in the centre of the frame breaking the rule of thirds, but this is for a powerful purpose. He is meant to be the direct subject of the image showing his strong character even in the harsh society. The framing around the image is equal and proportional to the size of the portrait. I think that this is a contemporary style of portrait is i have use a slightly wider angle and stood further away from the scene so that i am looking upon the scene and not becoming to involved. The equal border gives the image a sense of symmetry and therefore becomes unintentionally aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore depth is created in this image through the individuals being in the foreground of the image and the becoming the initial aspect which the audience  is drawn to but then in the background is the environment this community is living in and begins to create a depth story of what the conditions that the locals live in are but how they cope with it. Moreover i think that colour is very important in this image, the colours are not bright and bold making it a happy seen but vibrant in terms of the tones that are used and the contrast between the pure white tones and the pure black tones, this has the impact that the image is true to the view that i saw and has captured the natually rich colour of the environment. The direction of light in this image is coming from high in the sky but is moving more to the right of the subject which we can tell through the highlighted aspects of the older boys face and the shadow on the toddlers face as he is behind the protagonist.

This photographs is not just a vernacular image which i took whilst i was there. I built up a relationship with the young boy as he came to the building site nearly everyday that we were in africa. He would help to build, lift bricks, and became a friendly face that we saw each day. However the harsher reality of his lifestyle is shown through this image where he is holding his crying younger brother. The meaning behind the image is not hidden and a task for the audience to discover but is presented on the face of the image which is the harsh realities of young peoples lives who are living in poverty stricken societies. Here the younger generations are left to grow up whilst their parents are out at work, meaning that like Abadu in this image, he is left to look after his younger brother. He does not go to school and has had to mature quicker than any child in a first world country would have to. Further connotations of how he has had t mature early is the way he is standing. His posture is strong, with his shoulder back showing confidence. Furthermore his emotionless facial expression emphasises that he is no longer a child playing this is a serious society. The colour pallet of the image are mainly beige with both the clothes and the landscape connoting the simplistic society they live in. This is furthermore emphasised through the uncluttered environment shown in this environmental portrait, they do not have towering buildings are technology, they are living in a minimalist community.

My Judgment of my own image is that it is taking with technical skill. The image is clear and well focused and i have consider the ISO settings as well as aperture so that the individuals are in clear focus and the background is slightly out  of focus creating a frame and border around the subjects of the image making sure that attention is not drawn away from the real meaning of my images. I like the way the i have remained eye level with the subjects so that i am not either looking up or down on the individuals, i like that this gives the image a sense that we are all equal and that i am not being invasive into their community but that i am considering myself as equal to them. The image ahs been edited in a minimal way just to enhance the contrast slightly and bring the most of of the image. Through the use of light room i also lowered the exposure of the sky as in the original image it was over exposed due to the amount of harsh and direct light. But selecting just the sky and using the levels tool to reduce the amount of pure white in the image, i have lost some of the authenticity of the image and this is one of the only critiques i majorly have against my image

My images throughout the personal investigation project link closely to my recent contextual studies of how images should be authentic and objective rather than subjective images which lack authenticity of the real life situation the photographer was experiencing. When taking my image i was keeping in mind how i wanted to stay as impartial to the situation as possible, capturing authentic images of the reality of this community. However as a vernacular photographer as well as an outsider it was hard to gain a compleatly objective view of the situation. It is notable that the subjects are looking into the camera and therefore they new that a photograph was being taken of them however i did not position them to stand the way they are or place them in the location they are. Therefore the portrait is realistic to the situation that i was actually seeing and not altering the situation with a subjective minds eye. Furthermore i have kept the image is colour therefore not trying to beautify the image into a work of art that is so overly aesthetically pleasing that it takes away the true meaning of the harshness of their society. Through looking at the works of Sebatiao Salgado, i didn’t want to change the image to black and white as this had the effect on his images which overly dramatised the situation and became unrealistic representations of the reality of third world countries. Therefore i was sticking the the rules of straight photography and realism in the way that i was avoiding artistic conventions which altered reality as well as trying to represent the subject as truthfully as possible in the way in which the events where occuring

• After compleating the firs draft of my essay i re-read it and considered how i could expand my arguement of subjectivity and my knowledge on the areas which this topic includes. I read works on aesthetics and the politics of photography and constructed this into my essay using useful and helpful quotes to back up my understanding of the concepts, then used these to discuss whether the aesthetics of Salgados work affects their authenticity.

How does subjectivity affect the authenticity of photographs representing third world countries?’

‘Documentary photography constructs representations of reality according to someone’s view, their desire to see.’[1]

 

The authenticity of an image can be impacted by many aspects, one being subjectiveness. Subjectivity is the allowance of the photographer to be influenced by their own personal opinion and view. In my personal study I will be investigating how subjectivity affects the authenticity of photographs which attempt to represent third world countries. Third world countries such as India and Africa have been a subject to the photographic world for decades. The colourful cultures which contrast with the heart-breaking issues of poverty and disease have been seen as a popular topic for many documentary photographs. This is due to the powerful messages and stories which can be conveyed through photographs of these captivating areas. The representation of these areas of the world has been open to criticism and often critics have highlighted the lack of authenticity portrayed and questioned the rawness of the image. Steve McCurry has gained increasing amounts of criticism over the past decade with photographic critic, Teju Cole, says that ‘The pictures where staged or made to look as if they were’[2] creating ‘a too perfect picture’. Through the exploration of straight photography I will consider whether ever since the beginning of this theory photographers have ever really been wholly objective due to their minds eye always meaning images have some personal influence, even if it is just the angle the camera is positioned at which could exaggerate a story. Furthermore with the consideration of my critical analysis of the key photographer capturing global issues of the century, Sebastiao Salgado I will investigate the impacts of the inside/outside on a photographer’s ability to be objective through the use of Abigial Solamon-Godeaus essay. Taking all of these factors into consideration I will decide whether photographs can ever represent third world countries with a sense of complete rawness of reality because everyone is unconsciously has a desire to document their view.

The idea of representing the visual world and more specifically the third world in an accurate way first emerged in the early 20^th century when photographers such as Paul Strandt and Alfred Stieglitz pioneered Straight Photography. This theory aimed at creating photographs which acted as realistic, descriptive records, as photographs were not to be manipulated but sharply depict the scene or subject as the camera sees it. Straight photography similar to pure photography describes the cameras ability to realistically reproduce an image of authenticity. With these aspects as the basic concept of straight photography we would imagine that all photographers following these principles would create representations of the third world in photographs which are nearly perfect records of reality. However this is not the case. The Objectivity of a photograph was as important as its realism when photographs were being used to represent social, economic and political issues. However photographs began to introduce subjectivity were photography was freer and the images that were being taken were visual representations of a person’s feelings tastes and opinions, showing deeper personal emotion towards a subject. It became known that one photograph could be interpreted differently by different people. Now photographs are being used as persuasion, where mass media is publishing images of different levels of objectivity. Photography which is subjective is being used as propaganda material to persuade people to have a certain belief which the photographer wants. Therefore subjectivity must be effecting the levels of objectivity in photographs representing third world countries. I believe that no matter how objective the aims of a photographer may be they are always going to have a personal opinion of the angle they shoot at the amount the image is cropped and I think this this choice of unconscious manipulation from the photographer is always going to lower the extent to which an image is authentic.

Sebastiao Salgado, a world- renowned photographer, has been captivated by capturing images of environmental and social issues for the past few decades and in his third long term photo series ‘ Genesis’ he focuses on global issues through capturing images of wildlife, landscapes and human communities. The natural areas that he captures show the communities which continue to live in accordance with their ancestral traditions and cultures.  Genesis is a body of work which is regarded as a potential path to humanity’s rediscovery of nature in its true form. Salgados spectacular series of black and white images have the aim of raising public awareness about pressing environmental issues but has he as a photographer allowed subjectivity to affect the authenticity of his images?

Refugees at Korem Camp, Ethiopia, Genesis, 1984 – Sebastiao Salgado

Salgados image from Ethiopia where he captures refugees at the korem camp allows us to interpret and analyse how he captures his image and whether is it noticeable that his images are raw or he has allowed subjectivity to alter the truth behind the scene. The images shows 4 protagonists who tell the story of the image, they are located in the foreground middle and background of the image. Through the creation of layers in the image the depth of field is more appealing creating a more aesthetic image. The extensive depth of field brings all aspects of the image into focus making the audience feel like they are in the situation. This impact is also caused on the audience by the level that Salgado has shot at. By being level with the main protagonist of the image he is creating the feeling that he was a part of the scene. Salgado also skilfully fills the whole frame by having the subjects feel the majority of the picture. This could emphasise that there has been an element of planning gone into taking this photograph as it has been thoughtfully captured. This may suggest that Salgado is a subjective photographer as he has let his own opinion and mind’s eye have influence of the angles which may emphasise the meaning of the image. The arrangement of the image is also clever on Salgados part as the emptiness that surrounds the subject has the direct impact that leads us to believe that these people are lonely and receive little help. The lighting in the image is created by an over cast of clouds which creates a sober tone to the image which seems fitting with its tragic story and exaggerates its argument. Salgado use of the Kodak TRI – X film camera allows him to produce sharp images which reflect the reality of the situation he is in and as well as capture lighting which is characteristically spectacular, with plenty of backlighting and operatic contrasts.. His images are then “carefully worked on in a ‘laboratory’ or in dark rooms” [3]to create images which have vast tonal ranges and high amounts of contrast between pure white and pure black. This technique creates beautiful yet dramatized images which has led to critics such as Michael Kimmelman stating that Salgados “photographs are so stupendously gorgeous that they make you forget everything else while you are looking at them.”[4] Here we see another example of how Salgado may be subjective, as his want to create beauty in the images has drawn him away from emphasising the real subject pf global issues. Therefore subjectivity in Salgados work has affected his ability to represent third world countries authentically.

The meaning of Sebastiao Salgados most recent series of images ‘Genesis’ was to create awareness of Global issues. His image from Ethiopia is an example of global issues in Africa, one of the many countries he travelled too during his project. The image tells the story of possibly a family experiencing the very real issue of famine, poverty and disease. The image tells this story through the use of the subjects. Firstly the clothing that they are wearing are tattered pieces of cloth wrapped around them, this immediately connotes poverty and the lack of resources in this area of the world. Secondly it is noticeable that the main protagonist, the young boy, in the front of the images significance is that he shows that young children are experiences these hardships. The relevance of the child being in the Foreground of the image is that poverty stricken children have a bigger impact on the audience, therefore the image is harder hitting and may encourage more people to contribute to helping with these global issues. However we are unable to justify this as a truly realistic situation because the arrangement of the refugees may have been naturally occurring but Salgado could have also placed the young boy at the front to create this propaganda material which may lead to the image being more shocking to the audience creating more attention for his work and global issues.  

Salgado’s photography is artistically beautiful. The underlying tone of romanticism which is portrayed in his images shows his inability to be entirely object which subsequently effects the authenticity of his images as he is manipulating them to show situations which are more beautiful than what he experienced in reality. Therefore his representations of Third world countries are not entirely honest to reality. In The Telegraphs article ‘Sebastião Salgado: A God’s eye view of the planet – interview’, Sarfraz Manzoor talks to Salgado about his experiences of looking at life from behind the lens. During the interview Salgado admits that he thinks “Photography is not objective,” he continues to tell Manzoor “It is deeply subjective – my photography is consistent ideologically and ethically with the person I am.”[5] Salgado admits that photography is subjective including his own however he states that he is being subject in the way that he is making artwork which are raw realities of the third world. This suggests that as his photographs aim to be didactic and revelatory his images even though subject are authentic representations of the global issues that he captures.

Salgados beautification of global issues may present that he has been influenced less so by straight photography moment and more by the emergence of post modernity into photography. The elements of this movement are the rejection of the aesthetics upon the predecessor. It is hard to label Salgado as a post-modernist as I do not think that he consciously creates narratives in his images, but more is affected by the artistic means of creating aesthetically pleasing images. With the harsh tonal range and the almost perfect composition Salgado creates images similar to that of Ansel Adams. Adams however used aesthetics to create artworks of landscapes, the impact of this beautification of documentary photography has a bigger impact on the whole message behind the images. Has the aestheticization of Salgados images weakened their authenticity? It is evident that Salgado is subject in the form that he wants images with the beauty of paintings; this has the effect of taking away the powerfulness of the true subject of the image. As a photojournalist the implications of Salgado’s aestheticization of suffering Is that it deflects the impact of the images. The viewer is now being distanced from the authentic encounter which salgado has experienced. In ‘The aestheticization of life by photography’, Mariola Sulkowska states that ‘the modus of the contemporary world has become aesthetics’[6]. For photographers documenting matters of the third world these images should possess rawness and be true to the reality however this is becoming less of the subject of photographers.  David Levi Strauss tackles the relation between aesthetics and politics and the effects of this on the authenticity of photographs whilst analysing critic’s comments on Salgados photography. Ingrid Sischy has a negative view on Salgados representations that the aesthetics in his images have become more important than the politics and reality as she states ‘Salgado is too busy with the compositional aspects of his pictures.’[7] Furthermore she emphasises her opinion with that facts that Salgado is obsessed with finding the beauty in the ‘Twisted forms of his anguished subjects.’ [8]Sischy implies that his subjective nature to want visually aesthetic images is destroying the reality of the situation which he experienced and should have been capturing. However Strauss also explores Eduardo Galeano’s contrdictary view of salgados work. Galeano states that ‘Salgado photographs from inside solidarity.’ [9]The two views are so contradictoary it is thinkable that they may be looking at images. Galeana’s impression of salgados work suggests that he thinks his representations of third world countries are not subjective but more so a picture of reality as he is being one from the inside of these cultures and therefore his images are authentic.

Key research, which expanded my knowledge on how subjectivity can affect authenticity, included the works of Abigail Solomon-Godeau, an American art historian. Solomon-Godeau explores in depth the effects of the inside/outside approach. Her essay ‘Inside/out’ thoroughly considers how being an insider vs being an outsider may have different impacts on the representation of images. This can be linked to subjectivity and how it can affect the authenticity of images representing third world countries. Solomon-Godeau says that insiders produce more realistic images as they are experienced in that area. She states “The insider position – in particular context, the “good” position – is thus understood to imply a position of engagement, participation, and privileged knowledge, whereas the second, the outsider’s position, is taken to produce an alienated and voyeuristic relationship which heightens the distance between subject and object.” [10]Here she suggests that as the insider, a photographer who lives in a third world country taking images of the area they live in, has experience and a relationship built with the location and community they are able to represent it in a more realistic way. This implies further that outsiders are then more subjective because they don’t know the traditions of the area and what is reality for these third world countries. They are outsiders going into areas of global issue creating an opinion of what they interpret the situation as being. An outsider photographing the exotic other is more likely to exploit them and represent the situation falsefully. Therefore how can an individual in the “position of total exteriority” [11] represent a third world country objectively? This may in fact be impossible. Is Solamon-Godeau’s final paragraph states a strong opinion that insider/outsider which holds cultural bias is always going to show the truth behind the image. She states that “a truth always veiled that reflects the philosophical divide between seeing and being.”[12] I understand this closing statement to mean that not matter whether the photographer is an insider or an outsider a photograph is never going to be able to be completely objective in representing third world countries because ever photographer is seeing through the camera and trying to capture a moment which can ever really only be realistic if they are being in the situation. Ashley la Grange, critically analyses Solamon-Godeaus photo essay and concludes that “Solamon Godeau presents a logical argument”[13], view areas of the inside/outside approach are considered and studied deeply for how it results in all photographers having different representations.

Abigail Solamon-Godeau’s arguments can be used to critic Sebastiao Salgados work of representing third world countries. Salgado is an outsider and a figure of exteriority in the areas of global issue which he focuses on in Genesis. Therefore after consideration of Solamon-godeaus arguments we portray his images to be subjective because he is looking at a situation which is not natural to him. However Salgados longitudinal project may have transformed him from being an outsider creating subjective images and being influenced by his opinion and want to represent these countries in a way which showed there global issues maybe in an exaggerated way. But by the end of his projects he had spent a significant amount of time in these locations and started to be an insider understanding the cultures of these areas, this may have influenced Salgado to be more objective as a photographer and follow closer to the principles of straight photography capturing what the camera immediately sees rather than what his mind’s eye is seeing. Through my own experience of photographing third world countries I found my photographs were particularly subjective. I found that my images contained a sense of structure and falseness to reality as I had positioned myself to create angles which would tell a specific story and adapted where the subject may have been standing to create almost a commercialised image. Nonetheless I had gone to Burkina Faso, Africa with knowledge of the issues of representation and the problems with that are subjective could have altered the authenticity of my images for representing the poverty and hardship that the community was enduring. Due to this I made sure that although choosing the specific angles and moments which would create the images I wanted, showing my own subjectivity towards photography, I also considered that as an outsider I didn’t want to falsely represent the reality that I was seeing and tried at all times to make sure that the rawness of the situation was never altered. Therefore from my own works I can answer my question that my own desire for the type of images I wanted to create affected the authenticity of my images. However it is possible to still capture images of truth to the situation even when being subjective as long as you do not let your subjectivity over rule the cameras natural ability to capture a situation as we see it.

Subjectivity can affect the authenticity of photographs representing third world countries in two main ways; firstly the photographers allowance of their minds eye to control what they’re capturing. Secondly the influence of the photographer being an insider or an outsider. La Grange sums these findings up in her closing statements when analysing Abigail Solamon- Godeaus, ‘inside/out’ when she states, “In all the examples given there is always a photographer, someone who selects the angle of the view, the subject, the medium…” [14]Here she emphasises on the point that there is always going to be an opinion behind the camera, an individual which is going to interpret their situation due to their beliefs, experience and upbringing. These are the factors in which subjectivity can affect the authenticity of representations of third world countries. I agree with critic Solamon-Godeau that an outsider is always going to be more subjective than the insider. The outsider’s ability to document observations of reality is flawed as they don’t have the experience to truly understand the third world. It is further evident that there is a rigid dichotomy between how the insider and outsider represent third world countries and this may be due to either being unconsciously subjective. Moreover the authenticity of images representing third world countries is weakened by the aestheticization of the subject; the process of creating an aesthetic image is not objective but subjective. Every photograph must be a negotiation with the complex act of communication, for example if you want the message to be powerful you need eye catching images however they must not be to aesthetically composed otherwise this takes away  from the message and impact of the subject. As Susan Sontag states, ‘Beautiful photographs drain attention from the sobering subject and turns it towards the medium itself, thereby compromising the pictures status as a document.”

 

 

 

[1] Photo essay – Mary ellen mark

[2] Teju cole

[3] Paruati Nair – A different light – page 11

[4] Can suffering be to beautiful – Michael Kimmelman

[5] The Telegraph – Sarfraz Manzoor

[6] ‘The aestheticization of life by photography’, Mariola Sulkowska

[7] Ingrid sischy

[8] Ingrid sischy

[9] Eduardo Galeano

[10] Abigial solamon godeau – inside/out – page 49

[11] Abigial solamon godeau – inside/out – page 51

[12] Abigial solamon godeau – inside/out – page 61

[13] Ashley la Grange – basic critical theory for photographers – chapter 6 – page 130

[14] Ashley La Grange – basic critical theory for photographers p130

How does subjectivity affect the authenticity of photographs representing third world countries?’

 

‘Documentary photography constructs representations of reality accordingto someone’s view, their desire to see.’[1]

 

The authenticity of an image can be impacted by many aspects, one being subjectiveness. Subjectivity is the allowance of the photographer to be influenced by their own personal opinion and view. In my personal study I will be investigating how subjectivity affects the authenticity of photographs which attempt to represent third world countries. Third world countries such as India and Africa have been a subject to the photographic world for decades. The colourful cultures which contrast with the heart-breaking issues of poverty and disease have been seen as a popular topic for many documentary photographs. This is due to the powerful messages and stories which can be conveyed through photographs of these captivating areas. The representation of these areas of the world has been open to criticism and often critics have highlighted the lack of authenticity portrayed and questioned the rawness of the image. Steve McCurry has gained increasing amounts of criticism over the past decade with photographic critic, Teju Cole, says that ‘The pictures where staged or made to look as if they were’[2] creating ‘a too perfect picture’. Through the exploration of straight photography I will consider whether ever since the beginning of this theory photographers have ever really been wholly objective due to their minds eye always meaning images have some personal influence, even if it is just the angle the camera is positioned at which could exaggerate a story. Furthermore with the consideration of my critical analysis of the key photographer capturing global issues of the century, Sebastiao Salgado I will investigate the impacts of the inside/outside on a photographer’s ability to be objective through the use of Abigial Solamon-Godeaus essay. Taking all of these factors into consideration I will decide whether photographs can ever represent third world countries with a sense of complete rawness of reality because everyone is unconsciously has a desire to document their view.

The idea of representing the visual world and more specifically the third world in an accurate way first emerged in the early 20^th century when photographers such as Paul Strandt and Alfred Stieglitz pioneered Straight Photography. This theory aimed at creating photographs which acted as realistic, descriptive records, as photographs were not to be manipulated but sharply depict the scene or subject as the camera sees it. Straight photography similar to pure photography describes the cameras ability to realistically reproduce an image of authenticity. With these aspects as the basic concept of straight photography we would imagine that all photographers following these principles would create representations of the third world in photographs which are nearly perfect records of reality. However this is not the case. The Objectivity of a photograph was as important as its realism when photographs were being used to represent social, economic and political issues. However photographs began to introduce subjectivity were photography was freer and the images that were being taken were visual representations of a person’s feelings tastes and opinions, showing deeper personal emotion towards a subject. It became known that one photograph could be interpreted differently by different people. Now photographs are being used as persuasion, where mass media is publishing images of different levels of objectivity. Photography which is subjective is being used as propaganda material to persuade people to have a certain belief which the photographer wants. Therefore subjectivity must be effecting the levels of objectivity in photographs representing third world countries. I believe that no matter how objective the aims of a photographer may be they are always going to have a personal opinion of the angle they shoot at the amount the image is cropped and I think this this choice of unconscious manipulation from the photographer is always going to lower the extent to which an image is authentic.

Sebastiao Salgado, a world- renowned photographer, has been captivated by capturing images of environmental and social issues for the past few decades and in his third long term photo series ‘ Genesis’ he focuses on global issues through capturing images of wildlife, landscapes and human communities. The natural areas that he captures show the communities which continue to live in accordance with their ancestral traditions and cultures.  Genesis is a body of work which is regarded as a potential path to humanity’s rediscovery of nature in its true form. Salgados spectacular series of black and white images have the aim of raising public awareness about pressing environmental issues but has he as a photographer allowed subjectivity to affect the authenticity of his images?

Refugees at Korem Camp, Ethiopia, Genesis, 1984 – Sebastiao Salgado

Salgados image from Ethiopia where he captures refugees at the korem camp allows us to interpret and analyse how he captures his image and whether is it noticeable that his images are raw or he has allowed subjectivity to alter the truth behind the scene. The images shows 4 protagonists who tell the story of the image, they are located in the foreground middle and background of the image. Through the creation of layers in the image the depth of field is more appealing creating a more aesthetic image. The extensive depth of field brings all aspects of the image into focus making the audience feel like they are in the situation. This impact is also caused on the audience by the level that Salgado has shot at. By being level with the main protagonist of the image he is creating the feeling that he was a part of the scene. Salgado also skilfully fills the whole frame by having the subjects feel the majority of the picture. This could emphasise that there has been an element of planning gone into taking this photograph as it has been thoughtfully captured. This may suggest that Salgado is a subjective photographer as he has let his own opinion and mind’s eye have influence of the angles which may emphasise the meaning of the image. The arrangement of the image is also clever on Salgados part as the emptiness that surrounds the subject has the direct impact that leads us to believe that these people are lonely and receive little help. The lighting in the image is created by an over cast of clouds which creates a sober tone to the image which seems fitting with its tragic story and exaggerates its argument. Salgado use of the Kodak TRI – X film camera allows him to produce sharp images which reflect the reality of the situation he is in and as well as capture lighting which is characteristically spectacular, with plenty of backlighting and operatic contrasts.. His images are then “carefully worked on in a ‘laboratory’ or in dark rooms” [3]to create images which have vast tonal ranges and high amounts of contrast between pure white and pure black. This technique creates beautiful yet dramatized images which has led to critics such as Michael Kimmelman stating that Salgados “photographs are so stupendously gorgeous that they make you forget everything else while you are looking at them.”[4] Here we see another example of how Salgado may be subjective, as his want to create beauty in the images has drawn him away from emphasising the real subject pf global issues. Therefore subjectivity in Salgados work has affected his ability to represent third world countries authentically.

The meaning of Sebastiao Salgados most recent series of images ‘Genesis’ was to create awareness of Global issues. His image from Ethiopia is an example of global issues in Africa, one of the many countries he travelled too during his project. The image tells the story of possibly a family experiencing the very real issue of famine, poverty and disease. The image tells this story through the use of the subjects. Firstly the clothing that they are wearing are tattered pieces of cloth wrapped around them, this immediately connotes poverty and the lack of resources in this area of the world. Secondly it is noticeable that the main protagonist, the young boy, in the front of the images significance is that he shows that young children are experiences these hardships. The relevance of the child being in the Foreground of the image is that poverty stricken children have a bigger impact on the audience, therefore the image is harder hitting and may encourage more people to contribute to helping with these global issues. However we are unable to justify this as a truly realistic situation because the arrangement of the refugees may have been naturally occurring but Salgado could have also placed the young boy at the front to create this propaganda material which may lead to the image being more shocking to the audience creating more attention for his work and global issues.  

Salgado’s photography is artistically beautiful. The underlying tone of romanticism which is portrayed in his images shows his inability to be entirely object which subsequently effects the authenticity of his images as he is manipulating them to show situations which are more beautiful than what he experienced in reality. Therefore his representations of Third world countries are not entirely honest to reality. In The Telegraphs article ‘Sebastião Salgado: A God’s eye view of the planet – interview’, Sarfraz Manzoor talks to Salgado about his experiences of looking at life from behind the lens. During the interview Salgado admits that he thinks “Photography is not objective,” he continues to tell Manzoor “It is deeply subjective – my photography is consistent ideologically and ethically with the person I am.”[5] Salgado admits that photography is subjective including his own however he states that he is being subject in the way that he is making artwork which are raw realities of the third world. This suggests that as his photographs aim to be didactic and revelatory his images even though subject are authentic representations of the global issues that he captures.

Key research which expanded my knowledge on how subjectivity can affect authenticity included the works of Abigail Solomon-Godeau, an American art historian. Solomon-Godeau explores in depth the effects of the inside/outside approach. Her essay ‘Inside/out’ thoroughly considers how being an insider vs being an outsider may have different impacts on the representation of images. This can be linked to subjectivity and how it can affect the authenticity of images representing third world countries. Solomon-Godeau says that insiders produce more realistic images as they are experienced in that area. She states “The insider position – in particular context, the “good” position – is thus understood to imply a position of engagement, participation, and privileged knowledge, whereas the second, the outsider’s position, is taken to produce an alienated and voyeuristic relationship which heightens the distance between subject and object.” [6]Here she suggests that as the insider, a photographer who lives in a third world country taking images of the area they live in, has experience and a relationship built with the location and community they are able to represent it in a more realistic way. This implies further that outsiders are then more subjective because they don’t know the traditions of the area and what is reality for these third world countries. They are outsiders going into areas of global issue creating an opinion of what they interpret the situation as being. An outsider photographing the exotic other is more likely to exploit them and represent the situation falsefully. Therefore how can an individual in the “position of total exteriority” [7] represent a third world country objectively? This may in fact be impossible. Is Solamon-Godeau’s final paragraph states a strong opinion that insider/outsider which holds cultural bias is always going to show the truth behind the image. She states that “a truth always veiled that reflects the philosophical divide between seeing and being.”[8] I understand this closing statement to mean that not matter whether the photographer is an insider or an outsider a photograph is never going to be able to be completely objective in representing third world countries because ever photographer is seeing through the camera and trying to capture a moment which can ever really only be realistic if they are being in the situation. Ashley la Grange, critically analyses Solamon-Godeaus photo essay and concludes that “Solamon Godeau presents a logical argument”[9], view areas of the inside/outside approach are considered and studied deeply for how it results in all photographers having different representations.

Abigail Solamon-Godeau’s arguments can be used to critic Sebastiao Salgados work of representing third world countries. Salgado is an outsider and a figure of exteriority in the areas of global issue which he focuses on in Genesis. Therefore after consideration of Solamon-godeaus arguments we portray his images to be subjective because he is looking at a situation which is not natural to him. However Salgados longitudinal project may have transformed him from being an outsider creating subjective images and being influenced by his opinion and want to represent these countries in a way which showed there global issues maybe in an exaggerated way. But by the end of his projects he had spent a significant amount of time in these locations and started to be an insider understanding the cultures of these areas, this may have influenced Salgado to be more objective as a photographer and follow closer to the principles of straight photography capturing what the camera immediately sees rather than what his mind’s eye is seeing. Through my own experience of photographing third world countries I found my photographs were particularly subjective. I found that my images contained a sense of structure and falseness to reality as I had positioned myself to create angles which would tell a specific story and adapted where the subject may have been standing to create almost a commercialised image. Nonetheless I had gone to Burkina Faso, Africa with knowledge of the issues of representation and the problems with that are subjective could have altered the authenticity of my images for representing the poverty and hardship that the community was enduring. Due to this I made sure that although choosing the specific angles and moments which would create the images I wanted, showing my own subjectivity towards photography, I also considered that as an outsider I didn’t want to falsely represent the reality that I was seeing and tried at all times to make sure that the rawness of the situation was never altered. Therefore from my own works I can answer my question that my own desire for the type of images I wanted to create affected the authenticity of my images. However it is possible to still capture images of truth to the situation even when being subjective as long as you do not let your subjectivity over rule the cameras natural ability to capture a situation as we see it.

Subjectivity can affect the authenticity of photographs representing third world countries in two main ways; firstly the photographers allowance of their minds eye to control what they’re capturing. Secondly the influence of the photographer being an insider or an outsider. La Grange sums these findings up in her closing statements when analysing Abigail Solamon- Godeaus, ‘inside/out’ when she states, “In all the examples given there is always a photographer, someone who selects the angle of the view, the subject, the medium…” [10]Here she emphasises on the point that there is always going to be an opinion behind the camera, an individual which is going to interpret their situation due to their beliefs, experience and upbringing. These are the factors in which subjectivity can affect the authenticity of representations of third world countries. I agree with critic Solamon-Godeau that an outsider is always going to be more subjective than the insider. The outsider’s ability to document observations of reality is flawed as they don’t have the experience to truly understand the third world. It is evident that there is a rigid dichotomy between how the insider and outsider represent third world countries and this may be due to either being unconsciously subjective.

 

[1] Photo essay – Mary ellen mark

[2] Teju cole

[3] Paruati Nair – A different light – page 11

[4] Can suffering be to beautiful – Michael Kimmelman

[5] The Telegraph – Sarfraz Manzoor

[6] Abigial solamon godeau – inside/out – page 49

[7] Abigial solamon godeau – inside/out – page 51

[8] Abigial solamon godeau – inside/out – page 61

[9] Ashley la Grange – basic critical theory for photographers – chapter 6 – page 130

[10] Ashley La Grange – basic critical theory for photographers p130

 

Salgados image from Ethiopia where he captures refugees at the korem camp allows us to interpret and analyse how he captures his image and whether is it noticeable that his images are raw or he has allowed subjectivity to alter the truth behind the scene. The images shows 4 protagonists who tell the story of the image, they are located in the foreground middle and background of the image. Through the creation of layers in the image the depth of field is more appealing creating a more aesthetic image. The extensive depth of field brings all aspects of the image into focus making the audience feel like they are in the situation. This impact is also caused on the audience by the level that Salgado has shot at. By being level with the main protagonist of the image he is creating the feeling that he was a part of the scene. Salgado also skilfully fills the whole frame by having the subjects feel the majority of the picture. This could emphasise that there has been an element of planning gone into taking this photograph as it has been thoughtfully captured. This may suggest that Salgado is a subjective photographer as he has let his own opinion and mind’s eye have influence of the angles which may emphasise the meaning of the image. The arrangement of the image is also clever on Salgados part as the emptiness that surrounds the subject has the direct impact that leads us to believe that these people are lonely and receive little help. The lighting in the image is created by an over cast of clouds which creates a sober tone to the image which seems fitting with its tragic story and exaggerates its argument. Salgado use of the Kodak TRI – X film camera allows him to produce sharp images which reflect the reality of the situation he is in and as well as capture lighting which is characteristically spectacular, with plenty of backlighting and operatic contrasts.. His images are then “carefully worked on in a ‘laboratory’ or in dark rooms” [1]to create images which have vast tonal ranges and high amounts of contrast between pure white and pure black. This technique creates beautiful yet dramatized images which has led to critics such as Michael Kimmelman stating that Salgados “photographs are so stupendously gorgeous that they make you forget everything else while you are looking at them.”[2] Here we see another example of how Salgado may be subjective, as his want to create beauty in the images has drawn him away from emphasising the real subject pf global issues. Therefore subjectivity in Salgados work has affected his ability to represent third world countries authentically.

The meaning of Sebastiao Salgados most recent series of images ‘Genesis’ was to create awareness of Global issues. His image from Ethiopia is an example of global issues in Africa, one of the many countries he travelled too during his project. The image tells the story of possibly a family experiencing the very real issue of famine, poverty and disease. The image tells this story through the use of the subjects. Firstly the clothing that they are wearing are tattered pieces of cloth wrapped around them, this immediately connotes poverty and the lack of resources in this area of the world. Secondly it is noticeable that the main protagonist, the young boy, in the front of the images significance is that he shows that young children are experiences these hardships. The relevance of the child being in the Foreground of the image is that poverty stricken children have a bigger impact on the audience, therefore the image is harder hitting and may encourage more people to contribute to helping with these global issues. However we are unable to justify this as a truly realistic situation because the arrangement of the refugees may have been naturally occurring but Salgado could have also placed the young boy at the front to create this propaganda material which may lead to the image being more shocking to the audience creating more attention for his work and global issues.  

Salgado’s photography is artistically beautiful. The underlying tone of romanticism which is portrayed in his images shows his inability to be entirely object which subsequently effects the authenticity of his images as he is manipulating them to show situations which are more beautiful than what he experienced in reality. Therefore his representations of Third world countries are not entirely honest to reality. In The Telegraphs article ‘Sebastião Salgado: A God’s eye view of the planet – interview’, Sarfraz Manzoor talks to Salgado about his experiences of looking at life from behind the lens. During the interview Salgado admits that he thinks “Photography is not objective,” he continues to tell Manzoor “It is deeply subjective – my photography is consistent ideologically and ethically with the person I am.”[3] Salgado admits that photography is subjective including his own however he states that he is being subject in the way that he is making artwork which are raw realities of the third world. This suggests that as his photographs aim to be didactic and revelatory his images even though subject are authentic representations of the global issues that he captures.

[1] Paruati Nair – A different light – page 11

[2] Can suffering be to beautiful – Michael Kimmelman

[3] The Telegraph – Sarfraz Manzoor