Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was an iconic American photographer known for his stunning black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West. He was born on February 20, 1902, in San Francisco, California, and developed a deep love and appreciation for nature at an early age. Adams’ passion for photography began in his teenage years when he took his first photographs of Yosemite National Park using a Kodak Brownie camera.

Adams’ photography style was characterized by his meticulous attention to detail, technical expertise, and dedication to capturing the beauty of the natural world. He was a pioneering figure in the development of the “zone system,” a technique that allowed photographers to achieve precise control over exposure and development in black-and-white photography.

Throughout his career, Adams produced an extensive body of work that showcased the grandeur and majesty of the American landscape, with a particular focus on the rugged mountains, pristine wilderness, and dramatic vistas of the American West. He is best known for his iconic images of Yosemite, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Southwest, which have become some of the most recognizable and celebrated photographs in the history of photography.

In addition to his photographic work, Adams was also a passionate conservationist and environmental advocate. He used his photography to raise awareness about the importance of preserving and protecting the natural world, and he played a key role in the establishment of several national parks and wilderness areas.

Ansel Adams’ contributions to photography and conservation have had a lasting impact on the art world and the environmental movement. His work continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest landscape photographers in history. Adams passed away on April 22, 1984, leaving behind a rich legacy of art and advocacy for the preservation of the natural world.

Edward Weston

Edward Weston (1886-1958) was a prominent American photographer known for his pioneering work in the field of modern photography and his groundbreaking contributions to the art of photographic composition. He was born on March 24, 1886, in Highland Park, Illinois, and developed an early interest in photography, experimenting with a simple box camera as a child.

Weston’s photographic style was characterized by his meticulous attention to detail, technical precision, and innovative approach to composition. He is best known for his groundbreaking use of the large-format camera, which allowed him to capture exquisite details and textures in his images with unparalleled clarity and depth.

Throughout his career, Weston produced a diverse body of work that encompassed portraits, still lifes, landscapes, and abstract studies. He is perhaps most famous for his stark, minimalist images of natural forms such as shells, peppers, and rocks, which he transformed into powerful, abstract compositions that revealed the inherent beauty and geometry of these everyday objects.

Weston was a key figure in the development of Group f/64, a collective of like-minded photographers including Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, and others who shared a commitment to creating sharp-focus, detailed images that emphasized the intrinsic qualities of the photographic medium. The group’s name, f/64, referred to the small aperture setting that Weston often used to achieve maximum depth of field in his images.

In addition to his artistic achievements, Weston was also renowned for his technical expertise and innovative approach to photographic techniques. He experimented with new printing processes, toning methods, and darkroom manipulations to produce rich, tonally exquisite prints that set new standards for photographic excellence.

Edward Weston’s contributions to the field of photography have had a profound and lasting impact on the development of modern photographic art. His work continues to be celebrated for its technical mastery, aesthetic beauty, and profound insight into the nature of visual perception. Weston passed away on January 1, 1958, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic innovation and creative excellence in the world of photography.

Fay Godwin

Fay Godwin (1931-2005) was a British photographer known for her powerful images of the British landscape and environment. She was born on February 17, 1931, in Berlin, Germany, but grew up in England. Godwin initially pursued a career as a graphic designer before transitioning to photography in the 1960s.

Godwin’s photography style was characterized by her deep connection to the English countryside and a keen awareness of environmental issues. She often collaborated with writers and poets, creating stunning photographic essays that captured the beauty and fragility of the natural world. Her black-and-white images were celebrated for their stark beauty, emotional depth, and poetic resonance.

One of Fay Godwin’s most famous works is the collaboration with Ted Hughes, the poet laureate, on the book “Remains of Elmet” (1979). The book featured Hughes’ poems alongside Godwin’s evocative photographs of the Yorkshire landscape, creating a powerful and poignant exploration of nature, myth, and memory.

Throughout her career, Godwin produced a wide range of photographic projects that explored themes such as rural life, the coastline, industrial landscapes, and the impact of human activity on the environment. She was a passionate advocate for conservation and environmental protection, using her photography to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the natural world.

In addition to her photography, Godwin was also a prolific writer and published several books that combined her images with insightful reflections on photography, landscape, and the creative process. She was a leading figure in the British photography community and was deeply respected for her artistic vision, technical skill, and humanitarian values.

Fay Godwin’s work continues to inspire and influence photographers, environmentalists, and nature lovers around the world. Her images are celebrated for their exquisite beauty, profound insight, and enduring relevance to contemporary issues of landscape, conservation, and the human relationship to the natural world. Fay Godwin passed away on May 27, 2005, leaving behind a rich legacy of art and activism in the field of photography.

Don McCullin

Don McCullin is a British photojournalist known for his powerful and poignant images of conflict, suffering, and human struggle. He was born on October 9, 1935, in London, England. McCullin began his photography career in the late 1950s, working as a photographer for the “Observer” newspaper before becoming a freelancer in the 1960s.

McCullin gained international recognition for his coverage of some of the most significant conflicts and humanitarian crises of the 20th century, including the Vietnam War, the Northern Ireland conflict, the Biafran War, and the Lebanese Civil War. His stark and emotive images captured the human cost of war with sensitivity and compassion, earning him numerous awards and accolades for his fearless and evocative photography.

One of McCullin’s most iconic images is his photograph of a shell-shocked U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War, which became a symbol of the psychological toll of combat. His images were raw, unflinching, and deeply moving, offering a powerful visual testimony to the realities of war and conflict.

In addition to his coverage of war and conflict, McCullin also documented social issues and hardship in his native England, including poverty, homelessness, and social deprivation. His images of marginalized communities and individuals revealed the human face of suffering and resilience, earning him a reputation as a compassionate and empathetic photographer.

Throughout his career, McCullin’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, and he has published several acclaimed books showcasing his photography. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to photojournalism, including the Cornell Capa Award from the International Center of Photography and a knighthood for services to photography.

Today, Don McCullin is considered one of the greatest photojournalists of his generation, admired for his courage, integrity, and unwavering commitment to documenting the human experience in all its complexity and nuance. His work continues to inspire and challenge audiences, prompting reflection on the realities of war, conflict, and social injustice in the modern world.

What is Romanticism?

Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe in the late 18th century and peaked in the early to mid-19th century. It was characterized by an emphasis on emotion, individuality, imagination, and the beauty of nature. Romanticism rejected the rationalism and restraint of the Enlightenment, instead focusing on the expression of personal feelings and experiences. Romanticism was embodied in various forms of art, including literature, music, painting, and sculpture, and had a profound impact on Western culture. Key themes of Romanticism include the celebration of nature, the importance of intuition, the exploration of the supernatural and mystical, and the exaltation of the individual and the artist.

What is the history of Romanticism?

Romanticism emerged in the late 18th century as a reaction against the values and ideals of the Enlightenment, which prioritized reason, logic, and scientific inquiry. The movement began in Europe, particularly in Germany and England, before spreading to other countries such as France, Italy, and the United States.

The Romantic era was characterized by social, political, and economic upheaval, including the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars. These events influenced the development of Romantic ideals, as artists and thinkers increasingly turned to nature, emotion, and the individual as sources of inspiration and meaning.

Some of the key figures associated with Romanticism include poets like William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and John Keats; writers like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Victor Hugo, and Mary Shelley; composers like Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert; and artists like Caspar David Friedrich and Eugene Delacroix.

Romanticism reached its peak in the early to mid-19th century but continued to influence artistic and intellectual movements well into the 20th century. Its legacy can be seen in the emphasis on emotion and subjectivity in modern art and literature, as well as in the continued celebration of nature and the individual in contemporary culture.

Mood board

What is The Sublime?

In Romanticism, the concept of the sublime refers to a sense of awe, astonishment, and reverence for the grandeur and power of nature. The sublime often evokes feelings of both beauty and terror, as well as a sense of the infinite and the unknowable. It is associated with the overwhelming experience of the natural world and the emotions it can inspire in the viewer.

In photography, the sublime is often represented through images of vast landscapes, dramatic weather conditions, and powerful natural phenomena such as storms, mountains, and oceans. Photographers use composition, lighting, and perspective to create images that evoke a sense of the sublime, inviting viewers to contemplate the beauty and power of the natural world.

Photographers such as Ansel Adams, Edward Burtynsky, and Hiroshi Sugimoto have explored the sublime in their work, capturing the grandeur and mystery of nature in ways that transcend mere representation. By harnessing the power of photography to capture moments of awe and wonder, these artists invite viewers to connect with the sublime and experience the transformative power of nature.

John Constable – The Haywain

John Constable was an English landscape painter who lived from 1776 to 1837. He is considered one of the greatest painters of the Romantic era, known for his realistic and detailed depictions of the English countryside. Constable’s works often focused on rural scenes, particularly those in Suffolk and Essex, where he grew up and spent much of his life.

One of Constable’s most famous paintings is “The Hay Wain,” completed in 1821. The painting depicts a horse-drawn cart, known as a hay wain, crossing a shallow stream in the heart of the English countryside. The scene is set in the picturesque Stour Valley on the border between Suffolk and Essex, a place that held great significance for Constable.

“The Hay Wain” is celebrated for its vibrant colors, meticulous attention to detail, and atmospheric effects, which capture the beauty and tranquility of the English landscape. The painting has become an iconic image of the Romantic ideal of nature and has inspired generations of artists and admirers.

Constable’s dedication to capturing the beauty of the natural world and his ability to convey a sense of peace and harmony in his landscapes have made him a beloved figure in art history. His works continue to be celebrated for their timeless beauty and emotional resonance.

What is social Commentary?

Social commentary is a form of expression that critiques or reflects on societal issues, norms, or behaviors. It is a way for artists, writers, filmmakers, and other creators to engage with and comment on the world around them, often intending to spark awareness, dialogue, and change.

Social commentary can take many forms, including art, literature, music, film, theater, and even social media. It can address a wide range of topics, such as politics, inequality, injustice, discrimination, environmental issues, and cultural norms. By highlighting and questioning these issues, social commentary can challenge viewers or listeners to think critically about the world they live in and consider different perspectives.

Artists use various techniques and mediums to convey social commentary, including satire, symbolism, allegory, irony, and direct representation. Through their work, they may shed light on systemic problems, advocate for social justice, give voice to marginalized communities, or critique the status quo.

Overall, social commentary serves as a powerful tool for provoking thought, raising awareness, and promoting empathy and understanding of the complexities of the human experience. It plays a vital role in facilitating conversations about important social issues and inspiring positive change in society.

Before the 16th century, landscape didn’t really exist as a genre in its own right. Landscapes were merely seen as backgrounds for portraits and other forms of paintings. the term “landscape comes from the Dutch word “landschnap” which means “region” or “tract of land” but became associated with the art in the early 1500s, this is due to the fact that in the Netherlands landscapes be came popular with protestants to decorate their homes. Outside the Netherlands, landscapes often depicting scenes from mythology or biblical settings, as well as historical scenes.

The 17th century brought around the ear of classical landscapes. Rome became the ideal place for landscapes to be painted. Everything within the paintings became purposefully placed to create the balanced and timeless mood to help the paintings seem harmonious. Many of these landscapes sought to illustrate an ideal landscape recalling Arcadia, a legendary place in ancient Greece known for its quiet pastoral beauty. However, despite the commissions and popularity of them they remained low in the hierarchy of the academies.

The late 18th century saw Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes change the views on landscape paintings, he saw them as something to be celebrated and considered with a worthy status. In 1800 he published the Eléments de perspective practique which emphasized the aesthetic ideal of the “historic landscape.” Generations of French landscape painters would benefit from this book and the recognition Valenciennes’ received.

As the 19th century brought round the industrial revolution, the standard hierarchy of art collapsed land scape paintings gained in popularity. Barbizon painters such as Théodore Rousseau and Charles Daubigny became less concerned with idealized, classical landscapes and focused more on painting out-of-doors directly from nature—a practice known as plein air painting. The 19th century also saw the start of landscape photography which would greatly influence the landscape painters’ compositional choices. Courbet’s radical painting techniques and independent spirit paved the way for the next generation of painters including Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley, these would become some of the most famous painters in history, other wise know as the impressionists.

During the 20th century, artist used landscape photography to create interpretations of the land  through pictorial effects and, later, through formal compositions of close-up, cropped views of the landscape. Photographer Ansel Adams captured attention with his breath-taking views of the wild beauty of the American West. In the second half of the 20th century, the definition of landscape was challenged and pressed to include concepts like urban landscapes, cultural landscapes, industrial landscapes, and landscape architecture. Today, the landscape continues to be a subject artists turn to when contemplating the ways we relate to the places where we live and the impact we as humans have on the land.

It is hard to trace the exact origin of landscape photography since the very first photography that we know of was taken in an urban landscape during 1826 or 1827 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce. Then in 1935 the English scientist Henry Fox Talbot came into play with various photography innovations.

Traditions

Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on human-made features or disturbances of landscapes. Landscape photography is done for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most common is to recall a personal observation or experience while in the outdoors, especially when travelling.

According to records, the earliest known evidence of a landscape photograph was taken between the years of 1826 and 1827. It was an urban landscape photo taken by a French inventor by the name of Nicephore Niepce.

The first landscape photograph

Modern Landscapes

How have landscape photography evolved?

The first cameras used for landscapes were simple wooden boxes with a photosensitive material coating a plate. After some photographic innovation, view cameras became possible. These cameras are also known as large format cameras and are precision devices built to capture reality in a way no other camera can.

Landscape photography commonly involves daylight photography of natural features of land, sky and waters, at a distance—though some landscapes may involve subjects in a scenic setting nearby, even close-up, and sometimes at night.

When did the genre of landscapes begin?

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of depicting pure landscapes declined, and the landscape was seen only as a setting for religious and figural scenes. This tradition continued until the 16th century when artists began to view the landscape as a subject in its own right. In the Eastern tradition, the genre can be traced back to 4th-century-ce China.

Landscape photography is the practice of capturing a natural or outdoors scene in an artful or compelling way to engage the viewer’s eye and attention. Landscape photography is one of the most appreciated genres of photography. While landscape photography is commonly joined with nature photography, a cityscape can also be considered a landscape in many circumstances.

History of Landscape photography

According to records, the earliest known evidence of a landscape photograph was taken between the years of 1826 and 1827. It was an urban landscape photo taken by a French inventor by the name of Nicephore Niepce.

Then in 1935 the English scientist Henry Fox Talbot came into play with various photography innovations.

Methods and Techniques of landscape

The ideal cameras you can use for shooting landscapes are DSLR and mirrorless cameras. While today’s most developed smartphone cameras are able to produce pretty nice landscape shots, they have yet to catch up to the quality of professional cameras.

Landscape shooters typically head out during golden hour (right after sunrise and before sunset) to get beautiful mixes of blue and orange in the sky. Pay attention to your image composition. The same basic image can change drastically when photographed from slightly different vantage points.

One problem with many landscape shots is that the subject is far away and there’s nothing to look at in the foreground. That gives landscape images a flat sameness that we want to avoid. As you look at some stunning vistas, pay attention to nearby rocks, plants, or even puddles of water that can add interest to your image and also create a stronger sense of the third dimension.

Artists have been painting the landscape since ancient times. The Greeks and Romans created wall paintings of landscapes and gardenscapes. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of depicting pure landscapes declined, and the landscape was seen only as a setting for religious and figural scenes. This tradition continued until the 16th century when artists began to view the landscape as a subject in its own right. The artistic shift seems to have corresponded to a growing interest in the natural world sparked by the Renaissance.

The term “landscape” actually derives from the Dutch word landschap, which originally meant “region, tract of land” but acquired the artistic connotation, “a picture depicting scenery on land” in the early 1500s (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000). A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal. The development of the term in the Netherlands at this time was logical because the Netherlands was one of the first places that landscape had become a popular subject for painting. At this time, the rising Protestant middle class sought secular art for their homes, creating the need for new subjects to meet their tastes; landscapes helped fill this need.

Birth of the Classical Landscape

Landscape with a Calm, Nicolas Poussin, 1650–1651

In the 17th century the classical landscape was born.

VS

The Modern Landscape

Irises, Vincent van Gogh, 1889

The 19th century held many milestones for the history of landscape art. As the Industrial Revolution altered the traditions of rural life, the old hierarchy of subjects crumbled. 

Comparison

Within these two famous paintings, you can instantly tell they are significantly different and have impactful contrasting qualities to one another but also similar. One similar quality they both have is they are both inspired by beautiful things. However the classic landscape contains man-made and is influenced by by classical antiquity and contains a ” rich” part of the land. Arcadia, a legendary place in ancient Greece known for its quiet pastoral beauty. In a classical landscape the positioning of objects was contrived; every tree, rock, or animal was carefully placed to present a harmonious, balanced, and timeless mood. This painting is also painted to look realistic and natural. Whereas, the modern landscape is not-man made and is natural in a different sense however is purposefully painted to look fake as if it has been painted. This creates a large contrast between the two. The modern landscape also only contains one natural object rather than multiple therefore you are only looking at one thing as there is no more eye catching objects.

Photography and the 20th-Century Landscape

In the early 20th century, painters continued to embrace the landscape. As photography gained acceptance as an art form, artists used the medium to create interpretations of the land through pictorialist effects and, later, through formal compositions of close-up, cropped views of the landscape. In America, photographer Ansel Adams captured the country’s attention with his breathtaking views of the wild beauty of the American West. Even though the major artistic movements of the mid-20th century were no longer dominated by the landscape as a subject, the genre’s importance continued as artists responded to fears of increased industrialization, the threat of global destruction, and ecological disasters.

In the second half of the 20th century, the definition of landscape was challenged and pressed to include concepts like urban landscapes, cultural landscapes, industrial landscapes, and landscape architecture. Landscape photography continued to evolve and rise in popularity. American photographers like Robert Adams and William A. Garnett used the medium to raise awareness of conservation concerns. Today, the landscape continues to be a subject artists turn to when contemplating the ways we relate to the places where we live and the impact we as humans have on the land.

SUBLIME IN ART

What is Sublime?
Sublime is the quality of greatness beyond all measure. The Sublime is a western aesthetic concept of ‘the exalted’ of ‘beauty that is grand and dangerous’. The Sublime refers to the wild, unbounded grandeur of nature. Sometimes, we photograph things that are awe-inspiring and not necessarily beautiful.

The sublime is both beautiful and terrifying in its power or potential darkness. Artists explored the sublime in depth through art using paintings and drawings of the imagination, however they could often turn into nightmares. Natural landscapes were mighty and nice to look at and people admired the aesthetics but they were always dangerous.

Ansel Adams’ photographs of towering mountains and canyons are arguably major expressions, exemplars and evokers of the sublime in photography. The sublime involves the formlessness of uplifting spectacles and produces feelings of awe and terror.

Humans subconsciously connect to nature as we admire it as we live in it however this contrasts as we also mistakenly destroy it e.g. by polluting the air, cutting down trees and leaving litter around. Us as humans are not grateful enough for the nature that we are given although we admire it. This is a large contrast within how we feel vs what we do which creates a significant debate.

Within this image, there is a disaster however it is sublime. The natural and non-man made objects are beautiful but the concept within its self is not but it is however grand. The clouds and other images are beautiful no matter the context. This makes it sublime

FAMOUS IMAGES

Richard Wilson 1713–1782

ROMANTISM

The Age of Romanticism (1800-1900ish)

Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. Travel to the turn of the 19th century to experience the Romantic musical, literary, and artistic movement.

Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. For most of the Western world, it was at its peak from approximately 1800 to 1850.

How did romanticism change art?
Along with plumbing emotional and behavioural extremes, Romantic artists expanded the repertoire of subject matter, rejecting the didacticism of Neoclassical history painting in favour of imaginary and exotic subjects. Orientalism and the worlds of literature stimulated new dialogues with the past as well as the present.

Today, Romanticism can be found in a wide cross-section of film, television, literature, music, and art. Whether it is a focus on the eternal power of nature or an audience’s visceral reaction to a particular medium, contemporary society is ripe with Romance in the Romantic sense.

Romantic artists often sought to capture the moods, feelings, and emotions of their subjects, using expressive compositions, vivid colors, and dramatic contrasts of light and dark. Nature was another important theme in Romantic art, with many artists exploring the beauty and power of the natural world.

There are strong echoes of Romanticism in contemporary concerns about the environment and the need to appreciate and preserve it. Romantics also embraced the foreign and the exotic, especially eliciting an interest in Orientalism, and this too affected the history of art.

The Industrial Revolution 1760-1840 was based upon the efficient exploitation of nature’s raw materials and labour as new scientific theories developed by the Enlightenment thinkers were quickly transformed into practical, money-making applications.

MOODBOARD

A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.

Although paintings from the earliest ancient and Classical periods included natural scenic elements, landscape as an independent genre did not emerge in the Western tradition until the Renaissance in the 16th century. In the Eastern tradition, the genre can be traced back to 4th-century-ce China.

In the 16th century the renaissance happened which the culture and style of art and architecture developed during this time. A German Renaissance Master. Painter, draftsman, and printmaker active in Regensburg, Albrecht Altdorfer (around 1480–1538) was a major German artist of the 16th century.

Classical Landscapes

In the 17th century the classical landscape was born. These landscapes were influenced by classical antiquity and sought to illustrate an ideal landscape recalling Arcadia, a legendary place in ancient Greece known for its quiet pastoral beauty

Nicolas Poussin spent most of his career in Rome, immersed in the study of ancient art, where he painted classically inspired works for an educated elite. His art has long been considered the embodiment of the ideals of seventeenth-century

classicism.

Romanticism

Landscape painting eventually gained prominence in the late 18th century with the rise of Romanticism. Romanticism is a literary and artistic movement marked chiefly by an emphasis on the imagination and emotions: the quality or state of being romantic.

Additionally, it became a method of self-expression, with the emotions of the painter and their appreciation of nature demonstrated in the painting.

Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes was a French painter who was influential in elevating the status of En plein air (open-air painting).

1826 and 1827
According to records, the earliest known evidence of a landscape photograph was taken between the years of 1826 and 1827. It was an urban landscape photo taken by a French inventor by the name of Nicephore Niepce

Mood Board

landscapes are natural scenery, photos and paintings of land.

 

my photos

FEMININTY VS MASCULINITY

Femininity refers to traits which are associated with nurture whilst masculinity refers to traits which are associated with assertiveness.

Definitions:

Femininity= “qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls.”- google

Masculinity= “qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men or boys.”- google

femininity and masculinity are binary opposites which means it is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning.

mood board:

femininity

masculinity

Ways identity can be influenced.

Identity is not certain and constantly changes around different factors.

Place– The place a person is from can influence identity because we hold memories which relate to other people who have been or lived there compared to the people who do not have these memories.

Upbringing– The physical environments where children live affect their development and health. The conditions of a place can have positive or negative influences on child health and development. Environmental exposures early in life can cause lasting changes in developing biological systems.Our families play a crucial role in shaping our values and identity. They can help us become more confident, compassionate, and curious, or they can make us more insecure, selfish, and closed-minded. The good news is that we have some control over how we let our families and friends influence us.

Cultural– Culture influences our beliefs about what is true and false, our attitudes including our likes and dislikes, our values regarding what is right and wrong, and our behaviours.

Stereotypes– Impose limitations on the people they target, assign them roles that are not necessarily suited to them and make it harder for them to be their true selves, girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing. Men are generally expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold. Every society, ethnic group, and culture has gender role expectations, but they can be very different from group to group.

Political– Certain people are brought up to follow normalities of their society ran by politics, this affects people by having strong beliefs which you may not understand until you are older but still follow in to or they may follow different beliefs’ those people would be very different as this is a part of their identity and how they believe and act.

Mind maps on femininity and masculinity.

Artist Reference

Claude Cahun

“Claude Cahun (1894-1954) was an artist, photographer and writer. She is best known today for her surreal self-portrait photographs which show her dressed as different characters. Cahun questioned the accepted status-quo, particularly the position of women, through her art and in the way she lived her life”- jersey heritage

This photo of Cahun also deals with the theme of masculinity. Because of the stereotype that men should be tough, strong, and protective of women, Cahun (women), who are typically supposed to look more feminine, actually look more masculine. Cahun relates to this stereotype because of the props she uses. In this photo, she uses support weights, suggesting that she is strong and tough, which is closer to male characteristics in society. Cahun is a more masculine woman in order to show society that gender fluidity is real, stereotypes are not accurate most of the time, and that women can also be masculine (and vice versa). Disguise yourself as a “character” or another version of yourself. ). However, her makeup in this photo also suggests that she is very feminine. Because at that time, society considered it appropriate for only women to wear makeup. Although Cahun wears feminine makeup, the use of more masculine props allows her to be feminine and masculine at the same time, increasing her gender fluidity. This proves the stereotype that men are strong and tough and women are weak and emotional. Because carrying femininity suggests that women can be just as strong and tough as men.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman works, play with womanish conceptions. Masquerading as a myriad of characters, Cindy Sherman( American, born 1954) invents personas and tableaus that examine the construction of identity, the nature of representation, and the artifice of photography. To produce her images, she assumes the multiple places of shooter, model, makeup artist, hairstylist, and hairstylist. Whether portraying a career girl, a fair stunner, a fashion victim, a zany, or a society lady of a certain age, for over thirty- five times this relentlessly audacious artist has created an eloquent and instigative body of work that resonates deeply in our visual culture, this also shows how the women we see in movies aren’t real, because Cindy is showing she can embody all these different identities and challenging the roles of females.

Cindy Sherman inspired my photo shoot by challenging stereotypes.

response shoot:

For this edit I have used four photos which have a binary opposite, the female model look unprepared and nervous, whilst carrying a briefcase, the briefcase indicates a work and serious environment, whilst the male model is assertive in his stance and looks as if he is on the move to show how a business man may be rushing around, he is also holding the briefcase up in comparison to the female model where it looks like it is holding her down. I paired these photos with close ups of the briefcase to give it a different perspective, in the top right photo the prop is darker with different rays of light on the side and handle to show it has been used but also is intriguing to open. The photo on the bottom left is brighter which makes it shine and appear cleaner and more elegant. I have used black and white for all of these photos because I think it helps to create a sense of work and power.

Cindy Sherman showed how things we see in tv aren’t real life and that the model or actor could be anyone so I made this photo into black and white as I believe it helps to emphasise the body and challenge the stereotypes of females and femininity. as you can see I kept the vibrancies but turned down the saturation to get the black and white but still have some colour in the skin.

I like this photo because it has a “feminine side” then a harsh line where it is much darker to show a split in fitting in to the background and being yourself. the skin shows us her but the darkness represents what we don’t know about her.

I like this photo as it shows strength from the male models which is a key feature in masculinity and the stereotypes of men but it also shows the female model being flexible which is a strength for females and plays on the “different roles/ aspects” for femininity and masculinity.

Ansel Adams was a photography born in San Francisco in 1902. During the 20th century. In April 1902, there was a big earthquake in San Francisco that caused the death of around 3,000 people. Ansel Adams broke his nose during this earthquake and caused his face to be disfigured, this caused him to be extremely shy in school because he was insecure about his injury. His dad moved him schools several times however Adams was never happy or settled which then meant his dad home-schooled him so that he could be comfortable in his own home. Adams was really into music and he loved to play the piano, however as the years went on he realised he would never become a professional musician. For his 14th birthday he received a camera called a box brownie which he was extremely pleased with. He first visited Yosemite National Park when he was 14 and he admired the views of all the mountains and the cliffs. He started to take photos of the views and he would climb cliffs to get a perfect picture from a high point. He had visuals of what he wanted the photographs to look like however he never achieved these pictures until he used a red lens and increase the shutter speed, after doing this he created his perfect picture and was extremely satisfied. Him and his friend, Fred Archer created something called the zone system :

Which splits the full range from black to white into 11 separate zones. This helped him in his photography because he would determine where each zone fits into his image.

In 1927, Adams became the trip photographer for the Sierra club which protected the wildlife and the nature of the Sierra Nevada and is now the biggest and oldest environmental organisation in the united states. After this, his role in the Sierra Club rapidly got more important and he started organising hikes and talks about the Sierra Nevada and his first photographs and writings became published on the clubs bulletin. He started to become very involved in the political side of the Clubs activities and was suggesting proposals for improving parks and wilderness areas and became a representative for the National Yosemite Park.

Later on in his life he was known best for his landscape photography and was often known as the “Father of landscape photography”. He took most of his landscape photography in Yosemite National Park because he was extremely moved by the experience he had when he visited the place for the first time. Adams photography is unique because of the realist style he uses to portray Yosemite National Park as it appears, whether as other landscape photographers use a pictorialist style to create an artistic image.

I really like Ansel Adams photography because it is very eerie and dark however it is also beautiful and graceful in its own way. This clearly links to the romanticism sublime because it is a very intriguing picture with several different aspects of beauty however the darkness makes the viewers feel nervous and anxious as there is no clear story of what is happening in the picture. To link to enlightenment, we can see that the picture is intended to be a picture that is negative because of the dull colours and the tone of colour on the trees and the mountains, this is contradicting as this picture is of a place he used to visit when he was young and it means something to Ansel Adams and it brings him joy and happiness when he is there because of the nostalgic feeling he gets.

Edward Weston

Edward Weston was an American photographer in the early to mid-20th century, he was best known for his careful composed, sharply focussed images of natural forms and landscapes. On his 16th birthday he was gifted a camera, this influenced him to start taking photos. Weston once said, take a picture of something ordinary, and make it extraordinary.