What are the differences between photographs that are WINDOWS and MIRRORS.

“Mirrors” were images meant to mirror the photographer’s own sensibility. “Windows” were photos meant to act as a window for the viewer to see something that is primarily factual and external to the photographer’s own sensibility.

A mirror image would reflect the photographer. The photographer may be in the image, and it will reflect the photographers actions, displaying a clear meanigning.

A window image would be up to the viewers subjectivity, something that just sees straight through the camera lens without anything added.

“The two creative motives that have been contrasted here are not discrete. Ultimately each of the pictures in this book is part of a single, complex, plastic tradition. Since the early days of that tradition, an interior debate has contested issues parallel to those illustrated here.” – John Szarkowski, 1978

Key Words

MIRRORS: tableaux, subjective, romanticism, fiction, staged, personal, reflective, manipulated…

tableaux

A group of models/humans/motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history.

subjective

Something based on personal feeling, influenced by tastes and opinions.

romanticism

A movement in the arts and literature in the 18th century.

fiction

Something that is invented or is untrue.

staged

Planned, organised or arranged in advance.

personal

Belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else.

reflective

Relating to or characterized by deep thought, portrays a persons feelings or has a larger insightful meaning.

manipulated

Handle or control in a skilful manner, controls or influences a person.

WINDOWS: documentary, objective, realism, candid, public, straight, optical, views…

documentary

Consisting of facts or based on facts. Using pictures to provide a factual report.

objective

Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.

realism

Rejects imagination and creates fact, a close observation of outwards appearance’s.

candid

Truthful and straightforward. A photo taken straightforward, maybe without the models attention that it was even happening.

public

Concerning people as a whole, perceived or portrayed in an open view.

straight

Photography that attempts to depict a scene or subject in sharp focus and detail.

optical

Utilizing light, straightforward.

views

The position in which the camera sees the scene.

Upload your chosen image and describe why the image is either a mirror or a window, or both.

I think that this image is a window. Due to it being documentary, it shows a factual story with the use of raw actions. I think it also connotates realism, something that is not subjective, its straight. It has a clear view using a clear optical lens. This image also seems very candid, like the models didn’t even know it was being taken.

Although the image could also be a mirror because, of its use of romanticism. And the way it looks almost staged and planned with the use of motionless characters (tableaux).