For this project the first thing I had to figure out was what I liked and what I didn’t. I realized I didn’t want to have this story based on repetitive photos of boats so I decided I wanted to use some of my more abstract photos and focus of specific items within the harbour and use the close ups of those objects and materials.

These were the final images I had selected to become part of my zine.

I also tried to switch the colours so if the image on the left was quite bright orange and the image on the right was dark brown the image on the left would have a dark brown background. I really liked this for a while as it added lots of contrast between the images.

Finally I had decided on using the actually image itself to go behind. I felt like that worked perfectly because it obviously had the same shapes so it matched very well and yet because the opacity was a lot lower it was drawing your attention away and it wasn’t like it was trying to just expand the image. The only thing I had to decide on was weather I was going to have the images in black and white or with the colour. I decided on using the colour for behind the images as I felt that the black made the the originally photo look different and it was kind of taking away my attention from the main image to the page as a whole which is not what I originally wanted.

Plan for Mirror Photos

For my ‘mirror’ photos I would like to take images of buildings and edit them by using photos of graffiti and layering them on top. These would be mirror photos as they are staged, due to the editing, and display a false environment.

This is my inspiration:

This is an image by a photographer called Matt Embee who went around the Baltic Triangle Area of Liverpool capturing street photos. This image has been edited using double exposures, displaying buildings and graffiti. For my own images, I would also like to experiment with photos of graffiti, creating altered landscapes of an already urban environment or perhaps even a building within a natural environment such as the little white hut in St Ouen.

Matt Embee

Matt Embee is a Manchester Wedding Photographer who has gained many awards is photography such as Masters Manchester and he has been selected as one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the UK. Furthermore, Matt has been doing wedding photography for around 13 years and he enjoys capturing human emotion and interaction. Although Matt is mainly a wedding photographer, when he has time spare he likes to test his photographic skills. In 2018, along with a group of wedding photographers, Matt travelled to Liverpool, specifically the Baltic Triangle, to experiment with double exposures and capture images of graffiti and the industrial heritage of the area. Here are some other images from this photoshoot:

Since I will be going to Liverpool, whilst I am there I will try to capture photographs of graffiti to use for my final products.

Plan for Window Photos

For this photoshoot, I would like to focus on the beauty of the natural environment, creating photographs that will contrast to the urban, manipulated environment of the previous ‘mirror’ photos that I will create. This links to previous projects such as Anthropocene and The New Topographics as my photoshoots will present 2 different landscapes, one that has been transformed by humans and the other which has been untouched. For this photoshoot, I am going to focus on photographing the movement of the sea at a slow shutter speed. I will have to do this at a time of day where it is dull and there is not much light such as early morning or in the evening as I don’t have an ND Filter. I will take these photographs by using a tripod and setting the camera to a low ISO and slow shutter speed ranging from about .4 to 2 seconds. Some locations I may go to include Plemont, Greve de Lecq, Bouley Bay and St Catherine’s Woods.

My Inspiration:

Glyn Dewis

Glyn Dewis is a photographer who lives in the South West of the UK. He also educates people on photography through YouTube and his 4 books:

Furthermore, Glyn is an ambassador for various companies such as BenQ, Westcott Top Pro and Calibrite. Glyn’s photographs have also been on the front cover of various magazines and he has presented at various conferences and exhibitions around the world for Photoshop and Adobe.

At the start of 2019, Glyn Dewis began his 39-45 Portraits Project which lead him to photographing surviving WW2 veterans. This resulted in Glyn to become an Ambassador in the Veterans Charity.

I learnt about Glyn Dewis through his seascapes project, in which he captures remarkable photographs of colossal waves crashing over rocks and brisk flow of the sea. He takes these photos on his iPhone using a tripod and phone grip then retouching them on his iPad in Lightroom.

Here are some of his photographs:

John Szarkowski’s theory highlights that photography can either show the world around us (windows) or express the photographer’s inner world (mirrors). Both the approaches offer valuable ways to see and understand photography as a viewer externally.

What is the difference between Windows and Mirrors?

The difference between Windows and Mirrors is that Windows are considered as documentation and reality/truth, meant to show the world as it is as looking outward from the photographers perspective. It is not set up and positioned for the photographers liking and self-expression but more for authenticity. As mentioned before they reveals theses truths about people, places and’ or events. It shows us a new perspective and insight to the world around us/ something we may not otherwise experience. An example of this could be a photographer/journalist trying to capture a war zone or a photographer that specialises in landscapes showcasing nature through photography (windows).

Mirrors are refections of the photographers “inner thoughts” or personal feelings and vision. The photos express their emotions as well as their interpretation of the world rather than showing the “objective” reality (more subjective so based on personal opinions rather than on facts). The photograph becomes a almost reflection of the artists inner world and/or personal vision. An example of this could be a photographers (conceptual) creating a surreal image to explore their emotions or a self-portrait ( meant to express identity).

The mindmap above I created for Windows as well as Mirrors includes such examples of photographers that do such work as well as examples of their work that I might take inspiration from and other photograpnhs that I think fit the theme and ideologies.

Key words associated with Windows: Candid, Factual, Truthful, Realism, Everyday, Clarity, Authenticity, Shared, Experiences, Depicted, Outwards and/ or Representation.

Key word associated with Mirrors: Manipulated, Posed, Artistic, Surrealism, Distorting, Provoke, Alternative, Extraordinary, Unfamiliar, Exploration and/ or Reflecting.

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

Photographs which are ‘reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it‘ – John Szarkowski, 1978, are considered to be mirror photography, as they are giving insight to the artists personal life. Mirror photography is often subjective and open to interpretation. Whereas window photography gives you a view into someone else’s life and experiences. Window photography allows you to explore the world and it can be a form of documentation, which is often objective. It allows you to understand more about the world as John Szarkowski said, ‘through which one might better know the world’ –  John Szarkowski, 1978.

Mirrors:

• Subjective (open to interpretation)
• Reflects artist
• Reflections
• View into your own life
• Manipulated
• Synthetic
• Personal

I believe this image is a form of mirror photography as it is personal to the photographer. It is an image of the photographers freezer which contains their food, this makes it quite a personal image as it is showing the world what they have got inside of their own home, and what they eat. It is also subjective as people may have different opinions about the freezer and its content, making it a mirror image.

Windows:

• Objective (not open to interpretation)
• Outside world
• Documents
• Real
• Public

This is a form of window photography as it is a view of the outside world, and it is real. It can also be a form of documentation as they are photographing what appears to be factories, making it a window image.

The origin of photography originated in 1822 where Nicéphore Niepce created a photography technique named heliography. Since this phenomenon, multiple interpretations of photography have also been discovered. Such as the process of the Daguerreotype created by Louis Daguerre, is created after capturing the image exposing it to mercury vapor which brings the visible image to life. There was also another significant photographic process in history named the Calotype created by Henry Fox Talbert. The Calotypes is a negative-positive process which is also known as the ‘paper negatives’, created by using different light sensitive chemicals and salts such as silver nitrate and silver chloride. These Calotypes differed from the Daguerreotypes due to people in the photos looking ‘on the edge of being present’ and seen as looking not quite alive due to a low sharpness and graininess, this caused a loss of fine detail. Whereas Daguerreotypes being very detailed and clear, making them stand out amongst other images. I believe that Daguerreotypes represent ‘mirrors’ in a multitude of ways. This is due to the fact the images produced by Louis Daguerre are very reflective and change when exposed to different angles of view. This is very well symbolized through the sharply defined one-of-a-kind photographs on silver-coated copper plates. They are also usually packaged behind glass and kept in protective cases like a mirror is. I also believe Calotypes signify windows as these images were mainly popular due to the fact they captured a moment in time, this relates to windows as whilst looking through a window you are witnessing a moment in time that will never occur again. Like the camera viewfinder, windows frame our view of the world. We see through them and light enters the window so that we can see beyond. This idea is supported through the quote “The photograph is seen either as a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographers sensibility as it projects itself onto the things and sights of this world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality” ¹ I believe there is a direct contrast within the concept of windows and mirrors due to the fact tableau focuses more on picturesque or dramatic effect and appear absorbed whereas documentary photography focuses more on straightforward and accurate representation through reality not fantasy. 

Paragraph 1

This image is a mirror due to the framework and people posing that have been used to produce it. This photo demonstrates a girl who is not especially rich, but her friends are. The girl is dealing with the pressures of the world and struggling with keeping up with it all. However, due to her beauty, she is able to enter the popular, higher-class group of people. However, she believes in substance over beauty and did not want to be included only for her looks and instead for her personality. This photo creates a mirror in the image as the main character in the photograph is seeking more than what the eye can see. This also demonstrates tableau photography as the models are arranged in a certain way to create a dramatic effect on the viewer, simply by posing and displaying in a potential stage-like setting. The photographer Laura Greenfield photographs acclaimed chroniclers of youth culture. These photographs reveal insight into the daily lives and rituals of women. Her photos range from extreme to more genuine photographs. She photographs girls of all ages from pre-schoolers to post-grads, with a multitude of different jobs. The thing I admire most about Lauren Greenfield’s work, is her exploration of the peer pressure, exploitation and sexualization which women experience, and how it may affect their emotions of self-worth, these themes can also be reflected through tableau photography. This topic she explores is clearly demonstrated through her photographs due to the specific scenes she chooses which show the hardships women face throughout life. I chose this photograph especially as it portrays a mirror metaphorically as it is reflecting the females place and feelings in the group as she is displaying how young people grow up quickly under the influence of Hollywood. A quote from John states “the difference between the thing that is shown in a photograph or the subject of the photograph and the photograph is the actuality in the acceptance of fact by the photographer”² this quote particularly inspires me as it reinforces the idea that the photograph might be more important than the thing itself and how every person interprets a photograph differently. This relates to a photo being a window as the image will act metaphorically as a window for the viewer to look through and create an opinion on it immediately.

Paragraph 2

This image demonstrates a ‘Window’ due to the fact it demonstrates an objective expression of darkness, sombre and danger rooted in a sense of realism. The slum in which it was photographed is named ‘The Bend’ which is known well for being filled with abuse and murder being a casual everyday occurrence. After viewing this photo, the viewer automatically feels a sense of uncomfortable and uneasy feelings as the ‘gang’ portrayed in the photo looks eerily at the camera leaning on curbs and stairs, having a not-so-welcome atmosphere. The photo also includes a woman with her child, leaning out the window, this makes the photograph even more sinister and unsettling as the idea of innocent and helpless people may face the idea of being killed due to it being a common occurrence in this area. This creates a ‘Window’ or documentary style photograph as the viewer can easily see through the photograph a sense of poverty and desperation for safety and security whilst also revealing the terror and the sorrowful lifestyle of urban immigrants facing the Mulberry Street ‘bandits’.  John Szarkowski’s words “A window is a device that invites the outside world in” ⁴, explain how windows serve as both literal and metaphorical frames in photography. This also explores how windows connect the interior world with the exterior world. This idea of ‘Windows’ through photography explores photography allowing observation and interaction with the outside environment through a picture. This relates to Bandits’ Roost as the camera lens with a slight vignette style, accompanied with the harsh light and ‘haphazard’ compositions convey the chaos of living in poverty.” 

Conclusion.

In conclusion, both of my chosen images represent the way photographs can be both ‘mirrors’ and ‘windows’ of the world as they represent human experiences and viewpoint of the world and how they are affected by issues. John Szarkowski’s theory of photography as a reflection of the Photographer’s Inner world and being a window onto the world overall, continues to create an impact and shape multiples opinions on understanding the variety of ways in which photography can engage with both the world and the self. Although Pearl might highlight the limitations of Szarkowski’s approach, he also highlights how the rise of digital photography has changed images as photos can be manipulated, layered and changed due to how images are created and consumed in the modern day. Although both of my chosen images demonstrate the ideology of ‘windows’ and ‘mirrors’ effectively, I believe the second photograph, (Bandits’ Roost, 59 1/2 Mulberry Street- Artist Jacob Riis) which portrays a well- known neighborhood famous for poverty, crime, and overcrowding, is a stronger demonstration of the metaphorical term ‘window’. The photograph demonstrates a powerful statement about the need for urban reform. This use of displaying the harshest of conditions serves as a tool for social justice, by documenting these conditions as an advocate for change. Although the first image ( Mijanou and Friends- Laura Greenfield) also demonstrates a powerful message of women’s’ lives and how they differ from men’s, I believe Bandits’ Roost conveys a more ‘real’ message as It captures a moment of social reality without any sense staging or preparation compared to tableau photography, I like how it is an example of pure documentary realism.  

Footnotes.

1. Mijanou and Friends from Beverly Hills High School on Senior Beach Day, Will Rogers State Beach | Cleveland Museum of Art ↩︎
2. The Thing Itself | COMD2330_Digital_Photography_spring16 ↩︎
3. Documentary Photography Movement Overview | TheArtStory ↩︎
4. John Szarkowski | MoMA ↩︎

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHS THAT ARE WINDOWS AND MIRRORS?

Mirrors and windows are ideas of a binary opposite. ‘…two creative motives…’ [Szarkowski, 1978] that have conspicuous contrasting ideas.

Windows: 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. 

Mirrors: Reflection in photography is also known as mirror photography. Its basic premise is capturing an image that also has a reflective surface that is echoing the surrounding scenery.

KEY WORDS

Mirrors: subjective, reflections, visions, psychological, expressions, manipulated, synthetic, personal.

Windows: objective, views, documents, optical, straight, public, real.

BINARY OPPOSITES

FOLDER

2. Paragraph 1 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a mirror and analyse how it is a subjective expression and staged approach to image-making. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review which either supports of opposes Szarkowski’s original point of view. Make sure you comment to advance argumentation in providing a critical perspective.
4. Paragraph 2 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a window and analyse how it is an objective expression rooted in a sense of realism. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review and follow similar procedure as above ie. two opposing points of view and commentary to provide a critical perspective.
6. Conclusion (250 words): Refer back to the essay question and write a conclusion where you summarise Szarkowski’s theory and Pearl’s review of his thesis. Describe differences and similarities between the two images above and their opposing concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, realism and romanticism, factual and fiction, public and private.

My 3 Chosen Quotes – John Szarkowski

1. “is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?”
2. “The two creative motives that have been contrasted here are not discrete”
3. “ultimately each of the pictures in this book is part of a single, complex, plastic tradition”

My 3 chosen quotes – Jed pearl

Introduction

Within the origin of photography, there are two photographic processes; Daguerreotype and Calotype. The Calotype process first produced a photographic ‘negative’ in the camera, from which many ‘positive’ calotype prints could be made, whereas daguerreotypes were a one-off image. The differences between both the Daguerreotypes and the Calotypes is that Daguerreotypes are sharply detailed images preserved on a copper plate whereas Calotypes are black and white images preserved on paper. With Daguerreotypes I would say they are more referable to mirrors as Daguerreotypes are more detailed and when you look into a mirror there is only one focus point and that’s you in full detail however with calotypes they represent windows as there is a lot more to see but it is not in detail and is all seen from afar creating a much wider picture with a lot to it rather then one set story etc. A quote from Szarkowski theory is “is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?” This is a question which he asks which I would have to say my response to this is that a mirroring image showing the artist behind the work creates a much more in depth story and meaning to it whereas a calotype being represented as a window also does create a vision into learning more about the world however with so much going on through a window its hard to know the true stories to every person, structure and animal within.

Paragraph 1

This image represents mirrors as it represents this lady’s life.

question: what are the differences between images that windows and mirrors?

John Szarkowski believes that photography falls into two categories, these categories are known as windows and mirrors. As Szarkowski states  “The distance between in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: it is a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?”. To put it simply when making an image does it represent you as an artist if so this would be a mirror image, or does it show the exterior world, with its natural elements this would be a Window image.

words that associate with mirror photography

subjective

reflective

personal

unique

aesthetic

individual

romanticism

words that associate with window photography

documentary

realism

views

objective

optical

unaltered

genuine

artist that include windows and mirror photography

(mirror image: Richard Hamilton)

Richard Hamilton was a painter who created painting based on his views and ideals on the world which is was what made them unique and different. he produced his own atheistic which is what is known as pop art and was it to be believed to be one of the first paintings consisting if pop art. These are the reasons to why I believe this image is indeed a mirror image as it fits the criteria of Szarkowski’s theory’s about photography.

(window image: Ansel Adams)

Ansel Adams was a landscape photographer who travelled all of America to capture images similar to the one above. His photography consisted of capturing the beauty of nature in ways never seem before in photography which is was made his work so special, he visited Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, all the time to capture its change over the years of his career making it documentary, realism and unaltered which is why this contributes to the mirror aspect of Szarkowski concept of his photography theory’s.

where?

school

function

streets of jersey

my home

work

who?

colleagues

family

friends

students

teachers

aim:

to present images that represents “windows or mirrors” accurately to the images and artists I have studied

how?

take photos around the school, work, home, and the streets of jersey.

artist studies:

Ansel Adams

Richard Hamilton

Introduction

Photography turns the ordinary into extraordinary, with the use of different mediums it frames reality. One medium is the Daguerreotype, created by Louis Daguerre who is known as one of the fathers of photography. The Daguerreotype is a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper, plated with a thin coat of silver. The surface was polished until it looked like a mirror, which is also what the images are categorized as according to Szarkowski. Reflection of the Subject: Unlike the calotype, which is more about capturing a scene, the daguerreotype directly reflects the subject in a detailed and almost literal way. Intimacy and Presence: Szarkowski noted that daguerreotypes often convey a sense of intimacy. Clarity and detail can evoke a personal connection John Szarkowski said, ‘a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it’.¹ The Daguerreotype was mainly used for portraits and personal images, that created a narrative. Representation of Reality: Szarkowski suggested that the calotype, like a window, offers a view into the world. Subjectivity of Perspective: While a window provides a specific view, it also filters what is seen based on the viewer’s position and the window’s frame Szarkowski presents a binary theory of photography as an art, in agreement to this we have the Calotype created by William Henry Fox Talbot. It was an improvement of the daguerreotype. A sheet of paper coated with silver chloride was exposed to light in a camera obscurers. Henry Fox created outdoors images, as Szarkowski explains ‘a window which one might better know the world’.² Overall, I agree with Szarkowski’s theory of binary opposites when it comes to window and mirror photography, opposites are what create a string, a pathway to create narrative throughout imagery. Although I do not agree that all photography stays within this binary line, I believe that some images may dip between either a mirror or a window creating a hybrid image. 

Paragraph 1: ^{Mirror Images}

This image is a mirror due to the use of models, and the framework that has gone into it. Pinckers has used tableaux, a group of motionless models to tell a story, and the story being told here is clearly linked to romanticism which is another feature of mirrors. This image is very subjective, up to an individual’s ideas, this is created by using little to no anchorage, for example the use of covering the models’ faces but leaving the face of a young boy who is taking photos of the ‘couple’. The images look like fiction, it’s not a real story it has been invited, we can see this by the use of objects, by using the exact moment the boys flash went off and using scarf to cover them, creating a staged scene. Szarkowski describes mirrors as ‘ a romantic expression’³, which is clearly portrayed here by the closeness of the models, leaving to imagination what is happening under the scarf. When he refers to mirrors as “a romantic expression,” he likely delves into the idea of reflection—not just in a literal sense, but also metaphorically. Szarkowski’s appreciation for mirrors as a romantic expression underscores the transformative power of photography—how it can reflect not just the external world but also the internal landscapes of human experience. On the other hand, Jed Pearl critiques the use of mirrors in art by highlighting their dual nature.⁴

(add a quote here by Pearl as an example of his critique)

While mirrors can create compelling visual effects and engage viewers, Perl often points out that they can also lead to a superficial understanding of art.  

Paragraph 2: ^{Window Images}

This image is a window using documentary, it consists of facts and isn’t staged, it is a fact that this place exists within the world, and this is what happens there. It is candid in the sense that it is straightforward, it portrays true realism, the actual situation it has no models within it that have had time to pose. This makes the images very objective, not letting people really put their personal opinions on it because it is so straightforward. It has a straight and optical view, with an open view it creates a public atmosphere, this landscape is not hidden to anyone or anything. Szarkowski describes windows as ‘ the exterior world explored in all its presence and reality’.⁵ Unlike mirrors, which reflect the self, windows invite viewers to engage with the world outside. They serve as frames that reveal the complexity of reality, capturing moments that are often rich with context, emotion, and narrative. They offer a glimpse into different environments, cultures, and experiences, enriching our understanding of the world. On the contrary Jed Pearl critiques, the use of windows in art by examining their potential to create a false sense of immediacy or authenticity. He argues that while windows can provide a view into the external world, they can also distance the viewer from the true essence of the scene being depicted. “An imperfect knowledge of the past” ⁶In essence, Perl’s critique serves as a reminder that while windows can enrich visual storytelling, they should be used thoughtfully to ensure that they enhance rather than detract from the depth and substance of the artwork. 

Photography is an incredibly unique art, it’s like no other in the essence of how many different forms it can create not only how many different modes it can make for example portrait vs landscape, but also in the essence of windows vs mirrors. John Szarkowski and Jed Perl offer insightful frameworks for understanding these dual roles, allowing us to explore the complex relationship between representation, reality, and perception in photography. Szarkowski describes mirrors as reflective surfaces that reveal the self, emphasizing personal introspection and the subjective experience of the viewer. Conversely, Szarkowski’s concept of windows focuses on the external world as it exists in all its presence and reality. Jed Perl provides a critical lens through which to examine these concepts. He critiques mirrors for potentially fostering a sense of narcissism, where the viewer becomes more focused on their reflection than on the artwork itself. Perl also highlights the superficiality that can arise from the use of windows in photography. Pearl argues that windows do provide a view of the external world, but they can also lead to a representation that is almost rules over and portrayed in a specific style, which might belittle and gloss over the deeper emotional engagement and understanding. In conclusion, Szarkowski’s theory of mirrors and windows provides a very valuable framework for understanding the oppositions of photography. Mirrors open the door for a subjective exploration of identity and emotion, while windows assist an objective engagement with the external world. Perl’s critique enriches this discussion by reminding us of the potential pitfalls associated with each approach, emphasizing the need for a deeper exploration beyond mere surface representations.  

1. Mirrors and Windows American Photography since 1960- John Szarkowski ↩︎
2. Mirrors and Windows American Photography since 1960- John Szarkowski ↩︎
3. Mirrors and Windows American Photography since 1960- John Szarkowski
   ↩︎
4. A Review Of Mirrors And Windows 1978- Jed Pearl ↩︎
5. Mirrors and Windows American Photography since 1960- John Szarkowski ↩︎
6. A Review Of Mirrors And Windows 1978- Jed Pearl ↩︎