I created my first virtual gallery using an empty gallery image from online. I then imported it into Adobe Photoshop. I then imported 5 images that I felt were relevant to each other and would look effective on a wall together. I decided this was the best arrangement for my photos and I carefully put them in a good order and add a drop shadow and changed the ‘skew’ and ‘perspective’ necessary to make it look 3D.

For this virtual gallery I attempted to put 7 images in one virtual gallery. This was possibly a less effective idea as the wall looks very cramped and too ‘busy’ in my opinion. I then tried two different arrangement in order to see which one looks best. However, next time I would do two separate empty gallery images to import m images, this will make these virtual galleries more high quality and effectively convey the message I am trying to create.

For my photoshoot in response to documentary and tableaux photography, I think it would be really beneficial for me to research many different artists, both images with windows and mirrors, in order to get a broad spectrum to choose from that I feel most drawn to and also ensure that I completely understand the concepts and motives behind the images I am going to shoot.

Mood Board:

Many of these photographers have really deep intentional meaning behind them whilst others explore the world in both abstract and documentary ways. If I do decide to use a photographer with images that have controversial or deep personal meaning behind them, I need to ensure that I carry out my own photoshoots in a respectful and considerate way in order to be aware of the concepts, purposes and symbolisation behind what the photographer intended with their own images.

Mirrors:

For this photoshoot on mirrors, I will make my images reflect myself, I will aim to take photographs of myself, potentially of people close to me and objects which would reflect me that are personal. The images will be staged and I will experiment with different image types, whether it be portrait, or candid-looking photos. I will portray myself in these images of how I see myself and how I’d express myself. The intent will be similar to Cindy Sherman’s work and how she uses herself in images, portraying the view on her, and women.

Windows:

For the second half of this photoshoot ,the images I will produce will be ‘windows’. I will take photographs of places around Jersey, as a window to show of the island. However, I am not going to just take typical landscape images, I also want to show off more specific parts of the island such as a building or different entities of the island, rather than only scenic views.

Intro-

With the emergence of the Camera in the early 19th century, two photographic processes were developed: the Calotype and Daguerreotype. produced by Henry Fox Talbot, in 1841, the calotype, used paper, coated with silver iodide. Exposed to light in a camera obscura, these areas hit by light would become darker and develop a negative image, using other chemicals this could begin to ‘develop’ an image on the paper. This developing process permitted a much shorter exposure time in the camera from one hour to one minute.

The Daguerreotype, made by Louis Daguerre in around 1839, was produced by silver-platted copper that had been cleaned and polished to a mirror-like surface which would then be sensitized in a closed box until it became a yellow/rose colour. from this it would then be placed within a camera and once exposed to light, developed over hot mercury until an image appeared, to fix the image it would be immersed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate or salt and then finally toned with gold chloride.

“The basic material of photographs is not intrinsically beautiful. It’s not like ivory or tapestry or bronze or oil on canvas. You’re not supposed to look at the thing, you’re supposed to look through it. It’s a window.” ¹

– John Szarkowski

“In the past decade a new generation of photographers has directed the documentary approach toward more personal ends. Their aim has been not to reform life, but to know it.” ²

– John Szarkowski

With Calotypes, being more easily transportable than the Daguerreotype, though its historical usage, It is more commonly used with John Szarkowski’s thesis, of window photography. Using the natural occurrence of camera obscura too, this relied on the natural light of outside. Daguerreotypes on the other hand, with its more complex process off transporting its sheets of photographed copper, these where widely used with portrait photography, with the focus being more-so around Daguerre this can be seen as more reflective of him as an artist, fitting into Szarkowski’s category of mirror photography.

Para 1 –

‘Suzanne on her bed’, 1983, Nan Goldin.

This Image to me conveys Szarkowski’s conceptional thesis of mirror photography. Although not being an image of the artist herself, through the context of the photograph and general assumption of the shoot location we as an audience can deduce that this is someone she knows and is conveying details of her own life. I know that from the artist herself she is quoted to say that when first producing these images, the audience consisted “entirely of the people in the slide show, my lovers and friends.”³ for this reason I believe that with this staged image, it is used to convey Goldin’s life through a individual and characteristic medium. Another quote to support my argument can be found where Goldin goes onto say that her photographs aimed to capture “fragments of life as it was being lived.”⁴.

“It is the realist view that the world exists independent of human attention, that it contains discoverable patterns of intrinsic meaning, and that by discerning these patterns, and forming models or symbols of them with the material of his art, the artist is joined to a larger intelligence.” ⁵ Through this quote, Szarkowski suggest that by taking what is known in the world such as with window photography, artists like Goldin, re-invent their existing meanings and reflect themselves more to the world through their photographs, like a mirror. Despite being staged, her work captures that “anthropocentric” nature of preserving humanity’s past as an artform. As Jed Perl states about Szarkowski’s thesis, “The very technology of photography contains an admission that the “world exists independent of human attention” —a photograph is, after all, a record of nature, of the world’s lights and shadows. A photograph provides, to use Szarkowski’s word, an “autobiographical” response to a realist situation.”⁶ from this it can be seen that Jed and Szarkowski’s idea’s both can be found in Goldin’s work, documenting life, subjectively it shows her own perceptions through visual illustrations of life. Through this example it also shows how both elements of mirror and window photography can co-exist with one an other within an image. It can be asked however being staged images, does this over-exaggerate that period of time? like with the Romanticism era of art, which portrayed an idealistic depiction of the countryside, does Goldin’s portrayal of life in the late 80’s do the same? this is what proposed Szarkowski’s thesis, which divides photography with photos either being a ‘Mirror’ or ‘Window’.

Para 2 –

‘Brussels’, 1932, Henri Cartier-Bresson.

This Image to me is applicable to Szarkowski’s thesis of mirror photography. Within this Image and many more of his work, Cartier-Bresson’s aim was to capture the world and its people candidly through time. From my own knowledge I know that Cartier-Bresson’s’ photos are based around his expressional concept of the ‘decisive moment’. Capturing day-to-day people and places at a perfect point in time, Cartier-Bresson’s photography can be seen to transfer them into captivating artworks of a documentative aesthetic. Unaltered in their contents, Cartier-Bresson can be quoted to say “Of all the means of expression, photography is the only one that fixes a precise moment in time.” ⁷. How I find this is related to mirror photography can found with the argument that his snap-shots, Photographing the world of the past, connotes to me the sentiments behind mirror photography of showing the world we live in. Visualising the world in the notion of realism, this to me is being conveyed in Cartier-Bresson’s work. Although his work is acknowledged by Szarkowski, the idea of the ‘decisive moment’ is not something that Szarkowski seems entirely fond off.

“The photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson tried to indicate the importance of choosing the visually correct instant to make an exposure by referring to it as the “decisive moment.” Is the picture of a steeple falling from a burning church the same as the picture of the burnt remains?” here Szarkowski implies that, despite his contributions to window photography, he believes that Cartier-Bresson’s images create an impact from its artistic timing, and less so from its intended documentative purpose. Szarkowski states that “Viewers should also ask themselves how an image would be historically different if it had been taken earlier or later.” “stopped it creates a slice of time, a picture rather than a whole story.” ⁸ To me this suggests that Szarkowski wishes to convey a larger narrative within his photos, however due to the nature of photography is limited in that respect to documenting a single point in time, with the photographer being in control of when the picture is taken, this may suggest Szarkowski is saying that within window photography, aspects of its opposite, ‘mirror’, seep in through the artists own creative choice. taking Inspiration by the images produced by Cartier-Bresson, Szarkowski names another American photographer who with his work, ‘The Americans’, 1958, displays an accurate example of his thesis of how photography can be a ‘window’. As he states: Robert Frank’s (The artist) work “characterizes opposite modes of the new photography, with its divergence between those who believe that art is a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, and those who see it as a window, through which one may better know the world.”⁹

– John Szarkowski

‘Democratic National Convention‘, 1956, Robert Frank.

As Jed Perl’s describes Szarkowski’s opinion of Robert Frank’s work, he states that he moves “toward an introverted “realism,” involved with the “exploration” of a private “window” on the world.” ¹⁰ Despite not believing in Cartier-Bresson’s conception of the decisive moment it can seen in comparison that Frank has taken inspiration from this idea.

Acting as a ‘window’ into our world, both of these artists captured and documented the world around us, with Frank taking influence on Cartier-Bresson’s style, It can be said that his photographs mimic the aesthetic of Cartier-Bresson’s. Reflective of his style, This can contribute to some aspects of Mirror photography, as artists recognisable for their own style, show some sign of individualism with their style. Here it can also be said that this shows that some aspects of ‘mirror’ photography can exist within a documentative ‘window’ photographer.

Conclusion –

In conclusion, I find that these two images are perfect examples into how to differentiate Szarkowski’s theory of ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Windows’. To understand how both ‘mirror’ and ‘window’ photographs can exist within the world of photography, a study into these images show how. With Goldin’s romanticised and unique images, this shows her interpretation of life through a reflective recreation of art. In a similar way Cartier-Bresson displays his interpretation of life, through a documentative and more naturalistic approach. Although different in terms of aesthetic, both are representative of the lifestyle of the human being, and how we perceive it. Upon a singular examination into one of the two photographs, it is evident upon analysis on how they differ: with Goldin’s staged images, analytical into her own personal life, this is far more expressive of her own thoughts and impressions of herself as an artist. With Cartier-Bresson on the other hand, his work is much more public, being outside, his images show realism through the unknown people captured within his photographs. Unlike Goldin, he doesn’t explain who these people are and for this reason is much more documentative of the people, but is limited with its lack of description of who he captures. As Szarkowski states “From his photographs [the photographer] learned that the appearance of the world was richer and less simple than his mind would have guessed. He discovered that his pictures could reveal not only the clarity but the obscurity of these things, and that these mysterious and evasive images could also, in their own terms, seem ordered and meaningful.”¹¹ here Szarkowski implies that despite the idea of two forms of photography with their own conceptual definitions, both generate the same outcome of depicting the world in all its naturalisms and ambiguous meanings. As Jed Perl states “The possibilities of photography, like the possibilities of any art, are as great or as small as the visions of artists.”¹² Through this quote it is fair to assume that what makes an image either a window or a mirror is entirely up to how the photographer interprets.

1. https://photoquotes.com/author/john-szarkowski ↩︎
2. https://photoquotes.com/quote/in-the-past-decade-a-new-generation-of-photographe ↩︎
3. https://www.moma.org/artists/7532 ↩︎
4. https://www.moma.org/artists/7532 ↩︎
5. https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_2347_300062558.pdf?_ga=2.54789417.324587201.1678794436-79728838.1664367708 ↩︎
6. https://archive.aperture.org/article/1978/2/2/mirrors-and-windows-messages-from-moma ↩︎
7. https://shuttermuse.com/inspirational-henri-cartier-bresson-quotes/ ↩︎
8. https://photoquotes.com/quote/the-thing-itself–br—what-the-photographer-takin ↩︎
9. https://www.moma.org/documents/moma_catalogue_2347_300062558.pdf?_ga=2.54789417.324587201.1678794436-79728838.1664367708 ↩︎
10. https://archive.aperture.org/article/1978/2/2/mirrors-and-windows-messages-from-moma ↩︎
11. https://photoquotes.com/author/john-szarkowski ↩︎
12. https://archive.aperture.org/article/1978/2/2/mirrors-and-windows-messages-from-moma ↩︎

What is the difference between photographs that are mirrors and windows?

A mirror photograph reflects a portrait of the artist who made it. Its a “romantic expression of the photographers sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of the world”. Some words that are associated with mirror photographs are: subjective and naturalistic. In mirror images, the artist expresses themselves and focuses on exploring themselves as a person rather than the exterior world (as seen in windows).

On the other hand, window photography is where an artist explores the exterior world through photography in all its “presence and reality”. These images help those who are looking at it to understand the world further.

Szarkowski pointed out that most people and photographs will not fall perfectly into one of these sides but fall somewhere in between

Key words associated with mirrors and windows

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

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

Examples

A photographer who has produced both documentary (window) work and deeply personal work (mirror) is Nan Goldin. Goldin’s work is a reflection and document of her own life from the 1980s. The journey that is documented takes the viewer through key events in history but seen through the eyes of Goldin. The window part of her work has grown over years and now we can see the documentary side of the work and the extra historical meaning related to the work. However at the time when the work was being shown as slideshows within nightclubs in the 1980s, all people saw was the mirror at the photographs projecting Nan Goldin’s love and feelings towards the subjects. Goldin even named one of her exhibitions “I’ll be your mirror”, a retrospective of Goldin’s work to date held in 1996. Goldin has taken self portraits during an abusive relationship and of friends/ lovers, which is clear evidence of a mirror photograph.

The photography of the window has been taken to the extreme by photographers such as William Eggleston. Eggleston is a photographer that takes pictures of the world as he sees it, without any context or explanation. The pictures are deadpan and snapshots. Unlike Goldin, who took pictures for herself first and foremost. He photographs without a hierarchy within his photographs. There is not a part or subject of the picture that is more important than the other. There is no narrative to the works, Eggleston presses the shutter and moves on. The photographs form a straight document of the subject, almost scientific in nature. 

Although this image appears to be a window image at first as it just looks like a photograph of the exterior world, as you look closer, you can see there is a line going down the centre of the image. This line could be from a football pitch or from grass that has been rundown due to people walking over it. In reality, the artist Richard Long purposefully created the line by walking on that piece of grass. Therefore, this image could be seen as a mirror image too as its a reflection of his art style.

This image is a window image as it appears the photographer has simply opened up his fridge and photographed it how it was (no manipulation made to the setup of the foods). Therefore, this is more of a documentative image, meaning the image is more of a window image rather than mirror.

This image is also a window image as it it exploring the exterior world with no manipulation to the setting. However, you could argue that there is a sense of mirror photography in this image as Ansel Adams (the photographer of this piece) chose to take this picture for some reason. This may suggest he has a personal reason for choosing this place therefore giving a bit of insight into him as a person.

What are the differences between photographs that are windows and mirrors?

Window

Definition: Window photography focuses on observation and perspective. It captures external subjects from a specific vantage point, often suggesting a barrier between the viewer and the subject.

Purpose: This approach allows the audience to observe life as if peering through a window, fostering a sense of distance and sometimes curiosity about the lives being depicted.

Examples:

• Street photography capturing candid moments of everyday life.
• Images taken through windows, highlighting the separation between the viewer and the outside world.

Techniques:

• Framing compositions that emphasize the window or barrier.
• Utilizing depth of field to draw attention to subjects outside the frame.
• Incorporating reflections of the photographer or environment in the glass.

Words to describe window photography:

• authentic
• objective
• public
• visually restrictive
• single perspective

Mirror

Definition: Mirror photography emphasizes reflection and self-examination. It often involves capturing images that serve as a mirror to the viewer, reflecting their experiences, emotions, or societal issues.

Purpose: This style invites viewers to see themselves in the image. It can provoke introspection or prompt them to consider their own identities and circumstances.

Examples:

• Self-portraits where the photographer is both the subject and the observer.
• Images that depict universal themes of struggle, identity, or emotion.

Techniques:

• Use of reflections in mirrors, water, or glass.
• Close-up shots that capture personal details or intimate moments.
• Contrast and light manipulation to enhance emotional depth.

Words to describe window photography:

• self expression
• romanticism
• subjective
• candid
• naturalistic

Conclusion:

Mirror and window photography are vital concepts in understanding how images can communicate complex ideas about identity, society, and perspective. Whether used individually or in combination, they offer rich avenues for exploration and expression in the art of photography.

Both styles can overlap. A photograph can function as both a mirror and a window, reflecting personal experience while also observing the outside world.

Both approaches can serve as powerful tools for commentary on societal issues, identity, and the human condition.

In storytelling, mirror photography often explores the internal landscape of characters, while window photography may depict their external circumstances.

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How can photographs be both ‘mirrors’ and ‘windows’ of the world?

In the 19th century, the art of photography started to develop into what it is today. Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer who became known for his invention of the daguerreotype – a process of photography which is done with a silver-plated copper plate transferred to the camera after going through a particular procedure. After exposure to light, the plate was developed over hot mercury until an image appeared. Not long after this process was invented, William Henry Fox Talbot came out with the calotype which is a photographic process done by iodising a sheet of writing paper by applying different solutions under candlelight before washing and drying it. Then, you would sensitise the same surface and dry the paper and load it into a camera obscura, exposing it to light. After, you would remove the paper and use the same sensitising solution to develop the image. Lastly, rinse the negative with water, wash it with a solution of potassium bromide, and rinse it again before laying it out to dry. The difference between these two photographic ways, is that the calotype process first produced a ‘negative’ in the camera which many ‘positive’ calotypes could be made, whereas daguerreotypes were a one-off image. According to John Szarkowski, the images produced from both of these processes would be considered windows. This is because, the photographs would depict views of the outside world, trees, houses, hills etc. which is then giving the viewer another way to look at this view, causing it to be a window as the only thing you are seeing are external factors. They would also be portraits, continuing to make these classified as a ‘window’ as portraits portray a person (or people) in their state, peering into their life. John Szarkowski wrote, ‘The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph 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?’. I think this view of photography can be considered a good one however, photography is so subjective and without context, it can be hard to surmise whether a photograph is a ‘window’ or ‘mirror’.

– Nan Goldin

This image above, would be considered a ‘mirror’ image as it is a staged photograph of Nan and Brian in bed. As the photographer is in the photo, this image is reflecting her in, what we would assume, her natural environment. It is a subjective photo, there are different ways in which someone might observe this image, for example the story and meaning behind it can be interpreted different.

Jed Pearl’s review of Mirrors and Windows suggests that Szarkowski’s view of photography, ‘windows and mirrors’, is a binary theory which Szarkowski claims isn’t a fixed pattern but a “continuous axis”. Although he says this, his thesis still suggests that photographs only fit into these two categories. Photographs can be a ‘mirror’ reflecting the artist, who they are, what they stand for etc. and they can also be ‘windows’ – a way to show the world in another view and to document the external environment. But, photographs can also be a mix of both, photographers all have different intentions for their photographs and why they are taking them or why they are photographing their subject, making them fit into one category, both categories, or neither.

– Garry Winogrand

This image presented above, is what would be viewed as a ‘window’. This is because the image is capturing a real moment in time, including many different people and their different lives. The focal point I would say, is the three women walking in the centre of the street, the centre of the image. Our eyes are drawn straight to them and from this one image we can make assumptions about their lives and who they are. We can see the three women looking to the left of the image where we see a young man in a wheelchair, however with him, there isn’t much for the viewer to learn about him, leaving us wondering about his life. The last group of people in the foreground, is what appears to be a family sat on a bench although we can only see the little boys face and none of the others. This image isn’t portraying the photographer, it is a raw moment experienced by all of these different people, looking into their own lives.

To conclude, Szarkowski’s view of photography, ‘the distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph 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?’, could be a nice way to look at photography as it is able to group images together or differentiate between them. However, I think that we should use this viewpoint as photography is such a subjective concept, even when images are objective, they can be taken in and interpreted differently from person to person. If a photographer wants to present their image in a certain way or in either of these categories (windows and mirrors) then it is a good way for them to do so but that isn’t always the case.

Introduction

With Photography originating through the use of the camera obscura, a tool believed to have been used since 400BC, this brought about this instantaneous form of ‘drawing with light’. As this optical phenomenon filled rooms of light with images, many pioneers of photography attempted to find more practical ways to invent processes that could fix the image on a surface.

One of these pioneers was Louis Daguerre in 1839, creating the visual experience now known as the Daguerreotype, creating ‘people on the edge of being present’. This would be done initially by polishing a metal plate and laying silver grains upon the surface of it due to them being light-sensitive. Then, this would be placed inside a large format camera and exposed to light from hours to days in order for the light to be reflected back through. After this, the plate would be heated, then cooled with water with extreme caution. This was because if the daguerreotype was touched in the slightest, the image would melt away and be destroyed, wasting the many tools that had to be used. These had high monetary value too, meaning that if the Daguerreotype had been melted away, the artist would have missed out greatly. Due to the fragile element of this photographic process, these would typically be placed into special housing such as wooden boxes, an open model or a folding case which included red velvet too for protection and luxury.

Then came the salted paper and Calotype production of Henry William Fox-Talbot. Talbot first began by applying “silver salts” onto salted paper, creating silver nitrate reactions from the light-sensitivity. This was then exposed to light for many days and then darkened producing negative images. These appeared like shoebox sized cameras and were named mousetraps and were very difficult to use because if it was disturbed it may just get darker and darker so that its only experienced momentarily. Overall, calotypes were better than Daguerreotypes due to it being easily distributed, reproduced and were much cheaper. Whilst they both used light sensitive silver salts, the Daguerreotypes required a lot more tools and metal plates which would have been extremely difficult to find and afford back in the 19th century.

In my opinion, I believe that Daguerreotypes should be categorised as mirrors, due to the fact that they are fictional and staged, with the subjects within the image sat posed in a tableaux-style. I feel that from a certain perspective, however, this can be perceived as a window due to it looking objectively and as if it is documenting someone of importance, yet I think that the loss of candidness makes the Daguerreotypes more of a mirror. I also think that the formal tone of these images pushes the Daguerreotypes to be categorised as a mirror because they can be interpreted in a subjective way, for example the people in the images pretending to be someone of importance and wealth when that’s not what actually defines them.

On the other hand, Calotypes can be majorly categorised as windows, due to these paper negatives documenting the landscape, for example, in an objective and truthful manner. These images identify with realism because their entire concept is external to the photographer with no personality behind it.

In accordance to John Szarkowski’s thesis, he states that ‘The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is.‘, which stood out to me as it looks at what photography actually is from a different perspective, being that photography isn’t defined by how original your images are or what is within the image, but focuses on the different perceptions of photography and the different associations made. I think this quote is really important because it shifts the narrative of photography from being technical and critical, and instead towards a more conceptual, intentional and meaningful form of expression.

Mirrors

For my example of photographs as mirrors, I chose this image by Gregory Crewdson named ‘Untitled’. Crewdson’s image of a girl in a unclean room followed by a trail of scattered, picked apart roses portrays themes of suburban anxiety, disorientation, fear, loss, and longing. Using a wide-shot angle, Crewdson paints this storyline of vulnerability and abnormality, with the image looking slightly disorientated. A woman sitting in her nightgown on the edge of the bed, emulating a child with her slumped demeanour, followed by piles of roses and thorns. This image is a mirror due to his use of teams of riggers, grips, lighting specialists, and actors in order to create a scene that looks like a film still or a tableaux vivant. The subjectivity in the image is immense making it open to interpretation, for example the roses and thorns being a symbol for the hard journeys that Crewdson has had to go through in his life to get to where he is now. The ambient lighting placed strategically around the room gives the walls a tone of grey and navy in order to emphasize the woman’s distress and lonesome, however this is also tactical in making the viewer feel the same emotion as her. With the final story of this woman remaining elusive and concealed, this image has its roots in Romanticism because of the fairy-tale like aesthetic it has and how it becomes affiliated with the classic horror aesthetic; something terrible has happened, is happening, and will likely happen again. The use of artificial lighting makes it evident that this is shot in a studio, with the lighting being dramatically centred around her like a spotlight, drawing the viewers eyes to her initially.

Szarkowski idealises that his thesis is not a rigid pattern, but a ‘continuous axis, the two poles of which might be described by the terms proposed above’ whilst on the other hand, Pearl’s review criticises this, arguing that ‘its very nature, presupposes a “generous and inclusive acceptance of fact, objective structure,” and that the selection among these facts is the romantic, personal opposite built into any photograph of merit.’. To an overall extent, I agree with Szarkowski’s viewpoint of mirrors and windows being a continual categorisation method because not all photographs can be defined by subjectivity or objectivity, and may sometimes be both. This is because some images can vary, being personal and idealising a romantic expression of the photographs own perspective on the world whilst still being documentary.

Windows

Henri-Cartier Bresson’s photojournalism is a key example of realism photographs, especially this one entitled ‘Baghdad1950’. This image stems from how, in 1950, Iraq was undergoing significant changes, transitioning from a monarchy to a more modern state. The emotional resonance that this image gives the viewer through documenting the great poverty among the people of Baghdad at the time evokes nostalgia, curiosity and contemplation on the privilege that we hold within our own lives in comparison to the overpopulation that this image reveals. Bresson’s success in showing the exterior world that goes unbeknowst to us is incredibly moving because it captures a truthful story in a raw and real way. The monochromatic palette that Bresson has included has emphasised the contrast and texture, the dry and cracked walls from the hundreds to thousands of people passing by everyday, in order to draw attention to the subject matter and the emotions of the people.

The importance of photographs categorised as windows is evident here, forcing their viewers to resonate with themes of community, connection and existence of these underfunded places. Additionally, this enables us as the viewers to learn visually about the cultures, architectures, attires and customs in places that would go unseen otherwise, embodying a tension between modernisation and tradition to show a distinct civilisation. This realist viewpoint archives a pivotal moment in a city’s history that would have been missed or forgotten without this reflection of unique culture and universal aspects of human life. Without images such as these, activism and awareness would not exist, whereas with window photographs, we can get rich insights into the reality of others lives. Through Szarkowski’s thesis of ‘a window, through which one might better know the world?’ and Jed Pearl’s review stating ‘It is the realist view that the world exists independent of human attention’, I feel that these both can define not only Bresson’s image above, but define the meaning being the category of windows on a whole. They outline how the form of photography within windows can spread messages of crisis, hardship and difficulty better than words can describe, and provide evidence to richly detail this.

Conclusion

To conclude, photographs construed as windows, such as Cartier-Bresson’s objective approach into the lives of the people of Baghdad in 1950, reveals the innermost complexities of the varying cultures around the world and ensures that the opportunities of activism are given. Without images such as these, the world would be unaware of not only the difficulties other face in order to appreciate their own, but also enables people with less to gain higher opportunities and gives them the chance for their stories to be told through a lens. Alternatively, these images classified as mirrors allow photographs to envision a story and produce it in order to share private things in their lives of which they may have not been able to find the words to explain. Additionally, due to the subjective nature of these images, viewers can interpret the photographs into their own lives and apply it in realistic situations as a form of comfort. Along the lines of fictional storytelling, this allows exploration of intimate and personal experience and allows us to connect with one another through fictional stories that may resonate with our own personal beliefs and matters.

These opposing concepts of photography; the subjective and objective; the public and private; the fact and the fiction; realism and romanticism, provide alternative perspectives of not only what a photograph is but concurrently reflect the personal experiences that we all uniquely inhabit within our lives and contextualise the wider social issues and conditions. Crewdson’s image resonates with Szarkowski’s explanations of mirrors being that they ‘largely reflected the subjectivity of the artist’ and Pearl’s review of ‘Romantic is used here … as a term that suggests the central and indispensable presence in the picture of its maker, whose sensibility is the photograph’s ultimate subject, and the standard against which its success is measured.’. Additionally, Crewdson’s representation of fictional tableau in a personal format can also be defined by Szarkowski’s thesis of ‘work largely sought to seek outside themselves’ and Pearl’s review disclosing ‘ a generous and inclusive acceptance of fact, objective structure, and the process of logic and system.’ because they highlight the dynamic and potentially controversial aspects of externally documenting the alternating experiences of everyday life. By establishing the connection between photographs and the views of windows and mirrors, this allows people around the world to connect and enhance understandings of different realities.

Szarkowski, J. (1978), Mirrors and Windows: American Photography Since 1960. Museum of Modern Art: New York

I want to use all my artists study’s as a reference but i have my own plan of reality that I want to express, such as sexism, sexual assault and depressing life as a teenager. I think through windows and mirrors I can show this very well, I also want to show the positive side.