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?

Mirrors and windows, windows allow the viewer/audience into distant settings, experiences which the viewers have not yet experienced. Mirrors do the opposite and reflect personal identity and emotions. Both mirrors and windows represent two key aspects of life: Internal discovery, finding out about yourself and the other is exploring your surroundings. Every photograph, whether using a window to capture a outward experience or a mirror to get personal emotions, they both tell a story or message. Both windows and mirrors allow photographers to balance storytelling with expression of emotions and themselves.

Images inspired by Robert Frank [WINDOWS]

Frank’s images can be considered windows as they show photos that separate the people in the image from the viewer. his images are able to provide a view into another world where both an objective and subjective perspective can be shown. it shows the view of a moment in time which we don’t experience ourselves. this could be things such as a different culture that isn’t ours showing that we wouldn’t experience this moment however we are getting a view into someone else’s reality. windows may sometimes bring across an emotional aspect where the viewer feelings certain feelings towards the image and what is going on as they experience a glimpse of someone else’s reality.

Images inspired by Man Ray [MIRRORS]

Man Ray creates images that are considered mirrors by using reflective surfaces to distort images where he is able to present his subjects in unique ways. he manipulates the images which creates a break between what is real and what is illusion. He does this by placing mirrors in certain places which create the distortions. The image that is considered a mirror doesn’t usually include everything, it only captures what the photographer chooses to show and then allows to the viewer to interpret it from there. Mirrors in photography can be used to show identities and personal opinions and thoughts. like an actual mirror, they can be used to reflect how we see ourselves. they provide reflections of internal and external meanings and influence the way we perceive ourselves or what the photographer wants us to see. overall mirrors are not just a direct reflection, photographs like this are able to share deeper meanings and allow the viewer to be subjective with how the interpret the meaning. The image that is considered a mirror doesn’t usually include everything, it only captures what the photographer chooses to show and then allows to the viewer to interpret it from there. Mirrors in photography can be used to show identities and personal opinions and thoughts. like an actual mirror, they can be used to reflect how we see ourselves. they provide reflections of internal and external meanings and influence the way we perceive ourselves or what the photographer wants us to see. overall mirrors are not just a direct reflection, photographs like this are able to share deeper meanings and allow the viewer to be subjective with how the interpret the meaning. The distortions could reflect certain emotions like confusing or self insecurities.

My Images I consider mirrors [inspired by Man Ray]

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

Photographs that are considered MIRRORS:

Mirror photos are usually called this when the photographer is trying to demonstrate or reflect something that they feel about themselves. John Szarkowski in his text, said a mirror is “reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it” and “a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of the world”. Mirrors in photography reflect or represent reality or emotions. The image that is considered a mirror doesn’t usually include everything, it only captures what the photographer chooses to show and then allows to the viewer to interpret it from there. Mirrors in photography can be used to show identities and personal opinions and thoughts. like an actual mirror, they can be used to reflect how we see ourselves. they provide reflections of internal and external meanings and influence the way we perceive ourselves or what the photographer wants us to see. overall mirrors are not just a direct reflection, photographs like this are able to share deeper meanings and allow the viewer to be subjective with how the interpret the meaning.

Photographs that are considered WINDOWS:

Window photos are usually called this when the photographer takes images where they try to demonstrate their opinion and how they feel about the outside world. John Szarkowski said a window is “through which one might better know the world” and “through window which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality”. a window photograph are able to provide a view into another world where both an objective and subjective perspective can be shown. it shows the view of a moment in time which we don’t experience ourselves. this could be things such as a different culture that isn’t ours showing that we wouldn’t experience this moment however we are getting a view into someone else’s reality. windows may sometimes bring across an emotional aspect where the viewer feelings certain feelings towards the image and what is going on as they experience a glimpse of someone else’s reality. this is importantly used in documentary photography where images are windows to historical events like the wars and how whoever views the photograph now is not currently living that historical period and so its a look into the past and therefore a different reality.

Example of MIRRORS

This is an example of a mirror. I chose this image as first of all it is a self-portrait so it is already showing personal views from the photographer and not of something/someone else. the individual is acting as the subject as well as the photographer. The image reflects on society expectations of women identity and roles. though her images reflect herself they are also reflecting many other individuals realities and the societal ideas.

Example of WINDOW

This image was taken on a photographers trip to India. I considered this a window image as the photographer is not from there so they aren’t ‘mirroring’ their own life but instead showing a representation of something else. The image is very real and factual as it’s showing their environment and life through the image. The focus is on the two boys however the boys juxtapose their surroundings. The boys are seen to be quite happy and excited to be involved in the image but in comparison to that their background seems like an unhealthy environment to live in.

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.

For this photoshoot, I experimented with a variety of different poses, which I thought somehow reflected me and my emotions in that moment. I don’t like some of the photos I created, as I felt they were a bit rushed and could’ve been improved through the angles and lighting.

I did like this project because I felt like it was different to my other ones, but I think it was quite difficult to successfully produce images which shows a clear story within it.

Edited images:

Cropping:

After experimenting with many different facial expressions, as well as different lighting, I am happy with these final outcomes as I like how there is a variation of different moods. We used soft lighting and a black background to create a dramatic affect, so that all the focus is on the subject.

Contact Sheet

Unlike the mirrors photoshoot, this requires me to capture an uninfluenced by me, scenario. I chose to use sports photography to represent this, specifically motorbike racing.

Edit One

Within this photo I liked how the motion blurred cones have framed the bike. The colours were strong but over exposed but overall the photo needed minimal editing.

Edit Two

I wanted a natural shot, one showing the behind the scenes to the racing. This was perfect, a quiet moment in the pits photographing a few of the bikes. Again the photo needed minimal editing, just simple correction to the over exposure.

Edit Three

This shot is a combination of the previous two, showing not only the bike but the timer. Again needing basic colour correction for the over exposed areas.

Final Photos

For these final photos I created a trio that depict the atmosphere and environment of the motorbike racing. The windows genre is about capturing the uninfluenced reality, meaning I didn’t pose any of the shots, instead walking around and composing images that I think show the atmosphere with no interruption from me. When editing the shots I chose to keep bold, bright colours adding the feeling of the photos, however they didn’t need much editing due to the windows method.