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.

Photographer, John Szarkowski, grouped photographers’ work into categories of those whose work reflects the subjectivity of the artist in comparison with those who look to portray the outside world. 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?’.

Photographs that could be seen as a ‘mirror’ would be photographs which are subjective, reflections, expressions, staged etc. Whereas, photos which are ‘windows’ would be more objective, documentary, real and truthful, they show the external world.

Windows:

This photo above, from Rafal Milach, would be seen as a ‘window’ image. This photograph could be a staged image or it could be a real moment between these people. Either way, the photograph is capturing a moment in time, which gives the viewer a look into their life.

Mirrors:

This photograph, by Cindy Sherman, is a ‘mirror’ photograph as it is a reflection of herself. She is the model in this image but also, the photo is a message reflecting her thoughts and opinions. This photograph portrays a woman in the kitchen which is where, stereotypically, woman should be.

Overall, I am very happy with how this zine turned out. I was able to make it exactly how I intended when I made a mock up version. My images are presented in an order to take you through and around the harbour, ending in the maritime museum to show the detailed artefacts. My narrative, is to show different aspects of the harbour rather than one area in detail. So, I decided to add in a couple of images of different harbours/ different views of the harbours as the main images and then I added different features of the harbour to summarise the local environment. I think that the images I used and paired with each other on the pages, work really well together and makes the zine better than if I had just added images in. I used photographs which had relations to each other and which were good quality. I think I have developed this project well after making it into a zine, making me able to portray my best images.

To create my zine with images from the harbour and the Maritime museum, I opened InDesign selected the amount of pages I needed then made the measurements width: 148mm,
height: 210, pages: 16, orientation: portrait, columns: 2, column gutter: 5mm, margins: top, bottom, inside, outside: 10mm, bleed: top, bottom, inside, outside: 3mm.

I ma using this zine to create a story with my images taken from the photoshoots. My photos will all link in with each other and I am going to pair certain photographs together which relate to each other.

I printed out the images that I wanted to use for the zine, in small, to make a mock up zine. Unfortunately, the printer had some issues with colours but it still allowed me to make a plan for the zine. I placed the images in the order that I thought would work well together.

I started by using the rectangle frame tool to draw out the size I wanted to import my image to and where on the page I would like it.

Once this was done, I used the short cut, ctrl D, to select my chosen image. I then needed to go into fitting and decide which setting made my photo fit the best, without it cropping and without it going over the border.

For this photoshoot, I went to the Maritime Museum which displays many pieces and facts about Jersey’s maritime history which I took photos of. I then walked around the old harbours and to Victoria pier taking photographs of the old and new parts.

If I were to redo this photoshoot, I would capture more, better images of the artefacts and things inside of the maritime museum. Although I did try to take images of these things, they didn’t turn out as well as I would have hoped and I would’ve liked to incorporate them alongside the images of the boats, harbours, piers etc.

Edits:

For this photoshoot, I walked along the harbours and photographed the structures and landscapes along with the smaller details. I tried to capture the historic side and the modern.

This photoshoot was fairly successful as I was able to capture a small variance of photographs of different aspects of the harbours. However, I would have liked to capture more images of the areas as a whole and the formations of the different harbours.

Edits:

Since the prehistoric days to today, the sea has been Jersey’s way of connecting to the outside world. We are surrounded by water meaning people would use our maritime routes to people travel and settle making new families and communities. For the island communities, their ports and piers are symbolic and practically significant.

The islands, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, were separated from mainland Europe with rising sea levels in the Neolithic period, which is when maritime activity commenced.

Needing to trade, the islanders were innovative. Over time they built up skills, earning money and investing capital in maritime businesses.

Jersey merchants sold and bought cod from Canada. Many merchants were engaged in the Atlantic trade, referred to as the ‘merchant triangle’ with commodities of manufactured goods and agricultural products.

They sailed to and/or traded with the British Empire, other European colonies in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South America and even going to Hong Kong and Australia.

Sugar, molasses, rum, cotton, coffee and tobacco were all different good which Jersey merchants exchanged for cod-fish.

Jersey cod-merchants also exported cod-fish to British colonies in the West Indies and later Brazil in exchange for plantation goods, which it brought to markets in America, Europe and the UK (including Jersey). Because of this, Jersey benefitted from the profits made in the British Empire build on a capitalist model of a slave-based economy.

Stories of the sea, about voyages, encounters and even shipwrecks holds mythological and romantic notions in the imagination of humans. For centuries, artists, writers, poets and filmmakers have been inspired by the see and the unknown secrets of it.

Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa.1818–19. Oil on canvas

Jersey’s Harbour History

St Aubin harbour in early 19th century

St Aubin used to be the main harbour for Jersey merchants. St Helier then became the central maritime hub. However, St Helier harbours were too small for the larger ships and increasing tonnages, with both drying out at low tide. So, Jersey added a few piers to its harbour, such as Victoria and Albert Piers.

View of St Helier Harbour, 1903 © Société Jersiaise

St. Helier Harbour and Waterfront, present day

Saint Helier Harbour is the now main harbour in Jersey. It’s on the south coast of the island, and occupies most of the coast of St. Helier.

• Henry Mullins & Carte-de-Visit

Camera Obscura & pinhole Photography

A camera obscura (camera obscuras; from Latin camera obscūra ‘dark chamber’) is the natural occurrence where in a blacked out room with only a pinhole of natural light, the outside view reflects inside and upside down – like a projected image. The physics behind it is, the rays of light travel in a straight line and change when reflected and partly absorbed by an object. Similar to how, our eyes observe the world upside down but our brain flips it the right way round for us to see it how we do. Camera obscuras with a lens in the opening have been used since the 16th century. They then became popular ways to draw and paint. In the first half of the 19th century, this was developed to be the photographic camera.

Nicephore Niepce & Heliography

The term, heliography, derives from helios (Greek), meaning “sun”, and graphein, “writing”). It is the photographic process invented, and named by Joseph Nicephore Niepce around 1822 which he used to make the earliest known surviving photograph from nature, View from the Window at Le Gras (1826 or 1827). This method consisted of dissolving light-sensitive bitumen in oil of lavender and applying a thin coat over a polished pewter plate. He inserted the plate into a camera obscura and positioned it near a window. After it had been sat, exposed to sunlight for days, the plate yielded an impression of the courtyard, outbuildings, and trees outside. 

Louis Daguerre & Daguerreotype

Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer who became known for his invention of the daguerreotype. This is a process of photography which is done with a silver-plated copper plate that had to be cleaned and polished until it looked like a mirror. After that, the plate was sensitized in a closed box over iodine up until it took on a yellow-rose appearance. The plate, held in a lightproof holder, was then transferred to the camera. After exposure to light, the plate was developed over hot mercury until an image appeared. To fix the image, the plate was immersed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate or salt and then toned with gold chloride.

Henry Fox Talbot & Calotype

Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype in the 19th century, this way of photographing images is done by Iodising a sheet of writing paper by applying solutions of silver nitrate and potassium iodide to the paper’s surface under candlelight before washing and drying. Then, Sensitise the same surface using a “gallo-nitrate of silver” solution. You would then dry the paper and load it into a camera obscura, exposing it to light. After, remove the paper and brush it with 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.

Robert Cornelius & self-portraiture

In 1839, Robert Cornelius used makeshift camera, with a lens made from an opera glass to take the earliest extant self-portrait, daguerreotype photograph. He had decided that the daylight was adequate to expose the prepared metal plate within the camera and take a photograph of himself. To do this, it required him posing for 10-15 minutes without moving.

Julia Margaret Cameron & Pictorialism

Julia Margaret Cameron was an English photographer who’s main focus was portraits in the 19th century. She is known for her soft-focus close-ups of famous Victorians as well as her illustrative images which depicted characters of Christianity, mythology and literature. The start of her photography journey was when she was 48, after her daughter gave her a sliding-box camera.

The term pictorialism is an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality, which is what Cameron’s images are.

Henry Mullins & Carte-de-Visite

The term, ‘Carte de visite’ translates from the French as ‘visiting card’ or ‘calling card’. These were album prints which were usually portraits and were then mounted on thick card to stop the image being creased. Henry Mullins was the most prolific Jersey Photographer in the 19th century. He is known for his portrait photographs of islanders between 1848 and 1873, in his studio in the Royal Square, St. Helier.

To start off, I added my first two images and moved them around to figure out what kind of layout I would want. I used the column lines to measure up my images and used the margins to base where the photos should go.

After I added all of the images, I chose one specific photograph to be bigger than the rest to stand out as I feel it is a strong image. I then inserted an image and moved it to the back and lowered the opacity to have a subtle background. I also added an eye-catching title which describes the images used and added text about St. Malo and the images that I used.