My first favourite topic we studied in November 2023 was lighting techniques in the studio. I particularly liked photographing people and my friends and then further editing whilst developing new skills on Adobe Lightroom.
Rembrandt Lighting– Rembrandt lighting is characterized by an illuminated triangle under the eye of the person, particularly on the less illuminated side of the face. It’s a popular technique because it creates images that look both dramatic yet natural.
Butterfly Lighting– Butterfly lighting is a lighting technique used by photographers where a light source such as a flash head is placed right above and ever so slightly in front ‘an exact 45-degree angle’ of the models face. This creates a small butterfly-shape made from a shadow under the nose. This technique is often used to make the model look thinner and their eyes look larger.
Chiaroscuro Lighting– Chiaroscuro was a compositional device developed by Ugo da Carpi, however high renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci was found out to have also helped to ‘pioneer’ the creation of Chiaroscuro lighting. Chiaroscuro is a renaissance painting technique which means “light-dark” in Italian. The theory of Chiaroscuro is that it is alwaysbest achieved by the effect of light falling on the model/ subject however it must also allow the shade to give two-dimensional figures a sense of volume.
This method of photography also helped me gain knowledge on tools used during photographs which I did not know were necessary. these photography tools called ‘reflectors‘ help to redirect light onto my model, I must remember that it does not It doesn’t create any light but it will move and redirect light that is created by a flash head create fill light and lessen shadows.
Portraiture and Experimenting with Colour.
During this topic particularly enjoyed using different models and using a honeycomb head and a snout head on the lights. I had one person standing next to the lights and holding the coloured gels. I wanted this person to be interchanging with multiple colours such as pink, purple, red, blue, yellow, white and green. I loved experimenting and having my models use different expressions and facial expressions to display their emotions. I wanted my photos to convey a sense of ‘false identity’ and mystery as they could possibly show the persons real ‘self’ or ‘story’.
This project also then extending my editing skills on Adobe Photoshop, as I experimented with different layering and colours to create a picture. I really enjoyed working with brightness opacity and colour settings to create optical illusions through my images. I really like this double exposure effect for my photos and I think it helps improve their meaning behind it.
Edits:
Experimenting with colour has helped me when doing the editing process of my images and how these different colours can reflect different moods and emotions in a piece of work through the characters.
Romanticism and The Sublime.
I really enjoyed researching and learning more about the history behind Romanticism and The Sublime, however I slightly struggled with the concept of creating photos to convey the concept of these eras in photography and art.
Romanticism– An artistic and intellectual movement which originated in Europe. Artists have been painting the landscape since ancient times. Wall paintings of landscapes were also created by the Greeks and the Romans. After the Roman Empire, people temporarily stopped appreciating pure landscapes and the landscapes were seen only as a setting for religion. This carried on until around the 16th century, then artists began to truly appreciate landscape as an important subject. Landscape first became popular in The Netherlands and people began to use it for painting, this worked perfectly for middle class protestants seeking art for their homes and wanting unique pieces of artwork.
The sublime– A combination of the internal/emotional and the external/natural world. It explores how humans allow our emotions to overwhelm our rationality as we experience the wonder of creation. It can also be described as the quality of greatness in multiple ways such as physically, morally, intellectually, metaphysically, aesthetically, spiritually and artistically. The term especially refers to a ‘greatness beyond all possibility’ of calculation, measurement, or imitation.’
My Mood Board.
Femininity and Masculinity.
Overall, I believe my favourite subject we have studied in photography was Femininity and Masculinity. This is due to the fact It is a fascinating topic for me and I really enjoyed researching different artists and photographers who dedicate their career to these themes and topics amongst gender and identity. For example:
Cindy Sherman:
This photographer takes the topic of Feminism and how women are domesticated. Her work on ‘Untitled Film Stills‘ particularly influenced me to attempt to replicate some of her photos for myself. These images encapsulate the images of femininity that, through the media culture of movies, had a hold on America’s collective imagination at the time.
My Mood Board.
Edits:
Femininity and masculinity, self-expression, gender stereotypes and identity is a subject I would like to revolve my personal study around. Due to the fact I have learnt lots about Cindy Sherman, Identity politics and culture wars. I believe this will help me to convey my ideas and portray the message I am attempting to create. I really enjoyed using historical context to produce a photoshoot that looks like its from the past.
Within the origin of photography, there is two photographic processes; Daguerreotype and Calotype. The main difference between the daguerreotype process and Talbot’s calotype process was reproducibility. 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 calotype was first created by Henry Fox Talbot. He created images when exposed to light, these images were easy to produce and easy to distribute. However, they faced many drawbacks such as the 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. However, these images were popular as they captured a moment in time, fixed into place which was profitable and popular at this time. Furthermore, Louis Daguerre was recognized for his invention of the Daguerreotype. The daguerreotype is made by after capturing the image exposing it to mercury vapour which brings the visible image to life. The image also then needs to be rid of any unexposed silver iodide. This is achieved by completely covering the image in a salt or sodium thiosulfate solution. Daguerreotypes are also very detailed and clear which makes them stand out amongst other images from around the 1840s and 1850s. Louis decided to create the daguerreotype as he knew the world was seeking a photographic process which was easier to put into practice, since exposure times were only of a few minutes. So by creating his own process of photography, he became very successful and made Louis Daguerre world famous. In my opinion, I would say that calotypes are more fitting into windows, rather than mirrors. This is because calotypes brought more disadvantages, such as when taking images of people it had low sharpness and graininess. Therefore, people using calotypes typically took pictures of scenery and environments. This means that it would fit windows more due to it being objective, not personal and even documentary. A lot of calotype photographs show the scenery which ultimately show history because it was introduced in 1941. A lot of calotypes fit into realism, public and optical. Furthermore, I would personally say that the daguerreotype fits more into Mirrors as it is typically known for photographing other people as the camera has evolved to do it successfully. Daguerreotypes are also very detailed and clear which makes them stand out amongst other images from around the 1840s and 1850s. In contrast to the calotype, this photographic process invention was much better for taking images of people which Henry Fox Talbot executed himself and became famous. Moreover, this means that it fits more of a mirror side due to the fact they are more subjective, reflective and personal, showing expressions and personality of people. Although, it doesn’t necessarily reflect the artist behind the camera entirely, it does reflect their style and the subject of people. John Szarkowski 1998 stated ‘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 the 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 personally agree with this statement as originality of artists work is on a large range and simply cannot be measured as it is subjective. However, I think Szarkowski’s division on how to measure these images work as an image is either reflecting the artist itself, or showing the exterior world. This is because it is based off facts, rather than it being subjective. Although, to a certain extent I disagree because some images could not be fitting into either of these categories. For example, an artist could take images of another person without it linking to the photographer or the exterior world. Or even, a photo could be both.
Mirrors- Chosen image
Cindy Sherman – 1977
By way of description, the image depicts a domestic scene in which the character – seemingly a housewife – stands at her kitchen sink. The construction of the picture hints at a number of possible narratives and is open to a range of analyses. Though almost cropped from the picture, the woman’s gaze – out of frame and away from the viewer, accentuated by eye makeup surely unnecessary in her own kitchen draws my attention. For me, though the image offers a portrait that I read as a stereotypical representation of a housewife from the late 1950s or early 1960s. Sherman’s gaze indicates an awareness of the world beyond the confines of the frame; the way her hand rests protectively on her stomach suggests the possibility that this is not without threat, creating a tension within the image. I think this image is a mirror due to the fact it is reflecting as of the artist herself. I also think it is a mirror as she is trying to intend an element and theme of gender roles within society during this time, but how she feels about it. She is also wearing an apron to emphasize the role she is playing. As well as this, the photo is set up to take an image of herself. It is obvious it is a staged approach due to the unfocused saucepan pointing directly at her, and the placement of the camera, clearly being on the counter to see from a lower angle. Furthermore, the gaze away from the camera also tells us it is a staged photoshoot and is not natural in any way, purely to reflect the artist. I think this image is a subjective expression, as in a way every viewer could have a different take on it. For example, as she is portraying gender roles in society in the late 1950’s she could not be intending to express herself, but how women as a whole felt during this time through a sense of reality. Therefore, she would be expressing the external world during this time. This is when this factor comes to debate as many images are subjective which makes it hard to agree with Szarkowski’s division on categories within images as everyone’s view and opinions are different which is what makes photography unique as you have to analyse. Szarkowski presented a binary theory of photography, but they are not opposites they are on a scale. Jed Pearl spring 1978 states ” world exists independent of human attention.” continued by “a photograph, after all, a record of nature.” and ” a photograph is is seen either as a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of the world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all it’s presence and reality.” I agree with Jed Pearls quote ” a photograph, after all, a record of nature.” because whether the artist is reflecting themselves through the exterior world, through them selves, or the exterior world as a whole, all of these options and elements are a result of nature. Humans, evolution of society etc is all nature. However within Sherman’s images, is the only thing natural herself? Which brings into the debate if every photograph is a record of nature. I disagree to this statement by Szarkowski as I believe the two categories cannot be fitted into two, instead a range. ” A photograph is is seen either as a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of the world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all it’s presence and reality.” For example, this famous image of Cindy Sherman, reflects her as an artist, however meanwhile reflecting stereotypes of women in the 70’s.
Windows- Chosen image
Garry Winogrand- Los Angeles, 1969 Gelatin silver print
Garry Winogrand was an American street photographer, known for his portrayal of U.S. life and its social issues in the mid-20th century. Photography curator, historian, and critic John Szarkowski called Winogrand the central photographer of his generation. Winogrand used not only light but interesting angles to create dynamic photographs. By tilting his camera when taking photos of people in action, especially on the street, he created pictures that emphasized movement. His tilting technique brings a rushed feeling and a sense of urgency to his photographs. Through looking at this;
This told me Winogrand’s images were windows. A way they are windows is that Winogrand was a street photographer which instantly told me that he was more of a documental photographer rather than a reflective. Another way I knew this is that Winogrand focuses on social issues in the mid 20th century which brings in an element of realism and publicity. However, the fact this image is in black and white does not exactly include the realism factor. This is because we do not see life in black and white, however with a camera and editing we like to change it too black and white, therefore this creates a fake element to this image as ‘ windows’ is suppose to show the exterior world the way it is. This brings in the fact that the theory windows and mirrors can be measured on an range rather than separated. This is shown through Pearl’s review ” Szarkowski claims this thesis not a rigid pattern, but as a ‘ continuous axis, the two poles of which might be described by the terms proposed above’.” This image is very objective as they are not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. This image is seen to be documentative with a realism expression as it is in the middle of the street in LA of three well dressed women walking past the unfortunate on each side. Another factor that significantly stuck out to me was how the unfortunate are in the dark, in contrast to the three females in the light. These unfortunate events could be through social and political problems and Winogrand is expressing the effects through his photographs. Therefore, he is documenting the exterior world through realism. The fact the people in the photograph are not posing or have not adjusted their behaviour or mannerisms makes it look public and very real. This links to Henry Cartier Bresson’s work of the ‘ Decisive moment’ which Winogrand would of had to execute in order for this image to not have a staged- approach. The use of light shining within the three females and not the people around, and the effect of the shadows from the women, could be metaphorical symbolizing the political issues around women during this time. This images are not personal or subjective which makes me believe that this image fits into the category of windows. a photograph is is seen either as a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of the world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all it’s presence and reality.” This makes me agree more with Szarkowski due to the fact this image is not a romantic expression and simply does not reflect the artist himself. Instead he shows and views the exterior public world to document the street photography. This is because it is explored in all its presence and reality. Therefore, this image is reflecting the problems in society around the 1950’s, rather than reflecting on the photographers sensibility.
Conclusion-
Images can be both ‘mirrors’ and ‘windows’ of the world specifically in relation to Szarkowski’s theory and Pearl’s review. In summary, Szarkowski attempted to catergorise photographers whose work reflected the subjectivity of the artist in comparison with those whose work largely sought to see outside themselves. Szarkowski believed that a photograph was either ‘mirrors’ which was a photograph that was subjective and reflected the artist themselves in a way or ‘windows’ that shown the exterior world through whether the photograph was objective and an element of realism within in it. This is shown through “The photograph is seen either as a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of the world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality.” The key words is ‘ either’ and ‘or’, this emphasizes how Szarkowski suggests that the photographic artist of the twentieth century finds himself, consciously or unconsciously, somewhere along a “continuous axis” from romantic to realist. Yet it can be argued that use of the medium, by 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. In contrast, Jed pearl made a review in spring 1978 being rather critique on Szarkowski’s theory. He starts his review by stating ‘Szarkowski is fond of creating categories’ beginning with a rather negative outlook continuing with ‘ presents a binary theory’. Pearl continues with ‘Szarkowski claims this thesis not as a rigid pattern, but as a “continuous axis, the two poles of which might be described by the terms proposed above”.’ This suggests that Pearl is evaluating what Szarkowski executed and said, meanwhile critiquing and expressing his opinions through acknowledgment. I think Szarkowski’s idea of the division of mirror and windows work, but with evaluating I believe there is a strong range and that it sometimes cannot be fixed onto one category simply.
Within these images- Differences and similarities
The first similarity that stood out to me was the fact both these images are in black and white. The theme of black and white decreases the element of realism as it is not how we see the world through our eyes. However, the camera allowed us to do that. However, within realism the first image does not obtain the element of realism as it is obvious it has a rather staged approach through the positioning of the camera and the objects, as well as the posing and the looking away from the camera. Sherman, the artist herself purposely was attempting to portray the housewife stereotype of women in the 70’s and one thing that stands out to me is where the pan is pointing and the apron she is wearing. This image is also private as Sherman is taking the image of herself, telling us it is a self portrait. This tells the viewer this photograph definitely has a staged approach which decreases the element of this photograph being documentative. Therefore, this makes this image have an romantic expression and more subjective. This is reflective and more personal as Sherman could be representing how she feels in society through the theme of gender roles. However, this could be argued as she could be attempting to represent women in society as a whole. Which could make it less personal considering it is a self portrait. Another similarity within these images I chose was that the main subject were females. However, within the second image it obtains more of a realism and factual factor as Winogrand is photographing and portraying societal and political problems. Winogrand is a street photographer which is known for this however he puts his art and creativity into it. Therefore this photograph is more public as it is a problem within America at the time. This makes this image more objective than subjective in comparison to Sherman’s as it is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. Winogrand’s doesn’t look like a staged approach due to no change in behaviour and mannerisms. However there are significant factors such as the more fortunate females walking are in the light in comparison to the people in the dark on each side.
As photography began with the Camera Obscura dated back to 4th century BC and known as an ancient building block for photography where an image is reflected into a dark room upside down using only natural light, which is still used by photographers to this day. It was then developed by French photographer Nicephor Niépce in 1822 who is named the father of photography, his first photograph was a view from his window in Burgundy, France. He used a sheet of pewter coated with bitumen, which required at least 8 hours of exposure time. Painter Louis Daguerre heard about this achievement and he decided to partner with Niépce. Daguerre continued to develop with the process by using silver-plated copper sheets and mercury vapor. As he continued to develop this process, Daguerre was able to reduce the exposure time.
After the death of Niépce in 1833, Daguerre concentrated his attention on the light-sensitive properties of silver salts. For the process which was eventually named the daguerreotype, he exposed a thin silver-plated copper sheet to the vapour given off by iodine crystals, producing a coating of light-sensitive silver iodide on the surface. The plate was then exposed in the camera. Initially, this process also required a very long exposure to produce a distinct image, but Daguerre made the crucial discovery that an invisibly faint “latent” image created by a much shorter exposure could be chemically “developed” into a visible image. The Daguerreotypes, introduced in Paris in 1839, process made it possible to capture the image seen inside a camera obscura and preserve it as an object, they were usually portrait and the rarer, landscape ones were more expensive. Typically Daguerreotypes would be used forrecording many other images such as documentary subjects, antiquities, still lives and remarkable events.
In the same year of 1839 William Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype process. Calotype is an early photographic process, using paper coated with silver iodide. Paper texture effects in calotype photography limit the ability of this early process to record low contrast details and textures. Despite their flexibility and the ease with which they could be made, calotypes did not replace the daguerreotype. The calotype produced a less clear image than the daguerreotype. The texture of the paper was visible in prints made from it, making an image that was grainy or blurry compared to daguerreotypes, which were usually clear.
A daguerreotype would be seen as a window image as they document reality through the photographs and portraits of real people. A calotype would been seen as a mirror image as they can be manipulated as they weren’t typically used for documenting portraits of people and can be taken of anything as they were easier and cheaper. Using one of Szarkowski’s quotes ‘is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?”
Mirror Image
Robert Heinecken – Figure Sections/(Multiple Solution Puzzle), 1966
This image is a mirror image as it has been highly edited and manipulated. I have chosen to analyse this image as I think there is a lot to talk about where every part of the image has been edited in some sort of way, for example the woman has been edited onto a stack of wooden blocks and reflected the same image on both sides. The body has been put on two sides of the blocks and one side has got a combination of black and white blocks where the body is shown more in the black parts and in the white parts the body is much lighter and almost transparent. On the other side where all the blocks are black and the body is also a more transparent figure yet is more visible and more obviously a body than the side that has a combination of black and white. The artist could have seen this image as a way to express the same body but differently, The two different colours on each side of the blocks could reflect on how the artist is feeling like feeling seen in different situations and referred to on the blocks. “The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work” I agree with this quote about photographs because it tells you that a photograph isn’t just about the originality of the picture its about how they do it and what the story behind the photo is whether its reality or made up and romanticized.
Window Image
Rafal Milach, ICELAND, Saudakrokur, 2010, Annual horse gathering country ball.
I think this image is a window image as it has been taken of three people clearly under the influence. This Image to me is objective, shows realism and presents the effects of alcohol is young adults. This would be a window image as it is not staged and is taken authentically of three adults, one asleep or resting on the table and two kissing. This could also be seen as a more subjective image and therefore a mirror image but I think the realism of this proves otherwise. The actions that these adults are presenting can clearly show the influence of alcohol. a quote that I think goes well with this image from John Szarkowski’s thesis would be “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 agree with the quote because photographs can be objective where the subjects in the photo are real and representing what is in the image clearly with realism and truth or subjective where you get to make up a story and choose what the story is behind the image. “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.” This quote from Jed Pearls review argues with John Szarkowski’s thesis that an image is either a window or mirror is argued from Jed Pearl that photographs all have romanticism included and that each photography has their own subjective story as it is personal to the photographer and each person that looks at it.
I think that John Szarkowski’s theory and Jed Pearls review has made sense of the idea of window and mirror images and has been put together well where John Szarkowski had put his idea out and Pearl has reviewed it and made it make sense. The difference between mirror and window images are that the mirror image has been manipulated and edited highly whereas the window hasn’t and is authentic. The subjectivity behind the mirror image is in the imagination of the people who sees it and has a selective story behind it. Whereas the window image has got truth behind it and is objective as there is what is in the image and that is it. “an evolution from public to private concerns and at the same time a potential toward either self-expression or exploration in the unique sensibility of each photographer” Is a quote Jed pearl used in his review of Szarkowski’s thesis and I think it has value towards what the thesis is getting across with mirror and window images as both include the photographers vision where a mirror is a reflection of the photographer and a window is what the photographer sees as objective and real where he wants to document the message they try to get across.
In my opinion I think that my favourite project was when I did portraits, here are some of my images that I took and analysed, edited too.
Portraits can contain an individual or multiple subjects. At a minimum, the subject is captured from their head to their shoulders, but many artists enjoy telling a story with the whole body. Before the advent of photographs, the most accurate way to preserve the visual essence of somebody was in a portrait picture.
The lighting of each of my pictures are so different, some of them appear to be a natural daylight image whereas the others appear saturated and toned down. I love this project because you can show so many different versions of people and you are able to position lights and people in so many different ways whether it looks staged or not. There is a range of aperture but with the darker, my personal favourite ones they are more of a blurred aperture. The shutter speed seems to differ from image top image but for the darker it is underexposed but it does vary even with the editing. (The brighter images are overexposure). Lastly the ISO and white balance is high sensitivity and cool temperature for the darker, edited cooler images which I used for my mock exam.
I enjoy doing portraits because its such a popular form of photography used by everyone day to day and its a beautiful form of art. It show history and I love the way it shows you so much about people, shows their beauty and it tells a story just within a picture. It can show everything from culture to religion.
The visual elements’ of portraits and the one – the tones are light and dark, there is almost a constant pattern of repetition within the poses and the face symmetry. I made one image upside down and edited it on light room, highering the contrast and colours etc.
Cindy Sherman
I am really inspired by her images.
Cindy Sherman began her career in the late 1970s, she posed as various female characters. Her work challenges traditional representations of women in media and art, making her a key figure in contemporary photography and feminism.
Cindy Sherman is famous for her self-portraits that really make us think about what it means to be a woman. In her photos, she transforms into different characters, showing how women are often viewed in a parochial society. It’s an interesting way to reflect on your own identity and how you see yourself. Sherman’s images challenge stereotypes, by using costumes and makeup, she shows that identity isn’t fixed; it can change and evolve. In today’s world of social media, her work makes us think about how we represent ourselves and what’s real. Looking at Sherman’s art can help young people understand themselves better which could help with self esteem and maybe even things people go through… It’s a powerful reminder that everyone’s story is unique and everyone matters no matter who you are.
I could start my personal study based on her with some of my images relating to hers – here is some examples!
Conclusion
I love the idea behind these images and the messages they portray and this is why I want do something like this. The essence of work means so much to females and could be a big move in the 20th century. The ideas in this idea of a project are aesthetic and all com together. This is why its an amazing idea for someone like me to do my personal study base on this.
For still life I was inspired by Walker Evans and Darren Harvey-Regan. Walker Evans photographed mundane house tools to turn them into a spectacle while Darren Harvey-Regan combined two generic tools in separate images to create a unique pieces. While I’m not sure I will be developing images like these further, I would like to include some still life in some regard.
If I do take still life, they will likely be single images in front of a white background. They will be different objects with a different theme. From this project I will be using the different lighting techniques I learned. I haven’t done much with objects however I think the outcomes had varying success.
Portraits
Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman took staged environmental portraits like this one. This worked as an environmental portrait of a character. Her work tells a story about a person and how their environment shows that.
I liked working on this project and I think my outcomes were successful. I would like to experiment further with this as I believe it could work as an interesting way to evaluate an idea. I did like my outcomes however going forwards I would like to create more as I only really had one good photoshoot for this project.
Street Photography
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a pioneer in the street photography space. His work never interfered and acted as observations instead. He believed in the decisive moment and photographing fleeting moments. I do like how these photographs look and the process of taking them however I would be shifting my focus.
I think I had varying success with my street photography. I enjoyed this project some outcomes were pretty decent. If I did continue these ideas, I wouldn’t focus so much on the decisive moment and instead a specific theme.
” The two photographers characterize opposite modes of the new photography, with its divergence be tween 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.”
Jed pearls opinion –
White, toward an idealist, “romantic” goal of “self-expression,” a “mirror” that primarily describes the self; Frank, toward an introverted “realism,” involved with the “exploration” of a private “window” on the world.
Plan –
Introduction (250 words): Reflect on the origin of photography and describe in your own words the difference between the two photographic processes, Daguerreotype and Calotype. Consider how they could be viewed as either a mirror or a window of the world according to John Szarkowski’s thesis. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s text and comment if you agree or disagree.
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.
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.
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.
Final draft –
The difference between the Calotype and Daguerreotype photographic processes, is that Talbot’s calotype involved coating paper with silver iodide, which made it light-sensitive. After exposing the paper in a camera, the image was developed using a solution of gallic acid, resulting in a negative image. This was revolutionary because it allowed for the creation of multiple copies from a single exposure, unlike the daguerreotype, which produced a unique positive image. The daguerreotype process involved exposing a silver-plated copper sheet to iodine vapor, which created a light-sensitive layer of silver iodide. After exposure in a camera, the plate was developed using mercury vapor, and then fixed with a salt solution. This process produced highly detailed images with a unique quality, making it the first practical form of photography. The Daguerreotype is definitely viewed as mirror photography, as it was usually used for taking self-portraits of wealthy men and woman of the 1830’s early 1840’s, which helps show an insight into that person’s life and due to the long development time, would be classified as mirror photography. It shows the staged and personal insight of the artists life. The Calotype process would be viewed as window photography, due to its regular use in the 1930’s for taking photos of architecture and landscapes, showing the ‘window’ into the outside world and not depicting anything about the artist, sticking to the reality and rawness of the outside world.
This image by Cindy Sherman is a great representation of Mirror photography, the thought that went into it is clearly immense. The use of self-portraiture, especially in the 1970’s is a very powerful form of self-expression for women. The costume and makeup show almost a shield or mask and in this 70’ era, could be symbolic to the oppression of woman at that time, and Cindy Sherman wanted to shield herself from that. This photo was taken in public in full view of anyone in New York city at the time, staged in the street with a camera. This photo shows a true view on woman empowerment not just with the costume but also the makeup and the overall photo. John Szarkowski said in his thesis that ‘The two photographers characterize 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.’ Jed pearl had an additional thing to add to Szarkowski’s thesis, “While toward, an idealist, ‘romantic’ goal of ‘self-expression’ a ‘mirror’ that primarily describes the self; Frank, toward an introverted ‘realism’ involved with the ‘exploration’ of a private ‘window’ on the world.” This shows that although Jed had a agreement about this with John, he argued that its almost like a state of mind, if someone is looking at a mirror like a self-expression, the idea of window photography, is an introversion issue, he sees window like introverted realism, so he believed that seeing the world or self this way, is personal to how you want to project yourself.
This photo by Garry Winogrand is clearly window photography, the eye view of a public space showing individual separate lives of people undenounced to the artist. A public area of Los Angeles in the 1969, is a very busy rowdy area, perfect for capturing lives of bystanders. The obscure angle that the photo was taken gives the photo itself an unusual ideology alone. The interesting action of people watching makes the viewers in captured in lives that aren’t their own. It its intriguing and leaves the viewer enticed to find out more, just from the little window they have been given into these people’s lives. This photo also shows a kind of individuality to the people in it, the outfits, makeup and atmosphere is also very interesting, especially due to the ear difference of 45 years, its like a different world from the one we are living in now, in 2024. Going back to the quote from John Szarkowski ” The two photographers characterize 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.” This photo supports the idea that window photography is like a window into a better world, a world we don’t always see. John Pearl’s idea that it is a mindset of what you want to see and what you don’t bother to look at. When you take some time to look around at the world, there is so much that you might be missing.
The question ‘how can photographs be both windows and mirrors of the world’ poses a great discussion. Overall, I believe that the use of subsections of photography are extremely innovative, the skill of being able to pinpoint characteristics of both subsections like windows, being an way of viewing the outside world and mirrors, being a perfect way to show self-expression and experiences can be an extremely successful way of talking about photographs, not just the photographs themselves but helping artists become more in touch with their understanding of photography and the more difficult ideas that come with it. The two photos I used in this explanation, the first one by Cindy Sherman and the second by Garry Winogrand have so many differences between them, differences that do not only segregate them as photos but characterize them into categories. Window photography is all about documentation, observing and watching people’s lives through the photographs you take, while mirror photography is subjective to the artist themself, as they choose to put it out into the world to see. Another difference that segregates window and mirror photography is that mirror photography is not always real, and by real I do not mean physically real, but after editing, manipulation is common, while in window photography usually the photos are more candid and truthful. Mirror photography can also be seen as very romantic, indulging in romanticism is common for this area. Artists could occasionally romanticize their work; in mirror photography their work reflects their lives, so it is not surprising to see this through their art. While through window, artists may want to show a raw and objective view through their work to help keep the authenticity.
What are the difference’s between photograph’s that are mirrors or windows?
Mirrors have an element of candid and naturalistic.
Mirrors:
Subjective (open to interpretation)
Reflects artist
Reflections
View into your own life
Manipulated
Synthetic
Personal
“A mirror – a romantic expression of the photographers sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality” – JOHN SZARKOSKI 1978 “is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it or a window, through which one might better know the world” JOHN SZARKOSKI 1978. This is essentially saying that mirrors reflect the society we are in and can reflect a lot about us and how we do things. “Mirrors” are photographs through which a photographer is trying to tell us how he feels about himself. The study of texts that reflect their own identities, experiences and motivations. They also provide insight into the identities, experiences and motivations of others
Windows protect us (public). They have elements of reality, subjectivity and there’s this element between objectivity vs subjectivity when it comes to mirrors and windows. “Windows” are those in which he is trying to tell us how he feels about the world. For the former, only sincerity will do.
Windows:
Objective (not open to interpretation)
Outside world
Documents
Real
Public
Binary Opposites
Inside / Outside
Subject / Object
Staged / Candid
Fiction / Non-Fiction
Image Analysis
These are all elements within photography and how exactly you could frame a window and mirror shoot. Inside and outside to show life and what people can do in their day to day life. (objectivity and subjectivity) which focuses on one pin point or multiple things which could be anything to outside world or just one person in a room. Staged such as Cindy Sherman pictures, staged female to allude to a stereotypical women with kids cleaning, whereas a mirror image is much more candid and natural such as capturing the beauty of the nature which also follows along the lines of fictional or non fiction which you could factor in for both mirrors and windows, it could be fake or real (stage or candid). Last but not least, imagery analysis is the extraction of meaningful information from images. How and why you go to were you are – could you elaborate on this? That is all about image analysis.
The idea of photographs functioning like windows makes total sense. 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. Photographs present us with a view of something. However, it might also be possible to think of photographs as mirrors, reflecting our particular view of the world, one we have shaped with our personalities, our subconscious motivations, so that it represents how our minds work as well as our eyes. The photograph’s glossy surface reflects as much as it frames. Of course, some photographs might be both mirrors and windows.
A window is a resource that offers you a view into someone else’s experience. A sliding door allows the viewer to enter the story and become a part of the world. A mirror is a story that reflects your own culture and helps you build your identity.
Photo-historian, Gerry Badger who was part of the editorial team producing the television series The Genius of Photography wrote in the introduction of the book of the same name that John Szarkowski’s distinction of photographs as ‘mirrors’ or ‘windows’ is useful, but only to a point, ‘because most photographs are both mirrors and windows.’ (Badger 2007:8)
Is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world? – John Szarkowski
What are the differences between photographs that are Mirrors and Windows?
The difference between mirror and window photography is a mirror is a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world. A mirror image is staged and subjective, they reflect the photographer and therefore called a mirror image. A window photograph is a photograph that shows realism and are objective. They are called window images because they show what is real in the image, like looking out of a window.
I have created a gallery for my favourite images because I can’t fit them all into one gallery so I put the images that best fit and look best together into one gallery.
I chose to put these images together in my gallery because they are the ones that I have put together in my zine and because they all are in black and white so in my opinion they look good together in the gallery.
Overall, I think my zine creates a good idea about the harbour and maritime history in jersey because of my different selection of images of and around the harbour throughout my zine. What could have improved my zine is if there were images of the maritime museum which could have added more diversity in my zine but they were my least favourite and didn’t have the best quality out of all the pictures that I took.
