Museum Field Trip Review Monday, Feb 22 2010 

Reviews amandapelletier 3:29 am

Today I visited the National Gallery of Art to see the exhibit, “In The Darkroom: Photographic Process before the Digital Age”. The exhibit was located in the West Building on the ground floor in Galleries 30-32. I thought the placement of the exhibit could have been better because it was located in the middle of the 19th century impressionist paintings, where it looked out of place. The galleries are also cramped and feel tight. In the East Building of the National Gallery there are contemporary exhibits featuring the works of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns and I feel that the photography exhibit would have been better suited to be located there.

I really enjoyed this exhibit. I have always been fascinated by photography before digital technology because I believe that computer technology is easier to use than possessing a gifted and creative eye for good shots. I was fascinated by the earliest works in the exhibit, some which dated back to the early 1830’s and 1840’s. The earliest photographic works were created using a process known as “Photogenic Drawing”. I was amazed at how much I learned from the exhibit. I never knew that images could be reproduced on substances other than paper. One of the earliest photographic processes was known as cyanotype. It was based using the light sensitivity of iron salts rather than silver salts and consists of a one-layer photographic structure where the image is embedded in the fibers of the support and then produces a print with a matte surface. Cyanotypes usually consisted of reproducing images of flowers or plants. The exhibit had an example of this process with one of Anna Atkins works known as “Ferns, Specimen of Cyanotype” from the 1840s.

Perhaps my favorite photograph in the exhibit was a piece entitled “An Angel Unwinged by Your Desire” by Julia Margaret Cameron from 1873. It featured a naked child and is an example of the collotype process, which was known for its high quality printing. I was drawn to this photograph because the photographer used clouding to give an “other worldly” or “angelic” feel to the child.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the exhibit featured a work by favorite photographer, Diane Arbus. Her photograph “A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966” (which I included in my review) was displayed. Although only one of her photographs was displayed, I was happy that they showed her contribution to the world of photography.

 

(Summary) Visual Communication: Images with Messages Chapter 12: Photography Wednesday, Feb 10 2010 

General amandapelletier 7:32 am

Analysis of “The Migrant Mother”

  • Dorothea Lange took the famous photograph “The Migrant Mother” that captured the image of Florence Thompson after the Great Depression
  • One of the most important stories a photograph tells is the one the viewer makes up
  • “The Migrant Mother” demonstrates the highest quality possible using the gelatin dry plate in combination with a large-format, portable press camera.
  • The picture’s power comes from its symbolic link to famous “Madonna and Child” religious paintings
  • Thompson was angry that she didn’t profit off the picture

Photography and the Six Perspectives

  • Photography has become the world’s most popular medium for creating visual messages in terms of actual users
  • Personal Perspective: A picture constantly reminds us of our own state of mind at a particular moment and place. Photography teaches you to be a keen observer od the environment and of human nature
  • Historical Perspective: The camera predates the photographic process by at least 1,000 years. Inventors such as Leonardo da Vinci, Johann Kepler, and Robert Boyle contributed to the photographic process.
  • Technical Perspective: There are seven types of main technical considerations when analyzing an image: shutter speed, film type, camera type, lighting, and print quality.
  • Ethical Perspective: Three main ethical issues are associated with mediated images: showing victims of violence, violating the right of privacy, and picture manipulation.
  • Cultural Perspective: Various photographic styles have reflected the people and the times
  • Critical Perspective: Photography has allowed artists to be more free and expressive. Photography has educated people about social problems but also entertains.

 

(Summary) Visual Communication: Images with Messages Chapter 6: Visual Persuasion in Advertising, Public Relations, and Journalism Wednesday, Feb 10 2010 

General amandapelletier 6:46 am

Summary

  • Free publicity generated in newspapers, magazines, and telecasts throughout the world can be worth several times the cost of advertising for a company.
  • Because of photography’s ability to arouse interest, pictures are used to shock potential customers.
  • Shock advertising uses images that are emotionally powerful to sell products and can make a little-known company with a small advertising budget into a media standout.
  • Shock ads don’t only try to sell products but can also spark commentary about serious issues by making people think, getting them to talk about serious issues, and to promote worldwide multiculturalism.
  • Advertising, public relations, and journalism are closely related because each one uses persuasive techniques to support existing opinions, change attitudes, and cause actions,

The Fine Line Between Persuasion and Propaganda:

  • People acquire a certain set of beliefs and attitudes about other people, places, objects, and issues by everyday experiences.
  • The goal of education is to teach an individual how to seek factual information and come to conclusions based on this information.
  • Most information is communicated through the mass media
  • All human communication uses persuasion and propaganda in an attempt to mold a listener’s attitude.

The Role of Persuasion

  • Persuasion has three components: 1. Ethos (credibility) 2. Logos (Logic) 3. Pathos (Emotion)

The Role of Propaganda

  • Started out as meaning a way to spread an idea to a large population
  • Thought of as the duping of an unsuspecting public through misleading or false information

Visual Persuasion in Advertising

  • “Any form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services by an identified sponsor”- Everette Dennis
  • Two types: Commercial (classified or display advertising) and Noncommercial (government notices and information and public service announcements)

Growth of Advertising

  • High production movie trend includes celebrity endorsements
  • The line between editorial and advertising material is blurred
  • Infomercials resemble talk-show programs that pitch new products. Advertorials are the print equivalent

Visual Persuasion in Public Relations

  • What is reported in a news story sometimes isn’t as important as how its presented
  • PR people attempt to influence public opinion positively about a particular product, company, or issue.

Advertising and Public Relations

  • Public relations firms competed with advertising agencies

Politics and Public Relations

  • Almost every government agency has a public affairs or public information office to handle publicity
  • Lobbyists are also considered public relations practioner

Journalism and Public Relations

  • PR professionals try to get free, favorable publicity about a product, issue, or situation
  • Most public relations events are staged to attract media attention

Visual Persuasion in Journalism

  • Communications industry is a corporate enterprise that obtains its income largely from advertisers
  • Advertisers can influence the content of stories in newspapers

 

Assignment #3 Photographer Body of Work Review Wednesday, Feb 10 2010 

Reviews amandapelletier 3:30 am

I was first introduced to the work of Diane Arbus when I visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York a few years ago. Her photos stood out among the other contemporary photographers because of the eccentric nature of the subjects. Diane Arbus (1923-1971) was a twentieth century photographer. According to the magazine Art in America, Arbus was born to a wealthy Jewish family from New York City. Diane married Allan Arbus at age 18 and worked as a commercial photographer, shooting photographs for fashion magazines and advertisements. She left the world of commercial photography to pursue her personal work. Arbus used a 35mm camera to take pictures all over New York, including Coney Island, carnivals, circuses, dressing rooms of female impersonators, and people in the streets.

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Assignment #2: Illustrate a Word Wednesday, Feb 3 2010 

Photo and Projects amandapelletier 1:43 am

My group was chosen to illustrate the word “love” in a photo essay. My photograph is the fifth in the series. Love is a broad term that has many different implications to different people. There is maternal and paternal love. There is friendship. There is romantic love. The different interpretations of love are what my group hoped to convey in our photo essay. I considered these different interpretations when taking pictures. I first sought to shoot literal interpretations and took pictures of hearts, flowers, etc. However, I wanted to convey the passionate and organic element of romance so I choose an actual couple as my subject.

When setting up my shot, I kept in mind the aspect of positioning. Many people (including myself) tend to center their subject in the middle of the viewfinder when taking a picture. However, when setting up this particular shot, I kept in mind the natural positioning of my subjects. They are two people engaged in an embrace and their stance against the wall of the hallway is natural and not posed. I was ten feet away from my subjects and stood in the middle of the hallway and titled the camera slightly to the right. I also did not use the on-camera flash for this particular photograph, as it initially eliminated the natural occurring shadows from the florescent lighting in the hallway. In terms of color, I edited the photograph so that it had a black and white effect. The shadows then became more noticeable.

An aesthetically pleasing element of the photographic is the juxtaposition of the textured, patterned, and colorful carpet of the hallway and the plain white walls. Another photographic principle I took advantage of was shadows. The shadow of the couple against the wall gives the picture an aesthetic boost by adding visual texture to an otherwise plain white wall. The shadow also adds dramatic darkness and draws the viewer’s eyes to the couple. The shot’s composition also provides a dramatic element. I strived for unequal space between my main subject (the couple) and the hallway. Because I was so close to the subject in comparison to the rest of the long hallway, there is a sense of intimacy that the couple is alone in such a large space. I was hoping to achieve a level of intimacy, as if the viewer walked in on a private moment. Because of this, I think the photo illustrates romance and passion and in turn, enables the entire photo essay to illustrate “love”.

 

Assignment #1: Single Picture Review Wednesday, Jan 27 2010 

Photo amandapelletier 7:05 am

In 1985, photographer Steve McCurry took a photograph of an Afghan girl in a refugee camp in Pakistan. The girl’s name was Sharbat Gula and the photo made the cover of National Geographic magazine and thus became one of the most recognizable images of all time. According to National Geographic, Gula, the photographer’s subject, was orphaned when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The image conveys a sense of loss and lonliness.

The girl’s eyes in the photo immediately grab the viewer’s attention. This is due in part to the element of color. According to Jim Krause in his book Photo Idea Index, color has the ability to attract and compel viewers through visual and emotional channels. The palette in the photo is built around the complementary hues of red and green, as they are opposite from each other on the color wheel. The girl’s pupils are bright green and stand out in stark contrast to the whites of her eyes. The red head scarf is a warm color that is visible against a cool green background. The green hues are vibrant and evoke a sense of realism, making the viewer feel as if they are seeing the girl face-to-face.

Another element that makes this photo successful in conveying a message of loss, lonliness, and despair is the positioning of the girl in the image. The girl is not centered in the middle of the shot, which might make the image look unnatural and posed and would sacrifice the human experience expressed by what appears to be a candid shot. Instead, the photographer photographed the girl who is turned at a slight angle, which makes the shot look natural. The girl’s body language is gesturing to the camera and the photo becomes almost conversational, as if the girl were looking directly at the viewer.

The photographer employed a shallow depth of field in this photo. By using this technique he blurred the diminishing perspective of the background, thus placing the focus more strongly on the girl’s face. As a result, the viewer attention is immediately drawn to the girl’s face and in a figurative sense, anything that may be happening in the background becomes irrelevant.

 

Hello world! Saturday, Jan 16 2010 

General and Projects amandapelletier 8:00 pm

Welcome to my Visual Literacy blog! This is my first post!

 

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