Unmade Bed: Imogene Cunningham

Description - what you see
What we have here is a black and white picture of a bed that is unmade. In this picture we can see different layers of sheets that are not set down on the bed. We could also see two pairs of what seem to be hair pins. The first set would be black and the second one metallic.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended

I think that the photographer intended to capture a moment and create a very dramatic mood. Your attention is concentrated mostly on the left side of the foreground because of the lighting. The background is in the dark. Therefore it's a lot easier to notice the two sets of hair pins.

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph

I don't like or dislike this photograph. My attention is immediate brought to the left side of the foreground and it's hard not to look at the objects on the bed.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success

I would say that this picture is a success. The photographer was able to direct us with her lighting directly to the left side of the image.

The medium is the message

Description - what you see
For this critique we see two different images that were taken during the great depression of 1929 and produced by the “Farm Security Administration”. In the black and white image we see a woman sitting down. She’s holding in her arm a young infant and a young kid is leaning on her shoulder. They are set up in what seems to be the countryside.

In the second picture we could see a couple and the image is coloured. They are standing in front of a fence and they also seem to be in the country. In the background of the picture we could see a very dramatic sky.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended
I think that the photographer intended with these two images to impact us emotionally. In both pictures we are brought to look directly at the subjects right away and then look at their surroundings. I believe that the background that the photographer used in these two images adds to a feeling of distress.

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph
I think that the black and white image has a greater emotional impact. The subjects look like they are going through a harder time than the subjects in the coloured one. The soil in the background of the black and white image looks like it’s not fertile. All those elements together add to the distress that this family seems to be going through.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success
In my opinion I believe that the black and white image is more dramatic looking. I believe that if that same image would be in colour it would not have the same impact that it has in black and white.

cyanotype_crit

Description:

What I see is the impression of many feathers that was made on top of a blue piece of paper by Anna Atkins.

Intention:

I think that the artist intended to demonstrate that it is possible to obtain a print of any object without having to use a camera.

Interpretation:

I like the images of the feathers that were produced on top of the piece of paper. It is also a way for me to see that it is possible to create an image without the use of a camera.

Evaluation:

I think that the images produced on top of the paper are a success because we are able to tell at first glance that they are the reproduction of feathers.

3D_test shot

Pictorialism

Description - what you see

I see a black and white picture of an Native taken by Gertrude Käsebier. In the picture this man is wearing his typical clothing. The foreground in this image is just out of focus which brings a great amount of detail to the subject’s facial expression.


Intention - what you think the photographer intended

As per the web site wikipedia, pictorialism was a photographic movement from the nineteenth century. Their main idea was that photography needed to imitate the paintings of that period. The images produced were black and white or of a sepia tone. They also expressed the artistic point of view of the artist in question.

I think that Käsebier wanted the subject in her image to convey a sensation of enormous self-control. She depicted in her image a noble man of great status by gently blurring the borders of the image and leaving into focus her principal subject. She was able to enkindle that feeling.

Do you see any relationship between the work of the Pictorialist photographers and that of the contemporary photographer Joyce Tenneson?

I think that Joyce Tenneson’s photographic portraits from the “Photo Technologies Resource page” look like old paintings. From looking at the images I get the impression that her models stayed in their poses for a long period of time. Her use of black and whites and sepia tones gives the images a vintage look. I consider Tenneson as a pictorialist photographer.

My paper negative

WHAT WORKED

After setting up the equipment teammates we found different locations on campus to take our shots. I then had the opportunity to manipulate the view camera and frame my compositions the way I wanted. Once I was certain that my first subject was properly in focus I took my shot. I then applied the same principle for my second subject and shot. When I developed the paper negatives I had two images of my subjects that were properly framed.


WHAT DIDN’T WORK

I wasn’t able to block the outside light properly and it made it hard to see the inverted image on the back of the view camera. I thought that my second subject was in focus and that my first subject was blurred and it was not the case. Once the paper negative was developed, scanned, and the image inverted in Photoshop I was able to see that the background was in focus.


WHAT I WOULD DO NEXT TIME

I would try to have a perfect view of the inverted image on the back of the view camera. To achieve my goal, I would probably have with me something that would help me create a light tight environment.


SHOOTING A VIEW CAMERA VS A D-SLR

With a D-SLR camera I am able to take as many shots as are allowed by the capacity of my memory card. I am also capable in a short period of time to try as many angles as I choose. Consequently, shooting with a view camera is more demanding and time consuming but I have to admit gratifying.

Dry plate negative

Description - what you see
This dry plate negative image was taken on what appears to be a sunny day. In this image we could see various groups of people in different series of moments enjoying time at the beach. The garments they are wearing in this scene could be set in the 1950s – 1960s.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended
I think that the photographer intended to capture a fun day at the beach. By placing his focus on the foreground we could see the happiness expressed by his principal subjects. The framing of this image and the various poses captured all the way to the foreground intensifies the feeling of well being.

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph
I like this image because of the deep depth of field. You can see distinct people enjoying themselves at the beach from the subjects in the foreground to those in the background.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success
In general I believe this image is a success. It is well balanced and the composition transmits a warm feeling.

My pinhole camera

PROCESS

For my pinhole camera I used was 8 inches in length and 5 inches wide. The size of the box determined that the pinhole camera would be a wide angle and use a photographic 5 X 7 paper size. The next step was to make sure that the sides of the box were sealed properly so that no light would enter except through the pinhole. I then proceeded to paint the inside of the box and lid completely black and to let them dry. On the lid I made a hole big enough to stick a small piece of brass where the pinhole would be made.

Through different calculations demonstrated in the previous diagrams I was able to establish the focal length (55), the size of the pinhole (0.3), the f/stop (183), and the exposure on a sunny day (f/16 = 32 sec).

Once all the details were finalized I was ready to test my pinhole camera. My first shot was taken on a very cloudy and rainy day. Once I had decided on the composition I wanted for my first test I let my photographic paper exposed for 8 minutes. My paper negative was later developed in the darkroom at school and scanned into a 16 bit image. This image was inverted and turned into a positive. I then changed the image into an 8 bit and was able to save it as a JPEG file.


WHAT WORKED

Through the examples demonstrated in class I was able to see and understand step by step the process. I was than capable to apply that process to build my own pinhole camera which took one class period to achieve. During the next class, I loaded my camera in the dark room with photographic paper. I adjusted my exposure calculation for a cloudy day and took my first shot with my pinhole camera at the college.


WHAT I DISCOVERED

The process is different from what I am use to with my DSLR camera. What I mean is that it is a lot easier with a DSLR to frame and get the composition I am looking for. Therefore, it is always possible to make different adjustments in my menu to obtain the appropriate settings for the different types of light patterns.

Although, working with a pinhole camera made me stop, think, and take my time when it came to framing my composition, I only had one photographic paper inside the camera and therefore one shot.

WHAT I WOULD DO NEXT TIME
I would like to have more photographic paper with me and change it on location without having to go back to the darkroom. Furthermore, I would make myself a light proof pocket that would allow me to change my photographic paper on location and keep the ones already exposed in a safe place.