THE FUTURES PROJECT

 

 

Fashion Photography

Examples of photography focusing on the fashion element of the subject first became apparent in the early to mid 19th century. However, the gradual devlopment in printing such as halftone printing allowed photography to become much more accessible to working-class people. Fashion within the media devloped to become a form of mass media; fashion magazines become increasingly popular due to early photographers such as Edward Steichen and Cecil Beaton.

The 1960's are often viewed as the years in which the fashion industry truly boomed; a plethora of culture associated with the 'revolutionary' period linked music, politics and fashion. Models started to become influential figures; role models to many young people. Style had evolved to become a form of expression - the public began to view their appearance as a reflection of their character.

The fashion industry has always been set aside as unique. Although it is a form of art, there is never neccessarily a direction in which it seems to be flowing. This means that are never any boundaries, examples or guidelines to follow. Anna Wintour, possibly fashions most significant figure, stated 'Fashion is not beautiful, neither is it ugly. Why should it be either? Fashion is Fashion'.

Wintour is Editor-In-Chief of Vogue magazine, and has driven the magazine to prestige since 1988. By her side is Grace Toddington; Creative Director of the magazine. Despite working together for more than 20 years, their direct rivalry has been publicised almost as much as their success. It is relevant to note that their relationship highlights the aggressive nature of the fashion industry, often elements of creativity must be sacrificed in order to ensure the magazine commercially prospers.

English born John Rankin Waddell or 'Rankin' is a highly respected and influential figure in both the fashion and portraiture industries. Following his education in the London College of Printing he, and close friend Jefferson Hack devised and published their own magazine named 'Dazed & Confused' that covered music, film, fashion, art and literature. Since that point in 1999, Rankin developed an impressively solid portfolio of work, fronting world-reknowned campaigns with companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, BMW and Dove. Additionally, his subjects have included Kate Moss, Madonna, The Rolling Stones and even Queen Elizabeth II. Rankin's contributions are highly significant as he has worked in music, film, portraiture and fashion photography - to be talented in all of those areas is rare.

The gradual evolution of photographic technology and the introduction of photoshop has created new areas of dispute concerning the manipulation of photographs. Firstly, it is important to note the difference between the portrayal of the body within portraiture and within fashion. The main outlining contrast between artistic expression in Portraiture and Fashion is that overall Portraiture is aiming to  create an image of the subject, whereas fashion tends to use to the subject as a canvas for everything around it. In depth, this means that portraiture uses clothing, make up, hair etc to emphasise the emotion around the subject they are trying to create. Inversely, Fashion uses the subject almost as a mannequin to demonstrate the colours, textures and patterns that make up the foundation of their creativity.

From this point made previously, it is clear that there is a divide between photographers that agree with photo manipulation, and those who do not. Overall, I believe that the availability of modern editing techniques is not a bad thing. If technology allows an efficient and simple way of correcting mistakes within your work then so be it.

However, elements of controversy become apparent when magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair use photo manipulation to an extremity in order to alter the appearance of a model people begin to question what is and isn't 'ethical'. Many are outraged by the fact that models are altered to made to look thinner, taller and have blemishes eliminated. Fashion purists preach that it is a false representation on fashion and is also a bad example for youth.

Many fashion magazines have been slated for their choices within published items. There is a distinctive line between alterations to the light, colour and contrast of a photo compared to drastic changes in a person's appearance. In opposition to this, Dove body care's 'Real Beauty' campaign fronts strong opinions that their models are 'real' women that truly reflect the body of the everyday woman. This received a a great response from the public, following a study that showed only 2% of Woman worldwide considered themselves as 'beautiful'. Generally people believed that it was a great approach towards fashion; an attempt to boost the self-esteem of women worldwide in order to make high fashion more 'approachable'.

Conclusively I believe it is fair to state that the fashion industry is a diverse mixture of culture, art and business. I believe that it is these opposing binaries that drive the industry in a forwards direction. However, the balance of these two elements is the most crucial part towards the success of a company. 

PHOTOJOURNALISM

  

'The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box.' - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson is recognised as the definitive figure in the development of modern-day photojournalism. His application of Lhote's theory in relation to his art meant that he could approach form and composition in a new light; fronting the phrase 'the decisive moment'. This phrase drove a new mentality behind the art of capturing a photograph and the importance of recognising (unlike painting) when life enters the space you are capturing. 

A significant example of Bresson's decisive moment notion is the "Derrière la Gare Saint-Lazare", which illustrates a man hopping over a puddle. This photograph presented an unseen approach towards the way a photographer constructs his image. Bresson proved that remaining alert to your environment and premeditating the perfect moment to take the shot produced outstanding results.

Moreover, the development and integration of Leica cameras drove this moment; allowing photographers to take photo's quicker, whilst giving more portability. I believe that this technique is especially relevant as it expanded the possibilities of photography vastly. Photo's that could be captured instantly indicated an increase in verisimilitude - people began to actually believe the art, as more and more unique examples of fascinating moments captured appeared. 

Tony Vacarro and Robert Capa are two highly reputed photojournalists that put good use to Bresson's techniques during WWII. However, they both have their respective styles. Tony Vacarro was part of the military; he was an active soldier that was given the additional responsibility of photographing the war zone. His roles exposed him to severe risk, but his passion for photography inspired him to risk his life in order to achieve amazing results.












 
Vacarro faced a battle with Army censorship. Therefore a lot of his work was confiscated, as it associated negative connotations to the American army. In my opinion, a dishonour to the efforts of the artists that make sacrifices for their work. I believe that it was his active military role that allowed him to get one step closer to the action, every time, adding to the power, individuality and realistic impact of his work.

Robert Capa is another photojournalist who also contributed a significant amount of work during WWII. However, Capa was hired and paid by LIFE magazine - He did not serve in the military. This worked in and out of his favour although it gave him a greater level of creative control and fewer restrictions. However, he did not have the front-line advantage of Vacarro, and so his style differs greatly. Nevertheless, Capa wasn't given orders as such, and so he could focus on the aspect and angle he wished to approach within his photography - essentially creating the photo he wanted to create.

Conclusively, Vaccaro and Capa's different roles and responsibilities set their work into contrasting styles respectively. I would say that Vacarro's images are more documented - they represent highlights of the war, the positive elements of military dispute, but an element of falseness is present. Inversely, Capa's images infer and represent true art for me; his freedom gives his work the advantage of realism, and offers a clearer interpretation of the nature of the Great War.

Eddie Adams was a photographer who was reputed mostly for his work during the Vietnam war. His Pulitzer winning photograph shows Vietnamese general slaughtering a member of the Viet Cong without a fair trial on the streets of Saigon. It sparked mass controversy and is sometimes recognised as an influential factor to the ending of the war. 

It is important to note the comparison between Eddie Adam's shot and video footage taken of the event. The photograph captivated the brutality of the war and resided in the minds of the American public. The bullet is just entering the victims head and his ruthless executioner seems emotionless towards the dismay of the teenage soldier. This a perfect example of the direct impact photojournalism has on society, despite the video footage, the emotion captured in that single moment was enough to devastate an entire nation.

With the previous point still in mind, it must also be noted that a photograph is not always necessarily a reliable source. Creative control, and more importantly, the freedom of perspective will always fabricate an image biased towards the photographer's vision of the finished result. Consequently, we find throughout history events where photojournalism has caused dispute through misinterpretation. In some cases, deception has deliberately been used to create a false concept, or image of the subject.

In every form of dispute it is important to analyse every angle of the argument. If a photographer happens to concentrate on a biased theme or element within his work, only that angle is focused upon, and a full understanding cannot always be achieved. Therefore it is important to understand that a single photograph cannot be trusted as a valid resource or a piece of evidence. Suitable examples of photo 'manipulation' appear throughout history, and began only shortly after the photograph itself existed.  

 

In 1864 an image depicting a U.S General leading his troops into a crucial battle during the American Civil War. Over time, research was made and it was discovered that the photograph was a combination of 3 separate images. The general was not at the scene. Perhaps the government planned to exaggerate their power through the use of propaganda; very common in most art forms. 

 

In 1968, we find another misconstrued image of key political figures. The final image was doctored to remove the central character, virtually erasing him from history. It is striking to acknowledge Castro's power; a simple disagreement and he destroyed any evidence of relations between the pair.

 

Shortly after this period, the development of modern-age technology and the introduction of the 'computing' era created drastic developments in the potential of photographic 'editing', simultaneously expanding the possibilities of altering the reality.

 

In 2011 a photoshopped image of international terrorist Osama Bin Laden deceased was released on Pakistani television. The phenomenon of Internet sent global communication to a new level. Shortly after, people created a false sense of security, the world was in a facade of relief, highlighting the intense effect photojournalism can cause. Technology is only driving this movement further. Social Networking connects everybody into a single feed of live events. I can personally say that since I joined Facebook I am now up to date on current events much quicker.

 

The digital era means that people can now take pictures on their phones, and have the ability to upload them wherever they are. In connection with the media, new events can now be covered and explained in detail much faster with help from the general public. In opposition, the general public can now report themselves, sometimes before the news team, with the help from sites such as Blogger and Twitter.

 

These devlopments also begin to suggest that photojournalism is no longer a specialist subject, but something than can be confronted by all people. Perhaps, at some point in the future, the public will becompletely responsible for reporting events. Evidence from all sides would be available, perhaps reducing the chances of the government creating false images of society. The possibilities are almost endless. I believe that ultimately, it is important to always take a photograph with a pinch of salt. Before you judge, have a good think about what the photographer was thinking. 

 

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“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”

Portrait Photography

-Diane Arbus
-Walker Evans
-Richard Avedon
-Tony Vaccaro
-Larry Clarke

Portraiture delves way beyond simply a photograph/painting/image of a person. Portraiture is a form of art that uses symbolism and imagery to create an overall portrayal of a character. Portraiture has played a key role within history. Prior to cameras, royalty, military, religious figures and anybody else that would be considered as part of the 'cultural elite' would hire a portrait artist, but would have the compromise of control and influence towards the way the final image would aesthetically appear, and the story it told. However, to a strong extent 'the camera does not lie', and so an entirely new art form was born, beautiful in that it is strong, clear and pure. The outcome will 9 times out of 10 reflect reality. This does not however mean that it cannot be manipulated to entice or emphasize meaning, emotion and symbolism:

• Symbolism - within portraiture this can take form as an object, setting, action, colour or even mythology; with appropiate contextual knowledge. For example, Louis XV was a self-proclaimed 'Sun King' and so therefore you will find alot of references to the greek god Apollo in his portraits.
• Enpowerment/Disenpowerment - imagery associated with power can often be indentified within portraiture by the subjects pose, or their possessions. A subject may be presented as large to represent superiority, equally luxurious clothing, jewels, the colour red all clone this imagery. Inversely, throughout history children appear with coral beads, their innocence and vulnerability is reflected through this item of protection.
• Setting - The surroundings of a subject within a portrait can also play a role into the imagery created. Elustrious furniture can represent luxury, equally, plain backgrounds can represent modesty.