Photo Journal Topic 2

The first photograph I chose to analyse is a press photograph taken by Stuart Franklin, a Magnum photographer on assignment to Time magazine. The photograph is known by the world as “Tank Man”, or “Unknown Rebel”. It was shot in Beijing on June 5th, 1989 from the rooftop of a hotel. It depicts a lone man with what looks like groceries bags in his hands, standing in front of five tanks in the middle of Tienanmen Square.

photo by Stuart Franklin/Magnum Photos. C.1989

The second photograph I chose is a press photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal, who was shooting for the Associated Press at the time. The photograph is entitle “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima”, and was taken on February 23rd, 1945. The photograph depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy Corpsman raising the United States flag atop Mount Suribachi. The photograph took place during the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II

photo by Joe Rosenthal/Associated Press. C. 1945

As for art photography, the first photograph I chose is by Man Ray, a true believer that photography is art and his photograph is entitled “Le Violon d'Ingres". It was taken in Paris in 1924. It depicts a women's body, which has been manipulated to look as if her body was a violin.

photo by Man Ray/Getty Museum. C. 1924

The Second art photograph I chose is by Sally Mann, and is entitled “Candy Cigarette”. This photograph was taken in 1989, and first published in her Immediate Family collection. It depicts a child smoking a cigarette. At first glance it is hard for the viewer to know it is made of candy.

photo by Sally Mann/Immidiate Family Collection. C. 1989

Similarities:

The first natural similarity I noticed among all of the photographs is the fact that each individual photograph evokes a certain type of emotion from me. Firstly, I feel that each photograph is beautiful within itself. To me each piece is symbolic of art, regardless of the photographer’s intention. The emotions I feel when I look at each separately range from inspired, joyful, disturbed, saddened, curious, and even depressed. Each photograph is clearly expressive, and provokes specific feelings inside of me.

Other similarities I can document include that each photograph is representational, they all portray images which are recognizable to anyone. Each photograph is visually balanced, the distribution of images in the photographs are even, thus fairly symmetrical. The compositions of all four photographs have allowed the viewer to have a central focus, and all are free of distracting background elements. Elements such as colour seem to be similar as well. None of the photographs seem to exude vibrant colours, or textures.

Lastly, I feel that each photograph tells a story, different from one another. Without any text each piece can mean something different to everyone. Although a photojournalist uses texts in conjunction with visual elements, no words are needed in order to create a story behind the images.

Differences:

The main differences between the art photographs and the press photographs is that you can identify that pre-planning, and thought went into the art photographs. They look staged. Especially “Candy Cigarette” by Sally Mann. It’s hard to believe that a child was posing in such a way holding a cigarette made of candy, with another child conveniently in the background walking on stilts. The images in that composition make for an interesting photograph, and I believe that is what the photographer was trying to create. Even Man Ray’s "Violon d'Ingres's" is quite noticeable from first glance that it has in some way been manipulated by the artist/photographer. Common sense tells you that no woman has sound holes on her body like a violin would have. Again, it makes the viewer see this photograph in a more subjective manner, and thus art is born.

The press photographs manage to capture an actual event, time, and place. If you think logically about the ‘Tank Man’ photograph you realize it would be near impossible to stage such a picture. The likelihood of staging tanks on a street is much more difficult then placing a candy cigarette in a child’s hand. The intentions of photojournalists are much different then art photographers. “A journalist...cannot be held to the demands of the photographic subject, but rather he/she must be concerned with producing accurate news for the public”. ( A Brief History of Photojournalism. Dillon Westbrook. C. 2007)

Photojournalist’s have to abide by certain ethics and codes, where as Man Ray doesn't owe the public the same ideals. The press photographs tell a real story that is accompanied by words and text when published in the media. The press photographs also present the images in an unbiased manner, free from prejudices. Where as, I feel the art photographs have a particular view in mind, a story they want to tell, not just presenting straight facts.

I want to conclude with my favourite quote from the course so far, "There are two distinct roads in photography - the utilitarian and the aesthetic: the goal of the one being a record of facts, and the other an expression of beauty.” (Galassi, 2000, p.11)

I truly believe that this quote identifies not only the purpose of both press and art photography, but the similarities and difference involved in both genres.