AB Portrait

Jill Greenberg

 "Glass Ceiling" http://www.manipulator.com/Fine-art/photos/glass-ceiling#/

Though born in Montreal, Canada in 1967, Jill Greenberg grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Outside of her traditional education, Greenberg also attended Kingswood, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Association, and the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. After high school, she continued her arts education by taking classes at Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University.


Greeberg's focus appears to be portraiture (of both animals and people) and commercial photography. As her website indicates, Greenberg has adopted the title "Manipulator" to describe they way she approaches her work. Her images are manipulated both manually and digitally, and she enjoys staging and creating characters for her photographs. As such, her images have a idealized feel to them, with the subjects looking so perfect that they feel unreal.


My favorite set of photos on her website is the "Glass Ceiling." The photo above is one from that set. The photos are all taken from underwater, looking up at the subject. The set is actually outtakes from a commissioned photo shoot if the 2008 US Olympic Synchronized Skating team. Two setups from the shoot used high heels. As Greenberg writes; 


"They attempt to perform and pose but the water knocks them into awkward positions. They wear high heels to be "sexy" in this performance, yet this is absurd, it hinders their movement and amplifies their lack of control. They adjust their swimsuits, shoes; gasp for air, and are pushed by the relentless force of the water, a metaphor for their world."


It is a metaphor for how women struggle to make themselves into how society wants them to be, no matter how unnatural and destructive these expectations may be.  


Jill Greenberg: http://www.manipulator.com/

Everyday Portraits

Pay close attention to the types and number of photographic portraits you see in one day. Where did you see them? How do you think that the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image (news, facebook, magazine, advertisement, television, youtube, etc)? In other words, what is the difference between the portraits you see on facebook vs. those on the news? What is the difference between the “viewpoint” of the photographer in each situation? What is the difference between their “intents”?


Facebook + Twitter: "Profile pictures" are the photos we choose to brand ourselves. They give a face to a name. They are what a person sees first upon viewing a friend's profile. Naturally, people try to put up the "best" photo of themselves, I mean, why wouldn't you? You want to portray the best image of yourself as possible. In this situation, a person has complete control over how they are presented to the world.


Magazines and Advertisements: Much like Facebook, the portraits found in these mediums are usually aimed at portraying the best images of people as possible--at least for feature stories. Why would a celebrity want their blemishes plastered over the front page of a nationally published magazine? Though sometimes this happens anyway, when a man with a camera leaps out of the bushes for an impromptu, unflattering photo shoot) And as for ads, why would a shampoo company want an "ugly" person promoting their newest conditioner?


News: This is where you generally see the widest variety of portraits, because the goal of the news is to portray the truth of a situation. The people being featured in this medium generally have the least control over how they are presented. However, this mostly means showing people at their worst and at their best. Usually it is one of the extremes, otherwise it's not news.


If the intent of the photographer is to make a person look good, then usually a "good" photo will be used. If the reverse is true (i.e candid celebrity shots, the unwanted 'tag' on Facebook) then there will be a "bad" photo for the world to see.

In your opinion, when is it beneficial, ethical, or appropriate to digitally alter photographic portraits? When do you think it is inappropriate or ethically wrong?

This is tricky, and I think that it largely depends on the situation and the audience that will be viewing the photo.

This topic comes up often in my journalism classes as a huge ethical issue. In my opinion, a photojournalist's job is to capture the very essence of a situation to the best of their ability, meaning that they are to show the situation in it's most raw and pure form. Even the smallest of edits can completely alter the look and feel of a scene, so I think that the photojournalist must always be very careful in order to give the most honest story to their audience. As long as the edits are working to clarify the message of the photo, editing would be okay. But then, how do you know that that is truly what you are doing, and that you aren't just adding a bias to the image? It all gets really dicey. Probably the best way to go is to just not edit the photo at all. Gosh--wouldn't that change the look of our front pages? I wonder...

Celebrity magazines would be VERY interesting if they were never edited. I think it would be great if they weren't ever airbrushed to remove a blemish or take some weight off of a celeb. Then, would the celebrities still allow these photo shoots?

 I even hard time editing my personal photos. While Photoshopping a few pictures I took at Lake Michigan, I kept having an inner monologue about whether it was ethical or not. I thought the picture looked so much better with a little more contrast and a blue filter... but then again, is it the same image anymore? Was that what I saw that day when I was taking the picture? It's almost like I was creating a moment that never really existed.

“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” ~Edward Steichen

I agree. I think that we all (to some extent) have the desire to capture a moment or scene for ourselves to keep forever. Photography is a common way that we try to do this. We also use these images to convey ideas to other people; "this was what I looked like at your age," "This is what the town looked like before the war," "This is what the view looked like!" This sharing of information visually is used on personal and professional levels. It's what photojournalism is all about. Photos are used to show the world the look on an Olympian's face as they beat all odds to win the gold medal or the devastation of a country torn by war. It's how we tell a story with just one image and communicate to one another.

Recreate II

For this recreation, I was thinking about my childhood relationship to reading and how it has changed as I've grown up. While I still really enjoy reading a good novel, there usually isn't much time for a 'fun' book in an average college student's busy schedule. The reading ends up being a dry textbook or a 37462983-page pdf online. It becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable hobby. This concept is reflected mostly in the bottom two photos. I did the top photo because I just loved the little girl's expression too much not to.

Several challenges I encountered: Photographing myself. It was tough to guess whether or not I was getting the whole scene in and scurrying over to position myself in the 10-second time frame I was alloted.  Also, since I was shooting in my little dorm room, I feel there is a lot of distractions in both of my recreations. However, the more I thought about it, this might add a new facet to the photos--going from a 'simple' life of a child, to a gradually more complex and 'messy' life of an adult.

“Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”~Duane Michal

Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? 


I agree. Not every photo is candid. Even when it is, a photo can be taken out of context by how the photographer might crop an image. There are so many instances when the photographer will manipulate a situation to make a photo what they want it to be, whether its just lighting, or positioning of the subjects, and what or whom they decide to include or not include. Even after a photo is taken, it can be edited with a program like Photoshop. Often, no one but the photographer knows the work that went in to taking the image to get the result they wanted. As a result, nothing is what it seems.

“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine

 

Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? Describe situations when photographic images reveal “the story” (as compared to words). Describe situations when words reveal “the story” (as compared to images).


As a journalist, I believe that the best way to tell a story depends on the subject matter, and can manifest in a video, text or photography (which are only a few options). That being said, in Lewis Hine's case I think that photography was the best way to show the world what child working conditions were at the time. I don't think that any story, no matter how well written, could convey the same power as a photo of a small child dwarfed by an enormous machine.


Since my focus is visual journalism, I am always hearing that in a time when print publications are hurting, it is increasingly more important to find new ways to catch a reader's eye. These days, a story is hardly ever told with just words. Most reporters are required to incorporate multimedia with their stories. So, off the top of my head I think of books when I think of stories told with just words. To me, watching a movie never comes close to reading a good book, and despite the introduction of all sorts of new media over the years, books have continued to stick around.

This photo was taken for the "repetition" prompt. The dormitories seemed like the perfect subject.... thousands of rooms painted the same color, with as similar layouts as possible, all with the same window to look out from. 

When composing the shot, I wanted to only show the windows --- no sky, foliage or ground to distract from the repetition in the image. This also required me to zoom in fairly close to the building. However, the sky ended up in the mix anyway, which I think is pretty interesting. 

Though the inside of an empty dorm room looks almost identical to its neighbors, once it is inhabited it gains its own unique identity that is always changing each year, from occupant to occupant. This idea is reflected on the outside of the rooms, in these windows. They all look the same structurally, but reflect a different view of the cloudy sky that is constantly changing as the clouds move with the wind.

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My goal with this photo was to capture a "homey" feeling. When composing the image, I wanted to create some tension in the image. Personally, though my eye is drawn first to the plant, it then wanders over to the curtain, and then the screen on the window. Since the view outside is blurred, my attention floats back to the plant, and begins the cycle over again. I particularly like the variety of textures included in the photo.

This photo was taken at my dorm room window. When packing for college, of course the required school supplies are included first, but the rest ends up being objects that are familiar, comfortable and reminiscent of home. The addition of a curtain is part of that effort. As for the plant, my mom is a horticulturist and my dad is a forester/landscape architect, so I have grown up accustomed to having a large amount of plant life both inside and outside the house. The three plants that I've brought along with me not only provide color and life to my little box of a room, but remind me of home. 

I feel that this reflects something we all do-- we try to always bring familiarity into a new situation in order to provide comfort. These things could be a person, music, a favorite book or certain articles of clothing. However, the vast majority of things that might be brought to make an unfamiliar place more comfortable are visual elements. Photographs, posters, knick-knacks, or even simply a favorite color.

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When creating this image, my goal was to create a playful feeling. I have these two slinkys (slinkies?) sitting on my desk (along with some silly putty) mostly to give my hands something to do when I'm thinking over something for a project or paper. 

I chose to not capture the entirety of the first slinky to add some interest, and thought I might repeat the shape behind it with the second slinky. Not only did the slinky create a very unique shape to photograph, but the texture and metallic reflection also added to the composition.

One feature that I might change about this image is the background. I find that it becomes distracting, and I realize that I hadn't really given much thought to it when setting up the photograph. I find this all a little ironic though... the main function these slinkys have is to provide distraction from the task at hand, but in this photo, the environment distracts from the distractors.

"Photograph"

The closest I can come to meeting some of my relatives, those who live far away and those who are long gone.

Travel, and the 34985720934875 photos we come back with.

Childhood.

Wind-up disposable cameras. Point-and-shoot film camera. Point-and-shoot digital camera. My brand new SLR that I am almost afraid to use--less I drop it, get something in the lens, get it wet, etc...

The various photo albums that can be found around our house, and the unprinted digital photos sitting in files on the computer.

The anticipation of dropping off a roll of film, and the resulting disappointment or surprise.

My parents' wedding photos.

Middle school and high school dances, field trips, football games. Senior pictures.

My step dad taking capturing my most unflattering moments. Christmas morning. Me, sleeping in the back seat. Me blowing out my birthday candles with balloon cheeks.

A way of capturing moments that I want to remember.

A single moment in time--frozen forever. (Now that's deep)

A World Without Photographs

Without photographs, the stacks of photo albums stored in our family entertainment center would be non-existent, and since my family has never owned a video camera, I would have no idea what I looked like as a young child.

I wouldn't know what our first house looked like before my parents remodeled it, or what my mom looked like with a perm.

There wouldn't be any photos in textbooks-- our windows into the past would be very limited (at least visually). Although I imagine that there would be other visual mediums, but photos just seem the most pure way of capturing a single moment in time-- even video doesn't quite measure up.

The way the world documents history would be very different. I suppose we wouldn't really know any other way, but often the power of a single photo can explain so much more than any number of words. Now doesn't that phrase sound familiar?

Assignment 0: Recreate

For our first assignment, we were to recreate a photo we were given in a new, creative way. This is the photo I worked with (Annan, Thomas, d. 1887. Old Closes and Streets of Glasgow: Close No. 75 High Street. 1868.) 
 You can see my re-creation here.