Documentary Image Bank

I chose this image because it documents the journey of the man on the bike. As well as showing documentary it also has aspects of movement in it because the man on the bike is shown as a motion blur. I think this image makes us think a lot because we want to know how it was captured as the picture would've had to be taken at the right moment. As well as documenting the path of the cyclist it also shows the path that the photographer would be taking as we can see the steps. I can use elements of this in my work by including movement in my documentary photos and also including some of the other primary elements.

I chose this image because it documents a story. We can see that this man must be part of the war and he is wearing a uniform and holding a gun. We begin to feel sorry for the man because his face is filled with fear. The fact that his shoulders are hunched over could show that he is trying to protect himself by trying to make himself small. This image caught my attention because it makes us want to know more about him and more about the war. I can use ideas from this photo in my work by using portraiture to document someones life.

I chose this image because it documents the lives of these girls. We can link this image to popularity and the pressures of being a girl. These girls are all thin and pretty which makes us instantly think that they are probably the popular girls. It represents the pressures to be pretty and skinny because it is showing 4 popular girls who look like they are enjoying the camera whereas other girls may not relate to this. I can use elements of this in my work because I can take pictures of different people and document their lives compared to other people.

I chose this image because it documents the pressures of being a certain size and having certain features. This image also relates to what it is like being a girl because they are being measured which puts pressure on them to be a certain size. This image represents the life of a model because they have to be a certain size to be a model. I like this image because it draws my attention as we want to know what's going on in the image, we want to know why they are doing this. I can use ideas from this picture by incorporating meanings into my images.

I chose this image because it documents the life that this girl lives. This image shows us a young girl with a cigarette, her posture looks like she should be older like the way she is dressed and the way she is holding the cigarette. It documents the lives that some children are forced to live. It can also represent the pressures of a girl because she is trying to act older than her years. I can use elements of this image in my work because I can document different types of children and the lives that they have to live.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Context
Born on August 22nd in Chanteloup, Seine-et-Marne. Educated at the Lycée Condorcet, Paris in 1908. He travelled around the world and visited countries that were less wealthy then other main countries. He visited countries like Mexico. This corresponds with his work because he takes picture of urban streets and of people who are less wealthy than other people. He also captures the difference between the poor and richer people. He was also greatly influenced by surrealist artists which can be seen in his work because he also photographs peoples shadows. In more than 40 years as a photographer, Cartier-Bresson wandered continually around the world. But there was nothing compulsive about his travels, and he explicitly expressed a desire to move slowly, to “live on proper terms” in each country, to take his time, so that he became totally immersed in the environment. This can be displayed in his work because he can really grasp the aspect of the feelings of the different people. 

The Decisive Moment

He pioneered the genre of street photography, and conceived of photography as capturing a decisive moment. "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression." The decisive moment is the time when you decide to take the picture to create what you wanted.

Photography

This image relates to the decisive moment because to capture this image he would've had to get the bike at the right time to capture the bike going past. It also relates to the context of Cartier-Bresson because he wanted to capture real life take pictures without having big set-up, this is shown in this image because this isn't taken in a studio or set up he has captured this at a decisive moment. The fact that he has taken this in a real street also shows us that he wanted to document real lives and the real world.

This image also shows the decisive moment because he would have to get the timing right to capture the woman giving the fish to the man. This also relates to the fact that he wanted to capture real life because he's showing what happens in this street. It tells a story of the woman and how she earns a living by selling these fish, she looks poor so this is the only way she can make money. This image captures this woman's life and makes us read more into the life she is living and I think this is what Cartier-Bresson was trying to portray.

This image can also be linked to the decisive moment because he would've had to time it right to capture the movements of the people. It can also link to the fact that he wanted to capture real life because he has captured the lives of poor people and in this picture he is showing richer and wealthier people. We can tell that they are richer people because they have a boat and the way they are dressed, for example the man is wearing a top hat. We can see that Cartier-Bresson is trying to express the lives of the rich people.

Progression

In my work I will use ideas from his images such as expressing different people's lives, the richer and the poorer people. Also I can use his idea of the decisive moment by taking an image at the right time to express the meaning throughout the picture.

Peter Menzel and John Travis

Peter Menzel

Context
Peter J. Menzel (born February 7, 1948) is an American freelance photojournalist best known for his coverage of scientific and technological subjects. He travelled the world and went to different corners of the world, to richer and poorer countries to photograph families. Menzel captured the different possessions that each family had and showed the different between the richer and poorer countries. As well as showing the different possession they had in relation to rich people and poorer people he also displayed the different cultures in different countries by what they looked like and what they own. 

Photography

This picture was taken in Somalia. We can tell that this is a poor country because the house the family is living in is not a stable or luxury house, it looks like it is going to fall down. Although the family seems poor they have a lot of traditional and religious things, this makes us think that this may be a very traditional and religious country. I think Menzel would've wanted to photograph this family because although they are in a poor country and look like a poor family it is visible to us that they care a lot about their religion.

This photograph was taken in the USA. We can tell that this is a more wealthier country because not only is their house stable and big the houses surrounding it are too. By looking at the possessions they have in their house they seem like a wealthy family who are more focused by the luxuries in life as they have a piano and a tv for example. I think Menzel would've wanted to photograph this family because he wanted to capture how many Americans live as the majority live like this.

This photograph was taken in Japan. We can tell that this is the poorer part of the country by the lack of possessions they have. When we think of Japan we associate them with technology but this gives us a different interpretation as we realise that different parts of Japan may be wealthier than others. I think that Menzel would've wanted to photograph this family because he wanted to show that what we originally think about Japan is wrong.

Progression
I can use Menzel's ideas in my work because I can photograph different types of people such as poorer and wealthier people. 

John Travis
There wasn't much to say about this photographer so I cannot relate any context to his work. However, I was attracted to his work so I would like to use his ideas in my work.

Photography

These are some of John Travis's work, I like how he takes photo's of the person and their possessions and edits both the pictures together. This is a good way to represent them and their possessions because by having two separate pictures we can link the object with the person easier. 

Documentary Definition

Documentary Photography

Documentary photography follows a single topic or story in-depth over time, as opposed to photojournalism’s real-time coverage of breaking news and events. By deepening our understanding and emotional connection to stories of injustice, documentary photography can capture and sustain public attention, and mobilize people around pressing social and human rights issues. 

This image represents documentary photography because it represents several different meanings. It tells us a story by showing the boy trapped behind the barbed wire. This can represents war and starvation because the barbed wire represents war and the fact that he is so skinny shows he is starving. I think this image represents documentary well because it allows us to read into the picture.

Faye Godwin Landscapes

Faye Godwin

Context
Fay Godwin (17 February 1931 – 27 May 2005) was a British photographer known for her black-and-white landscapes of the British countryside and coast. Born Berlin, Germany, father a British diplomat, mother an American artist. Educated at various schools all over the world. 1958 Settled down to live in London. 1966 Became interested in photography through photographing her young children. Her early and mature work was informed by the sense of ecological crisis present in late 1970s and 1980s England. Her work is a celebration of the British countryside, a lament for what has been lost and a warning about what will happen if action is not taken to preserve it. Through her publishing connections she began photographing writers, primarily for use as publicity material. Godwin’s husband died suddenly in 1976 and at around the same time she was diagnosed with cancer. Godwin recovered, but afterwards the direction of her work began to change. ‘After being ill, I concentrated more on the landscape. In a sense, all the natural things became incredibly important,’ she said in an interview for ITV’s The South Bank Show in 1986.

Photography

In this image we are presented with a road and at the end of this road we can see a mountain. This image makes us focus on the nature in the picture rather than the road. She has added great focus on the mountain because when we look at the image this is the first thing we naturally see as it is the brightest part in the image. Faye Godwin works with tone well because she has created different tones throughout the image, for example the road is a much darker, dull tone whereas the mountain is a lighter tone. We can link this image to the context because she wanted to represent landscape as something we need to protect and if we carry on changing the natural world it won't stay like this forever. This links to the photograph because she has darkened the road to make it seem like it is evil/bad compared to the nature. When we look at this image we can see that she wanted the road not to stand out but by doing this we are more attracted to the meaning of the photo. It can also be linked to her cancer illness, the dark road represents the illness and what she went through but the mountain can be represented as her recovery because it is bright and powerful. 

In this image we are shown a path going through the middle of the picture and surrounding the path we see a field with trees and a fence. This image makes us focus on the field surrounding the path because it looks neglected and the things growing on it look dead, the fence also looks like it is broken. In this image she has used tones again, for example the trees are a very dark tone and the sky is a lighter tone. We would think that she would make the trees a lighter tone to show them off but we can see in this picture that she wants to add the effect to make the deserted field the main focus. I think this is because she wants to show that the field needs to be looked after. This links to the context of Faye Godwin because she wanted to represent the dangers of the way we are living as it is effecting the nature in the world, in this image she is telling us that we have to look after nature otherwise it will end up looking like this. Another message that can also be portrayed from this image is the fact that the man made path and fence is making land look deserted, everything beyond the fence and the path looks neglected and poor. 

In this image we can see the countryside, Godwin has used a variation of tones in this image. The different tones consist of darker ones in the background of the image and lighter tones in the foreground of the image. I think she has used these tones because it makes us think that as the countryside goes on it starts to fade away. In her images she shows the sky with lighter tones, I think the message that she is trying to show is that even though the sky is light the land is dark which tells us that nature is becoming non-existent and less intriguing. This can link to the fact that she wants to celebrate nature because thing image portrays the fact that we have to protect nature otherwise it will fade away. Also, we can relate this image with her cancer story, the darkness in the background represents her past and the illness, the lighter parts of the image can represent her recovery and the future.

Progression

From evaluating Faye Godwin's work I can use various aspects of her ideas in my work. I can use her use of tones in her images when editing my photos I can make pats of the image darker or lighter to send a clearer message. Also I can use her technique of grasping nature in my work by taking pictures of landscapes that portray a lot of nature in them.

Landscape Straight Images

I chose to take this image because I think that it shows landscape well. I like the effect that the leaves make because it shows us the time of the year. The darkness displayed in the image also helps us work out the time of the year too because it is quite dark which helps us know that it is during autumn or winter, if it was during the summer we may have gotten the glare of the sun reflecting off of the sign. I like how this can be displayed as an urban area because it relates to the London underground. Also the train and the train track in the background also helps add to the effect because as well as looking at the station sign we are also drawn to things happening in the background.

I chose to take this image because I think it shows landscape really well. I like how this can be related to the rule of thirds because it is separated into three sections, the grass/ground, the forest/trees and then the sky. The sky helps the colours in the photo stand out more because it is white/grey so the colours appear brighter against it. If the sky was blue it wouldn't have the same effect as the grey sky does. The image also has an eerie effect because although the trees look colourful they also appear dark and not very inviting. Also, the sky is dull which also adds to the eerie effect. 

I chose to take this image because it shows landscape well as there is a great depth of field present in this image. I like how this image hasn't been taken straight on because by having it taken at a angle we are able to compare it to the small part of the outside we can see. This image has a horror effect to it because the end of the path our eyes follow is incredibly dark and creepy. I think the glare on the floor also adds to the horror/eerie effect because it suddenly stops and goes completely black. Also, I like that although the light from outside is present it doesn't light up the whole of the inside, this adds to the eerie effect because only some light is showing.

I chose to take this image because it shows landscape well as there is a great depth of field in the image. I like how their is a main focus on a few trees that are in the foreground but the background also interests us as it shows deep into the forest. Also, I like how the sky is light but because the photo has been taken in a forest it is dark inside making the image look eerie. Although the trees have virtually no leaves on them the picture still looks full and there are many things that take our attention. 

I chose to take this image because it shows landscape well as there is a great depth of field in the image as we can see far into the distance. The fact that everything in the background is blurred gives the image a better effect because we are drawn to it as we look at all the different lights there are. I like this image because it is very eerie and relates to horror because it is dark and the only lighter parts are in the foreground of the image.

Landscape Contact Sheet