Assignment 1: The Non-Familiar

The shoot

When photographing strangers as part of Exercise 1.3 – Portraiture Typology, I generally received far more positive responses than negative. After that shoot, as promised, I email each subject their individual photograph along with a contact sheet showing everyone who posed for me that day, which I believed would help contextualize my intention. I was energized when all those subjects responded with gratitude and encouragement. Brimming with confidence, I set out on a bright sunny day to carry out the assignment shoot. I began mid morning and spent between three and four hours calling into shops in the inner city area. I was focusing on the smaller shops that had a small staff and were generally tended by the owner. In hindsight, it seems that I may have been a little naive as I set out that morning. I called into approximately 40 shops, and the vast majority said ‘No’. At the time, the high volume of rejection was quite disconcerting, however I did manage a level of success, and went home with eleven portraits to work with.

I carried out the shoot on a reasonably bright day, relying mainly on natural light and using fill flash where necessary. As the weather was favorable, a number of the shopkeepers suggested that I take their photograph outside and include their shop. I had already considered and disregarded this prior to the shoot. I believed that shooting the subject at full or half length outside to include the premise might reduce the significance and indeed impact of the subject. This might also rendering the portrait static and formal, not unlike the photographs of competition winners seen in local and community newspapers. Including background and props was essential in strengthening the context of my series, so the most obvious option was to shoot the interior. August Sander’s, Pastrycook 1928, was a reference point for my portraits, although I desired a more candid feel, similar to his Young Farmers. 

Bernd and Hilla Becher photographed their typologies from the same angle, and at approximately the same distances. In the interest of consistency, I maintained the same focal length across the series by using my Fujifilm x100s with 23mm fixed lens (35mm equivalent), and like the Bechers, I, for the most part framed my subjects to occupy similar proportion of the frame. Sufficient fore and background detail was included using a medium depth of field (f8).

I turned to Joel Sternfeld’s Stranger Passing for inspiration on how best to achieve a sense of interruption in my subjects. Although many of sternfeld’s subjects are capture at full length and include background and props, it isn’t always clear as to what action or activity he has interrupted. ‘Using August Sander’s classic photograph of three peasants on their way to a dance as a starting point, Sternfeld employed a conceptual strategy that amounts to a new theory of the portrait, which might be termed “The Circumstantial Portrait”.’ (Nickels). The blurb from Stranger Passing presents a number of questions that one might consider when viewing the work. ‘What happens when we encounter the other in the mist of a circumstance? What presumptions, if any, are valid?’ (Steidl). While my intention isn’t to go as far as challenge viewer’s presumption about the subject. From reviewing Sternfeld’s work I did decide that I could best achieve a sense of interruption by posing the subjects behind the protection of their counters, where possible, which I feel that it put most of the subjects at ease.  

The First Edit

After deleting obvious flawed images, I printed contact sheets and physically mark or annotated them. I find that this makes the editing process a much simpler affair, allowing for increased clarity and justification on edit decision making. I added this to my workflow during the Context and Narrative module, and have done it ever since. Below I’ve included a number of annotated contact sheets.

My editing process resulted in the following 11 portrait.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

Image 7

Image 8

Image 9

Image 10

Image 11

I viewed all of the above image in both colour and black and white. While I like some of the black and white conversions, I found the subjects were beginning to blend into their busy and detailed surroundings. Black and white could possibly have been a stronger option if I had shot the portraits using a shallower depth of field. It was a difficult decision. That aside, I do like the contemporary feel that colour gives this series and as Joel Sternfeld once said, ‘black and white is abstract, colour is not. Looking at a black and white photograph, you are already looking at a strange world. Colour is the real world.’

Image 1

Image 1

A number of the images immediately engage my interest and including them was a decision that I was biased towards. However, I had to create consistency across the series, and so I began to eliminate rather than select photographs. The subjects in image 6 and 7 seem a little disinterested, while those in 8 and 9 seem uncomfortable. Those 4 are all quite different and are in stark contrast to the other 7, where everyone has a smile and is engaging positively with the camera. In order to reduce my portraits to just five, I also cut image 5 and 11. While I like both images, I feel that the subject in image 5 is not as sharp as I would like, while in image 11, the subject’s pose is inconsistent with the rest of the series. The final selection can be seen below

Assignment 1: The non-familiar

Miriam – Limerick City November 2017

Ghalam – Limerick City November 2017

George – Limerick City November 2017

Helen – Limerick City November 2017

Anna – Limerick City 2017

Please follow link to see my refection and how I measured my assignment against the assessment Criteria.

Reference

Ang, T. (2014) Photography The Definitive Visual History, London: Dorling Kindersley.

Artsy (2017) Artsy [online], available: https://www.artsy.net/search?q=sternfeld [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

Badger, G. (2007) The Genius of Photography: How photography has changed our lives, London: Quadrille.

Beth (2012) ‘Photographic Typologies: The Study of Types’, Redbubble Blog [online], 26 Apr, available: https://blog.redbubble.com/2012/04/photographic-typologies-the-study-of-types/ [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

Bright, S. (2010) Auto Focus: the Self Portrait in Contemporary Photography, London: Thames and Hudson.

Buchmann Gallerie (2017) Buchmann Galerie [online], available: http://www.buchmanngalerie.com/current [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

Clarke, G. (1997) The Photograph, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cotton, C. (2009) the photograph as contemporary art, new ed. London: Thames & Hudson.

Jeffrey, I. (2010) Photography A Concise History, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.

Kim, E. (2017) Eric Kim Photography: 6 Lessons Joel Sternfeld has Taught Me about Street Photography [online], avalable: http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2014/02/14/6-lessons-joel-sternfeld-has-taught-me-about-street-photography/ [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

Luhring Augustine (2017) Luhring Augustine [online], available: http://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/joel-sternfeld/bio [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

MoMA (2017) August Sander [online], available: https://www.moma.org/artists/5145 [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

San Fransisco MoMA (2017) SFMoMA [online], available: https://www.sfmoma.org/search/?q=sternfeld&page=1 [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

Sternfeld, J.(2001) Stranger Passing, New York: Bulfinch.

Tate (2016) Tate [online], available: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/search?q=August%20sander [accessed 29 Nov 2017].

Warner Marien, M. (2010) Photography: A Cultural History, 3rd ed., London: Laurence King.

 

Joel Sternfeld – Stranger Passing

Having looked at the work of Joel Sternfeld, I was draw to his series entitled, Stranger Passing, and felt is was worth it’s own post, especially considering that the subject matter is extremely relevant to this module.

Stranger Passing features portraits of strangers going about their daily business. The series was captured between 1985 and 2001 and demonstrates a cross section of American society. The series was heavily inspired by August Sander’s typology work, and Sternfeld took particular inspiration from his photograph of The Young Farmers (The Buchmann Gallerie 2017). Like Sander’s photograph, Sternfeld’s series has captured his subjects who have only just ceased their activities for the length of time to take the photographs.

Young Farmers (Jungbauern)1914 – August Sander

I’ve previously written a post August Sander, which mentions his photograph, The Young Farmers. It’s linked here.

 

A Young Man gathering Shopping Carts, Huntington, New York, July 1993 from Stranger Passing- Joel Sternfeld

While his subjects outward appearance and interrupted activities are suggestive of their individual identities, commenting on the work in the catalogue of Stranger Passing as presented at San Francisco MOMA in 2001 curator Douglas Nickel wrote that “Sternfeld’s sociology therefore throws the question back at us, asking us to decide what we are willing to assume, on the basis of outward appearance, about the person standing next to us in the elevator” (Artsy 2017). Charlotte Cotton (2009) suggests that Sternfeld portraits also propose the facts of what negotiation or agreement has transpired prior to capture. “The subject’s reaction to what is happening, which includes their resistance, their ambivalence about this brief break in their routine, becomes the portrayed ‘fact’.” (Cotton  2009, p.108).

A Man Waiting for a Tow Truck to Take His Car to a Demolition Derby at the County Fair, South Hadly, Massachusetts, September 1998, the Tow Truck Never Came and He Was Unable to Race That Day, 1998 from Stranger Passing- Joel Sternfeld

Describing  Sternfeld’s portraits, Nickel goes further in stating that “depending on where you stand, they can be taken as critical, ironic, and political, or earnest, straight-faced, and illustrative” (Artsy 2017).

Reference

Artsy (2017) Artsy [online], available: https://www.artsy.net/search?q=sternfeld [accessed 22 Nov 2017].

Buchmann Gallerie (2017) Buchmann Galerie [online], available: http://www.buchmanngalerie.com/current [accessed 22 Nov 2017].

Cotton, C. (2009) the photograph as contemporary art, new ed. London: Thames & Hudson.

Kim, E. (2017) Eric Kim Photography: 6 Lessons Joel Sternfeld has Taught Me about Street Photography [online], avalable: http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2014/02/14/6-lessons-joel-sternfeld-has-taught-me-about-street-photography/ [accessed 22 Nov 2017].

Luhring Augustine (2017) Luhring Augustine [online], available: http://www.luhringaugustine.com/artists/joel-sternfeld/bio [accessed 22 Nov 2017].

MoMA (2017) August Sander [online], available: https://www.moma.org/artists/5145 [accessed 25 Oct 2017].

San Fransisco MoMA (2017) SFMoMA [online], available: https://www.sfmoma.org/search/?q=sternfeld&page=1 [accessed 22 Nov 2017].

Tate (2016) Tate [online], available: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/search?q=August%20sander [accessed 25 Oct 2017].

 

 

Exercise: 1.2 Background as Context

After a study of some August Sander portraits, this exercise requires the student to make a portrait of someone they know, paying close attention to to what is happening in the background of the shot, how the subject is posed and what is included in the photograph. Ideally, the background should tell the viewer something about the subject.

Reviewing any book on the history of photography, would reveal references to August Sander’s People of the Twentieth Century. Sander seems to have been ahead of his time, being one of the pioneering photographers to move portraiture beyond the studio, to make “simple, natural portraits that show the subjects in an environment corresponding to their own individuality” (Ang 2014 p.152).

August Sander’s People of the Twentieth Century, which feature people defined by their profession, “remains one of the most sustained attempts to define individuals within their time and culture” (Clarke 1997). Sander did not discriminate. He photographed the full range of people across all walks of life, young, old, rich and poor. He had a “severe portrait style” (Jeffrey 2010 p.132), with many of his photographs appearing static and quite formal, taken at full or half-length. The majority of Sander’s portraits seem to feature subject that are looking at the camera, and engaging directly with the viewer. Sander’s image, The Bricklayer, is a good example of this engagement with the viewer. The bricklayer squarely faces the camera  and the portrait seems formally posed, his broad shoulders fill the camera frame, denoting his strength and the physicality of his work. He is loaded down with props, that inform the viewer of his occupation, and so the simple title describing his trade seems unnecessary, although it does add greatly to Sander’s overall typology. The dark background doesn’t add any information about the subject, although it does allows the subject to stand out and impose himself on the viewer.

In contrast to The Bricklayer, in Sander’s, The Banker, the subject’s gaze is not on the viewer, but just beyond them, as if in thought. The desk creates a physical barrier along with a plethora of official banking paraphernalia (stamps and ink pads), which put him out of the reach of the ordinary man. His comfortable position affords him the time to enjoy a cigar while reviewing some bank documents. His clothes are expensive and his clean shave and neat appearrance is in keeping with his affluent position and social standing. The background reveals a door some distance away indicating a substantial office space. The main difference I see between these two photograph is where the subject is looking. The bricklayer look directly at us (and Sander), we are not above or below him in social standing. The banker does not engage with us, not everyone can an audience with him. The banker is not our equal, we have been lucky for the brief momentary glimpse into his world.

Sander’s image of The young farmers reveals a far more dynamic and possibly spontaneous photograph. The farmers are thought to be one their way to a dance in a neighbouring village and “seem to have paused, but only momentarily, to present themselves to the camera” (Jeffrey 2010 p.132). They gaze at Sander and the viewer with indifference, possibly even a hint of curiosity. Although the farmers are looking at the camera, their bodies are turned to the side creating tension. They are very much committed to their direction of travel.

My girlfriend, Gráinne, agreed to be my subject for this exercise and appears in the image below.

Gráinne is posed at an oblique angle, which is neither confrontational nor passive. The viewer is greeted by the subject’s smile and relaxed posture, an indication of the subjects comfort with the camera and surroundings. I used a wide aperture to created a shallow depth of field as there was no reason for anything other than the subject to be sharp. Even blurred the background and other props clearly denote a kitchen setting. The clock places the photographs capture at almost 13.00 hours, which isn’t particularly significant. The kettle, extractor fan and ornamental geko in the background indicate the probability that this is a domestic kitchen rather than a professional one. The props around the subject denote ‘Baking’, while her finger points to or is following instruction in a folder, notebook or recipe book.

While my portrait doesn’t reveal Gráinne’s true occupation, although it could potentially mislead, it does demonstrate her interest in baking. Hr nail polish work against the idea of her being a professional chef/baker. She is obviously happy as she goes about her task. The number of apples is an indication of the scale to which she is baking, while the appearance of the product packaging confirms that there is definitely no possibility of this being a photo shoot for professional purposes. The overall tone of the image is warm and engaging.

Where I feel that the image perhaps falls down a little is in the placement of the subjects hand. It’s a little too prominent as I feel that it acts like an arrow drawing the viewer’s eyes down to the bottom of the photograph. If her hand had been closer to her body and more subtly placed, the result would be a much stronger image. That aside, overall I’m happy with the my portrait and I’ve learned more from the exercise as is than if I had captured a more complete portrait.

Reference

Ang, T. (2014) Photography The Definitive Visual History, London: Dorling Kindersley.

Badger, G. (2007) The Genius of Photography: How photography has changed our lives, London: Quadrille.

Clarke, G. (1997) The Photograph, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jeffrey, I. (2010) Photography A Concise History, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.

MoMA (2017) August Sander [online], available: https://www.moma.org/artists/5145 [accessed 6 Nov 2017].

Tate (2016) Tate [online], available: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/search?q=August%20sander [accessed 6 Nov 2017].

Warner Marien, M. (2010) Photography: A Cultural History, 3rd ed., London: Laurence King.

 

August Sander

August Sander was a German photographer who was one of the pioneers to move portraiture beyond the studio, to make “simple, natural portraits that show the subjects in an environment corresponding to their own individuality” (Ang 2014 p.152). Using a large-format camera Sander created a typology of German Society between the First and Second World Wars.

The majority of Sander’s portraits seem to feature subjects that are looking at the camera, and engaging directly with the viewer. Sander’s image, The Bricklayer, is a good example of this engagement with the viewer. The bricklayer squarely faces the camera  and the portrait seems formally posed, his broad shoulders fill the camera frame, denoting his strength and the physicality of his work. He is loaded down with props, that inform the viewer of his occupation, and so the simple title describing his trade seems unnecessary, although it does add greatly to Sander’s overall typology. The dark background doesn’t add any information about the subject, although it does allows the subject to stand out and impose himself on the viewer.

In contrast to The Bricklayer, in Sander’s, The Banker, the subject’s gaze is not on the viewer, but just beyond them, as if in thought. The desk creates a physical barrier along with a plethora of official banking paraphernalia (stamps and ink pads), which put him out of the reach of the ordinary man. His comfortable position affords him the time to enjoy a cigar while reviewing some bank documents. His clothes are expensive and his clean shave and neat appearrance is in keeping with his affluent position and social standing. The background reveals a door some distance away indicating a substantial office space. The main difference I see between these two photograph is where the subject is looking. The bricklayer look directly at us (and Sander), we are not above or below him in social standing. The banker does not engage with us, not everyone can an audience with him. The banker is not our equal, we have been lucky for the brief momentary glimpse into his world.

Sander’s image of The young farmers reveals a far more dynamic and possibly spontaneous photograph. The farmers are thought to be on their way to a dance in a neighbouring village and “seem to have paused, but only momentarily, to present themselves to the camera” (Jeffrey 2010 p.132). They gaze at Sander and the viewer with indifference, possibly even a hint of curiosity. Although the farmers are looking at the camera, their bodies are turned to the side creating tension. They are very much committed to their direction of travel.

August Sander’s People of the Twentieth Century, which feature people defined by their profession, “remains one of the most sustained attempts to define individuals within their time and culture” (Clarke 1997). Sander did not discriminate. He photographed the full range of people across all walks of life, young, old, rich and poor. He had a “severe portrait style” (Jeffrey 2010 p.132), with many of his photographs appearing static and quite formal, taken at full or half-length. I find the images Sander captured out and about in the world, to be by far his more dynamic and natural works.

The images below are by August Sander.

 

Reference

Ang, T. (2014) Photography The Definitive Visual History, London: Dorling Kindersley.

Badger, G. (2007) The Genius of Photography: How photography has changed our lives, London: Quadrille.

Clarke, G. (1997) The Photograph, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jeffrey, I. (2010) Photography A Concise History, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.

MoMA (2017) August Sander [online], available: https://www.moma.org/artists/5145 [accessed 25 Oct 2017].

Tate (2016) Tate [online], available: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/search?q=August%20sander [accessed 25 Oct 2017].

Warner Marien, M. (2010) Photography: A Cultural History, 3rd ed., London: Laurence King.