Week 11: The New American Dustbowl: Documenting California’s Drought

These photographs like the photographs of the FSA show us the reality of what’s going on. No filters, no staged shots and if staged it was to dramatize the truth of whats happening. It is very sad that so many of us Americans are unaware of this drought that can and will or probably affected so many of us in the United States. Majority of our fruits and vegetables are grown in California. The land must be overworked and the government probably think they can easily fix the problem so it’s not greatly publicized as other problems we face now. Like the photographs from the FSA, these photographers used different filters to capture the full effect. Black and white makes the pictures seem more in depth and the land looks drier. On television commercials that advertise children and families in need the speaker is normally in color and the needy people are in black and white. It gets the attention of the viewer more being that things are normally seen in color for the common eye. Here the photographers draw you in and make you care and feel bad for whats going on as we should.

Week 12: Hands Up, Don’t Shoot: Photographs from #Ferguson

After reading both articles and seeing the difference in time frames, I believe this is a clear example on how history keeps repeating itself. Of course it’s extremely awful that these things happened to innocent people. However, it does make me wonder why these things keep happening. We as people are so wrapped up in things that are unimportant, we are so oblivious to things that are happening in our local communities. We walk pass homeless, needy, and injured people every single day. I get that we can’t help everyone, but how can someone take us seriously when we want to protest something thats happening hours and hundreds of miles away when we don’t even help the people that are begging us in our faces. Its morally wrong that a police officer is actually aiming to shoot an unarmed civilian. However, this is the government that we elected someone is training these officers and if this can happen in multiple cities years after years, then maybe we are attacking or reacting on the wrong people. Maybe we need to step up and not just want to be heard when someone dies but all the time. I feel even though the officers were wrong and no one deserves to die but when you’re always the victim sometimes its by choice. We put ourselves in certain situations. It was extremely courageous that these photographers were able to capture these moments for us but also utterly reckless, stupid, and ridiculous.

Hands Up Dont Shoot: Photos from Ferguson

Robert Frank’s photos are now just a window of the past injustice amongst blacks living in America while Scot Olsen’s photos are a vivid reminder of the failed times we live in. I would consider both sets of photography as first hand documents in the process and long history of the fight for equality in America. Feelings of inferiority can be felt in the times that Robert Frank has taken why the sensations of anger, violence, and pain can be felt through the images of Ferguson. After decades of fighting for equality, one would have thought that by now America as a country would have made some drastic improvements. However in the past few weeks with photos surfacing from Ferguson, it seems that the some odd decades that have past has just been a continuing cycle of injustice. In a sense, if both Robert Frank’s and Scot Olsen’s photos were shown side by side it would create the feeling of deja vu.

The New American Dustbowl: Documenting California’s Drought

The photos from the article and the short video were quite interesting. Both pieces shed more light on the problem of California’s farming lands going through a terrible drought. As the average person that does not live in California or is not involved in farming, it is hard for us to find out or even be directly effected by what is going on in California. People as a whole wouldn’t have realized that a drought was even occurring in California until they would have gone to the store one day looking for a case of their favorite tomatoes or fruit, only to realize that they are no more. The video and photos help raise awareness and hopefully with enough recognition some sort of mass action can be taken in order to combat this issue.

Week 13 Hands up Don’t shoot

By reading the article based on the ferguson protest, starting off by saying that these photographers really put their lives in danger because they have police that are very strong armed and in any shot being fired you can die. Comparing it kent state I believe that in both ways photographers that specialize themselves with this risk their lives to show us what goes on around the world.

Robert Capa and the Greatest War Photograph

I completely agree with this article. There are simply too many factors that promote the theory that this photo was staged. One must think, in the midst of a gun battle or battlefield how is it possible for a photographer to capture such a photo with absolutely no gore? Another question I personally thought to myself was how is it that the cameraman left that scene unharmed? The trajectory of the shot and the soldiers physical response did not add up to me, but if the photo was not staged I salute Mr. Capa on such a powerful photo. However if it was staged, I would probably feel the same way. The photo was distributed in order to portray and evoke some sort of feelings, and in my opinion the photo did just that.

Week 11, The New American Dust Bowl

By looking at the short film about California’s agriculture, I realized that this issue has gone to an extreme, it is really sad, there really isn’t any water in that land, everyday it is dryer and dryer and it doesn’t rain at all. Sometimes we may fear what is gonna happen next, is there going to be enough vegetables and fruits for everyone in the world? I also noticed that all the pictures were in black and white and they look so real because the people in the picture don’t notice that they are being photographed.

week 12 hands up dont shoot # ferguson

seems like history repeating itself to me. From franks photographs the Americans many of his photographs shows the racism towards back then and Scott Olson picks shows in this day and age African Americans still fighting for justice for an unarmed man that was shot dead. Scott Olson photographs shows the excessive force used by law enforcement. while Franks photograph shows the divide and separation between races. both photographs shows the unjust treatment African American gets now and in the past. it is sad to see that we are right back where we started or maybe haven’t truly changed. The American justice and law system have a long way to go to be just and fair to our people but then again a system can not fail those it was never meant to protect.

week 11 documenting california drought

these Photographs showed realism and was a direct description of the drought happening. it is very devasting to know that here in the United States People are experiencing drought and farmers are struggling. I don’t think people are aware of how bad it is. I knew California was low on water supply but I never thought the conditions were that bad. its sad to see what we take for granted like a sip of water is someone else livelihood.  the photographs and the video was very depressing to watch and I am surprised that not more is being done to end this drought.

robert Capa greatest war photograph

I do agree with the article about Robert capa photograph being staged. the shot it almost too perfect and there is no sign of blood in the photograph from a solider being shot. the photograph is an amazing shot and I think it deserves an award but I don’t think that it should be told this happened in war if it did not. in some ways authenticity matters if you are documenting that is what you have experienced and done.