homework #5 Walker Evans

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I think Evan Clandestine approach to photography was very clever yet sneaky. He had not only an eye for art in photography, he also had an eye to be a spy. He got up close and personal pictures of people that were fully unaware that they were getting their pictures taken. I will also say that he was brave to take such risk and very skilled to not get caught. He was creative to have thought a picture that was off guard would become a success.He also  teamed with Helen Levitt who is known for taking daily routine pictures and making perfect art. Other than his skill in taking great pictures in the subway, he also has a lot of great pictures of people that did not have such a great life. He shed light on the lifestyles of families that did not have an easy life. I think one of the most common expression of todays’s riders that are similar to the riders’ expression during depression is that everyone sat or stood on the subway phased out and minding their own business. They looked unbothered and some looked tired or seem like they had a lot to carry on for the day. Not much has changed, everyone has the same attitude today on the subway. On their way to  and from their journey or on their way home, everyone is just ready to get off to the next stop. People use either a newspaper, book,gadgets and tablets, or music to keep them occupied as they wait. I am sure if Walker Evan attempts his same approach today there will be no difference in the way the riders’ look.

homework #6

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Breakfast Trini-Style ( fried bakes, sautéd sausages, porridge, fruit)

Breakfast is my favorite meal!! I am always excited to prepare and consume it. Some say it is the most important meal of the day and I could not disagree because it is my most important meal of the day. I was raised in Trinidad and we were taught as children that the word “break” in breakfast meant to break the fast after sleeping at night. Hence the reason we were forced to  drink a hot beverage. Perhaps it was a crime to have a cold drink.I remember hearing ” At this time you are drinking that cold drink, go put something hot on your stomach”.  There is no one that I know, that was raised in the Caribbean and can not relate to my story. However, as I am currently residing  in the U.S I learnt that breakfast is anything you can grab and go to eat on the way. Not only is it convenient for when in a rush, but it also fuels you enough to be energized and not too lazy to work. I personally hate it. I like having a full breakfast with all the nutrients that the body needs, which are proteins, carbohydrates,fat, vitamins and minerals, water and fiber. Unfortunately, I understand on a busy schedule this can be more of a disadvantage. Although I think your breakfast has to complement your lifestyle, on the other hand I do think the American version of breakfast is too sugary. Lucky charms? Cinnamon toast?, I eat those as a snack, I do not believe that can sustain anyone for a period of time. I can go on  and on about this topic but I just have to end with the fact that I dont think there should be a guideline on how one should eat and what should a person eat for breakfast. As long as it provides the essentials needed to complete your daily task and at the same time maintains your health, feel free to be adventurous with your choices.

homework #8

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After reading the biography of Robert Capa it confused me a little on whether to believe if it was staged or not because there was a lot of allegations based on that very famous picture taken during the Spanish Civil War. It confused my judgement because I have watched other pictures taken by Robert Capa and they seem authentic to me. However, after looking at both pictures in the article I questioned the authenticity of the picture. It looked staged because the picture beside Capa’s looked like someone that was in a war because of the grime and dirt on his clothing. The man had no control of his body judging from the the way it is thrown. Even his face looked like he was in pain or surprised by the hit. Then I looked at Caps’s photo and the man’s clothing looked at little too clean as if he had a change of clothes at war, and his body did not seem like it had received an unexpected hit. Because of my inability to decide whether Capa’s picture was fake or not right away, I do think authenticity matters because it helps to avoid all the accusations and alleged rumors. If one uses an original to duplicate or as inspiration to create something new I think it is okay, but if you are claiming something to be your own and especially to the public, I think they deserve to know the truth.

homework #7

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Food Photography today is very common and easy to  some of us that are highly skilled, down to some that what we may call a novice. I think from a professional aspect of driving sales, is the only thing that separates photography  for marketing from photography for art. They both may involve editing to perfect the end result depending on the intent. Apart from that they both need each to be as successful or outstanding. The form of art will naturally drive sales  or awareness, therefore I do not see much of their differences. As far as I see it, it is an art to be able to properly market anything, period. Just like the young girls that invented New Fork city, I doubt that they had a lot of marketing skills or even studied art as a major. It took very little knowledge and experience. All they used was an idea, and  because of their love for food or taking pictures of food, made it easy to express through pictures.To conclude, I do not prefer photography for marketing over photography for art because to me they both represent an expression of how one feels and how we envision food.

Homework #7

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There are many differences from food photography for marketing and food photography for art. Food photography of art is more of a calm photo as the food is introduced with other items in the art. The art work is usually not focused on the food itself it’s just something that enhances the photo. Now with food photography in a marketing stand point the whole photo is focused on the food and barley anything else as your trying to sell the idea of the food you are presenting. Both are works of art I personally like the art version a little more as it includes  other props and items most of the time.

hw #7

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The trend for photographing food became very popular . There are many reasons why people want to post their pictures on the internet. Instagram is the fastest growing social networking platform on the web, happens to be particularly successful among foodies.In those days, Instagram makes a food photographer out of everyone. The photographer can make even the most simple foods look worthy.”We eat with our eyes”.
I think photographing food can be art. Photographing food is not an art of simple and worth to her professionally prepared.There certainly is an art to food presentation. Photographers spend much time carefully calculating precisely how their food will be arranged on a plate making sure it looks oh-so-perfect.

Instagram is the perfect place for businesses of all sizes to advertiseThere are many strategies that these Instagrammers follow to be successful.There is a lot fo people who have built impressive careers starting from an influential Instagram account surely doesn’t end here. I believe it is good business. Of course, not everyone achieves success so quickly.

Homework #7 Art v. Capitalization

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In the past few years, Instagram has surpassed Facebook, myspace, and twitter in user popularity. That being said, its only natural for us Americans to find ways to capitalize on it. With a substantial amount of followers on Instagram, a user can be quite influential in starting trends or simply promoting things. People with followers reaching the thousands have used their influence to promote beauty and dietary products, clothes, services, and most of all, food. Posting a good photo is all a user really needs to do to advertise a restaurant to thousands of people.

I’ve generally relied on Yelp for restaurant reviews and recommendations but more and more i find myself looking at foodie blogs to find interesting places to dine around NYC. Somehow on Instagram the lighting is always just right, the plates are always neatly set up and the photos are always perfect. That is what you call a photo taken for advertisement.

A picture of food taken for art can really be anything. It can be a photo meant to look appetizing but it can be focusing on shapes, abstraction, textures and so on. Our egg project was clearly an art project. We took pictures of eggs not to make anyone want to eat an egg, rather to have that egg represent something more than just food.

 

Homework #7 Food Photography for Art vs Food Photography for Marketing

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Food photography for art is more manipulative than food photography for marketing. What i mean by this is that when the photography is for art it can be made to be whatever the photographer wants it to be while photography for marketing is more of a “by the book” type of photography. Art photography can be made to look ugly, messy, and beautiful all in the same shot. Food photography for marketing is more of the pretty flawless picture that we’re all mostly used to. We can all be food art photographers all you need is a phone with a decent camera, a social network like Instagram, Facebook, or twitter, a few bucks for lunch and voila! A lot of people take their food photography seriously and even make a living of it. Martin Parr was a realistic photographer when it came down to his food photography. A lot of people now a days are getting paid to make restaurants look good and to paint the pretty picture to bring it clientele. Absolutely nothing wrong with either. However because we’re used to everything being photographed without flaws and made to be seen as edible we tend to forget that nothing and no one is perfect. For example when we see a commercial for McDonald’s and see a cheeseburger that looks pretty darn good and when it comes down to it the item looks nothing like the picture of commercial. McDonald’s and other commercialized franchises do the exact same thing. Martin Parr shows the good, the bad, and the imperfect which more people should appreciate. I mean why wouldn’t you? Because it isn’t beautiful? There is beauty in everything. I do not prefer one or the other but a less manipulated and raw/uncensored approach would be more appreciated. Yes, i like my food to look nice and be presented lovely but if it looks perfect on a picture and not perfect on my plate you are selling me dreams! Be about it!

Ahmet D. HW # 7

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After I read the article ” Food Instagrammers Turn Their Accounts Into Professions” on the Wall Street Journal, it is really amazing that how people take advantage of the technology and applications for marketing. I believe that any kind of photography can be an art. Famous instagrammers visit places and photograph some food, hired by the owners, and marketing places. Nowadays, everyone needs to take advantage on everything to be more successful and grow their business. Either an artist could photograph any kind of food and make millions and call this as an “ART” but an instagrammers photographs any type of food in a restaurant to make money or marketing and this doesn’t consider as an “ART.” Both people make money in different ways. I really don’t see the differences in between, although  I don’t look at food photographs on instagram as a marketing strategy.

Homework #8: Robert Capa’s Death of a Loyalist Soldier

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Falling Soldier

Robert Capa, “Death of a Loyalist Soldier” 1936

At the age of 23, Robert Capa took a photograph that many have labeled the greatest war photograph of all time. Taken during the Spanish Civil War, the renown of Capa’s photograph, Falling Soldier or Death of a Loyalist Soldier, reverberated around the world as it was published and republished in contemporary news magazines. However, Capa’s photo has been shadowed by controversy, including accusations of fakery. Read an analysis on the image by Capa’s biographer, Robert Whelan, on the authenticity of the photograph. Do you find his arguments convincing? Do you think Capa’s photograph is staged or not? And do you think its authenticity matters?

Richard Whelan’s discussion of Capa’s photograph

Please post your responses by Monday, December 7th.