Tag Archives: history of photography

HW 10: Backstage Riders

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Henry Hargreaves’s photo series is truly interesting work that requires a big thought and/or effort to it. I love the way photographs are set up, the arrangement reminds me of a still life commercial or editorial. There is a great sharp contrast between a dark background and the subject in every shot. I agree with the photographer, these works do offer us a glimse into the celebrities’ lives and portray the famous musicians’ personalities. Every performer’s decription is very specific, which make them all different so we can actually identify some of these people. I also have noticed that the foods celebrities request are quite unhealthy. It must be some kind of comfort foods that help them ease the nerves before performing.

homework #10

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Firstly, I would like to mention that I am absolutely appalled by some of the requests by musicians, but I do think that Hargreaves pictures were well executed. I think he definitely thought outside of the box by designing  his details to create a more over-the-top look. He thought of each detail really carefully and succeeded at the end result. Maybe it is because I love Beyonce, but I thought his idea of tearing pieces of the chicken apart and adding a few cloves of garlic was genius. Even with the Busta Rhymes request, with condom hanging from the glass of guinness was so exaggerated. I also really like the way he put together the request of Rihanna, it was very clean and classy looking. He highlighted the food in the glass by outlining it with shadows in the background, which I thought was very tasteful.

HW #8: Capa’s “Death of a Loyalist Soldier”

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Over the years, people have argued that Robert Capa’s “Death of a Loyalist Soldier” is a staged photograph and I can clearly see why they doubted its authenticity. In the shot,  the Spanish soldier appears to be falling back after being hit by a bullet and shot at the moment of death. It is truly amazing how Capa was able to capture that exact moment and this is a reason why it is hard for the viewers to believe that the shot was real and just captured at the right time at the right place. I personally believe Capa didn’t stage the shot. To me, the most effective reason why the photograph is real is the soldier’s position, the way he is falling back and his face expression which portrays real pain. In fact, the photographer put his own life at risk when going to the battle fields to get true photographs and document what was happening during the Spanish war. This is a photojournalism, not fake.

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.

hw #6

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John Gunter said “All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast”. I can truly agree with it.Iove breakfasts especially on weekends when I can eat my breakfast with my family. We can all sit down together and eat without rush.Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People often forget about morning meal, not reflecting on the fact that it is the most important of all. Breakfast provides strength and energy for the whole day and it also improves mood.A lot of people do not eat breakfast because they eat late dinner. Sometimes they don’t have time in the morning to prepare a good healthy breakfast.

However, morning meal should contain all the necessary nutrients, so it must be varied and consist of a variety of products.First of all, you should take care that the breakfast included complex carbohydrates, which gently increasing the levels of blood sugar and provide energy for hours and make it for a long time the body functions efficiently.

In my opinion,American’s breakfasts are a little bit sweet. Pancakes , waffles reminds me about dessert not breakfast . What really surprised me in this country? Pancakes for breakfast, especially pancakes with bacon. In my country, we eat pancakes at dinner with many various toppings such us cottage cheese , fruits .It taste a little bit different.Every country has different culture and food style. Like they say One man`s meat is another man`s poison.

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HW 6: Picturing Breakfast Around The World

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In my culture, children are always told: “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend and leave dinner for an enemy”. I grew up following this phrase and I can’t imagine a good day without having a breakfast. In American society, especially if living in NYC, during a busy morning, it’s easy to let breakfast fall low in your list of priorities, but just a few minutes to make something easy but filling to eat can really make a difference to your day. Breakfast provides the body with fuel and energy after an overnight fast. It is a good source of important nutrients and vitamins such as calcium, protein, iron and many more. While reading the New York Times article “Rise and Shine” about what kids around the world eat for breakfast, I was amazed how the world cultures can differ from each other presenting such a wide variety of the meals consumed by people from different countries. Yet, most of them have displayed that having breakfast is important. Many studies of children have shown that it is the best way to improve memory and concentration levels as well as attainment, behavior and better grades. I believe that fruit and vegetables contain daily portion of vitamins and minerals so I try to include them in my meal to get through munnamedy day.

Quince and Chia Greek Yogurt

HW 5: Subway Portraits

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It’s amazing and unique how Walker Evans came up with an idea of hiding the camera under his coat to capture people in the subway lost in their own thoughts and moods. It’s interesting to think about different people’s everyday routines, where they all go, what they do and who they are. Evans made a good decision keeping everyday commuters unaware of him taking photographs because when we all see a camera we naturally pose hiding our true face expressions and this would ruin the whole point of his style of photography. Walker Evans managed to capture the passengers on the NYC subway minding their own business in these unguarded moments, displaying a range of human emotions. He has created unposed portraits.
I’m my opinion, not much has changed from the time Evans took these photographs. Nowadays, the majority travels in the subway train with the same face expression which usually makes others feel like they don’t want to be bothered. We all use the subway rushing to get to our destinations, at the same time unwittingly people-watching.

Ahmet D. Homework #5

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Walker Evans created a very uncommon style that photograph people the way they are without a pose or anything else. I believe these photographs are the best ones. It is really hard not to smile when you see a camera. People always look different when they pose to the camera. Walker Evans did the hardest part and photographed people how they look, who and what they are. Walker Evans’s photographs are not stage, and that’s what I like about it. This makes his collection very unique. I still see the same expression on people faces, and their daily lives then and now. Everyone is minding their own business. Some are going to work, some are going to school or coming back from work. Everyone is busy with something! Now, I wonder why did he wait such a long time to publish these photographs?