Murray Becker

Murray Becker was a photographer whose career included photo journalism, sports photography,  and management of photographic services at the wire service. Becker has been considered one of the worlds most famous photographers largely due to his fifteen shot sequence that he took when the hindenburg disaster occurred as he was one out of only seven photographers able to capture the event.

This image focuses only on one person. We can gather that this man is clearly a baseball player, but instead of capturing the exact moment of the iconic event, Becker instead uses the emotion that the person is conveying in order to show the audience how much the moment means. Pattern can be seen within the image using lines. The uniform worn by the player has a striped pattern suggesting that he is a baseball player. The use of a dull background causes contrasts to be formed in an attempt to focus all attention on the player. The tone and form created in the image using sunlight causes the the emotion of the person to be more visible through the wrinkles on his face, showing examples of shock.

Becker has captured the exact moment of a massive event. He has captured the referee, the boxers and the crowd to show that this was a very important boxing game and the person on the floor has just been knocked out. Becker uses the ring and the boxers to create a contrast that causes the audiences eye to be immediately drawn to the important parts of the events. Contrast is a key element within this image. We can see another example of contrast as one boxer is wearing black shorts while the other is wearing white. This contrast suggests to the audience themes of good and evil, with good conquering evil in the fight.

Here we see a photograph taken at the exact moment that an airship exploded. The explosion appears fluorescent against the dreary sky, creating contrasts in the image. This causes the audiences attention to be directed straight to the explosion. The landscape of the city creates a clear contrast with the lighter tones of the sky. Tone is also a key feature within this image. The airship features dark shadows underneath the ship and progressively become lighter closer to the top, showing the audience its large scale. The black and white filter enhances the tone on the wreckage of the ship. Within this detail, the audience can see the damage that has been done to the ship.

This iconic image focuses on two people among a crowd. Becker attempts to show the emotion of the moment by having the two people kissing. This shows that this is a moment of victory. The black white filter highlight the contrast of the two people's clothing in the image and cause for attention to be drawn to them as a result. There are people littered throughout the background of the image. This can be used to show the depth within the image. The audience can clearly see how the people change over different distances, adding more depth to the image. The white colour is used to represent the more pure woman, while the darker colour is used to represent the more masculine male.

Summary:

Becker's images mainly focus on medium to full body shots of specific people and events. The black and white style of the images mix well and add to the tone of the picture in order to get your attention and focus it on a character or object in the photo. As a result of the black and white filter, we can see contrasts that have been created which catches the audience's attention. Becker shows evidence of historic events by showing the aftermath of the event in his photos.

Influence:

I was influenced by Becker's work in the sense that I began to consider the emotional weight of subjects that I was taking pictures of as well as the visual weight. I wanted to experiment in some shoots with the emotion that some of the people may be feeling and how I could best show that.

I attempted to tell a visual story through this image by trying to reflect emotion and attitudes into the image. I used a black background with a harsh light to bring the audience's attention to an injury. The dark tones are used to reflect the dark themes used while also reflecting how the person may attempt to hide it.

Ursula Abresch

Ursula was born in Argentina, and raised in Argentina and in Chile. She moved to the United States to attend university, and eventually moved permanently to Canada. She has a degree in Education with a concentration in Art and History. She is currently the Artistic Director at the VISAC Gallery of Art in Trail, British Columbia. Outside of that, she dedicates most of her time to photography. Her ultra detailed close up photography allows evidence of some previous weather conditions to be seen from features such as water droplets.

This image uses contrasts of vibrant colours with a blurred background in a way that emphasises the detail within the image. From this we can see that the droplets of water have covered the flower where it had previously rained. Contrasts can be seen within this image. The blue and white colours clash in a way that create patterns around the flower. The light can be seen shinning through the petals on the flower causing the image to have different colour tones. The addition of the water droplets cause the image of the flower to become more visually interesting as a result.

This image uses light and tone in order to show the detail within the image. The light enhances the colour within the image and allows us to see the individual droplets of water from where it has previously rained. Formal elements such as lines and pattern can be seen within this image. The lines of the flower split off into different directions creating a pattern on the flower. The spaces in-between the flower allow for water droplets to be formed on the flower which can give the flower a sparkle effect.

This image uses contrasts of bright colours in order to show evidence of movement. The bright whit currents in the water clash with the darker forest colours in a way that highlights the movement of the water. The contrast of the white water against the forest background create an interesting effect where the water can be seen cutting through the image and the environment. The light in the image has been used to give everything a soft tone and texture. This soft tone makes the contrast of the river stand out more. Tone can also be used to show the journey of the river. The brighter side to the right is the start and as the water journeys, the image becomes darker.

This image uses light in a way that emphasises the water droplets on the transparent surface. From this we can see each droplet in great detail and with the cloud backdrop we can see that it has rained previously. The colour tones change gradually throughout the image. The right side of the image, the grey tones, is a contrast of the left side of the image, the bright blue sky. This change in tone can be used to show the audience what has just happened and what is about to happen within the image. It has just rained within the image and the weather is about to be clear again. This is supported by the use of water droplets on a clear umbrella.

Summary:

Ursula manages to use light and contrasts of bright colours in a way that shows extreme detail in the image. This focus within her images allows the audience to pay attention to some of the themes that are present within the image such as weather. She is able to achieve interesting results with her images by incorporating formal elements such as tone, texture and contrast into her images. This causes the images to become more visually interesting as a result.

Influence:

 I can replicate this style by focusing on highly detailed images that will focus on individual features such as water droplets in order to show evidence of different environments. I will also like to focus on using texture was a key formal element when recreating this style of work.

This image uses the light being cast across the surface to capture the vast detail of the image. The white wall creates a contrast against the green algae. This highlights that the wall has been surrounded by moisture and has been there a while, judging by the amount of algae and damage to the wall.

Bobby Neel Adams

Bobby Neel Adams was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina and presently resides in Arizona on the Mexico Border. He has exhibited worldwide and his photographs are in the collections of: International Center for Photography, NY, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Station Museum, diRosa Foundation, and the Norton Family Foundation to name a few. Adams has received grants and awards from the Aaron Siskind Foundation, LEF Foundation, MacDowell Art Colony and the Hermitage. His book Broken Wings was published by the Greenville Museum in 1997. Adams is currently working on a series of Memento Mori photographs of insects, birds, and mammals. Adams' work conveys evidence by showing a contrast in age by having a portrait of a person being shown at different ages.

This image uses a contrast in age by showing the same person. Both sides are wearing the same clothes. We can see that light has been used in order to enhance the wrinkles on the person's face and as a result makes the difference in age more noticeable. Form is a strong feature within this image as it is used to enhance the shadows within the image. The added detail to the image allows for the contrasts within the image to be more noticeable. This enhanced detail makes it easier for wrinkles and other age defining features to be seen and compared with the more pure, younger version of themselves.

This picture uses contrasts of dark colours against a whit background in order to make the image stand out more. Against the dark background, features such as grey hair become more prominent and show age in a more obvious way. This contrast is further enhanced through the use of colour. The younger person's squinting within the portrait appears brighter while the older version appears to be more darker. This may suggest that the child is brighter because the child is more pure and innocent. The older version is darker because the colour tone may reflect masculinity while also suggesting that the older version is more worn.

This image attempts to show the change in age in a more striking way. A different background has been used with a different tones on the face in a way that creates a clear contrast between the young and old image. Tone is a key formal element within this image. The image goes right to left through light to dark. The shadows on the side of the older portrait's face can be used to enhance age-defining features such as wrinkles, but it can also be used to show how time is passing and the person is ageing. This would explain why he appears brightest when he is younger but as the image moves to the older version, his face grows darker.

This image uses a black and white image in order to blend the tones of the images together. The black and white filter allows for the wrinkles on the older face to be more prominent and it shows age more effectively as a result. The black and white filter within the image highlight more of the differences between the two images. The image on the left appears be paler than the portrait on the right, suggesting that the person has become more withered with age. The change in eye colour from a bold black colour is changed to a paler, empty colour, highlighting how the person has aged and his innocence has been removed.

Summary:

Adams is able to show the evidence in age by using contrasts of old and new pictures. This approach offers a visually striking image that can attract audiences eyes by showing some key formal elements. The effect of the image is achieved through blending two images into one. This creates a more interesting example of contrast as a result because the images blend seamlessly. This technique can be used in order to cause people to define clear examples of ageing such as wrinkles and can be used to show evidence of the child growing up.

Influence:

 I would replicate this style of evidence by ageing people in photoshop and comparing different ages. I could achieve some interesting results while incorporating interesting formal elements to produce a more visually interesting result.

I was able to recreate some of the key aspects of Bobby Neel Adam's photography. I was able to show a striking contrast between old and young. I was able to show this within a single portrait that matches together seamlessly. Tone of the image is used in order to show wrinkles and other defining features of ageing by enhancing the shadows upon the face. Since I was not able to create a version where I compared an old photo of a younger person with an updated, recent image, I was forced to go in the opposite direction and create an older version through photoshop.

Bruce Davidson

I have chosen to focus on Bruce Davidson's work as it focuses on an interesting time in history and he also shows us a good way to photograph people in a natural way. Davidson is an American photographer whose documentary work of gang life in Brooklyn, poor districts of Harlem, New York, and his photographs of the New York subway system in the 1970s helped him break new ground. He has been a member of the Magnum Photos agency since 1958. His mother built him a dark room and he began taking photos. Soon after, he approached a local photographer who taught him about the technical sides of photography, in addition to lighting and printing skills. His influences included Robert Frank, Eugene Smith, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

This picture is interesting as it shows gang cultures on the New york subway. This picture also uses a bright and interesting background covered in graffiti that  gives you a vivid and gritty idea of how the New York subway system really was. There are other formal elements within the image such as colour, contrast and pattern. The two men are standing parallel to each other and they are both wearing the same clothing, creating a pattern while informing the audience that they are apart of a gang. Colour is used within this image to create contrasts within the image. The two men are standing parallel to each other, making the contrast of race more visually striking as a result.

This is a celebrity portrait picture. I chose this picture because I find it interesting how the subject has been positioned mid movement. This positioning causes the subject to appear more natural and fluid than they would if they were simply posing uncomfortably for a picture. Other formal elements such as form, tone and pattern can be seen within this image. The black and white filter is used with the elements of form and tone to enhance the shadows within the image. This allows for more detail to be seen within the image. Pattern can be seen on the fence as it begins to change as the distance in the photo increases.

I like this picture because of the context. Davidson has chosen to photograph an interesting time and shows us some features of the time period. The image gives us an idea of the fashion within gang culture and the attitudes of the people within these gang cultures; they are seen smoking cigarettes as a sign of rebellion. Contrasts are a key element within this image as there are a few examples. The decking and building clash with the white sky to create a contrast. Another contrast can be seen with the two men standing within the foreground of the image. The man on the right can be seen wearing white while the man on the left can be seen wearing black. This causes connotations associated with the contrast to come to mind such as good and evil when thinking about the two individuals.

I like this picture because it tells you a story. We are immediately aware of the context in which the image is set and the social views. We can see that this is an entirely different America than we are accustomed to and Davidson highlights this to create an interesting subject point. The people within the image are represented as being strong and proud. This is mainly accomplished with the use of a proud pose which evokes such feelings as strength by having a good posture with the person's shoulders back and arms on his hips. This further informs the audience of the context as black people were attempting to represent themselves as a proud race who were equal to all members of society. This context is further enforced as the word "vote" is boldly written on the forehead of one of the people.

Summary:

Bruce Davidson uses strong references to the context of his images and uses poses to make his subjects appear more natural. The pose of the individuals reflect different character traits. The voting rights image reflects a strong pose while the gang image represents a more threatening stance. This collection of techniques combine to create depth to the image in a way that informs audiences of the story and the charters within the image.

Influence:

I would like to replicate some of the techniques that Davidson uses with his subjects. I would like to experiment with different ways of composing the photos and think about how I can place the subjects. I would take pictures of the subject as they are doing a pose or a movement in order to make the image seem more fluid.

I was able to replicate the style of Bruce Davidson by making movement a massive part of the image. The movement allows for the person to appear natural in the image instead of awkward. I have used a black and white filter with the image in order to reflect some of Davidson's use of formal elements.

Don McCullin

Donald McCullin, was born 9 October 1935 and is an internationally known British photojournalist, who is commonly recognised for his war photography and images of urban strife. His career, which began in 1959, has showed an extreme focus in examining the underside of society, and his photographs have depicted the unemployed, downtrodden and the impoverished. McCullin uses formal elements in order to emphasise aspects of his images. These formal elements include contrast, tone, pattern and more.

This photo is interesting because it shows the gritty industrial areas in a few interesting ways. The black and white filter of the camera enhances the gritty and polluted themes within the image. The image is set up in in a way where the sky is used in contrast to the gritty industrial structures in the bottom of the frame to enhance the themes of pollution . There are formal elements included within this image, including contrast, pattern and depth. Contrasts can be seen against the white sky with the black pollution.  The figure in the road shows more examples of contrast as they appear as a silhouette against the lighter background. Pattern can be seen within the panelling of the fence as it begins to fall down. Depth can be shown as objects such as the fence and the lines on the road change as the distance increases.

This image features a man mid-action. The use of the man holding a gun acts in contrast to the white background. This promotes the thought that the violence of the man is acting in contrast to the purity of the white wall. Other formal elements such as pattern, contrast and movement can be seen within the image. The bold black colour of the open door creates a clear contrast against the white background. Examples of pattern can be seen on the door frame in the form of large squares. The movement within the image can be seen as the man appears to have a foot off the ground mid-sprint.

This image shows pattern within uniform and shows a united power amongst the police. Contrast is also emphasised here as the protester stands out and becomes the focal point of the image dues to his difference in both outfit and position within the frame. Contrast is a main feature of the image and serves a powerful purpose. The clothing of the policemen stand out against the white sky. The contrast of the dark outfits of the policemen and the light colour of the protester create a visually powerful image. The lighter colours used indicate that the protester is purer than the policemen. These contrasts cause the protester to be the focal point of the image and the fact that the audience cannot see what sign the protester is holding, creates a more interesting image.

This image is interesting because of its composition. In this photo we can see the facial expression combined with the body language of the soldier to show us that he is shocked and frightened. The result culminates in a way that shows shell-shock. The composition is a key factor in making the image reveal the soldier's emotions. The bottom of the frame is used to show that the soldier is clutching a gun, causing him to appear more defensive and afraid. The form and tone of the image enhance the shadows on the face and clothing revealing more detail in the emotion and state of mind of the soldier.

Summary:

Don McCullin's approach to his images offers layers of meaning to be seen by the audience. He is able to use multiple themes to tell a story in his pictures. Tone is reflected throughout his images by the emotion shown by the subjects along with the black and white filter and dark colour pallet. McCullin uses formal elements in ways that still manage to express the serious tones of the image but in a visually interesting way through the use of contrast, pattern and so on.

Influence

I would like to reflect McCulin's use of hidden meanings through different elements in my own work in order to produce interesting results. I would do this by thinking about different formal elements in order to show different results.

I have managed to recreate McCullin's work by focusing on using different techniques in order to tell a story within the image. The black background with the harsh light on the person's face allows for the tone of the image to show that the person is attempting to hide their injury. Tone and form are used within the image in a way that show the emotion of the person in a clearer way through the use of shadow.

Research Log

Bobby Neel Adams

www.bobbyneeladams.com/

Bobby Neel Adams was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina and presently resides in Arizona on the Mexico Border. He has exhibited worldwide and his photographs are in the collections of: International Center for Photography, NY, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Station Museum, diRosa Foundation, and the Norton Family Foundation to name a few. Adams has received grants and awards from the Aaron Siskind Foundation, LEF Foundation, MacDowell Art Colony and the Hermitage. His book Broken Wings was published by the Greenville Museum in 1997. Adams is currently working on a series of Memento Mori photographs of insects, birds, and mammals. Adams' work conveys evidence by showing a contrast in age by having a portrait of a person being shown at different ages.

Jane Dorn

www.janedorn.com/

Jane Dorn is a graphic designer, photographer, and educator of graphic design. Her photos of evidence mainly focus around the subject of human presence and abandonment. Dorn reflects this in her work by having empty rooms with fading paint or even showing objects that humans have thrown away.

Ernest Sebastian

http://www.spiritofdecay.com/#!about/c10fk

 Sebastian was born in 1981 and lives in Liège, Belgium. He started photography in 2011 with a self-taught approach. He does not have any real preference and likes experimenting with different styles. His work mainly focuses on evidence of abandonment. He is able to show this by photographing locations that have entirely been left over large periods of time with rust, litter and debris.

Don McCullin

http://markgeorge.com/mark-george/don-mccullin/

Don Mccullin is an internationally recognised british photographer, most known for his war photography. He worked as an overseas correspondent for the sunday times magazine,  and was most recognised for his hard hitting coverage of the vietnam war and the northern ireland conflict. Mccullin focused on photographing the people in these situation in order to truly express the mental state of the people and the harsh conditions. one of he photos is a closeup image of an american soldier suffering with shellshock, it is hard hitting images like these that Mccullin would use in order to fully represent the power of what he was capturing. McCullin shows evidence of shocking events through the use of emotion in his photos.

Murray Becker

http://www.corbisimages.com/photographer/murray-becker

Murray Becker was a photographer whose career included photo journalism, sports photography,  and management of photographic services at the wire service. Becker has been considered one of the worlds most famous photographers largely due to his fifteen shot sequence that he took when the hindenburg disaster occurred as he was one out of only seven photographers able to capture the event. Becker's images mainly focus on medium to full body shots of specific people and events. The black and white style of the images mix well and add to the tone of the picture in order to get your attention and focus it on a character or object in the photo. Becker shows evidence of historic events by showing the aftermath of the event in his photos.

Bruce Davidson

http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1975355,00.html

Davidson is an American photographer whose documentary work of gang life in Brooklyn, poor districts of Harlem, New York, and his photographs of the New York subway system in the 1970s helped him break new ground. He has been a member of the Magnum Photos agency since 1958. His mother built him a dark room and he began taking photos. Soon after, he approached a local photographer who taught him about the technical sides of photography, in addition to lighting and printing skills. His influences included Robert Frank, Eugene Smith, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Davidson shows evidence of different cultures within the world by making people the focus of his images.

Walker Evans

www.afterwalkerevans.com/

Walker Evans was an American photographer, most famous for his work during the great depression. Evans' work showed evidence of the conditions of the great depression by focusing a great deal on people and terrible living conditions at the time.

Robert Capa

www.magnumphotos.com/RobertCapa

Robert Capa (born Endre Friedmann) was a Hungarian war photographer, photojournalist and also the companion and professional partner of photographer Gerda Taró. He covered five wars: the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II across Europe, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War. He documented the course of World War II in London, North Africa, Italy, the Battle of Normandy on Omaha Beach and the liberation of Paris. His work was able to show evidence of these wars by documenting the emotions of the soldiers and the conditions that they had to face.

Steve McCurry

http://stevemccurry.com

Steve McCurry's career was launched when he crossed the pakistan border while wearing native garb. He returned with rolls of film sewn to his clothes and the pictures were published around the world and were the first photos to really show the conflict in rebel-controlled areas in afganistan, just before the soviet invasion. McCurry's work in outstanding environments are used to really capture the setting through a use of vibrant colours and a focus on foreign locations and people. McCurry shows evidence of different civilisations and the people within them through the focus on living conditions, beliefs and in some cases starving children.

Nicholas Goodden

www.nicholasgooddenphotography.co.uk/

Nicholas Goodden is an award winning London-based urban photographer, Olympus ambassador, founder of the Street Photography London collective. His photography is entirely focused on London through the mediums of London street photography, urban landscape photography and graffiti / street art photography. Examples of evidence can be seen in the vandalism within some of his photos that is made the focus by using eye catching colours.

Michael Kelly

http://www.mpkelley.com

Michael Kelly is a former snowboarder turned photographer. He likes to focus his photography on architecture in small and large environments. Some of his photos focus on the theme of before and after which can show evidence of alterations to the images.

Ursula Abresch

http://www.ursulasphotos.com

Ursula was born in Argentina, and raised in Argentina and in Chile. She moved to the United States to attend university, and eventually moved permanently to Canada. She has a degree in Education with a concentration in Art and History. She is currently the Artistic Director at the VISAC Gallery of Art in Trail, British Columbia. Outside of that, she dedicates most of her time to photography. Her ultra detailed close up photography allows evidence of some previous weather conditions to be seen from features such as water droplets.

David Bailey:

http://www.davidbaileyphotography.com

David Bailey is known as one of britains best fashion and portrait photographers. Bailey made his ascent in vogue, shooting 800 pages of vogue editorial in one year. We can see in his work that he has kept with the black and white colours on his pictures in order to capture the detail of the shadows in the faces. The emotive expressions in the people that he is photographing is used to crate more wrinkles in their face and add more depth to the black and white filter that he uses. His photography can show evidence of different trends and iconic figures throughout different time periods and how they change.

Darrel Davis

http://darrelldavis.zenfolio.com

Davis has been taking photos since 1966 and doesn't like to have a specific style. He likes to explore nature, landscapes and colourful things and people. He partly took photos of abandoned buildings in his career. THese images show evidence of abandonment and ageing due to the old looking structures in which he photographs.

William De Wiveleslie Abney:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1417/Sir-William-de-Wiveleslie-Abney

Sir William de Wiveleslie Abney, RE, KCB, FRS. was born in Derby in 1843, the eldest son of the Rev. Canon E. H. Abney. Sir William's work revolved, in the main, around light, vision and associated subjects - in particular, photography. He was responsible for numerous books and handbooks which remained for a long time as standard guides for practical photographers who found all the technical advice needed in the information contained within them. Some of his work focuses on evidence of abandoned structures.

Micheal Bosanko

http://www.michaelbosanko.com

Michael Bosanko is a Welsh light artist. He has copied masterpieces from artists throughout history using just coloured torches. His images are homages to artists including Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Munch, Hokusai, Magritte and Banksy. His images show evidence of light and the journey that they travel on.

Lincoln Clarkes

http://worldwidegreeneyes.com

Lincoln Clarkes was born in Toronto, 1957 and is an award-winning photographer of the National Magazine Awards, silver Western Magazine Awards, gold, who has published three books and has been the subject of two documentary films. His photography tends to depict city life while some of his other work focuses on abandoned and ageing buildings. This shows evidence of time passing.

Emmanuel Rosario

https://www.flickr.com/photos/emmanuelrosario/

Emmanuel Rosario is a Documentary photographer from Harlem, New York. He mostly photographs his  adventures with his friends and the people he meets. His images depict different cultures and environments. Some of his photos also show examples of graffiti which can show evidence of vandalism.

Stephen Twardowski

http://www.stevetwardowski.com/index.php?/project/abandoned-clothing/

Stephen Twardowski is an American photographer who likes to document moments from his life. One of his projects features a focus on abandoned areas and clothes. This collection of his work can be used as a means of showing evidence of human presence and abandonment.

Liam Frankland

http://liamfrankland.com

Liam Frankland is a photographer from Suffolk who likes to photograph landscapes, seasides and streets. Frankland uses objects as the main focus of his images with different backgrounds. The objects relate to their background and suggest how they ended up where they are.