Task 1 · Task 1 Tomasz Gudzowaty Tomasz Gudzowaty born in Warsaw, Poland on 19th September 1971....
Transcript of Task 1 · Task 1 Tomasz Gudzowaty Tomasz Gudzowaty born in Warsaw, Poland on 19th September 1971....
Task 1 For this task, I will be talking about well-known, professional photographs. I have chosen
who are Robert Capa, Tomasz Gudziowaty, Steve McCurry and Yousuf Karsh. I have picked 2
of their pieces of work (Per Photographer) and will discuss photographic category, purpose,
image analysis and meaning.
Robert Capa
Robert Capa was born in Budapest, Hungary on 22nd October 1913. He was a war
photographer and a journalist. He has captured many great events of the first half of 20th
Century such as Spanish civil war, Chinese resistance to Japan, invasion of Sicily, D-day, Post-
war Russia and few more to name. Last combat photography adventure he went to was First
Indochina war in North Vietnam from which he unfortunately didn’t come back from. On
May 25th of 1954 he stepped on a landmine and was killed.
Germany Near Wesel
March 24th, 1945
American paratroopers landing in
Germany.
Genre: Journalism, war, landscape.
Purpose: History event
documentation.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds
can be seen in the image – The
ground finishes around bottom
lines. The vintage point is the height
of a normal man standing.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field.
Paratroopers in the sky are eye
catching.
Lightning: Soft natural light, around
morning time.
Pattern/Tonal range: Mid-Tones
with low contrast and textures.
Narrative: The Photograph has
been taken to show American
troops fighting the Nazi Germany.
To show the progress and victory
beaning near. The photograph is
spectacular as most of the image is
sky - A sky filled with landing
soldiers in the biggest military
conflict of the mankind.
Meaning: The picture conveys happy and proud
emotions of the progress Allies did toward the
further we have today rather than scary future
under Nazi rule.
Task 1 Paris, Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
August 26th, 1944
Genre: Journalism, war, landscape.
Purpose: History event documentation.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image – The crowd is in the
middle row. The vintage point is the height
of a normal man standing.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. The
man standing up in middle is eye catching.
Lightning: Soft natural light, around
midday.
Pattern/Tonal range: Good tonal range
with visible contrast.
Narrative: When snipers in buildings
overlooking the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
opened fire on the triumphal parade, the
panicked crowd fell to the pavement.
Meaning: This picture shows both
happiness and sadness. People of Paris
went out to streets to celebrate their
freedom and rescue from under the Nazi
rule yet the crowd’s reaction to the
sniper’s shots shows how truly horrified
they were and what they must have been
through.
Task 1 Tomasz Gudzowaty
Tomasz Gudzowaty born in Warsaw, Poland on 19th September 1971. He is a documentary
film maker, portrait and art photographer. He has become known worldwide and
recognised after numerous publication and winning awards. From 90’s he has been traveling
the world and has been over to 100 countries. His break through cam in 1999 after winning
a First Prize in Nature-singles category in the World Press Photo competition. He has proven
to be a good photographer by winning two more awards in nature photography. After year
2000 he has switched to sports photography. In 2003 he was among the winners for his
photoshoot story about Gongfu monks of Shaolin Temple in China. In 2008 he stitched back
to nature photography. He has been progressing with his photography work and been
awarded new awards. Today he is the most recognised Polish photographer of the 21st
century.
Shaolin temple, China – Year 2003
Genre: Journalism, sports, religion.
Purpose: Travel, Buddhist culture.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image - Hand and bricks are
in the middle box. The column bricks are
in bottom left and right boxes. The monks
face is top right box. Picture has low
vintage point.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. The
bricks breaking in half are eye catching.
Lightning: Hard light, natural in day time.
Pattern/Tonal range: Good tones with
high contrast.
Narrative: Buddhist monk in training and
improving his physical strength through
exercise. There is a lot of meaning about
this picture but what is really special about
it, is that it seems to freeze the time. The
bricks have broken in half, there are
particles lifting from the brick. The monk’s
face expression and the white and black
effect make the picture truly amazing.
Meaning: Training for a monk is hard and
takes a life time. Monks believe that no
matter how good you are you can always
be better. Being able to destroy bricks
with hand shows a true dedication to the
religion and the training – It’s almost like a
sport with some spiritual training.
Task 1
Genre: Journalism, sports, religion.
Purpose: Travel, Buddhist culture.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image – Containers with
water are at bottom row. Monks are in
middle row. Background is most visible in
top row. This picture has an average man’s
height vantage point.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. The
monks are easily visible and eye catching.
Lightning: Hard light, natural in day time.
Pattern/Tonal range: Good tones with
high contrast.
Narrative: In this image the Buddhist
monks are carrying out another one of
their daily training activities. By playing on
some sort of instrument – most likely a
drum. They create sound waves which
cause the water to lift of their containers.
The reason why this image is so breath
taking is because like in previous image it
gives effect of time being frozen as the
water particles are in the air.
Meaning: Buddhist training which lasts for
hours. While their training they strength
their physical strength and shape
spiritually.
Task 1 Steve McCurry
Steve McCurry is an American photographer born in Darby, United States on 24th February 1950. He has worked in photojournalism and editorial. He is very well known for a photograph of “Afghan girl” which has made an appearance of National Geographic’s magazine cover. He is a winner of many awards in field of photograph. One of most notable awards he received are Leica Hall of Fame Award, Hasselblad Master and Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad. McCurry breaking point for his career was when he crossed the Pakistan border going to Afghanistan. He has done so by disguising in Afghani garb. Due to high border control, he left the border with rolls if films sewn inside his clothes which were later published by New York Times, TIME and Paris Match. McCurry has taken part in many armed conflicts and a journalist photographer. Some of those would include Iran-Iraq war, Lebanon Civil war, the Cambodian civil war, Afghan Civil war and few more to name. Steven McCurry is very well known for portrait photographs but also does take some landscape photographs which also are worth seeing.
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait 1990
Genre: Journalism, war, landscape.
Purpose: History event documentation.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image – The ground takes
2/3 of an image. The vintage point is the
height of a normal man standing.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. The
burnt tank and body.
Lightning: Soft natural light after sun set.
Pattern/Tonal range: Dark tones, with
low-medium contrast. A different pattern
between ground and tank metal sheets.
Narrative: This image shows the aftermath of Iraq invading Kuwait. The image is very powerful due to the remaining’s of a burnet human body left on a battlefield. In the back is a gun lying on a ground and a destroyed tank. Farther in the background can be seen two large fires leaving the whole sky lit above. The ground looks burnt as if a large fire has swept through the whole area destroying every ling thing that once lived here. The purpose of such images is to show what terrible things war does to people and its effect to civilians who live in the fighting zones.
Meaning: The picture conveys sad and
terrifying emotions. An act of killing is
horrible sin for a man to do. This picture
shows that how brutal war is and the
twisted, burned limbs, with a smoked tank
and fires on horizon make the place look
as a nightmare right from hell. This picture
sends a short message of how violence is
the very last option to resolve issues.
Task 1 Ladakh mountains, India
Genre: Journalism, nature, travel,
landscape.
Purpose: Geographic location photo-
presentation.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image – the middle column
has a road with a man standing in the
middle of it. The mountains with the
desert almost meet in half row.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. The
contrast between sand and snow.
Lightning: Soft natural light in afternoon
light.
Pattern/Tonal range: Mostly dark tones
with some light ones. Hight contrast. A
different shade between snow and sand.
Narrative: Landscape image of Ladakh
mountains in North India. Located near
the Great India desert. The Ladakh
mountains belong to the Himalayas
mountain range. A lonely man in a middle
of a road in a deserted place shows that
Ladakh mountains are a harsh place for
any leaving creature and not suitable for
life. Deserts are associated with heat and
snow is associated with cold. The image
showing both desert hills and snowy
mountains in the back create a natural
contrast and shows the magnificent
beauty of this place. The high mountain
peaks in the background compared to
little man show of how much of giant are
the Himalayas mountains.
Meaning: This picture is emotionless, how
every for some it may be surprised in to
wonder by the natural beauty.
Task 1 Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh was an America-Canadian photography artist, very well known for his portrait
photography. Born on 28th of December in Mardin, Turkey. Has died on 13th of July 2002 in
Boston, United States. Throughout his life and photographer career his has taken Portrait
pictures of iconic people – biggest personalities of 20th Century which have shaped the
world we know today. An absolute master of black and white portraits perfectly balancing
black and white and shadows with light in his pictures. He is called one of the greatest
portrait photographers of 20th Century. He has received an order of Canada. His most known
works are a portrait pictures of Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe. Many of his pictures
were used as cover pictures for magazines.
John F. Kennedy
1960
Genre: Journalism, history, fashion.
Purpose: Well-known public figure portrait
picture.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image – Head of President
Kennedy is from middle tile to top right
tile. His hands are on left bottom tile.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. Face
outline easy catches the eye.
Lightning: Hard light from fluorescent
lightning.
Pattern/Tonal range: High tonal range
with high contrast.
Narrative: Portrait of President F. John
shows him calm, in hands put together to
a prayer like position, looking to
something distanced. The shadows with
lights is perfectly balanced showing him in
the dark yet being able to see his features
perfectly.
Meaning: Pictures of well know public
figures are important. At this point now
we are writing history, however no one
knows their faith. Neither did anyone
know President Kennedy was going to be
assassinated. He was an important figure
and a good president about whom
younger generations learn about today.
Professional pictures as such not only
show us the people that may be gone -
They also show us the importance those
people had in their time.
Task 1 Audrey Hepburn
1956
Genre: Journalism, history, fashion.
Purpose: Well-known public figure portrait
picture.
Composition: The rule of Two thirds can
be seen in the image – Audrey Hepburn
face is centred to the left middle and top
tiles. Her hair at the beck are located in
back-middle tile. The chin is roughly in the
middle leaving the body bottom half of
picture. This way a portrait picture is
perfectly balanced.
Depth of field: Wide depth of field. Face is
very eye catching.
Lightning: Soft light from fluorescent
lightning.
Pattern/Tonal range: Well highlighted
tones with high contrast and very well
outlined facial features.
Narrative: “The French novelist Colette
picked her out of a ballet lineup to play
Gigi on stage, and her career was
launched. When I photographed her in
Hollywood and commented on her quality
of sophisticated vulnerability, she told me
of her harrowing experiences during the
Second World War. Years later, in the
Kremlin, Chairman Brezhnev agreed to sit
for me only if I made him as beautiful as
Audrey Hepburn”. – Yousuf Karsh
Picture of Audrey Hepburn is a complete
opposite type of image to President
Kennedy. The background of image is
white yet the actress is perfectly balanced
out with dark hair and clothing creating it
one of Karsh’s selected work
masterpieces. Karsh managed to catch
beauty of actress in the best way possible.
Meaning: Documenting a well know
person at the time of their greatness in
career is a gesture of remembering them
once they’re gone. We all like to be seen
in the best way possible. Well taken
pictures of well know public figures will
make us imagen what were those people
like and make them easier to remember.