Author: Kai

Detroit – Former Ransom Gillis Mansion

Gary – Former Methodist Church

Gary – Former Methodist Church

Gary – Former Train Station

Harlem – Former Corn Exchange Bank

Detroit – Former Michigan Central Station

Detroit – Former Packard Plant

Camden – Fern St 1979-2019

Camden – Former Camden Free Public Library

Chicago – Cabrini Green, 660 Division St.

Almost all of Camilo José Vergara’s Photographs are taken in a way that invokes a feeling of nostalgia. A low saturation of coloring is the primary way to create an old-time ambiance. For example, the last photo called “Cabrini Green, 660 Division St.”, has a warm tone compared to the others such as the “Former Methodist Church”. The “Former Michigan Central Station”, is in a very obvious cold tone, making it feel isolated and sad.

However, Camilo also uses dark tone, which is most predominant in the photo called “Former Methodist Church” This photo emits a feeling of extreme isolation, casting a heavy and dramatic shadow over the viewers. The light coming out of the broken windows of the church, as the subject matter, makes the whole photo light up.

Camilo also uses patterns in some of his photos, such as the “Cabrini Green, 660 Division St.”, “Former Michigan Central Station” and the “Former Camden Free Public Library” For example, the “Former Camden Free Public Library” uses the 3 rectangular windows in the middle of the photo to draw the viewer’s attention beyond the three green trees sprouting from the ruins.

Some of Camilo’s photographs also utilize lines to guide the viewer to their subject. For example “Former Methodist Church” uses the pillars are both sides of the photograph to guide the viewer to the windows in the back where the light shines through, creating a nostalgic ambiance. Another example is the “Fern St 1979-2019”, in which the buildings on either side of the road act as lines, guiding the viewer to the apartment building in the distance, with a vertical linear block in the center of the facade.

The texture is also used in this artist’s photographs. Such as the ground of the Methodist church, the field of the Former Packard Plant, and the snow in the photo “Former Train Station”.

Camilo’s work is primarily focused on ruins and broken-down buildings as a subject. The “Former Methodist Church” is a great example. The church, called the “City United Methodist Church” is an unused church located in Gary, Indiana. It ceased as a place of worship in 1975 and had been abandoned ever since. Camilo uses this church as the subject of one of his series and created many interesting and unique photographs. In the two photos, I have chosen, the light shines through the windows as if it came from the past, or maybe the future. The contrast between light and dark creates tension in people’s hearts as if there were ways to go back to the old time.

I have chosen this photographer because his photos not only use the ruins and broken down buildings as the subject of a majority of his photos. The way he uses light and conducts lines makes a lot of his photos feel nostalgic. For example, the “Former Methodist Church” uses the sunlight and the pillars on both sides to guide the viewer to the back window, where a beam of light shines through as if it can take us to the past and the future.

“Well, there is respect for the object, there is respect for the place. There is a respect for what the place meant at what time.” I chose this quote because it is basically an overview of Camilo’s photographs. He respects the places that he had taken photos of, his photos are all the good views of the places, like the Methodist Church photographs. They are all very beautiful, showing that Camilo really respects and appreciates the monuments.

Gary – Former Methodist Church

I chose this image because this photo uses multiple elements of photography. The pillars on both sides of the image act as guiding lines, making the viewer look toward the center, where sunlight shines through a window. The beam of light looks as if it can take us back in time, to experience the church in all its glory.

One thing I found very surprising about this photo is that, even though the color pallet is rather dim, the two beams of light can make the whole picture come to life.

I think the most important element in this photo is light. Light is the one element that makes this photo shine. Without the two beams of light, the photo will look extremely dim and suppressed. Even without the two guiding lines on the two sides, the light from the windows can automatically catch the eyes of the viewer.

I think that light is important because it is the element that made this photo come to life. If this photo did not have those two beams of light, the photo would have looked like the “Former Michigan Central Station”, dim and not lively.

In this photo, the most abstract part has got to be the way the sun shines into the church. The sunlight looks to be from shots from two different places in the sky.

I love this style of a photograph because it can give the viewer a feeling of hope, and also invoke a feeling of nostalgia through the use of light.

I really like the way he used light in the Methodist Church photograph. This photo not only gives the viewer a feeling of hope, but it also invokes a feeling of nostalgia. I’m also inspired by his message, the message that all buildings and man-made structures should be respected and preserved in some way or another.

SET 1:

I picked these photos because they didn’t quite fit my vision but some parts of it did, so I added them to the list.

These photos fitted my vision fairly well, but still doesn’t give as much intenseness of nostalgia as the other photos in the Red category. For example, the photo in the top left corner, the buildings on the two sides lead to the tree in the middle, which guides the viewers to look towards the trees, similar to the “Gary – Former Methodist Church” by Camilo José Vegara.

These 3 photos are my best picks. The one on the top left is the best one in my opinion. The way the sunlight shined on the concrete ground and pillars give the viewer a feeling of harmony. It is like the “Gary – Former Methodist Church” by Camilo José Vegara, in the way that the sunlight shined on the buildings. The greenery on towards the front also give the whole picture a feeling of harmony. In the second photo, the rocky road around the metal cover gives the viewer a feeling of inharmony. However, the sunlight shines onto the broken surface and gives the picture a sunset tone. The 3rd photo is also a really good one. The bike in the middle looks ruined and broken, while on either side the plants look healthy and lively. The sunlight is also a very important aspect in the photo, it shines from above onto the bike and the plants, making it look like hope had shined down on the broken down bike. The dark areas of the photo, like the underside of the plant, makes the light really pop out from the image, which adds more depth to the image.

 

Photo Safari Contact Sheet

Compare your images with the drawings. Which ones worked and why?

Most of them worked well because they followed the patterns shown in the drawings. They are also from all parts of the school, which makes the photos more interesting and unique. For example, number 6 in the contact sheet is one of the most successful, because it isn’t just a circle, there are things around it that take the attention away, which creates a full picture, not just a shape.

Which ones didn’t work so well, and why?

I think that number 7 did not work as well as the others. Firstly because the shape did not resemble the drawing as much as the others, and secondly because the background is irrelevant to the subject.

 

• 
• List 3 things the photographer might have been interested in capturing
• in this picture?
• 1. The shadows because the shape it creates on the round part is very interesting.
• 2. The texture of the white part
• 3. The way the objects are layed out
• If you were the photographer, what title would you give it? Explain why.
• It’s really hard to come up with a name for this photograph, since there is no subject and focus, which is quite unusual for a photograph.
• Name one thing you think is unusual about the photograph.
• The photograph does not have a subject and focus, unlike usual photographs.
• Describe the use of line, shape, Pattern, texture, tone and focus
• Line: The photographer used the shadows to create lines in the photograph. The lines are at the top half of the photography, and the two sets of lines are in a 90 degree slant from each other, to create a feeling of space in the photography, and to tell the viewers that the wall behind it is perpendicular to the round object.
• What do you think is the best thing about this photograph?
• I think the best thing about this photograph is the patterns the shadows create. It creates a very harmonic feeling with the white and black background, as if the two are naturally made together.

In this unit, we looked at “wrong” photos, photos that doesn’t follow the the rules of taking a “good” photo. We also took “wrong” photos ourselves and analyzing them for the photographic rules they broke.

Rules of photography

• What is the purpose of rules in photography?

The purpose of having rules in photography is to have a standard for a “good” photo. Having these rules will allow photographers to define whether the photos they had taken are “good” or “bad”. Although photographers doesn’t use it as a definitive yes or no guideline, it still helps them to determine the quality of their photos.

• What are (some of) the most important rules in photography?

One of the core elements of photography is having a subject. Without a subject, the photo will look empty and unattractive. Other important rules include: keeping the horizon flat, having a focused subject, having converging lines, and the use of negative space.

Who needs rules anyway?

• When might it be a good idea to deliberately break the rules?

I think that there is no point in breaking a rule if we are doing so just to break a rule. However, breaking a rule while making the photo more interesting or look better is the key in this unit.

• Do you think it is possible to break rules if you don’t know they exist? Give reasons for your answer.

I think that breaking rules even if we know they don’t exist is possible, as these rules may not be very well known by people taking photos for fun. These rules are only used as guidelines for a successful photograph, but it doesn’t mean that by not following these rules, one will never be able to take a good photo. For those who really care about following the rules of photography, they have broken a rule. However, for those who don’t know or care, they did not break a rule.

• Can a ‘bad’ picture ever be ‘great’? – How important is context in photography? (context= why a picture was taken, when or where it was taken and what message you were trying to make)

A “bad” picture can always be great, if we look from the photographer’s point of view. The context in photography is very important. We may never know why someone took a photo if there are no stories or information that supports its point of view. For example, the picture “Wrong” taken by John Baldassari. The title, the time when it was taken, and the message it conveys all contributed to the photo going from a “bad” picture into a “good” and meaningful picture.

Context in photography.

• How is context important in Photography?

Context in photography is very important, it can turn a “bad” photo into a “good” photo. The picture “wrong” by John Baldassari proves this point. The photo broke a lot of rules when it was taken, the lack of subject, color and the problem of sepia. However, the title “Wrong” already tells the viewers that the rules broken are done deliberately. However, the message that John Baldassari tried to convey was very clear. He wanted to rebel against the rules that define a “good” photo. These examples of context helped the seemingly “bad” and meaningless photo turn into a “good” and meaningful masterpiece.

 

Contact Sheet:

WRONG! Contact Sheet

 

 

• How can photography change our relationship with things?

Abstract photography teaches us to see things around our daily life through a different perspective, either enlarged or zoomed out.

• What is pictorialism?

Pictorialism is an approach to photography that emphasizes the tone, composition, and the subject itself rather than focusing on reality.

• What is abstract photography?

Abstract photography is photographs that come from things around our daily lives. It is photographs that we use every day but displayed from a completely new perspective. If we don’t look closely, we may never see a connection between the photograph and things in our daily life. Abstract photographs could be used to show the emotions or thoughts of the photographer as well.

• Write a (very) short biography of Albert Renger-Patzsch (just 1 or 2 sentences).

Albert Renger-Patzsch was a German photographer associated with the New Objectivity, an art movement that originated in Germany as a reaction against expressionism.

• From looking at his images above, What types of subjects do you think Albert Renger-Patzsch preferred to photograph?

Pictorialism, black & white, and abstract photos.

• Why do you think he entitled his famous book, ‘The World is Beautiful’?

Albert Renger-Patzsch titled his book “The World is Beautiful” because he wanted it to support abstract photography. Since abstract photography requires us to look in a different perspective than normal, we can take many interesting photos from the very common things around us, which can

• Why do you think Edward Weston moved away from the soft focus of pictorialism to the new Straight photography movement? – the idea that ordinary objects and scenes can be photographed to reveal their beauty

I think that Edward Weston wanted to catch the true beauty of the common and unattractive things around us. As well as to convey a message that the most common things in our daily lives could be seen as special and meaningful if we look from another perspective.

• Give examples of one of his pictorialist images and one of his straight images.

Pictorialist:

The White Iris

Straight:

Pepper No. 30

• How has Aaron Siskind (above been influenced by the Straight Photography Movement

Aaron Siskind was the one of the first photographers to combine straight photography with abstraction,

• Name some other photographers that have been influenced by straight photography

Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel Adams, and Walker Evans.

• What makes the work of Andreas Gursky and Uta Barth abstract. Are they straight photographers? Why?

Andreas Gursky:

In the 1990s, Andreas Gursky used digital technology to manipulate the backgrounds of his photos, making them look abstract.

Uta Barth:

Uta Barth uses the scenes around us to create photos that seem to be gloomy and unfocused. However, Barth does this to make the viewer focus on the fundamental act of looking and the process of perception.

However, they are not straight photographers because their photos are not what the audience would normally comment as a “good” photo. Furthermore, they do not have a specific subject, or are considered unfocused and thus we may see these photos as blurry and unfocused.

Citations:

MacArthur Foundation “Uta Barth” MacArthur Foundation, October 2, 2012, https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2012/uta-barth#searchresults

“Andreas Gursky Artist Overview and Analysis”. [Internet]. 2022. TheArtStory.org
Content compiled and written by Hope Guzzo
Edited and revised, with Summary and Accomplishments added by Kimberly Nichols
Available from: https://www.theartstory.org/artist/gursky-andreas/
First published on 21 Sep 2017. Updated and modified regularly
[Accessed 21 Sep 2022]

In this unit, we looked at “wrong” photos, photos that doesn’t follow the the rules of taking a “good” photo. We also took “wrong” photos ourselves and analyzing them for the photographic rules they broke.

Rules of photography

• What is the purpose of rules in photography?

The purpose of having rules in photography is to have a standard for a “good” photo. Having these rules will allow photographers to define whether the photos they had taken are “good” or “bad”. Although photographers doesn’t use it as a definitive yes or no guideline, it still helps them to determine the quality of their photos.

• What are (some of) the most important rules in photography?

One of the core elements of photography is having a subject. Without a subject, the photo will look empty and unattractive. Other important rules include: keeping the horizon flat, having a focused subject, having converging lines, and the use of negative space.

Who needs rules anyway?

• When might it be a good idea to deliberately break the rules?

I think that there is no point in breaking a rule if we are doing so just to break a rule. However, breaking a rule while making the photo more interesting or look better is the key in this unit.

• Do you think it is possible to break rules if you don’t know they exist? Give reasons for your answer.

I think that breaking rules even if we know they don’t exist is possible, as these rules may not be very well known by people taking photos for fun. These rules are only used as guidelines for a successful photograph, but it doesn’t mean that by not following these rules, one will never be able to take a good photo. For those who really care about following the rules of photography, they have broken a rule. However, for those who don’t know or care, they did not break a rule.

• Can a ‘bad’ picture ever be ‘great’? – How important is context in photography? (context= why a picture was taken, when or where it was taken and what message you were trying to make)

A “bad” picture can always be great, if we look from the photographer’s point of view. The context in photography is very important. We may never know why someone took a photo if there are no stories or information that supports its point of view. For example, the picture “Wrong” taken by John Baldassari. The title, the time when it was taken, and the message it conveys all contributed to the photo going from a “bad” picture into a “good” and meaningful picture.

Context in photography.

• How is context important in Photography?

Context in photography is very important, it can turn a “bad” photo into a “good” photo. The picture “wrong” by John Baldassari proves this point. The photo broke a lot of rules when it was taken, the lack of subject, color and the problem of sepia. However, the title “Wrong” already tells the viewers that the rules broken are done deliberately. However, the message that John Baldassari tried to convey was very clear. He wanted to rebel against the rules that define a “good” photo. These examples of context helped the seemingly “bad” and meaningless photo turn into a “good” and meaningful masterpiece.

 

Contact Sheet:

WRONG! Contact Sheet