George Krause and Mary Ellen Mark

George Krause

When I began to look through the photographs that George Krause took,  I began to notice that much of his work is very similar.  I noticed that he does many portraits, and in these portraits he used almost the exact same lighting in each and every photograph.  Although this method makes it easy to identify a George Krause portrait, to me, it does not seem to fit each person that is photographed.  For instance,  in the portraits below we see on the top, a  young woman and on the bottom a working man.  These two people I'm sure have very different personalities and different lifestyles, and yet he chose to use the same high-key lighting for both people in his photographs.  As much as I have to respect Krause as a photographer, I do not like the idea of using the same lighting to portray two completely different people.  Reasonable people could disagree, but that is my opinion.

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Mary Ellen Mark

After looking through the photos by George Krause, Mary Ellen Mark's work was a breath of fresh air.  I immediately started to notice that her goal as a photographer was to capture the essence of humanity and portray people as they truly are.  Also, I noticed that she was a master of the controversial.  Some of my favorite photographs of hers are also probably the most controversial. I've included an example below of a photo in which most of the general public would be disgusted, but rather, I am intrigued.  What would spur a photographer to photograph a young girl smoking?  This is the question I asked myself.  But, many other questions may be asked of this photograph.  It is extraordinary to me that this photograph includes two children, not sitting on the porch or on the couch, but rather, in a kiddie pool.  This photograph is not about an image on paper.  This image is telling a story.  Perhaps, a story of a very troubled family is being told.  Or, we could be witnessing a young girl that wants to be just like her mom and dad and thought it would be funny to pose like her parents.  Either way,  this image gives us much to think about and Mark Ellen Mark knew this would be the case. Her thirst for the controversial is extremely evident. 

YOUR Decisive Moment

Before I ever heard about Henri Cartier Bresson, I had already heard the phrase "The Decisive Moment."  It is a phrase that my first photography professor used time and time again.  Little did I know that my professor was copying Cartier every time that he said this.  After hearing the phrase so many times, it began to stick in my mind and I really contemplated what this "Decisive Moment" meant.  To the best of my ability, I would define this "Decisive Moment" as the one and only time that a specific photograph is meant to be taken.

Let me explain myself.  When I walk around each day and see things and places and people and objects,  I have this tendency of seeing photographs that are meant to be taken.  The moment that I walk away from that place, person, thing, etc. without taking a photograph, I have missed my "Decisive Moment."  Unfortunately, there are many photographs still in my mind that I neglected to capture, and now regret it.

Cartier explained photography as "A very quiet anxiety," and I completely agree.  Knowing what to place in a photograph and what to leave out of a photograph are decisions that must be made, even if they are very difficult decisions.  Beside having to determine what stays and what goes in a photograph, one must also determine how each thing is arranged in each photo, in other words, designing the photograph.  Cartier was a master of design and it is evident in all of his photographs.  His knowledge of an aesthetically pleasing design made Cartier the photographer that everyone recognizes to this day.

Next time you're walking down the street and you just so happen to be carrying your camera, (this is a very good idea) try to find the photographs that you were born to take.  Do not miss your "Decisive Moment"

.....this is my favorite Cartier photograph.....

What do I want from this Photo I class?

Simply put, I want to get whatever I can from this class.  

        I've already taken a few photo classes in the past, but I'm ready to take what I have learned and apply it to what I am learning now to get a totally fresh and new view of photography.  I'm excited about the opportunities that are coming with this class and look forward to the knowledge that I will gain.  

        I'm especially looking forward to learning about Lightroom and the many possibilities that it holds.  I've used it before, but I've never been properly trained, so I know that I can learn the basics like I should have before.

<----- Here's an image that I shot last semester.  Let me know what you think!