POST TWO, DAY ONE: IMAGE LAB

I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THE AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY IMAGE LAB WAS ITS UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSCIOUSNESS CREATION OF AN IMAGE. MANY TIMES, WE FORGET THAT THE PHOTOGRAPHS WE SEE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FULL AND OBJECTIVE TRUTH. WHETHER THEY ARE POSED, MANIPULATED, OR MERELY CROPPED OR REORGANIZED, THE WORLD CAPTURED ON FILM IS FOUNDED ON THE CREATIVE EYE OF THE ARTIST/PHOTOGRAPHER. EVEN SOME ORIGINAL SHOT IMPLIES A FORM OF HUMAN CRAFT.

IN THE DOROTHEA LANGE SECTION, WE SAW HOW IMAGES ARE ERY LIKELY STUDIED DECISIONS MADE BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER. HER SERIES OF PHOTOS WERE ALL BEAUTIFUL AND STRIKING BUT EACH ONE TOOK A DIFFERENT FOCUS AND PLACED THE VIEWER IN ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVES, NOT WHOLLY CONTRASTING, BUT SURELY NOTICEABLE. I THINK THE MOST REMARKABLE THING LANGE SAID ABOUT HER PHOTOS WAS THAT SHE HAD NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF HER SUBJECT. THE IMAGE CAPTURED ON CAMERA WAS STORY AS SHE WANTED TO TELL IT. THIS WOMAN BECAME MORE THAN A SPECIFIC PERSON LIVING IN A SPECIFIC TIME OR PLACE. SHE BECAME AN TIMELESSLY ICONIC SYMBOL OF AN ENTIRE EPOCH.

WHEN LANGE SAYS THAT THE WOMAN "HELPED HER," I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK. THAT POOR STARVING WOMAN WAS SILENCED BY THE CAMERA. SHE BECAME A MODEL FOR HER, A BODY, A CHARACTER IN HER LEGENDARY STORY. WHAT MAKES PHOTOGRAPHY SO INTERESTING IS ITS STRADDLING OF INVESTMENT AND DISINTERESTEDNESS IN ITS SUBJECTS. AS PHOTOGRAPHERS, WE MAY HAVE TO STEP BACK FROM THE PROFOUND TRUTH AND RESPONSIBILITY OF COMING INTO CONTACT WITH ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IN THE EFFORTS OF PRODUCING AN ARTISTIC CREATION THAT WILL OUTLAST THAT PERSON'S SINGULAR REALITY.