Written Response to Composition and Manipulation
Gavin Connors
September 29th, 2021
Introduction to Digital Media
I thought it was an informative presentation because it shines a light on how photography can be manipulated and how it can bend the truth. The golden proportion guides your eye through the subject of the photo and the background, the photo of the children blocking their eyes is a great example of how your eyes are guided through the photo. If I remember the rule of threes or the golden proportion, it will improve my photography.
Image manipulation is dangerous because it can warp the truth. It can also be social commentary. Gursky's 99 cent and Amazon warehouse are social commentary and are good examples of bending the truth. Harvest of Death is a horrifying photo that has been manipulated to warp the truth. Jerry Uelsmann's abstractions look creepy because they combine artificial and natural components.
The Haiti controversy was a powerful example of how different perspectives give you a totally different picture. People will not remember the victim's name, but they will remember the photo.
Manipulating photos can be a commentary on our society and culture. manipulating photos make you believe things because seeing is believing.
Nice, well-rounded response to the presentation, Gavin. It's true, an important takeaway is that we must always be critical and careful when viewing and making images, consider their impact on audiences and the motivations of their makers. I'm looking forward to seeing how these cultural factors might find a way into your Image Composite project!
ReplyDelete