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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: anglefire on May 10, 2017, 09:59:50 PM

Title: Influential pictures.
Post by: anglefire on May 10, 2017, 09:59:50 PM
Rather than spoil the constructive thread, (http://cameracraniums.com/forum/index.php?topic=4871.msg55702#msg55702) I thought I would start this one.

I've looked at probably 1/2 of these pictures so far, but each one tells a story - now in some cases they need some form of narrative to fully understand the whole story, but imho each image does stand up with no explanation.

http://www.boredpanda.com/top-100-world-photos-influential-all-time/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_share&utm_campaign=dailyfeed
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: Oldboy on May 11, 2017, 08:48:31 AM
Some cracking shots which I remember from Life magazine in the 1960's. Thanks for sharing.  :tup:
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: StephenBatey on May 13, 2017, 11:25:00 PM
There's more than one way in which a photograph can be influential, and four out of the first five (which, as a non Facebook user is all I can see) are probably influential in the sense of influencing public opinion. I don't know about the first, as that is blacked out for me; if it's the one I'm thinking of, I think it's legally a paedophilic image in the UK. The skyscraper lunchtime is the only one that isn't, and that's going to provide my jumping off point.

There's a book called "A Staggering Revolution" subtitled " a cultural history of photography in the 1930s" or something similar. I've read it. It's solely concerned with American (and North American at that) photography, and is written by a sociologist not an artist, art historian or photographer. In passing, for those who read such things - notice how few books on the philosophy of photography (or "critical theory") are written by photographers. Some of the most influential ones have been written by people who, in my opinion, don't understand the photographic medium.

Back to the Staggering Revolution. It covers a lot of ground, but the two major points I want to look at are that the author describes the 1930s as the most creative period of photography; he also (probably unwittingly) also states that at this period photography as an artistic medium was still in its infancy; unlike more established art forms, there was no fixed network of arbiters of what was good or bad - no major museums, curators, etc. etc. Consequently (my reading) photography could be experimental. There were many different forms photography could take - portraiture, natural history, fine art etc. and the poor relation (not regarded by some as being in the least artistic in either intent or execution) was documentary. Photographs like the skyscraper girder one changed that. As did the major exhibitions of the FSA and, post war, the installation of Edward Steichen at MOMA. Documentary now became the only game in town, and professional arbiters came to decide what was good, what was bad, and what was shown. Photography in the 1930s, said our sociologist author, was democratic. Afterwards, sez me, it was autocratic.

That's why there's a need now to provide lengthy statements, because now photography is another way of writing sociology. Look at recent themes and movements and they are almost all sociological and from a left wing perspective.

Returning to "influential" there have been many photographs in earlier times that were influential is creating movements in photography, or changing the way photographers looked at the world. Unless these were covered in the parts I can't see, the article is rather limited in scope.

Quote from: anglefire on May 09, 2017, 09:47:36 PM
There should be something (in the picture in this case) that tells you something, a story if you like.

This seems to me to be accepting the idea that photographs are documentary in nature, and must provide information. I regard this as too narrow a view.

In passing, there's no indication that I could see from url or the site name that it's a Facebook page; but attempting to move down produces the familiar command to sign in or sign up if you want to continue.
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: Oldboy on May 14, 2017, 09:40:59 AM
Quote from: StephenBatey on May 13, 2017, 11:25:00 PM

In passing, there's no indication that I could see from url or the site name that it's a Facebook page; but attempting to move down produces the familiar command to sign in or sign up if you want to continue.

I'm not on Facebook but can see all the photos, no problem.  8)
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: jinky on May 14, 2017, 11:29:19 AM
Quote from: Oldboy on May 14, 2017, 09:40:59 AM
Quote from: StephenBatey on May 13, 2017, 11:25:00 PM

In passing, there's no indication that I could see from url or the site name that it's a Facebook page; but attempting to move down produces the familiar command to sign in or sign up if you want to continue.

I'm not on Facebook but can see all the photos, no problem.  8)

I wasn`t logged in and I could too. There are a few marked as "adult" that are more about shocking than paedo. The first one is Nick Uts napalm one. These are mostly key historical and newsworthy momenstscaptured and do indeed tell as story. Not all photos need to but these were certainly full of impact in the main.
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: anglefire on May 18, 2017, 07:17:30 AM
If the image of Nick Its is paedo, then there is something seriously wrong with main stream society and no one better take any images of kids in the bath, playing in the garden with a hosepipe etc, let alone put them online.

Some newspapers at the time in the US had to revise their publishing guidelines at the time, but they did that and published.

Stephen, I get where you are coming at - and we will largely have to agree to disagree in some areas. TBF, I don't like abstract art either, so its not just photography being used in an abstract way that doesn't do it for me :)
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: StephenBatey on May 18, 2017, 08:49:38 AM
Quote from: anglefire on May 18, 2017, 07:17:30 AM
If the image of Nick Its is paedo, then there is something seriously wrong with main stream society and no one better take any images of kids in the bath

A BBC newsreader found herself on the sexual offences register for doing that a while ago. The processing company tipped off the police. As far as I'm aware, in the UK paedophilic images have a precise definition; and a full frontal nude of a child (defined as anyone under 18) is solidly in that category and illegal. Perhaps the law has been loosened up since?
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: Oldboy on May 18, 2017, 10:15:23 AM
Quote from: StephenBatey on May 18, 2017, 08:49:38 AM
Quote from: anglefire on May 18, 2017, 07:17:30 AM
If the image of Nick Its is paedo, then there is something seriously wrong with main stream society and no one better take any images of kids in the bath

A BBC newsreader found herself on the sexual offences register for doing that a while ago. The processing company tipped off the police. As far as I'm aware, in the UK paedophilic images have a precise definition; and a full frontal nude of a child (defined as anyone under 18) is solidly in that category and illegal. Perhaps the law has been loosened up since?
In the early sixties there was a magazine called Health & Efficiency which showed families completely nude. They where usually playing sport like tennis or by the swimming pool.  :o
Title: Re: Influential pictures.
Post by: jinky on May 18, 2017, 10:30:20 AM
Quote from: StephenBatey on May 18, 2017, 08:49:38 AM
Quote from: anglefire on May 18, 2017, 07:17:30 AM
If the image of Nick Its is paedo, then there is something seriously wrong with main stream society and no one better take any images of kids in the bath

A BBC newsreader found herself on the sexual offences register for doing that a while ago. The processing company tipped off the police. As far as I'm aware, in the UK paedophilic images have a precise definition; and a full frontal nude of a child (defined as anyone under 18) is solidly in that category and illegal. Perhaps the law has been loosened up since?
Yes that was Boots and Julia Sommerville with all charges dropped in that case. I understood that there is no legal definition but it is up to the jury to decide CPS having put it forward for trail. I certainly relates to under 18s but if age is not known for certain then jury has to decide on that aspect too without expert assistance so not as straight forward as you suggest. No reason at all to censor Nick Ut`s photo in this country , as I`ve seen it numerous times, and it would never be prosecuted.