Leadership in Media Blog
Photography
The importance of photography must not be understated. Although most photos taken today consist of selfies and instagram pics, this art form has been used to tell stories, evoke emotions, and show people a new way of seeing the world.
Self-Care Photography Trends
May 12, 2021
A rising popular photography trend as of late has been self-love photos. Taking selfies or occasional group photos holding up a heart has become more of a trend in 2021, with this and last year bringing more attention to mental health. According to expertophotograhy.com, “Mental health is something we’re all familiar with at this point. Self-love focuses on supporting mental health. A popular concept within this trend is relaxation and peace. You can take photos of people spending quality time with themselves. They should look relaxed and happy in their own company. This photography trend isn’t just about relaxation, though. Self-love can include body positivity, healthy relationships, and a healthy lifestyle in general. TIP: While there are exceptions, self-love tends to be associated with bright and dreamy pictures. Make sure your photos are well-lit and minimalistic to make your subjects look as joyful as possible.”
The new developments of the year 2020 paved the way for so many new trends as “2020 saw everything stripped back, working from the sofa, and living in pyjamas. It comes as no shock that the body positivity, and self-love message was emphasised online. Audiences are slowly starting to lean towards a more natural approach, seeking imagery they can resonate with. Rather than heavily edited portraits and un-realistic body images. Capturing this in photography can really help push the self-love movement and hopefully inspire younger generations. Choosing imagery which demonstrates self-love and natural beauty is also a great way for organisations to support the conversation around mental health. This photography trend is one that will certainly continue to develop in 2021 and beyond” says ventsmagazine.com.
With body positivity and self care becoming such a theme in photography and the arts today, it sends a positive message to viewers and impressionable minds who enjoy witnessing the artwork. Photography sends a message, as we all know, and it is far more impactful on culture in current times than simply being a picture on a wall. By capturing the essence of positivity through uplifting self-love images such as hugs or holding up hearts, the message of taking time to love and appreciate yourself being healthy spreads to more people via social media, magazines, and of course, good old-fashioned photographs.
Silhouette Photography is Capturing More Attention
April 29, 2021
Lately, silhouette photography has captured the attention of photographers everywhere, with their interpretations being intriguing to decipher and pleasant to behold. “The beauty of silhouette images is that they are open to interpretation. By reducing your model to a shape, people can project themselves into the world that you depict in your photo. Silhouettes tend to show a single figure on their own, which brings to mind the feelings of isolation and related mental health issues that many people around the world have been dealing with this past year” according to format.com.
Since silhouette photography has begun to grow in popularity, it becomes important to understand its importance when it comes to art. Smashingmagazine.com states, “Silhouette photography is a wonderful way to convey drama, mystery, emotion and mood in a picture. A silhouette is defined as a view of an object or a scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black.” With the mystery that derives from silhouettes comes more enjoyment in attempting to understand and appreciate their beauty. Photography helps to capture moments where lighting is shaded and contorted in different ways for numerous impacts on the viewer.
Silhouette photography has a little something for everyone to it, from the inclusion of a mysterious aspect that captures attention to the open interpretation of what it means which allows the viewers to decide for themselves the impact that it has on them. “Silhouettes are created by displaying a great contrast between the foreground and the background. The contrast is so great, that there aren’t any details given anymore for the subject in the foreground. Rather than seeing the face of a person that displays a certain emotion, You can only see their outline” says streetbounty.com. Silhouette photography is an extremely captivating form of art that draws the viewer in and allows them to come to their own conclusions while remaining a very simplistic style of photography.
Social Distancing Photos Have Become All the Rage
April 13, 2021
The patterns in terms of creative expression throughout 2021 have varied greatly due to Covid-19 completely altering the way of the world. Photography, for example, has changed too. The popular trends of the past few years have become a thing of the past, instead being replaced with new trends more geared towards the current state the world is in. One of the most important trends would be capturing social distancing. What started as a minor inconvenience has become somewhat of a meme around social media, infringement on personal freedoms to Karens, and major subject of focus to photographers.
According to format.com, “Portrait photography trends in 2021 will reflect social distancing practices, with people in photos wearing masks... Many clothing businesses have added masks to their product line, so fashion photography trends will likely continue to include masks.” By using some of the most infamous trends of the past year to create trends in photography, photographers are able to capture the insane changes made to accommodate for Covid regulations for years to come.
However, what if photographers decided not to depict social distancing and instead chose to take photos that made it look as if people were closer than they actually were? “A number of posts on social media recently claimed that photos were being taken in a way to make it seem as though people were not obeying social distancing guidance… There are ways to make objects or people in photos look closer to each other than they are” says fullfact.org. It’s important to use the power of photography wisely, as it allows for photographers to immortalize some of the most pressing issues facing society today. Whether they are seen in a favorable light or not is up to the photographer.
Famous Photograph Analysis
March 22, 2021
Photography, like literature, has the power to implement real change if used correctly. For example, the famous image above called "Cotton Mill Girl" shares similarities with novel's like "The Jungle" in terms of its intended political purpose. The photo was taken in 1908, when child labor was a simple fact of life. This led to thousands of children suffering through dangerous and even deadly jobs simply so that they could put food on the table for their families. They were paid little to nothing and did more dangerous work than most other adult workers. That made them the ideal worker to selfish businesses that cared about one thing: profits. Digitalphotomentor.com states, "Established in 1904, the National Child Labor Committee, existed to fight for the rights of child workers in the USA. They realized that the most powerful tool they had was to show the real face of these children. They believed that seeing these images of child labor would awaken the citizens to demand change." And show their faces they did. With images like "Cotton Mill Girl" being displayed for everyone to see, people began to grasp how wrong it is to ask children to do such difficult manual labor for almost no pay. An investigative photographer named Lewis Hine came across Sadie Pfeifer, one day in a factory. She was one of the smallest children working. By looking at how young, small, and innocent she was, he knew he had a shot that would change people's views. "Among his iconic photos is “Cotton Mill Girl,” which helped raised consciousness about the issue of child labor. Hine's photos influenced child labor debates over the next 35 years, and he is considered to be the most important social advocacy photographers of the first half of the 20th century" according to criticalmediaproject.org. Photos like "Cotton Mill Girl" are proof of how impactful creative forms of expression like photography can be on the rest of the world, and how much they can change it.
The Struggles and Strife of Dorothea Lange
December 1, 2020
The Great Depression was a dark period in history, full of hopelessness, tragedy, and fear. While so many people were struggling with getting by, artists and photographers like Dorothea Lange then had a lot more material to capture. Biography.com states, "During the Great Depression, Dorothea Lange photographed the unemployed men who wandered the streets. Her photographs of migrant workers were often presented with captions featuring the words of the workers themselves. Lange’s first exhibition, held in 1934, established her reputation as a skilled documentary photographer. In 1940, she received the Guggenheim Fellowship." Her photography was more than just creative and unique -- it was meaningful. Her art was able to convey the individual lives that were impacted by such dark times as the Great Depression, especially focusing on those that were workers in such rough conditions. The onslaught of the Great Depression in the 1930s led her to train her camera on what she started to see in her own San Francisco neighborhoods: labor strikes and breadlines. Though these images were certainly not pretty or comforting, they were eye-opening to those who viewed them and saw the terrible state that the country was in.
"Lange's most famous photograph is referred to as "Migrant Mother" -- although that's not the title Lange gave it, Gordon says. It's the most enduring image many people have of the Depression, she says. It shows Florence Thompson embracing her children as she looks off into the distance. While Thompson was only in her 30s when the picture was taken, she looks haggard" Npr.org states. When looking at Lange's photo, you can see the anxiety, fear, and worry on her subject's face; however, there is still beauty clearly present in the picture. Lange was a talented photographer, who's specialty was capturing beauty in unlikely places. Lina Gordan, the writer of Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits, says, "Within that anxiety that is written all over her face, you can also see that she's actually a very beautiful woman," Gordon says. "And that's really part of what Lange's genius was about: That she could make pictures of very poor people -- people very, very hard hit -- and still make them extremely attractive individuals."
Although Dorothea Lange had a difficult life, beginning with her having polio as a child which caused a permanent disability, she was able to channel her frustration and challenges into her art, which captured important and historical moments so that people could see the lives that people had during such a terrible chapter in history. By doing so, Lange was able to touch the hearts of her viewers and get across important messages about common people and their struggles to a wider audience of people.
Photo-Taking Techniques While in Quarantine
November 17, 2020
Being stuck indoors due to the pandemic can be not only boring but also the cause of creativity drainage. Without any inspiration, how can one practice the art of picture taking? So, here are some ideas for how to get those creative juices flowing without having to step outside.
Shapes of Bokeh. The first question you may ask might be: what does ‘bokeh’ mean? In photography, bokeh refers to the quality of the blurs that are produced in the parts of an image that are out-of-focus. Normally in photography, out-of-focus images are avoided. However, with nothing to do inside all day, this project can end up being both creative and unique. According to techradar.com, “Using your lens cap as a guide, draw a circle on a piece of card. Cut out the circle, score a small shape in the centre using scissors or a craft knife, then push the card onto the front of your lens (or attach it with an elastic band). When you next shoot a scene, any unfocused light will take the form of your shape.” It would be wise to try using triangles before moving on to shapes like hearts and stars.
Water Splash Photography: This popular style of photos is commonly used to show ripple and splash effects. For example, throwing a stone into a pond and taking a picture of the after effect can freeze the moment in time where the water rises from the pond before it falls back down. These pictures can end up looking very cool and creative, and they can be very easy to engineer at home. “To do this, you need a clear, steady camera, a bucket or cup of water, and a beautiful background” all-about-photo.com states. Capturing that picture can end up looking beautiful and captivating. Plus, it's good practice for taking pictures where you need to capture a specific moment.
Still Life Tabletop Photography: Yes I know, it sounds a little boring. Why take such an easy picture of a fruit bowl or flowers on a table? The simple answer would be because, as dpmag.com put it, “the act of constructing a scene to photograph it also exercises some creative muscles that many photographers, in particular, may not regularly use. Not only can still life photography produce beautiful results but it’s also good for you too!” You can use any object of your choosing for a still photo, plus you get to try out different angles, backgrounds, and techniques to get practice and see what style you prefer. Still life photography may sound… uneventful; however, it can also provide great practice and inspiration for photographers without having to go anywhere at all.
Photography Tips for Phone Users
October 27, 2020
Everyone wants to take clear, inviting pictures; however, not everyone can afford an expensive camera or equipment to take them. That’s why most teen photographers stick to their easily accessible, very transportable phones. Still, sometimes it can be difficult to take those inviting pictures with nothing more than a mobile phone. Read on to see a list of tips and tricks that can help you improve your photography technique when taking photos with a phone.
1. Stick With Simplicity - Many novice photographers tend to overcomplicate their photos in an effort to enhance the importance of their article. One interesting subject is it takes to create great pictures. It’s easier to create a strong composition when your picture only has one subject. Sometimes, a simple photo works even better than a complex one, if taken correctly.
2. Change Up the Angle - Most photographers take their pictures at chest height, which makes sense because that’s where the subject is clearly visible. However, by simply changing the angle of your photo, you can create a whole other effect with the same picture. For example, try taking pictures at a low angle for tall buildings and watch what happens. Then perhaps try a higher angle shot and compare the effects that they have on the viewers. But there are usually more creative options for taking great photos. Learning how to take a good photo involves thinking outside the box.
3. Show Depth - While you may not have all of the fancy camera equipment, one thing you can do with any camera, including phones, is creating depth. For example, taking a picture of a street coming at it from the wrong angle will not be as effective as taking a picture that captures the depth clearly present in that situation. This is true for all stretches of land that tend to keep going until it’s out of frame. Try including some depth to add that sense of mystery to the photos.
4. Capture Close-Up Detail - According to iphonephotographyschool.com, “one of the biggest photography mistakes is not getting close enough to the subject. This is particularly important when photographing objects with intricate details.” Another great feature of phone photography is the ability to zoom in and capture subtleties in pictures that may go unnoticed if the picture were to be taken further away. This works well with nature photos especially, when zooming in on leaves, flowers, etc. it gives the picture an entirely different effect and allows the viewer to see something ordinary in a new way.
5. Use Burst mode for Action Shots - Yes this most directly applies to iPhone users, but it’s still a good tip fr photography on phones. Imore.com says, “burst mode (available for the iPhone 5s and up) might be just the option you're looking for to capture the best images. Apple included burst mode originally for snapping clear pictures of moving subjects, but I find it works well when your camera is moving, too — by snapping images in quick succession, you're more likely to get a clear shot and you have more options to choose from.” By using burst mode with action shots, instead of missing key moments in the picture, you can take numerous photos that capture every second of what is taking place in order to choose the best one. Instead of taking only 5 or 6 photos in 10 seconds, iPhone users can take 20. This gives them far more options when deciding which photos look the best.
While it may seem like those who buy expensive cameras are the only ones who can take excellent photos, by simply using some of these tips with a mobile phone, novice photographers can achieve some of the same effects as those with more equipment.
Diane Arbus - The Woman That Normalized the Abnormal
October 6, 2020
Born March 14, 1923, Diane Arbus would become an inspirational photographer who sought to normalize the outcasts of society, thereby defying the “norm” that everyone found so important to achieve. The New York Times said, “Diane Arbus was teetering on the edge of a breakdown. In 1956, she tearfully dissolved the decade-long fashion-photography enterprise that she had been conducting successfully but stressfully with her husband, Allan. Diane needed, temperamentally and philosophically, to poke through pretensions and masks to expose the hidden truth.” And that she did.
Born in New York, Arbus first became interested in photography after World War II, deciding to run a fashion photography business with her husband Allan. However, after her divorce she decided to run the company solo, studying with Alexei Brodovitch, the art director of Harper’s Bazaar, and Richard Avedon. By the 1960s, Diane began to broaden her photographic lens, moving further from fashion and taking more pictures of people on the outskirts of society. This included those who were considered societal outcasts, from exotic dancers to transvestites. Her compelling photographs emphasized the importance of expressing individuality and not succumbing to conformity. According to artnet.com, “Arbus also became known for her eerie photographs of children, intimate portraits of famous figures, and urban scenes. Arbus received two Guggenheim Fellowships to support her work in the 1960s, and taught at the Parsons School of Design and at the Rhode Island School of Design.”
Arbus made quite a transition in her professional career, going from photographing fashion to observing the lives of those deemed abnormal. According to The New York Times, “She not only wanted to see, she needed to be seen. As a street photographer, she dressed at times in something attention-grabbing, like a fake leopard-skin coat. She didn’t blend into the background, she jumped out of it. And she fascinated her subjects.” Arbus made a name for herself through her unique vision and curiosities that encouraged her to look at the world in a different light. Her suicide in 1971 while still at the height of her career left her fans heartbroken. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art held a retrospective of her work and the Aperture Foundation published an accompanying catalogue; the Aperture monograph has sold more than 12 million copies to date. The year after her death, Arbus was also selected as the first photographer to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale.
How To Choose the Right ISO. Also, What’s ISO?
September 22, 2020
Of the numerous crucial techniques that professional photographers master, ISO may seem to be the simplest; however, it can end up being far more complicated than it appears. ISO, in simple terms, is “a camera setting that will brighten or darken a photo. As you increase your ISO number, your photos will grow progressively brighter. For that reason, ISO can help you capture images in darker environments, or be more flexible about your aperture and shutter speed settings” according to photographylife.com. The acronym ISO stands for “International Organization for Standardization,” and although ISO does not relate to a specific organization, it was later adopted by digital camera manufacturers with the purpose of maintaining similar brightness levels as film.
Now that we’ve established what exactly ISO means, lets discuss its importance in photography. Since changing the ISO setting on your camera changes the sensitivity to light of the image sensor inside of it, the lower number that you select, the less sensitive the sensor is to light (and vice versa). Changing these settings can end up making a picture look very different in the right setting, evoking a different reaction from the viewer. However, it’s important to be careful about how far you change your settings. Digitalphotographyschool.com says, “the only cost of increasing ISO is that as you do it you’ll notice that the ‘noise’ or ‘grain’ in your shots also begins to increase. You probably won’t notice this graininess on your images when lookin at them on the LCD on your camera – however when you get them back to your computer they’ll become noticeable with higher ISO settings.” This is why it can be easy for beginners to make mistakes with how much they increase ISO, and why it takes experts a while to master it.
Changing the light in a photograph may not seem like the top priority as you take it; however, for artists and photographers, lighting can completely change the message that they want to convey to their audience. A simple picture of a flower can go from instagram-worthy to a masterpiece depending on how a photographer utalizes their skills, including depth, rule of thirds, and of course, ISO.
Depth in Photography
September 8, 2020
Having depth in a photograph might not seem too important when taking selfies or Instagram pictures; however, to photographers, depth can make or break a photo. The Depth of Field, according to photographylife.com, is "the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Now your camera can only focus sharply at one point. But the transition from sharp to unsharp is gradual, and the term ‘acceptably sharp’ is a loose one! Without getting too technical, how you will be viewing the image, and at what size you will be looking at it are factors that contribute to how acceptably sharp an image is. It also depends on how good your vision is!" Depth of Field (DOF) determines the closest and farthest objects in an image, both of which are in focus. The entire image between these objects also maintains a sharp focus. Understanding depth of field requires a strong foundation in the basics of a camera lens, along with the vocabulary used to describe them, such as f-stop, focal length, focus range, and field of view.
Depth can be difficult to include in a photograph without knowing exactly how to use it. Still, there are techniques one can use to attempt to get more depth. For example, try changing viewpoints. Crouch close to the ground rather than shooting at eye level. This exaggerates the perspective as objects get smaller as they move into the distance, creating a greater sense of depth. Another technique would be using a wider angle. Photographing with a wider angle (or zooming out) naturally exaggerates the perspective in a scene, achieving a far greater sense of depth overall.
Photographylife.com says that "understanding what factors affect the depth of field in a photograph will give you the artistic freedom to make the images you want to create. You will learn the most from practicing. Take time to experiment with your camera; get to know it better. Try different focal length lenses, change apertures, move your feet to change your perspective. Analyze your photographs so you know how your gear performs. Then when it comes time to take pictures that really count, you will be ready."
Who Is Martha Holmes?
August 24, 2020
Born on February 7th, 1923, Martha Holmes was arguably one of the most influential female photographers of her time. Still, even writing the words “female photographer” makes me feel sick. Having to specify that she was an influential female photographer feels like saying that she did well in the arts, for a woman. It’s as if I am limiting her contributions to photography by specifying how she is a female and therefore will likely never get the same recognition given to men who accomplish the same amount of work. Still, it’s important to note and admire the incredible skill that Martha Holmes had with a camera, and how she was able to influence other photographers with her extraordinary talent.
Holmes began her journey into the art world when she started working for “The Louisville Times” newspaper during her years at the University of Louisville where she was studying art. After she was hired to be an assistant to a color photographer, she was once again promoted after WWII called many of the male photographers to service. This was Holmes’s chance to find out how passionate she was about photography and journalism. In 1947 she moved to Washington DC to work for LIFE magazine, becoming one of three staff photographers there. In terms of what she covered, it was mostly political, like the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings.
After years of working for LIFE magazine and making her mark in DC, Holmes decided to move to New York, where she remained for the rest of her life. While in The Big Apple, she continued to work for LIFE and even produced two cover images for the magazine. Finally, in 1950, Holmes was named one of the top ten female photographers in the country. Her work inspired many photographers and journalists to follow in her footsteps.
A quote that I believe perfectly encompasses the struggles that female photographers have faced would be: "I know I'm standing on the shoulders of giants to even be able to say this, but what it means to me is to not be labeled as a female photographer, but rather a photographer." Martha Holmes made significant contributions to the art world, and will always be remembered for her influence on political journalism and photograph coverage. But how well will she be remembered is the real question.