Month: November 2017

In this book, one of the first encountered problems is how to effectively describe what Documentary photography is. We can essentially call all forms of photography – documentary, as we are capturing and documenting every single image we take. However it is more commonly used to describe photography which shows an event or the effects an event has on the environment or, most commonly, the human race. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact characteristics of a documentary photograph, as it’s not a linear genre.

Documentary images can be largely seen as unethical, or potentially untrue. A photo only holds certain story, and the context outside the frame of the camera could be entirely different than the picture itself. Most photographers would say that in order to maintain their integrity, they only photograph what they see. Not changing or manipulating anything in the frame. However, as previously said, the frame of the image doesn’t always contain the whole story. It could also be seen as difficult to accurately portray a scene, when you are considered an ‘outsider’. Natan Dvir says “There is an unsigned contract with the subject[s] that I will respect the essence of their experience. I want to be true to the truth of what I have experience, interacting with the world with a degree of integrity, trying to understand the culture and people and how the situation, the conflict, impacts human beings”. Dvir said this after having lived and worked in Israel most of his life, when it came to photographing a large Arab minority, he struggled to feel like he had represented them in the truest way, as he wasn’t all that familiar with their faith.

I think using photography as activism is a great way to gain recognition on certain subjects. I believe that photographs can definitely make people feel a lot more than words can. If you can physically see the impact that issues are having on people, you feel instantly more compelled to help in some way. Although this would be beneficial to certain activist campaigns, there is always an underlying thought, in my mind as photographer, that it’s possible we might not be seeing the whole truth.

This article is trying to define the difference between selfies and self-portraits. Using examples from feminist photographers, Murray has succeeded in presenting different views on the term selfie. With the rise of social media outlets like Instagram and Snapchat, selfies are becoming unavoidable online. I only have to scroll through my Instagram feed to prove this point. However, photographers such as Vivian Fu & Noorran Matties are attempting to change the way women see themselves, by promoting self portraits, rather than selfies. With the term selfie, comes assumptions of narcissism and low self esteem. Alternatively, self-portraits are seen to have more artistic connotations, thoughtful composition and context and may be a more positive way to approach feminist topics, or any topic for that matter. They give the artists an outlet to challenge stereotypes, which would immediately be disregarded or overlooked if they photograph was first recognised as a ‘selfie’.

I found this article interesting. I’d never thought much beyond the purpose of taking a selfie, I only saw it as as something everyone was doing on social media. A photo that makes you feel good about how you look, boosting confidence. I don’t think it’s necessarily always with narcissistic intent, commonly a selfie features more than one person, maybe these photos are snapshots to look back at later as memories. Self portraits always seemed more serious and creative, and although I think it’s easy to mix the two up, as selfies are essentially self portraits, there is a distinguishable difference between the two.

This article written by Ruxandra Looft was incredibly helpful for me in understanding more about postfeminism itself, as well as the impact that fourth wave feminism and social media has in the 21st century. The GirlGaze project created and campaigned by Amanda de Cadenet initially started as way to encourage females to breakout into the photography industry, something which is seen as a predominantly male profession. After de Cadenet published information about the project on the TeenVogue website, the hashtag #girlgaze was picked up across social media platforms, inspiring young females across the world to showcase their photographic talents and discuss ‘global’ feminist issues.

The GirlGaze mission statement says “commitment to making the arts accessible to all, especially populations that have been previously disadvantaged and underrepresented. Focusing on inclusivity and diversity, the organization encourages active agents in the art world to uphold these values and promote them by ‘modelling through action’ (The Americans for the Arts 2016)”. Although the statement focuses on ‘inclusivity and diversity’, isn’t it ignorant to assume that the project truly is representative of females globally, when it’s whole premise is activism through social media? Social media isn’t accessible to hundreds of thousands of people all over the world, so who is representing these ‘previously disadvantaged and underrepresented’ females? It’s great that they now have the opportunity to speak out and advocate for themselves through this project, but isn’t it deemed futile if they can’t access the platform in which they have to use to do so?

Looft talks about the fact that it’s instinctive to want to enter photographs that ‘fit the brief’ of what GirlGaze is trying to promote, and if us girls are photographing with this in mind, then can it be considered artistic freedom? It’s also important to consider who is judging the images that appear on GirlGaze’s Instagram & Twitter. A small group of people are deciding and leading this project, choosing which photographs are posted to the official social media accounts. It’s entirely possible that girls are using this to their advantage, creating work that they know will appeal to these people, in order to get it posted on the official site, gaining recognition for themselves, whether or not they believe what they’re creating will make any sort of impact.

I think that GirlGaze is a great way to encourage young females to work in the photographic industry. Using social media to gain knowledge and understanding on other cultures as well as art is a great way to encourage young people to express themselves, especially in our now technology focused world. It is without critique, but if it’s helping thousands of young women across the globe become more knowledgeable online, hopefully in the future it will help them consider other ways that they can help the feministic wave grow and reach the corners of the globe that social media cannot.