In class, we talked about how women are misrepresented in photograph ads. As an avid reader of fashion magazines and longtime observer of advertisements in subway stations, I've seen that there a lot of problems.

Sexist advertising really hurts the case for fashion. There's nothing sexist about enjoying fashion. It's an industry run primarily by women and it's no more frivolous than professional sports. However, the fashion world needs some major reform, especially in it's portrayal of the women who wear said fashion.

To me one of the biggest issues is portraying women as frail, weak, sad people in pretty clothes. I don't understand this, because it's not aesthetically pleasing.

Here's some examples:

Here's some happy, fashionable women who look to be alive and well:

There's obviously a lot of issues fashion advertisers have to work through, but I think from even a strictly business perspective, models that appear to be alive might be a good start.

Recently, Times Magazine published a photo essay by Sara Lewkowicz, a graduate student from Ohio. What started as a piece on the stigma of being an ex-convict, turned into a documentation of domestic abuse. Lewkowicz followed around a young couple, Shane and Maggie, in Ohio for a few months.

One night she witnessed violent behavior and began taking photographs. The photos are very powerful and disturbing. There's such a big difference between photographs and words when it comes to documentation, because words don't always sound as bad as pictures look. Words can also be stretched and emotions can sway opinions, but one can't deny something in a photograph. Seeing these photos makes domestic violence seem real and near.

The photo below is one of the most shocking in the collection. It shows Shane attacking Maggie in front of her 2-year-old daughter, Memphis.

She's received a mix of criticism from internet commenters. Her critics argue she should've intervened. To respon, Lewkowicz said, "Allow me to clarify. I am a 5’2″ woman. I am not physically equipped to do what you are suggesting. There were two other adults there who were much larger than I am, and both individuals were too scared to do anything." 

This is a very tricky subject that isn't new to photojournalism. War photographers have often received the same criticism. Though I think the only two options in a lot of cases are to not intervene and observe what happens or to not intervene and document what happens. I think what Lewkowicz did was very brave. She did it as an ally to Maggie, the victim, and wasn't doing it for shock value. In fact, the photos were subpoenaed and used to convict Shane.

Photography spans a wide spectrum of utilities, from lighthearted, whimsical vacation pictures to images that evoke strong emotion and document heavy subjects like domestic abuse or other injustices. I think that depsite technological advances, the power of a photograph will never diminish.



A link to the full article on Times' website : http://lightbox.time.com/2013/02/27/photographer-as-witness-a-portrait-of-domestic-violence/#1

Photoshop is a behemoth.

I went to the lab today to work on my six images for Project Two. I spent a little over an hour on two photos. I kept making mistakes and undoing. I'm also extremely indecisive. I kept going back and forth on settings like levels, curves, and brightness. I'm still not sure if I'm completely happy with the changes.

There are so many things you can do with Photoshop, but you have to be careful. I get really excited with all the settings that I get carried away.

That's what happened with this image:

the original

the over-edited

I find it to be too colorful and too contrasted. It almost looks cartoonish and it definitely looks edited. After I finished, I compared the original with the edited and realized it was way too much.

here was my attempt to tone it down:

I decided to start over. I wanted it less cropped as well. I made subtle, but noticeable changes, and I'm much happier with it.

I think Photoshop, like all the other Adobe programs, can only be learned through large amounts of time on the computer, working through each tool and experimenting with different settings. I'm excited to learn more about Photoshop, so I can start editing photos faster and more accurately. 

I went to Trafalgar Square to take photos this week. I think I took a lot of great photos, but I'm glad this assignment includes Photoshop. It was a sunny day and some things look a bit washed out. I think with the right enhancements on the computer they could be really great.

I thought it would be cool to test out the zoom exercise. I tried to keep the statue the same size in every picture. I only had my 55mm lens, but can imagine a longer lens would have been much more dramatic from start to finish. It's amazing how different each picture is, regardless.

I'm so excited to work with photography again!

I was frustrated and not satisfied with my class assignment this week, so I decided to take my camera and hop down to the touristy parts of London and take some photos.

It was night time, which meant long exposures and a lot of blurry shots. like this one:

I eventually figured out the makeshift tripod:

Speaking of problem solving.... the power of correct exposure:

LIGHTS OFF:

LIGHTS ON:

 These two shots were mess-ups, but I find them aesthetically pleasing, nevertheless.  Shutter Speed is my favorite adjustment, I feel like there's a lot of creative possibilities.

 Here are a few others, I particularly enjoyed.