Still photography topic test

What is a photographic essay? Name this photograph and its photographer. What is the image of? What feeling, thoughts, or emotions does it create when looked at?

A photographic essay is a narrative or story, consisting of a series of related images. The photograph is by Margaret Bourke White, and is entitled, The Living Dead. The photograph is of German men brought by Gen. Patton's men to view the cruel acts and death their leaders had imposed on the people held at Buchenwald (concentration camp) during WWII. The men look so shocked and frightened about what they are looking at, that they appear to be speechless and remorseful.

Who took the photograph above? Why was it taken? What was its purpose?

Ansel Adams is the photographer who tool this picture, He was hired by the Sierra Club to create a book of photographs of American parks. The book was distributed to Congress, and successfully convinced its members to pass legislation that would preserve American parks by creating a number of national parks and preserves.

Define the following terms: - close-up - portraiture - straight photography

Close-up: A picture that includes the full face or another feature with much detail. Portraiture: A type of photography that captures the likeness of a person, usually in great detail of the facial expression. Straight photography: A type of photography in which pictures are printed directly from the negatives with no cropping or other manipulation.

Besides advertising fashion, what does commercial photography do?

Commercial photography also documents fashion, which is a part of cultural history.

Examine the two fashion advertisements above. The advertisement on the left is from the 1920s, and is for a jewelry company. The advertisement on the right is from the 1950s, and portrays the famous model Dovima in an evening dress designed by Christian Dior. Which do you find most persuasive? List at least 2 reasons.

For the advertisement on the left: colors, artistic expression accomplished through drawing, a higher interest in jewelry, style, the composition, etc. For the advertisement on the right: black and white photography, the exotic appeal of the elephants, the realism because it is a photograph, the woman, higher interest in clothing, the beauty of the woman, the woman's expression and/or pose, etc.

Prior to photography, what method was used by the fashion industry to advertise new products? Describe early fashion advertisements and the fashion industry's sales strategy.

In fashion industry used drawings as advertisements. These drawings were usually busy, dramatic, and exotic. They were suppose to communicate to people a feeling of excitement, which would then produce feeling of want and need. Those feelings would hopefully encourage the buyer to purchase the product.

Define montage and its process. Look at the 3 photographs above. Explain their relationship, including why they are an example of photomontage.

Montage is a process of combining several distinct images to produce a blended or combined picture. This is done by blocking out certain parts during processing in the dark room. In the first photo we see birds, and in the second photo we see a field of grass and wildflowers. The final photo, on the far right, shows the bird in front of the grass and wildflowers. The photographer has taken the first picture, blocked out every part but the central bird, and during the process done in the dark room, created a new picture by blending the bird and the grass and wildflowers.

Who invented negative film? Explain how negative film is used in photography.

Negative film was invented by Henry Fox Talbot. Negative film is a roll of film with a gel or lotion over it, with light-sensitive silver-nitrate crystals in the emulsion. When exposed to light, it creates a negative image. When we look at a negative image on film, all the light colors are dark and all the dark colors are light. This image can be duplicated or enlarged onto photography paper that is light-sensitive. Because the paper is light-sensitive, the image appears as a positive image.

Define photographic journalism.

Photographic journalism is a report of recorded facts about the world to provide others with information.

Who was the "father of journalism"? Why has he/she been given this title?

The "father of journalism" is Matthew Brady. The camera was a relatively new invention at the time of the Civil War, but Brady carried his camera and dark room from battlefield to battlefield. He was the first to capture live images of current events.

Name the artist who created the photograph above. Describe the artist and his connection to the art world. Name the approach of commercial photography that was used to create this piece, and explain the process used.

The photograph was produced by Man Ray. Man Ray was an American photographer living in New York during the early 1900s. He was influential in the Dada movement and invented the process of Rayograph, which was used to create this photograph. A rayograph photograph is made without a negative by exposing objects to light on light-sensitive paper using an enlarger.

Examine the advertisement above. What is being advertised? Most likely, who is their target audience or buyer? What does this advertisement say to the buyer?

This is an advertisement for Honda motorcycles. Based on the picture, the location it shows (beach front at sunset), and the man in the advertisement, the target audience is most likely males in either their 20s or 30s, or perhaps older males who want to feel younger again. The advertisement and the imagery used speaks of such emotions and experiences as, independence, power, wide-open spaces, and freedom.

Name the photograph above and its photographer. Explain the process with which it was created. What is this process commonly used for?

This photograph is by Anna Atkins, and is entitled, Woodland Horsetails. Cyanotype is a photographic print in white on a blue ground. It is commonly used for copying maps and architectural plans, which are known as blueprints.

Think about advertisements you see for your favorite clothing company or store. When you look at the clothing worn by the models, whether it be similar to items you have or entirely different, how do you feel? Do the advertisements influence you and your idea of what is fashionable?

You mostly likely want to have what the models are wearing, whether you already own something similar or it is quite different from the clothes you just bought from the same store last week. If you are similar to most of the general public, you probably tend try to follow and buy what you see in advertisement with regards to fashion.

Create a brief timeline for the history of photography from 1826 until 1889.

• 1826 - The first permanent image was produced. • 1839 - The first known photo of a person. • 1847 - The first photos of lightning and war. • 1861 - The first color photograph was produced. • 1878 - The first action photos were seen. • 1889 - The first published photograph was printed in National Geographic.