Use this post to comment on Chapter 1 in No Caption Needed. Some potential questions to consider:
--Do you agree with the authors' criteria for what makes a photograph iconic? Why or why not?
--What do you make of their connection between iconic photography and democratic values?
--Do you feel that they are correct in identifying photojournalism as a medium with a particular power in our culture?
--How do you feel about the examples of iconic photographs introduced here?
You do not have to answer these questions. Just use them as guidelines. I'm looking for your reactions, comments, questions. PLEASE respond to each others' comments -- use the comment thread as a forum for dialogue.
I agree with the authors' criteria that iconic photographs should spark a collective emotion and thus become publicly accepted. This is because photographs that are accepted by a majority would get distributed and reproduced more often. The moment these photos appear everywhere, it becomes iconic and soon, everyone recognizes them. That's when society will develop a collective memory each time they see the image again.
ReplyDeleteAngela Sasorith
I really like that to make a photo iconic, it has to be something that's not totally out there. It can be more of a relateable thing and an emotional can be easily drawn from looking at it. I think that "Migrant Mother" photo is a great iconic photo because like I had said in class, the fact that what happened to her can happen to anyone will always remain. I believe an iconic photo should be able to draw emotion no matter what time period we are in. The fact that what that photo shows can happen any time.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Goldstein
One of the requirements that the book required was that the photograph must be of historical significance, and I feel like that could be interpreted differently, and that criteria is slightly ambiguous. Of course, there are moments that are clearly defined in history i.e. Iwo Jima and the Great Depression, but how would we determine the historical significance of events today. Terrorist attacks are one of those of historical significance like what happened in 9/11, but what about the issue regarding the Pentagon. I agree with the book's criteria, but I do question how the criteria will apply in the present time and the future.
ReplyDeleteTiffany Zhao
I agree with my fellow classmates and the author on the criteria for an ionic photograph. I really liked how the author explains the argument on how an icon can really influences a person’s beliefs and actions. The book stated that David Perlmutter and many others say that ionic images “dominate public opinion.” This states peoples opinions are immediately change by what they seen in the photo. The author argues there is no poll they can take to see what changes public opinion. This is because a person’s opinion is very hard to judge, because you never know what someone is thinking. I agree with Angela on the fact that a photo does become Ionic when it is seen everywhere and I support this with what the author speaks about how “iconic images usually are recognized as such immediately and even if they are capable of doing in what need to be done to change public opinion and motivate action on behalf of a public interest, their meaning and effects are likely to be established slowly, shift with changes in context….”
ReplyDeleteSachendra (Sachin) Dumra
I definitely agree with the author's meaning of what makes a photograph iconic. A photograph should immediately create some sort of reaction from the audience--preferably one that is shared by the mass public. I also think it could be something that exceeds all time limits, something one can look back to even a hundred years from now and get an emotion, that we feel looking at an iconic photograph now.
ReplyDeleteTiffany- you said that you don't get the historical significance of 9/11 and the pentagon, I don't think the iconic photographs necessarily should refer you back to the time, but just give you a sort of an emotion. For example, in our culture, we would see pictures of the 9/11 terrorist attacks of the airplanes bringing down the buildings, would create a sense of an immediate need to protect ourselves- thus making us understand why America is so concerned about any more terrorist attacks, same for the pentagon. Overall, I think that the iconic images of these would be something anyone can relate to, not specifically the event itself, but the feeling behind it.
Hope that helps.
- Arsa Ghazal
I agree with the author and how they state that photos are iconic. Photos are like flashbacks of memories, that can make your mind fill with thousands of words and really give you a strong feeling about what that picture means. It also is a way of saving history, so people years from now can look back at these pictures and try to understand more about exactly what happened in the past. Pictures make you imagine what it was like to be there, and try to grasp what the photographer is trying to say. Every photograph has a meaning.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra (Sandy) Chuah
I like how we discussed in 1st class that for something to be iconic it has to have a history or depth to it. The book explains that iconic images dominate public opinions. Though this is a hard read I look forward to this book. I tool Photography as an elective my Junior year and it just sparks excitement and memories of the efort it took to take a photo from different perspectives and angles to create a work of art
ReplyDelete~~Andrew O
The iconic photographs that No Caption Needed chose to discuss in chapter 1 were all pictures that defined societies at the time the photo was taken. To be honest, I can not think of other photographs that are anymore iconic than those that were discussed.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I did disagree with was the idea that sports photographs are not iconic. I realize that these may not reach past a certain audience, or the group that is interested with that team/player, but i still believe that these are iconic. The fact that Marilyn Monroe's photograph is more iconic than any of the the photographs of Pat TIllman during the years that he played is somewhat insulting. Maybe this is just an outlier, but it was still worth remembering. Tillman represented american society more so than Monroe, or at least I think he did. Just food for thought.
Gavin Mease
I have a bit of a different view than the rest of the people who posted thus far. Iconic photographs are a good way to understand a certain period of time, but in my opinion they are not the best way, at least in this day and age. It has been a very long time since a "new" iconic photograph has arisen. I believe this to be true because of how accessible photographs have become. Most people have some sort of photographical device on them at all times. Whether is be their cell phone, a digital camera or even a gameboy (yes those have cameras too now). Because we are all so used to viewing photos, on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks, the impact photographs once had on us as a society is no longer as strong. The closest thing that we have to iconic photographs today are viral videos. That sounds pretty bad because photographs are art and a video of a panda sneezing is not. We still have photographs as a medium for artistic expression, but they are not really used to unite a nation or induce feeling of nostalgia, mourning, patriotism, empathy or any other emotion to a large population of people. To me, photographs are to remember a certain experience a person has that was enjoyable or worth being remembered.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Sara has stated. America is moving more into the digital age and moving away from the "classic" forms of expression, such as photography. Yes, it is important to continue on with these iconic photographs, but the reality is society is using other ways of art to convey these emotions and feelings. Photography was once seen as the ultimate form of expression. Capturing those iconic moments and being in awe of what the photographer can do with such a device. But just as Sara stated, everyone can take a photo. These photos that and everyday person is taking are not iconic and do not have the affect that a photo should have on people. These snapshots are used just to capture those moments.
ReplyDeleteAs the author states iconic photographs should enable the audience to feel emotions towards it and make connections, whether they be personal or towards a group as a whole. Though photojournalism is still very much alive today, it is not at the level that it has once been. People are now obtaining their news through newer, more advanced ways, through the internet, TV, and even social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook. Personally, these sites take away the meaning of photography.
ionic picture should be something that can stand out and tell a story and play with your emotions the first time you see it. when we see pictures from a many years ago it still has the same affect on us today as it did back then because on how the picture was taken.in the world today pictures can be taken from anywhere and by anyone, and that is making picture not as meaningful as they should be. Digital is how we are moving in this world and to have a great picture like those mentioned would have to take some time to come up again.
ReplyDeleteWhether a photo is digitalized or not, matters not. The only difference between now and then is that photography is more widespread, and what makes a good photo is defined in it's clarity and capture. Sure, someone can take a photo, but not everyone has the artistic skill to really capture a moment and still represent the art of the moment. You can definitely recognize the difference between a common photo and a professional photo, which is why I think those stand out as iconic.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Laing
Going along with my post for chapter 2, i=I believe that the criteria for an iconic photo is correct up until the fact of predicting that its criteria will stand the way it is though out time. We have no idea what the future will bring therefore it is pointless to try and predict and hold rules in a staunch way. I agree that its meaning must be over arching and not specific to one group to make it iconic, however, whose to say what the demographics of groups will be in the future or for that fact what people will constitute as an iconic photograph in the future. Such as history, these things chang in splits seconds of time.
ReplyDeleteLike many of our classmates said, iconic photography is a powerful tool to bring a sense of togetherness and draw the emotions. It can bring inspiration to one, which can lead to a movement. Iconic photos should not just be something that you can relate to at that time, but something that someone years later can relate to also. Something that's not inspirational at the time, but something that really hits the core of one's heart such as patriotism, depression, hopelessness, which were some of the emotions we felt when we saw the iconic photos in class. I disagree with Fred that what we constitute as iconic in the future will be different, because although circumstances and events change, the very things that capture a human heart will stay constant.
ReplyDelete-Soo
I agree with the criteria of iconic pictures mentioned above. My addition is that while iconic pictures do have a side of a story to tell, it is just that. Just a side. For an iconic picture to have widespread appeal, it must be in a sense, the mainstream interpretation of the subject. It's the commonly accepted truth of the subject, or considered safe, depending on the picture itself. But a single picture cannot tell an entire story, so there is a danger in putting too much emphasis on iconic pictures in themselves.
ReplyDelete