uses of narrative photography – unit...
TRANSCRIPT
By Aaron Burden
Uses of Narrative Photography – Unit 48
Applications of Narratives Narrative photography has been used for many different applications ranging from historical, commercial and personal uses. Photography has been used to inform and show people journeys, events both public and personal along with historical events such as wars or celebrations. Historical Use One of the more common uses of narrative photography is the historical recording or documentation, of certain events such as the First World War and public celebrations such as the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. The Independent online news website did a series of photos from the First World War called “A History of the First World War in 100 moments”. This series that span 100 days, were they posted photos with a descriptions as part of the remembrance of the war. Each photo is linked to an article that talks about the history of the war in detail. The articles also contain additional photos relevant to the text.
The photo above is the first image used and starts with the following opening sentence. “How do you remember a war that destroyed four empires, killed 18 million people and left tens of millions of other lives irreparably broken?” I feel that these photos work well to communicate a story both as a series of images and individually. Combined with the text, the photo is used to draw people into the text and to learn more behind the photos. Although the photos often show different locations and situations they all have the First World War in common which links
By Aaron Burden
them together. Many other conflicts have been photographically documented over the years each usually being made up of photos from different photographers. The photos used by The Independent mostly belong to Getty Images, which suggests they are archive photos gather after the war. Link to The Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-‐history/history-‐of-‐the-‐first-‐world-‐war-‐in-‐100-‐moments/ Commercial Use Travel companies use narrative photography to sell holidays to customers using a brief series of images to suggest that what the images show is what they might be getting. From looking on Virgin Holidays each listed destination will take you to a page with about 12 images of the destination and attractions.
The photo above was taken from their Florida holiday page that shows photos of people and families enjoying themselves at Disney World and Universal Studios. These photos are usually taken in a controlled environment so they can control to a certain degree the foreground and background. The image above shows very few other tourists in the background suggesting to the customer a less busy or packed holiday for the family. The 2 kids walking with Mini Mouse could also give the customer the impression they can spend the day with their favourite characters. The same can be said for the images shown for Universal Studios, one of which shows a family posing for a photo with a few Minions from the movie franchise Despicable Me. Personal Use The personal uses for narrative photography both includes photographers personal work, family holiday styled photos and individually important photos. As part of my research I looked at a few photographers who have created narrative photo series for their portfolio, and have seen the different ways of creating a narrative story.
By Aaron Burden
One photographer that caught my eye was Sion Fullana who is a New York based “visual storyteller”. Sion Fullana’s photo series ‘The Sunset That Never Was’ is a group of images that show New Yorkers and tourists in yellow taxis as they drive through Manhattan during a twice a year phenomenon called the Manhattanhenge. “the sun aligns perfectly with the East-‐West grid of Manhattan, making the sunset perfectly visible in all the cross streets, with the sun positioned and framed by the buildings on both sides of the streets”. This phenomenon is the same as the winter and summer solstice at Stonehenge, hence the “henge” on Manhattan.
The main goal of these photos is to show the expression of the people as they look out the taxi and through the streets towards the sunset. Each of the photos can be a story in itself as you look at the people is the taxi and wonder is this the first Manhattanhenge sunset they have seen or have they travelled far to see it. Together as a series of 12 images they form a collection of wonder and amazement.
By Aaron Burden
Throughout all the photos there are visual constants that show these photos go together as a group. All the photos have the yellow taxi, the passengers and the driver. A few do show the streets in the background with more people showing the same amazed look in their faces. The photos above and below show this continuity along with the different expressions show by the people.
From going through the photos it is clear that Sion would have been moving around the different locations and shooting handheld. The varied heights at which the photos have been take supports this; along with the fact Sion would also be following the taxi as it goes past. Other forms of personal narrative photography are holiday photos and event photos taken by people who may not be photographers but who wish to show others their experiences. This form of narrative photography is less about techniques and more about keep a visual memory or a memento from a trip.
Technologies Used The technologies used vary between photographers and what is being photographed. If you’re creating a narrative series for a story such as a fairy-‐tale then the images are going to be controlled and constructed, so a tripod may be used to keep the frame still while the subjects can be moved around in shot for the perfect end result.
By Aaron Burden
A narrative series that follows a journey or event will most likely consist of moving around and not enough time to even think of using a tripod. For this type of work then handheld is the best as its quick and allows you to adapt faster to a changing environment. The work I looked at by Sion Fullana is a good example of handheld narrative photography along with personal photos taken on holiday or at events. The lenses that could be used can vary on the requirements of the shooting location. For an indoor or dark environment a lens with a low aperture would be best to deal with low light while keeping the shutter speed up. This can also be aided with increasing the ISO. For outdoor work a wide range of lenses can be used from the 18-‐55mm kit lens, a wide-‐angle lens or if you’re photographing distant subjects like animals then a telephoto lens would be best. The best option is to carry a selection of lens around so you can adapt to a wider range of situations. For my work I can see myself going for a handheld approach through out my journey as it will allow me to adapt quicker while I’m out and about. When traveling I usually carry about 5 different lenses for different types of photography. Presentation of the Narrative Work done by photographers as a personal project will be up on their own websites as part of their portfolio show the range of the their abilities. This work could also be displayed in galleries to promote their work and skills to a selected audience or an open audience. Sion Fullana’s work is presented on his website so that it can be accessed by online visitors. The Independent’s ‘A History of the First World War in 100 moments” was presented day by day with new images and articles relevant to the First World War. After the series was finished the images and articles was still accessible by the public when searched for.
A commercial application of narrative photographer depends on who is the target market. For a travel agency these photos can be presented online to show customers what their holiday could look like. They can also be present in brochures, holiday booklets or as part of posters inside travel agencies. Another alternative is to use them as part of a TV advert, were the images can be edited together with related video clips.
By Aaron Burden
For my narrative photos I may show them as a presentation to the class as it would be the easiest option and would be free of cost. I would most likely show the photos in one go then back to the beginning so I could go through the photos one by one in more detail. The full presentation could be accompanied with a soundtrack to give it a tempo.