The Genius of Photography: Snap Judgements

1. How many photographs are taken in a year?

80,000,000,000

Now thought to be closer to 880,000,000,000 in 2013


2. How does Gregory Crewdson work?

He works with a production crew and a cinematic lighting. He uses his own director of photography and camera operator.

3. Which prints command the highest price & what are they called?

The prints made by the photographer themselves, closer to the time of the actual event.
They are called 'Vintage'.

4. How does Ben Lewis see Jeff Walls photography?

Ben Lewis saw Jeff Walls as taking photography back to the 19th Century where everything was constructed for a meaning.


5. How many photographs Andreas Gursky produces and what scale are they? 

He produces about two pictures a year.
They are large scale and cover more of a gallery wall than any other photographer.

6. How does Seydou Keita's images of Africa differ from the regular images we see in the media?

Andreas Gursky

Composition

Depth of Field

Pattern

Symmetry

Texture

Framing

Light

Natural Light

Tungsten Light

The Golden Hour

Dusk

Fluorescent Light

Project

Lough Rea - Longford

The Curragh - Kildare

The Curragh - Kildare

Airbrushing & Slimming

Airbrush Before

Airbrush After

Slimming Before

Slimming After

Photo Montage

The Genius of Photography: Right Place, Right Time

What is described as "one of the most familiar concepts of photography"?

A decisive moment.

Should you trust photography?

Trusting photography was probably a huge mistake from the beginning.

What was revolutionary about the Leica in 1925?

The Leica was compact, quiet and with the latest lens technology. It gave birth to a whole new style of instant photography. The positioning of the window on the camera allowed the user to have their left eye open while taking a photograph, allowing them to watch the world.

What did George Bernard Shaw say about all the paintings of Christ?

He said he would exchange every painting of Christ for one snap-shot.

Why were Tony Vaccaro's negatives destroyed by army sensors?

They contained images of dead GI's. They believed they were decisive moments the world wasn't yet ready to accept.

Who was Henryk Ross? What was his job?

He was an incarcerated Polish-Jew. He was a propaganda photographer employed by the Nazi's as an official photographer for the ghetto. He worked at the Department of Administration and Statistics. He was also a photo journalist before the war.

Which show was a "sticking plaster for the wounds of the war"? How many people saw it and what "cliche" photograph did it end on?

The show was called "The Family of Man." and was viewed by nine million people.
The cliche the show ended on was W. Eugene Smith's photograph of his own children and the beginning of their sentimental journey through life. He showed this by photographing them walking in his own garden out into the light.

Why did Joel Meyerowitz photograph Ground Zero in colour?

He photographed it in colour because he didn't want to keep it as a tragedy.