Virtual Essay

I have chosen to focus on the work of Sebatio Salgado and Eugene Smith. Each of these photos I have selected reminds me of their work in a unique way. Salgado and Smith had a very similar work ethic in terms of their photography and that is why I have chosen to group them together. Both Smith and Salgado's fundamental belief was that interactions with the subjects of their photos, translates into a better picture. Their photos were often staged, asking the subjects to pose multiple times in order to get the right shot. It was also their belief that alteration and manipulations of a photo was acceptable in order to create the reality that they wanted to portray; in essence a deiction of their version of the truth.Salgado in particular was  motivated by his own spiritual search, which some have argued introduces a bias into his photosfocused his work. His focus centred primarily on the " poor mans problems" such as disease, crime and alcoholism. .

This first photo caught my eye because of the lighting. The way the light directs the viewer's eye reminds me of Eugene Smith's work. Similar to his work on the Spanish Wake photo, Smith always manipulated the lighting of his photos to guide the viewer's eye. This created a way of telling the story of the photo in way words cannot.

The second photo I chose is similar to the previous photo in that the light guides the eyes to where the photographer desires. In addition to the light manipulation, the background of the photo has clearly been altered, fading out what looks to be people in the background to create a more dramatic effect. These were some of the methods that Smith and Salgado used as well, they went against the standard NPPA code of conduct which dictates that a photographer should maintain the integrity of the picture and refrain from photo manipulation as well as resist staging photo opportunities. Another way this photo is similar to the work of Smith and Salgado is that the subject is aware that the photo is being taken, and the photo has been clearly been staged. These were the markings of a Smith/ Salgado photo.

This photo is similar to the work of Salgado in that it depicts what looks to be a poor man in a broken down house with no clothes on his back. Salgado often focused on poverty and the various afflictions that come with it. This light  has been manipulated and guides the eye as it did in the previous photos and the photo has been staged to create a desired result. Another similarity is the sensitivity of the moment. Similar to the photo of Tomoko Uemura taken by Eugene Smith, this photo captures a private moment. This man is obviously vulnerable and caught up in the harsh realities of life and this photo gives the viewer a window into this man's life and struggles.

This picture is reminiscent of the work of Salgado, he often liked to capture the everyday heros as stated in the class lecture, “Salgado in his work depicts individuals who are resilient, but inevitably bound by larger forces-the unequal distribution of wealth, famine, the advance of technology”(Blackboard) and "he also recognizes the individual’s singular importance in his images."(Blackboard) The man in this image is a retired war vet that in his own right is a real life hero. He was bound by forces beyond his control to enter into the army and fight for freedom. This picture captures the importance of his contributions in an abstact way. The surrounding chairs represent the soldiers that would be surrounding him, but the fact that they are empty places emphasis on his presence in the photo.

This picture also depicts everyday heros, men who work hard to provide food for the people of their country despite the long travel and heat that comes with it.This picture is reminiscent of Salgado's picture of the two workers placing a new wellhead in an oil well that had been damaged by Iraqi explosives. This is  how Salgado turned everyday workers into heros and showed their contribution to the greater good even though they are  bound by  larger forces of economic inequality,through the lens of his camera. 

In conclusion, each of these photos in their own unique way captures a different quality of Smith and Salgado's work, portraying their signature way of inviting viewers into their own version of reality thought their personal relationships with their subjects and their love of photo and light manipulation.

Works Cited

Jhem. Fashion and Art Trend. January 2011. Retrieved August 2011. http://fashionarttrend.blogspot.com/2011/01/fine-art-photography.html

Rowse, Darren. Digital Photography School.February 2011. Retrieved August 2011.http://www.digital-photography-school.com/5-black-and-white-photography-tips

Thompson, Cole. Cole Thompson Photography. April 2011. Retrieved August 2011.http://www.colethompsonphotography.com/

Blackboard; WebCT. Retrieved August 2011. https://gbc.blackboard.com/webct/urw/lc5122011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct