This weekly post has everything you need for completing this week’s self-paced content and readings, plus an outline at the end for what’s covered during class meetings. This week is about wildlife and the environment, and photographing the natural world in ways that most people never get to see with their own eyes.
The Pace of Nature
This short film is about Belgian photographer Michel d’Oultremont as he attempts to photograph bison recently reintroduced into the wild in Romania after several centuries of extinction.
Compared with the sometimes artificially fast-paced action of nature documentaries, this video takes a slower, contemplative pace. Watch this video as a visual meditation. Get away from other distractions, turn off the lights, and take deep, slow breaths to become immersed in the scene.
Review & Reflection
- What challenges of weather and setting does the photographer face?
- In what ways is this photographer’s process similar to street photography and war photography? How is it different?
The Pace of Nature
Laurel Chor is photojournalist based in Hong Kong who’s become well-known for her coverage of the protests there. But her passion in photography is the outdoors, in part because she grew up in the city and didn’t experience wilderness as a child. Watch this TEDx talk from several years ago to understand her approach. You may also want to read this more recent interview.
Review & Reflection
- Chor says, “I could tell you about the ecosystem of the Amazon, but I couldn’t name you a single tree in Hong Kong.” What does she mean, and how is this related to her entry into photography?
- Her work covering protests is definitely photojournalism. Do you think her photos of animals count as photojournalism, and why or why not?
National Parks Landscapes
You’ve likely seen photos by Ansel Adams, since his striking black-and-white landscapes are widely admired and displayed as art prints in the United States. This week’s reading about his career explains some of his influences and his interactions with other photographers during his lifetime, such as Dorothea Lange.
To accompany the reading, view more of his photos here (and how much they cost!): Adams gallery
“I am not afraid of beauty, of poetry, of sentiment. I think it just as important to bring to people evidence of the beauty of the world of nature and of man as it is to give them a document of ugliness, squalor and despair.”
This well-known quote, from a letter to Lange, accurately portrays Adams’ perspective, but is only a part of it. During his career, he photographed the Manzanar camp where Japanese-Americans were forced to live during World War II and took on some other topics that, in retrospect, we may consider photojournalism. However, he came from the tradition that considered photography a form of art, and this influence remains strong in landscape photography today.
Review & Reflection
- What type of technological and geographical difficulties did he have to overcome?
- Why did Adams feel strongly about being considered an artist?
- Before his beauty quote, Adams says, “I resent the implications that unless photography has a socio-political function it is not of value to people at large.” What does he mean by this?
Monday
• Preview of week’s materials
Wednesday
• Discussion: wildlife photos
• Election Day photos
Friday
• Palouse landscapes – starting link, photo tips
• Go over weekly assignment
• Preview final project