For Tuesday: Morris, Believing is Seeing, Chapter 1 (Parts 1 & 2, pp.4-38)

Note: This is a very different book than our last one, though in many ways it's also similar. It's about how many ways we can interpret a photograph, and how what we see as initially 'true' about the work changes with time, perspective, and context. Try to read it as a detective story about finding a clue hidden in plain sight for over a hundred years. 

Answer TWO of the following for Tuesday's class:

Q1: Why did most writers assume that Fenton had 'staged' the second photograph? Why did they see this as the most 'common sense' explanation for the second picture? Would this be obvious to everyone looking at both images? 

Q2: Why do many people call this "the first iconic photograph of war" (18)? It's not a very interesting photography for most people, but it remains an important one. What does it show us, and why might it have been influential for later photographers?

Q3: What does Morris mean by "believing is seeing" in this chapter? Who in this chapter (according to Morris) is most guilty of this? Why is it easy to fall into this trap when it comes to art and photography?

Q4: What does Morris mean when he writes, "Photographs provide an alternative way of looking into history" (31)? How does this photograph also challenge how we read and interpret the past? 

For Tuesday: Stanton, Humans of New York

Sorry--this didn't post and I just noticed! Here's Tuesday's post...

Look over the photos once more and try to find new ones and/or ones you skimmed over last time. Here are a few more questions to get you thinking about new ideas with the images:

Q1: Find one picture that you feel represents who you are right now. It doesn't have to look like you or even be the same sex/age as you, but how do they somehow embody your own identity at this moment in time? It could be their style, clothing, attitude, or what they're communicating in the caption.

Q2: Find one picture that you feel represents who you most hope to be 5-10 years from now. Again, it can be a different age/sex than you, but what about them seems to represent an identity you hope to attain or realize in the future. Why is this? How might this person underline the connotation of "success" or "happiness" or even "being an adult" for you? 

Q3: Based on many of these images, what do you think is one of the greatest fears of the modern age? What do most of these people seem to be 'running from' or 'hiding from'? How can we tell? Do the pictures/captions give us any clue as to how they're dealing with this universal fear?

Q4: These are pictures of people from every class, race, and walk of life. They're not definitive by any means, but they do give a nice cross-section of the "humans" in our world. Accordingly, what do you think most divides people from one another in these photos? Where do we see the 'walls' or 'divisions' that separate people from one another? If we're all human deep down, what divides us on the surface? 

For Thursday: Stanton, Humans of New York

NOTE: Keep reading the book, discover new pictures you haven't seen, and answer TWO of the following questions for Thursday's class (please bring them to class with you). ALSO, see the post below this one for the Short Paper #1 assignment. 

Q1: In class we discussed some of the themes of the book, which include success (or making it), failure (or not making it), creating public art, spontaneous vs. staged moments, and the diversity of "humans". Identify another prominent theme that seems to connect some of the images, and discuss one image that supports this.

Q2: Many of the pictures have captions which add depth and characterization to the humans in the photo. Some, however, only have the photo to go by. Add a significant caption to one of these images and explain why you think this is story that exists just behind the image. 

Q3: Which image (or story) do you feel is most inspiring in this collection so far? Do you think the person in the photo knows they're inspiring, or does Stanton simply find them inspiring? In other words, is the subject trying to teach us a life lesson, or is Stanton using their image/words to teach us a life lesson?

Q4: For many people, New York City is a symbol for everything that's wrong with the world: overcrowding, hustle and bustle, greed, wealth, poverty, etc. What do you think Stanton's overall opinion or philosophy on NYC is? How does he use the book, and his photos, to illustrate what NYC means to him?

Short Paper #1: Acting Human in Public

In Brandon Stanton’s book, Humans of New York, he documents dozens of ‘humans’ in New York as they go about their daily lives. By looking at them as a group, rather than individuals, we can see some of the invisible ties that bind us as a species. Even though we might come from different races, nations, states, religions, socioeconomic classes, and political affiliations, when it all comes down to it, we share many of the same needs, desires, and fears as humans all across the globe. So what makes us human? Based on this book, what identity most unites us as human beings in New York, or Ada, or anyplace else on the globe?

Choose THREE pictures that you feel all represent people sharing the same basic identity as human beings. By “identity,” I mean a role, a philosophy, a belief, a sentiment, or a response that unites these people despite all the physical differences. How was Stanton trying to highlight this connection in the pictures or the captions? How can we see this behind the people themselves? Briefly examine each picture and show us the clues and details that make each picture more similar than different. Since there are no page numbers, you can’t say “look at the picture on page 23”—you have to actually describe the picture and give us a mental image of the person you want us to see.

REQUIREMENTS

·        Choose ONE identity and THREE pictures, no more, no less. Focus your paper around the identity and describe the pictures so we can understand how you see them as all contributing to this idea (even if we don’t agree—we need to see why you see it).

·        Description and analysis: make sure you help us see what the people look like and what details you feel are most important for ‘reading’ their character. Compare the different images so we can see the connection.

·        RESPOND to the images: don’t write a lengthy introduction or make stuff up. Just tell me what you see and how the images connect. If it’s too short, you haven’t analyzed the images in sufficient detail.  

·        At least three pages, though you can do more.

·        DUE Thursday, January 30^th in class (bring the paper with you!)

For Tuesday: Stanton, Humans of New York

For Tuesday's class, I want you to start "reading" Humans of New York. However, since it's not a traditional book, you don't have to read a set number of pages. Instead, I want you to look at specific images, as well as flip around to see what grabs you (for now). 

ALSO, I want you to answer TWO of the following questions and bring them to class. This will be your final daily response assignment (see syllabus for details).

Q1: Flip around in the book a little: which picture immediately grabs you? Why? Is it because of the person's style? Their expression? The way the photograph is taken? Or the words that accompany the image?

Q2: What seems to most interest Stanton as a photographer or as a human being? What kinds of people is he most drawn to, or what aspect of people does he like to focus on? Give an example from the book.

Q3: If you didn't know anything about New York, what impression might you walk away with after reading many of these pictures and captions? What might Stanton want you to think about the "humans" of New York?

Q4: Many of the pictures have captions that the subjects revealed to him as he took the photograph. Which caption most changes the picture for you? How did it help you see a different person than you initially saw?