photography tricks, gimmicks, and manipulation

Ok people I know you’ve all been waiting for the next post. Well here ya go. I know, I know, it’s been way too long. Let’s not waste any time.

Check it out right, don’t we all have opinions on weather or not we are getting the most accurate and the most complete information from our news sources. Some of us hate or have hated at one time or another a certain news organization. Understandably so, and since the government doesn’t seem to care about communication monopolies amongst ownership groups we’re going to expose some of the crap they feed us. Of course we will be looking at the crap through images but still, half of the time it’s total crap. I would make one statement in the defense of the photojournalists however. It is possibly the most realistic photography available. There is more integrity in photojournalism than in all other forms of photography. How many of these companies are you familiar with? I’m sure most of you are up on at least a few of them. Take a look if you would, notice anything in particular about this image? Yep you guessed it, all of these companies are run by the same people. OK, and on this point the exposure train will be leaving the station.

Almost without fail, headlines are coupled with a photograph. We see the photo first, and often times our attention to any article can be attributed to the effective photo. Let me give you a few examples.

Here we see a photo of something on fire. That sure grabs our attention especially next to the dark background. Just next to the photo we see the buzz words “Occupy Wall Street.” This is effective.

This is another style you might run into. This is a collage of photos taken from a news source near the bottom of the home page. I would submit that most people are grabbed at by one photo or another. It sure did for me, in a big way I might add. While I was blogging (during my lovely Biology class) I stumbled upon this and those around me will attest that I was… excited. Breakdown?Yes please.

1. Top Left, we see a group of men and a closer look shows us that they are ready to “break the huddle” over what we assume is a conference table. Coupled with the tag-line we can infer that the article might make fun of men or men’s behavior. Actually the article is written by William Bennett discussing the issues men face today and how they correlate with immaturity, lack of direction and overall slumming.

2. Top Right, we see what appears to be a computer generated image. Very video-game-esque if you ask me. Possibly a jet fighter or maybe even a space craft of some kind. Again incorporating the tag-line we read NASA. Well if that doesn’t pretty much do it for the space geeks out there the rest of the line will. “NASA wants ‘Star Trek’-like tractor ray” ooooooohhhhhh. For me it didn’t grab me but I see the pull.

3. Bottom Left, cute kid, cast on the arm, sad face. Soft colors, soft lighting, tight cropping all of this screams “LOOK AT ME YOU FOOLS!” Those of us soft hearted enough to meander over to the tag-line pretty often will get sucked in. This tag-line is good journalism, believe me. How could you miss your child’s pain if that child has a cast on? Implying another form of pain not so visible to the naked eye. Thwarted again by my own imagination, or by effective manipulation, the article’s true topic is on the subject of the pain children deal with after a trip to the ER. They come to the ER, we pop them some pain killer, they go home and the next day they’re back because that broken leg hurts like hell again after the meds wore off.

4. Bottom Right, insert Daniel Craig. This is the photo that allowed me the opportunity to throw up my arms and dance like Rocky. I think I knew what it was going to say before I read the tag-line, “New James Bond movie title unveiled.” I need to make it clear that not only am I a film guru but I’m a James Bond junky. Too long without a new Bond film and I don’t know what I would have done. ‘Skyfall’ was the announced title for the new film and they will begin filming today.

 Now that we’ve worked that out, we can get back to the important stuff. For all of my OCD friends out there, fear not, I was not going to completely ignore the two photos in the center of the collage.

I am however going to point out that they, as I’m sure you are all aware are video clips. How did I know that? Well for instance take the triangle with the circle around it, that means ‘play’ hear in the 21st century. Welcome brother, it’s a wonderful place. For those of us who knew that already, I would merely add that by being video clips, however effective they may be, they are not strictly photographs. Do they grab our attention? Of course. Do I care to address them at this time? Nope. Thanks for your understanding.

In this next section I would like for you to tell me what these photos do for you? What do they conjure up in your minds? Do you react one way or another? If so I would like to know why. Comment below with your thoughts and if you could tag your comment by stating which photo.

I chose each of these photos for a reason. What I need from you is to tell me how you feel about them. Did they swing your emotions one way or another? Did they make you think of or remind you of something? Let me know if that’s the case.