The Others

Contextual Studies- Social Documentary

This morning we were looking at social documentary, which is the recording of how the world looks. Social documentary photography has its roots in the 19th century work of Henry Mayhew, Jacob Riis, and Lewis Hine.

Lewis Hine 1874-1940

One photographer we briefly looked at this morning was Lewis Wickes Hine, who was an American sociologist aswell as a photographer, who used his camera as a social reform.Hine believed that if people could see for themselves the abuses and injustice of child labor, they would demand laws to end those evils.

This image here is of one of the spinners in Whitnel Cotton Mill. She was 51 inches tall, the girl explainned to Hine that she has worked for over a year at the mill and would sometimes work overnight. The young girl earned 48 cent a day and when asked how old she was, she hesitated and said 'i don't remember'. Out of 50 employees, there was one in ten children about her size.

Jo Bodeon, a back-roper in the mule room at Chace Cotton Mill, in Burlington, Vermont.

By 1916, Congress passed the Keating-Owens Act that established the following child labor standards: a minimum age of 14 for workers in manufacturing and 16 for workers in mining, a maximum workday of 8 hours, prohibition of night work for workers under age 16, and a documentary proof of age.Lewis Hine died in poverty, neglected by all but a few. His reputation continued to grow, however, and now he is recognized as a master American photographer. His photographs remind us what it was like to be a child and to labor like an adult at a time when labor was harsher than it is now. Hine's images of working children stirred America's conscience and helped change the nation's labor laws. Through his exercise of free speech and freedom of the press, Lewis Hine made a difference in the lives of American workers and, most importantly, American children.

Martin Parr

Martin Parr is another photographer that we looked at this morning. Parr is a british documentary photographer, aswell as a photojournalist. Looking at Martin Parr's images, i feel some are slightly exaggerated and rather unique in the way he uses unusual perspective and his choices of colour. Parr created these images by using amateur film, most recently Fuji 400 Superior for the 6/7 cm camera and Agfa Ultra or Fuji 100 asa film for the ring flash and macro lens. This combined with flash gives very high colour saturation, there is no Photoshop used.Martin Parr shows propoganda within his images, where he takes a further look into criticism, seduction and humour. By doing this, his photos entertain us and are understandable. However, they still show us a penetrating way of how we all live our lives differently. Martin Parr has developed an international reputation for his innovative imagery, his oblique approach to social documentary, and his input to photographic culture within the UK and abroad. One reason why i like Martin Parr's photographs, is because his images have such strong statements about society in them and always have a certain viewpoint or critique. He interjects his own opinion and thought into his photographs and shows how he sees the world and challenges us to see the world differently as well.

One project of interest that he finished is a book titled: “Luxury“. In this book he makes the statement that oftentimes we find things like poverty and AIDS in Africa as serious social problems- but forget the problem of excess wealth is in society. Therefore in that book, he uncovers that social issue that we don’t often think about.When Martin Parr shoots street photography, he gets extremely close to his subjects and doesn’t ask for permission. The result is that he is able to get the shots for his projects that he envisions, and also gives the viewer a sense of “being there” in the midst of all the action.

Parr once spoke about advice about shooting close in an interview:

I go straight in very close to people and I do that because it’s the only way you can get the picture. You go right up to them. Even now, I don’t find it easy. I don’t announce it. I pretend to be focusing elsewhere. If you take someone’s photograph it is very difficult not to look at them just after. But it’s the one thing that gives the game away. I don’t try and hide what I’m doing – that would be folly. – Martin Parr – British Journal of Photography interview, 1989

“If you photograph for a long time, you get to understand such things as body language. I often do not look at people I photograph, especially afterwards. Also when I want a photo, I become somewhat fearless, and this helps a lot. There will always be someone who objects to being photographed, and when this happens you move on.” – Martin Parr

Comparing And Contrasting

Having looked at both Lewis Hine and Martin Parr's work, i am now able to compare and conrast the two photographers. The first thing i notice, is that Lewis Hine's images are in black and white, although Martin Parr's are not. However both photographers took images using film.

From looking at Lewis Hine's photographs, you can tell that the children were aware that they were having their photo taken, the way they are looking straight into the lens. However, after researching Martin Parr, i soon discovered that Parr does not ask permission when taking photographs, as he likes to capture the action. I believe both photographers are very good at catching your attention. I find Lewis Hine's work eye catching because of the expressions on the childrens faces. They look almost lifeless and knowing children had to work in those conditions, makes me feel distressed. Whereas, Martin Parr's work catches me attention because of the saturation within his images and the unique angles, which he takes his images.