fact, fiction, or metaphor? a pictures worth 1,000 words, but how many of them speak the truth?
TRANSCRIPT
Fact, Fiction, or Metaphor?
A picture’s worth 1,000 words, but how many of them speak the
truth?
What is the purpose of photography?
• Why do we need photos in newspapers?What do you expect from a photo in a
newspaper?
-What do you expect from a photo of a celebrity in, say, Vogue magazine?
-What if the difference between these wasn’t very great?
Truth-telling is the promise of a photograph — as if fact itself resides in the optical precision with which photography reflects the way we see the world. A photograph comes as close as we get to witnessing an authentic moment with our own eyes while not actually being there.
A photographic image might look like actual reality, but gradations of truth are measured in the circumstances that led up to the moment the picture was taken.
• The reality of what the image depicts is indisputable. Whether Hine maintained a fidelity to what transpired in real time may or may not be relevant to its symbolic import.
• Do you agree? Are these images just as powerful, even if they didn’t happen “in the moment”? Do you think they are, in a sense, lying?
But sometimes the reality is altered by a photo…
• Edward Keating’s Boy with Pistol• This photographer for The New York Times was
fired for this photograph. Can you see why?
• What does this photo seem to imply?
Small Group Activity
• Take a look at the 11 photographs from the Civil Rights Movement
• Consider their symbolic significance as well as their layout – consider facial expressions, physical positioning, lighting, etc.
• Choose a quote which in some way reflects the message of the photo. When making your choice, consider the details from the photo which match up with the sentiment expressed in the quote
Journal Activity
• In a ½ page response, justify your match. Explain how the details from your photo correspond with the key words from the quotation. Integrate your quotes and focus on backing up your opinion with evidence. You must write one sentence that uses a semicolon correctly. Work together as a team to write a thoughtful response.