Assignment 3:Press Photography versus Art Photography

Find two press photographs and two art photographs (provide the names of the authors and sources) and explain:
 
The main differences and similarities between art and press photography:

Press Photography is same meaning as photojournalism. The purposes of press photography are show the venues, spread news and trigger impact on the society. Consequently, photojournalism makes audiences feel vivid and complete those help them to understand the news.
Art photography means the photography done as an art that are creative and exaggerated. Art photography usually created for commercial use, and it may transmit a metaphor or simile meaning to audiences. Also, it is a visual art to makes audiences feel visual impact.

Press photo No.1:In this photo released by World Press Photo, the 2nd Prize Nature Single of the 2011 World Press Photo Contest by Reinhard Dirscherl, Germany, shows Atlantic sailfish attacking Spanish sardines, off Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. (AP Photo/Reinhard Dirscherl)
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/02/world-press-photo-contest-2011/100008/

Audiences have different expectation when they read press photography and art photography. When audiences read press photography, they want to know the truth. Whereas, when audiences look at art photography, they are trying to understand and enjoy in an artistic work.

The apparent similarity between press photography and art photography is that both of them are use the same type of tool-a camera. Also, both of press photography and art photography are narrative. Press photography tells a reality story to audiences that making audiences to understand what event happened; However, art photography tells a metaphorical story that making audiences to muse the meaning. In addition, all of photos can be manipulation, but manipulative level is very different.

 

Art photo No.1:Photographed by Bryan Adams. He is a famous Canadian rock singersongwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer.

http://www.photography.ca/fine-art-photographers/adams/

Is it ethical and acceptable to alter art photographs? Why? Why not?

Yes. It’s ethical and acceptable to alter art photographs. Art photography is usually created for commercial use, and it can manipulate photos bombastically even without the reality. The reason of alter photos is the purpose of art photography: visual art are creative and exaggerated.

Art photo No.2:Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.Photographed by Darwin Wiggett. http://www.darwinwiggett.com/photo.php?id=491&gallery=ontario

Is it ethical and acceptable to alter press photographs? Why? Why not?

Altering press photographs could be positive or negative. The main purpose of photo manipulation is improving the quality of the photograph. If altering press photographs without changing the reality and improved the quality, which could be positive impact. However, changing the context on photographs did not follow any ethics of photojournalists, and making audiences get a wrong story.

Press photo No.2:A man and a boy, displaced by floods, walk through flood waters on August 22, 2010 in the village of Baseera near Muzaffargarh in Punjab, Pakistan. This photograph is part of a series that took the 1st Prize for People In The News Stories of the 2011 World Press Photo Contest.(Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/02/world-press-photo-contest-2011/100008/

Works cited:

Icevska,Gordana. Course Notes Week 9.

Icevska,Gordana. Course Notes Week 10.

Friend,David.Cartier-Bresson's Decisive Moment.The Digtal Journalist. Web.Dec 2004.

NPPA Code of Ethics.National Press Photographers Association