How Photography Heals and Brings People Together

Being a psychology major I am very interested in various things such as social interaction and mental illnesses. I never really thought photography and my interests would come together but upon searching I found something truly remarkable. I found a blog called Broken Light and this blog encourages people to post pictures about their mental illnesses. Through this process they can vent their emotions and their progress through the lens of a camera (and on a social media website) which I find to be achingly beautiful. One photo that captured my attention was the one I have incorporated in this blog post and I choose to post it because the picture resonates with me. The description states that the individual has suffered from depression and I thought the photograph embodied this emotion in a very deep way.  Throughout my life I have witnessed people in my life battle with mental illnesses and to be given the opportunity to view others creatively tell their stories was emotional for me. I would encourage anyone that has a mental illness to try this method of documentation as a form of venting.

We All Live in an Illusion

 

Today in a class discussion I was presented with an argument that I found to be very enlightening. The professor said that essentially we all live in an illusion since we utilize things but fail to recognize the processes behind the product. We take photos but we don’t understand the mechanics of a photo, we buy clothes but don’t contemplate the labor that went into making the clothes etc. Since I am a product of my environment I found myself thinking and realizing that I take things at face value and never really stop to consider the deeper meanings behind the objects that I surround myself with. This statement really resonated with me and made me re-evaluate my thought processes concerning the consumption of these easily accessible things.

Erik Johansson – The Manipulation Touch

Since I am very intrigued by the idea of photo manipulation I looked up various photographers and among my findings I stumbled upon a Swedish photographer/retoucher named Erik Johansson. I was astounded by how beautiful and surreal his photographs were because they looked so real. In his about section of his website he says” I don’t capture moments, I capture ideas” and this notion was interesting because usually individuals take photographs to preserve a certain instance in time, to have a sense of immortality in the world. The fact that he takes the photographs in a more creative expression is something I can respect and I look forward to him uploading more photographs on his website.

Attempting to Set the Standards for Photo Manipulation

I was interested in researching if there were standards being placed on photo manipulation in contests and I came across a very interesting article about a man name Fred Ritchin (a recent winner of the World Press Photo award) who was accused of using too much manipulation in his work. This article outlined an interview he had in his attempts to set a standard for photo manipulation in contests. In one response that caught my attention, he states that the issue is not that the fact the photos are being manipulated but it is the fact they are not saying they are being retouched. I felt as though this statement truly captured the corrupt ways of manipulating photos and how in order to adapt to the rising of this method, we must admit to the using it. I have mixed emotions about altering photographs but I would appreciate this type of photography more if these individuals just admitted to manipulating them instead of hiding behind their false images.

Moo for a Good Time

 

I recently found this website that manipulates popular book titles and makes them into silly titles with accompanying funny illustrations. I thought this concept was interesting because nowadays we commonly like to think that photo manipulation occurs in magazines and advertisements for marketing purposes but sometimes we forget to have fun with manipulating photographs.  I chuckled at numerous manipulations but the one that stuck out to me was the combination of the Twilight and New Moon novels. This is such a popular young adult series and they made the cover so comical by combining covers while switching the apple with a cow. The new title Twilight New Moo makes no sense but it was pleasant to find a photo manipulation used for enjoyment and not for an alternative reason.

Truth Kills

Image editing techniques have been utilized to create illusions in photographs to depict a certain image for years. Photo manipulation aids in conveying a certain emotion in a photograph and I believe the one I posted is clearly an example of this. The man smoking the cigarette is obviously not fading away into smoke but the illusion that he is really resonates with the people witnessing the image. We are faced with the reality that smoking is detrimental to the body and that it slowly kills people, leaving hollow shells of what they used to be. The illusion is beautifully crafted and executed to exact a certain emotion from the consumer and in the end truth really does kill.

 

Photoshop to the Extreme

 

In class we have been discussing photo manipulation over the years and how all images today are altered in someway. With the creation of Photoshop we are able to alter an image with ease and this can lead to drastic changes from the original image. A recent controversy dealing with photo manipulation has been the promoting of the film The Heat and how Melissa McCarthy is almost unrecognizable in the promotional poster. Her eye color has completely changed, her skin is ridiculously smooth, and even her facial expression was altered. I believe Photoshop has been abused and overused in the media today to the point where people don’t even look like themselves which is a major problem.

Facebook Fighting……Why?

We have all encountered on our newsfeed the waging wars on Facebook between friends, lovers, and even strangers (how do you even know me.) These little tirades on this social network are quite entertaining but in all honesty they are quite unnecessary. Fights can be found in commenting on a status or on a picture someone uploaded. If it is a fight between friends just do what every other teenage girl is doing a talk behind their back to other people in the friend group (in person.) If it is a fight between lovers then act like mature adults by talking in person (not over the comfort of a computer screen) and making up in some sort of way. Now if it is a fight with a stranger then obviously this person just wants attention so send them a link to an attention seeking group to get help and peace out of the conversation. My main point is fighting + a social network = entertaining but pointless. The right equation should be maturity + common sense = boring but a happier life.

Pose. Click. Post. The Selfie Takeover.

Selfie. A word that was recently added to Oxford Dictionaries Online and is defined as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.” We are all guilty of taking a selfie here and there but some just take it too far. My newsfeed is constantly spammed with selfies that my fellow peers believe that is worthy putting online. They post a selfie when they wake up, post them throughout the day, and before they go to bed. Glad to know you’ve changed your outfit about twenty times a day and that you feel the need to constantly remind me of your existence. My advice to taking selfies – post them every so often and make sure they are worth posting. Maybe take some notes at how this very handsome cat takes a selfie.

 

Gluten Free Overload

Being gluten free was an alien concept for me just a few months ago and now it is a prominent factor in my everyday life. Over the summer I was told I had a gluten free sensitivity and that I should practice a gluten free lifestyle. At first it was tough but now the thought of having food items with gluten doesn’t really phase me. I have noticed that the label of being gluten free is on numerous amounts of food items and with the high demand of gluten free products, companies are pricing their products with a hefty price tag compared to regular items. I have also noticed the increase of gluten free posts on my Instagram and Facebook which prompts me to believe that many people are adopting this popular diet. I am constantly bombarded with photos of gluten free dishes and baked goods which inspires me to bake since the photos look so delicious! Since being gluten free I have noticed a positive change in my life and I believe it is a diet that everyone should experience.

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