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Shaping moments behind the lens

Michelle Ha

March 13, 2024

David Bailey is a British photographer and director, most known for his work in fashion and celebrity photography. Most of his photographs are high definition and high contrast black and white portraits of celebrities and models taken with a simple solid background. He started his photography career back in 1959 and he is still an active photographer in the present at the age of 86.

Shaping the Sixties

David Bailey began his photography career in 1959 after he was discharged from the Royal Air Force where he was serving in Singapore.  At the start of his career, he worked as a photographic assistant and photographer at different studios before becoming a contracted photographer for British Vogue in 1960.

David Bailey has contributed mostly to pop and social culture through his photography of celebrities and fashion. The photos reflect the era that they were taken in through the celebrities, makeup, fashion and scenery during that time. His work, Box of Pin-Ups back in 1964 captured the swinging sixties pop culture by photographing portraits of celebrities in the 1960s. Some of his subjects during the time included Jean Shrimpton, Mick Jagger, and The Beetles.

Portrait of Jean Shrimpton. 1965. © David Bailey

This black and white portrait of english model and actress Jean Shrimpton is apart of his collection in Box of Pin-Ups. The subject, Jean Shrimpton, was a prominent figure in the fashion world during the swinging sixties, she was also one of David Baileys muses as they have taken a lot of photos together.  Even though the photo is in black and white it captures the visual aesthetics of the swinging sixties makeup and fashion through the lighting and contrast. I chose this image because I think that it is a good representation of the sixties look in black in white photography.

I’m not really good at telling stories. I do it with my work.

Actresses Francois Deloreac and Catherine Devenue sitting on a set. 1966. © David Bailey

The subjects in this photograph still stand out even in black and white. I think the choice of the background and hair play the most important roles into making the actresses stand out in the photograph and balance the photograph. The subjects in this photo look natural, they aren't posing and they don't look aware that their photo is being taken yet Bailey still managed to capture a photo where they both stand out through the use of the backgrounds behind them. Francois Deloreac with the brown hair stands out from the white background and Catherine Devenue with the blonde hair stands out from the black background.

Marie Helvin posing next to a blow up doll. 2001. © David Bailey

Even though David Bailey’s photographs are mostly in black and white, he isn’t scared of using color. In his colored photographs, he uses bold, bright and saturated colors to make his photos stand out. He also still manages to process the photos in a way that give the photos that high definition and contrast that his black and white photos have. I chose this photograph to showcase something different from his black and white photographs. This photograph drifts away from Bailey's known style of black and white portraits and introduces something more unique and artistic but even with a different approach to photographing his subjects there are still hints of the photographer through the processing of the photo.

Photographs are not just images captured by a photographer; they are moments frozen in time that define the photographer's perspective, creativity, and ability to evoke emotion and storytelling through visuals.

In the eyes of the photographer

I respect the statement that the photographer shapes the photo. The photos would look different if they were taken by other photographers with the same subject. I think the process that the photographer goes through to capture photographs is what shapes the photograph because each photographer has their own distinctive style of photography they like. We can see this through David Bailey’s photography; the way that Bailey processes the photos, the lighting, background and subjects that he chooses is what shapes the photo into what they are.

It’s not the camera that takes the picture; it’s the person

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2024, March 11). David Bailey. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Bailey

British Fashion Council. (n.d.). David Bailey and the story of fashion photography. Google Arts and Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/david-bailey-and-the-story-of-fashion-photography-british-fashion-council/JQXhztVGSo0WLw?hl=en

David Bailey. (n.d.). Dellasposa. https://www.dellasposa.com/artists/134-david-bailey/

Vanderhoof, E. (April 29, 2019). David Bailey let his pictures do the talking. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/04/david-bailey-portraits-book-interview

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Exposed: Two sides to a story

Michelle Ha

February 14, 2024

Photographing marginalized people walks a fine line between representation and exploitation. On one hand photographing marginalized people can represent marginalized groups on a higher platform, empower those within the marginalized groups and de-stigmatize them from the public; however, it can also cause the people involved to be exploited due to their vulnerability and photographing marginalized people could come off as apathetic. I chose four photos of different individuals from marginalized groups taken by four different photographers: Tom Stoddart, Bill Stephenson, and Tom Bowden. To support both sides of the argument.

Pitfalls in photography

Taking photos of marginalized people can be exploitative because they are usually going through times of vulnerability in their life. It can seem shameless to take photos of people when they are the most vulnerable. It's also exploitative when the photos are one sided, if the subject did not give direct consent or if the subject doesn't know that they are being photographed, which is prominent in street photography. It's taking advantage of one’s misfortune for the photographer to benefit off of the viewers sympathy. Photographs of marginalized people can also be misinterpreted by the viewers if there isn't any given context or story behind the photo.

Mother putting her baby in a grave during a famine. Africa. 1998. © Tom Stoddart

Tom Stoddart is a photographer that mainly focuses on capturing photographs during interesting world events. His photographs capture the raw moments during times of vulnerability in others' lives around the world. This photo above belongs in one of his galleries called Crisis. In my opinion, this photo is exploitative because it's capturing the moment where a mother had to bury her child. Even Though this captures the truth of what is happening in other parts of the world it also seems shameless at the same time because it felt like there was no respect for the deceased child or if prior informed consent was asked before this photo was taken. This seems like it is taking advantage of one’s misfortune in order to get a solemn and compelling photograph. 

Boy crying at a refugee camp. Lebanon. © Edward Thompson

This photo is a part of Edward Thompson’s project Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. This photo can be interpreted as exploitative due to how it was captured. The photographer's decision to photograph the boy without obtaining consent beforehand could be seen as exploitative. Additionally, the story of the photo could be misinterpreted and exploited because there was no context or story about the boy in the photo and what was happening in the background that the viewer doesn't know. 

Highlighting the unseen

Taking photos of marginalized people can be representative of the marginalized group, it highlights them to the public eye since marginalized people tend to be unseen in society; additionally, it represent them in a positive light which can help empower those who are in the same group and de-stigmatize those who are unfamiliar with them. Giving underrepresented people a voice helps bring awareness to issues that marginalized groups face. Lastly, it allows for authentic representation and allows for their voices to be heard and their stories to be shared. 

I chose photos taken by Bill Stephensen and Tom Bowden to support my reasonings on why photography featuring marginalized people is not exploitative because their approach to this subject is mindful of the marginalized people.

Héctor, HIV positive transgender sex worker. San Jose Hospice. April, 1994. © Bill Stephenson

Bill Stephenson is a photographer that mainly captures subjects who are invisible and underrepresented in mainstream society. His goal with photography is to record them at a point in time with compassion and accuracy, giving them a voice to be heard and highlighting the individuals to a wider audience. This project focuses on representing HIV/AIDS patients that have been forgotten and ignored. Each of the patients consented to being photographed and their stories were recorded to go alongside it. His photos give authentic representation to the issues at hand, told by the patients themselves and it can be empowering for those who are going through similar circumstances because there is representation about them in a realistic light that isn’t in a negative, shameful or fearful light.

Johnny (Jazanae), non-binary individual in the woods. Houston, Texas. 2020. © Tom Bowden

Tom Bowden is a street photographer that takes most of their photos in the United States. After reading some of his work and his street shooting tips blog post I believe that his photos do not exploit marginalized individuals. He takes his time with his photos, and he always approaches his subjects as if they are participants in taking the photo instead of just being a subject. Even when his participants are going through tough times, he makes sure to photograph his participants in the way that they want to be portrayed. He gets acquainted with most of the participants that take part in his photos and records a short excerpt of their life stories to go along with their photograph. This photo displays a homeless and queer individual that is different from how they are normally and stereotypically perceived as; usually, homeless people are invisible to the public eye, or they are photographed at a tent or sitting somewhere on the street. The context that goes along with the photographs he takes helps bring awareness to problems that people tend to dismiss such as sexual/gender identity and freedom to express oneself.

I think that both of these marginalized groups are often ignored by people due to the stigma and stereotypes around them. I use the word invisible for homeless people because we pretend, we don’t see them when they are around so that we don't have to concern ourselves with them or feel guilty when we do acknowledge them but not help them. I also used invisible for HIV/AIDS patients because they are issues that people overlook and do not think and talk about when it doesn't affect or concern them. 

References:

Cooke, A. (2020, July 20). A lot of street photography is just bad and exploitative. Fstoppers, Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://fstoppers.com/originals/lot-street-photography-just-bad-and-exploitative-501115

Bowden, T. (n.d). Street shooting tips. TBOW. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from http://www.tbowphoto.com/read-me

Jones, R.C. (2018, August, 31) How Photography Exploits the Vulnerable New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/opinion/photography-exploitation-opioid.html

Photographers Without Borders. Code of ethics. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://www.photographerswithoutborders.org/code-of-ethics

Stephenson, B. (1994, April). HIV/AIDS Patients at The San José Hospice, San Pedro Sula, Honduras April 1994.  Bill Stephenson. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://billstephenson.co.uk/san-jose-hospice-san-pedro-sula-honduras-1994/

Stoddart, T. (n.d). Crisis. Tom Stoddart. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://www.tomstoddart.com/crisis

Thompson, E. (n.d). Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. Edward Thompson. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://edwardthompson.co.uk/Syrian-Refugees-in-Lebanon

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Tackling unemployment in an ever-changing world

Michelle Ha

February 14, 2024

In an increasing population

Man weaving cotton in a textile factory. Mopti, Mali. © DemarK

As we reached 8 billion people in our global population in 2022, we need to be more aware of economic challenges and create more opportunities for every individual to not only survive but thrive in this world. Goal 8 out of 17 from United Nations’ sustainable development goals is decent work and economic goals; specifically, target 8.5 aims to promote decent, full and productive employment for all genders, young people and persons with disabilities and provide equal pay for work of equal value. This aims to create more jobs for individuals by promoting better standards in the job market and widening fair job opportunities for everyone.

As an example of creating more job opportunities, the United Nations wrote about the benefits of textile factories and the cotton business in developing countries and how to improve and expand the business by making it more sustainable environmentally and how to make it sustainable and a formal occupation for the workers who make a living from it.

Improving job standards

A series of "Now Hiring" signs from various fast food restaurants in the United States. 2023. © Stefani Reynolds

As a part of target 8.5, the United Nations aims to create decent work for all, which includes addressing the issue of informal employment among workers. Informal employment can include no social protection or employment benefits and, or no fixed working hours or wages. This can be a challenge when it comes to economic development. These factors can hinder workers when it comes to living or investing in their future for education and skill development to progress further in their careers. Informal employment can make individuals vulnerable in times of social and economic distress and poverty. The line up of now hiring signs from fast food restaurants showcases multiple opportunities of formal employment for individuals in the United States whereas third-world countries have less formal job opportunities that are available to them.

Proportion of informal employment comparison between 2015 and 2022 in percentages. © United Nations Statistics Division

During the time when lock-down measures were implemented, job losses increased; as we were recovering from the lock-down during Covid-19, job recovery was driven by informal employment. The United Nations recorded that employment recovery for women has been worse with four out of five jobs created for women in 2022 being informal. According to the informal employment statistics recorded by the United Nations from 2015 and 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia continue to have the most informal employment with minor change between the years.

Inclusivity in the workforce

Woman working in an electronics shop repairing a laptop. Yemen. © Ahmad Al-Basha

Inclusivity in the job industry is crucial for economic growth and productivity for all. This includes gender, disability and sexuality inclusion. Inclusivity is a building block for decent work for all individuals as this ensures equal employment opportunities and provide security for individuals from marginalized groups. This would help the job industry become more progressive and demote gender and disability stereotypes when it comes to working. Progressing towards target 8.5 could mean leveling out the job market when it comes to male dominated careers by encouraging more women to get into a career that is not child care or teaching. Promoting inclusivity in the job market won't just be beneficial to the workers but it will can help create more opportunities and attract a wider and diverse range of candidates which would increase productivity in society.

Closing the gap

Gender pay gap mural painted by Zoe Zurwig Ford. Memphis, Tennessee. 2023. © Antonella Lejwa

This mural highlights the gender wage gap that is still prominent in today's workforce. I think the general message portrayed in this art goes well with target 8.5 about equal pay for equal work because a woman can do the exact same work a man does and still get paid less than the men do. Women and young people are also more susceptible to exploitation in the workforce, they are undervalued and underpaid for the work that they do. The message "careers have no gender" could also be extended to advocate against all forms of discrimination in the workplace such as sexuality, disabilities , identity and age, just to name a few.

References:

Reynolds, S. (2023). Friday’s jobs report is the last labor-market data the federal reserve will review before its policy meeting on wednesday [Photograph]. Barron’s. Retrieved February 12, 2024 from https://www.barrons.com/articles/november-jobs-report-data-today-f6a4a18d

United Nations. (2022, October 7). Tapping the full potential of cotton in developing countries. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from https://unctad.org/news/tapping-full-potential-cotton-developing-countries

United Nations. (2023). Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/economic-growth/

United Nations. (2020, March 9) Rising number of young people excluded from jobs, education and training. Retrieved February 12, 2024 from https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059031

United Nations Statistics Division. Decent work and economic growth. Retrieved February 6, 2024, from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2023/Goal-08/

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Taking the night shift: A walk in the dark

Michelle Ha

January 31, 2024

Desolate street in the night time, London, England in 2020. © Pippa Healy

Through the looking glass

My phone is my visual diary

Pippa Healy is a London based photographer. Most of her projects focus on using photography as a diary, capturing the pleasant and unpleasant parts of her life in the past and present from the camera of her phone. The themes around her projects center around loss, longing and violence, to name a few. This photo is a part of her project titled: “I want it all to go back to the way it was before”. This project was made in 2020 and it features photos of her life during the first few weeks of quarantine back in London.

Living in virtual reality

The digital glitches symbolize our fragmented reality and how we all felt at the time; confused, bewildered, frustrated.

These highly digitized photos contrast from her previous projects that are more raw. This photo was taken and edited on her iPhone 11 during one of her walks at a street near her house, she would edit the photos during her walk to really capture and document her walks instead of editing them once she was sitting back home. The most noticeable aspect of this photo is how vivid and saturated the colours are on the photo to the point where it doesn’t look natural anymore. She chose to digitize these photos using her iPhone because she was pulled into the virtual world by the multitude of alerts, notifications, and news that were constantly brought up on her phone. We really started integrating into the virtual world and she incorporated that by heavily altering the photos and adding digital elements like glitches and high contrast colours similarly to T.V colour bars and VHS tapes.

Captivating imagery

This photo appeals to me because of the meaning behind the project that this photo is in and the aesthetic qualities of the photo. I think the meaning in this photo is clever because the meaning is told through the scenery and the editing of the photo of how we started merging into the virtual world during lock-down. I think the lock-down in 2020 felt unreal to us and it’s something we never saw coming into the new year, at that point everything was online such as work and school. So much was happening on the outside, but we were only able to act and experience it from our homes, most of our days were spent on devices; at that point everything felt virtual. The visual aspect of the photo reminds me of the graphics from Chilla’s Art and Puppet Combo games have VHS inspired aesthetics. This photo has a strange aura to it due to the empty street devoid of people which reminds me of photos of liminal spaces.

So why is this photo appealing to others? As Dwell Time Press authors Ethel and Mavis described it, it was refreshing to see photos of lock-down that weren’t just pictures of an empty city or street. Pippa Healy transformed these ordinary and uninteresting photos of her walk and gave the photos a narrative; from the walks to the device that she used to take and edit these pictures, they all came together to tell a story.

References:

Ethel, Mavis. (2022, January 19). I want it all to go back to the way it was before by Pippa Healy. Dwell Time Press. Retrieved January 28, 2024, from https://dwelltimepress.wordpress.com/2022/01/19/i-want-it-all-to-go-back-to-the-way-it-was-before-by-pippa-healy/

Healy, P. (2022, February) I want it all to go back to the way it was before [Photograph]. Photomonitor. Retrieved January 28, 2024, from https://photomonitor.co.uk/portfolio/i-want-it-all-to-go-back-to-the-way-it-was-before/

Healy, P. (2022, February) I want it all to go back to the way it was before. Photomonitor. Retrieved January 28, 2024, from https://photomonitor.co.uk/portfolio/i-want-it-all-to-go-back-to-the-way-it-was-before/

Scott, G (Host). (2023, October 5). Podcast: A photographic life, episode 262: Plus photographer Pippa Healy. [Audio podcast episode]. What does photography mean to you? United Nations of Photography. Retrieved January 27, 2024 from https://unitednationsofphotography.com/2023/05/10/podcast-a-photographic-life-episode-plus-photographer-pippa-healy/

She wants it all to go back to the way it was before (2022, September 15). Niu Nina. Retrieved January 28, 2024, from https://www.ninunina.com/home/2022/9/14/she-wants-it-all-to-go-back-to-the-way-it-was-before?rq=pippa

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Interlinked: Adding meaning to words through images.

Michelle Ha

January 24, 2024

These are a collection of photos I took in Calgary and Airdrie that help me give meaning to the words and phrases I chose for this exercise. I chose a collection of words that already gave me an idea of what I wanted to photograph based on my interpretation of the words.  I took all of these photos on my iPhone on its regular setting or in 0.5 magnification and processed some of the photos on the editor.

The words and phrases I chose to use are: Aut viam inveniam aut facium, amplifico, et alia, and initium.

My sister, Raychelle, skating at Bowness Park, Calgary. © Michelle Ha 

I'll Do It Myself

This is a photo I took of my sister naturally when we were skating together earlier in January. I thought that the phrase “aut viam inveniam aut facium” fit this photo because the translated phrase represented my sister and her passion for figure skating. My sister used to skate in public ice rinks or frozen lakes to further her skill before she put herself into a figure skating club. The phrase represents perseverance which is what my sister went through to get to where she is today. I increased the saturation in this image to make the ice bluer which made the photo more lively compared to the grey color palette it had before.

The amphitheater on the rooftop of Lincoln Park building at Mount Royal University. © Michelle Ha

Echoing Stones

This photograph displays the unnoticed amphitheater on campus. I thought it would be fun to bring more attention to something that I found interesting about the Lincoln Park building. I chose the word “amplifico” to represent this image because I connected it to the word to “amplify” and the amphitheater naturally amplifies sound if you stand in the middle of the stage. In this image, you can also see all the footprints in the middle of the amphitheater from people trying the amphitheater. I took this photo with 0.5 magnification to capture the whole stage as well as the clear and bright blue sky which added more color to the photo.

Calgary transit station in the evening at 45 street station. © Michelle Ha

Silent Streets

I thought that the empty train station at night had a mysterious and oddly uneasy feeling to it because the train stations are rarely this empty. I resonated this to the phrase "et alia" which meant "and others" even though it seemed ironic since there wasn't anyone else here except for me and my sister. This phrase came to me because I was thinking of the other people that have passed through here to get home earlier and I was wondering where the other people were. The station had been so empty that there was a sheet of untouched snow covering the station which was a contrast from the usual activity I would see in the early night.

The intersection at Range Road 13 and Township Road 272, Airdrie. © Michelle Ha

What Was and What Could Be.

This is a road I usually take when I need to get to Calgary from Airdrie. The word “initium” resonated with this area because this is just flat uninhabited land that has a lot of potential in the future for houses and buildings and it can be the beginning of a new community which would add onto the growing city of Airdrie. It does make me gloomy that the flat and peaceful prairie landscape that I get to see from my house is currently being dug up and prepared for new houses which makes me wonder if this area near my house will also be filled with buildings someday.

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Unfamiliar faces, new stories

By Michelle Ha

January 17, 2024

Noor Al-saadi walking through a park in Calgary. © Reem Al-saadi

Transient exchanges

Noor Al-saadi is the classmate that I got to interview for this exercise. She is a university entrance option student who is hoping to get into education at Mount Royal later on. Noor is 17 years old, and she is originally from Iraq, she moved to Canada in 2010. In her past-time she spends her time reading books or swimming; some of her other interests include watching T.V and she enjoys watching basketball. One challenge that Noor faces is having trouble staying on topic since there are so many other things to talk about or do. Some of Noor’s qualities is that she is a funny and honest person. From our interview, I also find Noor to be ambitious because she has a goal she wants to work towards and she is very passionate about it, which is admirable. 

 A fun fact: Noor has a pet cat named Mila.

I love to work with kids from a very young age and it has always been my dream and passion to be a teacher.

Emphasizing Nature

I enhanced the original photo to capture the brightness I got from Noor from our interview. The original photo was a bit dim, so I brightened the photo by increasing the exposure and brightness. I also increased the saturation to make the color less dull, this also accentuated Noor’s blue dress and the yellowing leaves in the background. The photo was processed using the photo editor on my iPhone. The photo is processed in a simple and minimal way to keep it close to the original photo. This photo fits well with Noor because there is a carefree nature about the photo while she is out enjoying the environment with the wind blowing. 

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