Contact Press Images

Contact Press Images was established in 1976 by French-British journalist and editor Robert Pledge and American photojournalist David Burnett. It is a international photojournalism agency based in new York and is one of the last small independent photographic agencies still in existence.

They have many active photographers across the world including names such as Don McCullin who won the world Press Photo award in 1964 for his image of a Turkish woman, mourning the death of her husband who was killed in a village battle with the Greeks. (see my blog titled - The Visual Principles of Photojournalism) - to see the image)

Also Annie Leibovitch another founding member of Contact images who was named by American Photo in 2005 as the most influential photographer at work today. As well as Sebastaio Salgado who is one of the worlds master practitioners in the tradition of social documentary.

The agency's mission statement is "To produce in-depth photographic essays of pressing global concern instead of “disposable” news, to pose difficult questions rather than provide facile answers, and above all to make important and lasting images – always with history in mind."

Below is information from Contact Press Images website which advises how they have survived from the transition of using only film to incorporating using modern technologies within a now contemporary digital revolution beginning the 21st Century.

"As Contact Press Images approached the end of the millennium, and twenty-five years of recording history, the landscape it surveyed differed greatly from the one that existed when it began. Color photography, a novelty for covering news in 1976, had long since become the norm. Black and white, by contrast once the standard, now appeared innovative; and all film, black and white or color, was quickly being replaced by digital photography. Most small independent agencies had disappeared, swallowed by corporate behemoths. And 24/7 live television coverage and the internet had largely overshadowed the role traditionally ascribed to photography. But Contact, with members from a dozen countries, men and women of different origin, personality and culture, shooting in every format, from Leicas and Canon digital cameras to inexpensive Holga cameras, remained independent and committed to a spirit of activism and humanitarianism guided by its larger historical project.

To manage the agency’s transition to this new technological theater while maintaining continuity with its past, Contact established a digital domain, including a fully updated website, and scanning and transmitting facilities, run by Dustin Ross in New York and Tim Mapp in Paris."

http://www.contactpressimages.com/about.html

Sebastiao Salgado.

In 1986 Sebastião Salgado began a series of reportages on the theme of manual labor, throughout the different continents. This work was conceived to tell the story of an era. The images offer a visual archaeology of a time that history knows as the Industrial Revolution, a time when men and women work with their hands provided the central axis of the world.http://www.amazonasimages.com/travaux-main-homme

PHPSESSID=fb9232f513125d6c40aeb40dd78e2cd2

Here is a publication of his essay in regards to 'Workers' featured in The New York Times Magazine . 09/06/1991

Magnum

"Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about

what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on and a desire to

transcribe it visually." -Henri Cartier-Bresson

Paris. 1957. Magnum meeting. ©Magnum Photos

Magnum photos was established in 1947 after the Second World War, formed by four prestigious photographers, Robert Capa, Henri-Cartier Bresson, George Rodger and David 'Chim' Seymour. The photographic agency is renowned for journalistic and reportage style photography, aesthetic qualities and to emphasize not only what is seen but how it is seen.

"Magnum Photos is a photographic co-operative of great diversity and distinction owned by its photographer-members. With powerful individual vision, Magnum photographers chronicle the world and interpret its peoples, events, issues and personalities. Through its four editorial offices in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, and a network of fifteen sub-agents, Magnum Photos provides photographs to the press, publishers, advertising, television, galleries and museums across the world."

ITALY. Naples. 1943, Capa with Rodger. ©Magnum Photos

China. 1948. Henri Cartier-Bresson ©Magnum Photos

The Magnum Photos library reflects all aspects of life throughout the world and the unparalleled sense of vision, imagination and brilliance of the greatest collective of documentary photographers. In short, when you picture an iconic image, but can't think who took it or where it can be found, it probably came from Magnum.

http://agency.magnumphotos.com/about/about

Below are some further images of dancing found in the archives on the Magnum website for further inspiration

The Visual Principles of Photojournalism

To have exceptional and successful imagery, that will be memorable to the world within a photo-journalistic approach and to be truly newsworthy they will need to have at least a couple, if not all, of the key qualities advised below;

• Juxtaposition - This is a photograph having recognition, meaning and showing excellent attention to detail.
• Decisive Moment - Showing a great awareness of visual observation, taking the photograph at exactly the right time, as if taken seconds before or seconds after would not be as successfully composed or be profound in extreme juxtaposition! One of the most famous photographers known world wide in regards to taking photographs using the 'Decisive Moment' is Henri Cartier Bresson
• 
• Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Paris - "There was a plank fence around some repairs behind the Gare Saint-Lazare train station. I happened to be peeking through a gap in the fence with my camera at the moment the man jumped." This is the world's most famous photograph which depicts 'The Decisive Moment' at its very best
• Visual Irony - Employing a humorous reference
• Viewer Recognition - A human or living creature being aware that the photograph is being taken
• Supreme Composition - A multitude of lines, shapes forms and patterns to create a excelling artistic and aesthetically pleasing supreme composition
• Symbol Inclusion - Sign's and written references placed carefully within the framing of the photograph to aid key qualities above

What is photojournalism? Occasionally, a very unique photo, in which form is precise and rich enough and content has enough resonance, is sufficient in itself - but that's rarely the case. The elements of a subject that speak to us are often scattered and can't be captured in one photo; we don't have the right to force them together, and to stage them would be cheating... which brings us to the need for photojournalism. - Henri Cartier-Bresson - "American Photo", September/October 1997, page: 76

http://www.photoquotes.com/ShowQuotes.aspx?id=98&name=Cartier-Bresson,Henri

The camera enables us to keep a kind of visual record. We photo-reporters are people who supply information to a world in haste and swamped, willy-nilly, in a morass of printed matter. This abbreviation of the statement which is the language of photography is very potent; we express, in effect, an adjudgment of what we see, and this demands intellectual honesty. We work in terms of reality, not of fiction, and must therefore “discover”, not fabricate. - Henri Cartier-Bresson - February 22, 1968., The World of Henri Cartier-Bresson by Henri Cartier-Bresson , ISBN: 0670786640

Henri-Cartier Bresson (1908-2004) Considered to be one of the world's most influential and modern photojournalists of the 20th Century and was 1 of 4 photographer's who formed the world's most prestigious photographic agencies called Magnum

Below are further images by Henri-Cartier Bresson which I find inspiring , his attention to detail and the sheer amount of patience needed to photograph the scene at precisely the correct time I find admirable

Hyères, France 1932

Madrid, 1933

Palais Royal, 1960

http://www.afterimagegallery.com/bresson.htm

La danse Alloeng Kotjok, Sayan, Bali, Indonésie, 1949

To accomplish a truly decisive moment, which has become a common place within photojournalism, is for the photograph to describe a dramatic and also give an expressive visual climax, to show a story rather than just a picture. A great example of a genuine spontaneous news moment holding such strong compositional values is Don McCullin's photograph that won the World Press Photo award in 1964.

Cyprus 1964 - a Turkish woman mourns for her husband killed in a village battle with Greeks

Harold Evans - "Pictures On A Page - Photojournalism, Graphics and Picture Editing", 1978, page: 118

A truley renowned street photographer who has focussed a high majority of his work on America's social landscape from the 1950's is Lee Friedlander. His photographic art has a strange and unusual vision as he uses detached images of urban life, similarly how pop art works, to capture the feel and look of a modern society. His style usually incorporates store-front reflections, signs, posters and framed structures.

There are many hidden attributes to his photographs which in affect gives a delay of recognition to the viewer. Many of his images have a sense of visual irony, like some of the below images I have selected below.

http://www.all-art.org/20ct_photo/Friedlander1.htm

Baltimore, 1968

New York, 1963

De De and Billie Pierce

New Orleans

1962

Contemporary Photo Story relating to History

A couple of weeks ago we were set a task ( to complete within one week ) to capture a contemporary photo story relating to history by visiting either a museum or building and investigating a story that emerges from that landmark. We were asked to obtain 10 photographs to capture and reveal the story and also display 10 images of research and present within a Pecha Kucha (which is Chinese for a 20 slide-20 second each slide Power point presentation) to the rest of the 2nd year group.

I decided to go and take pictures of Rugby School and was guided around the grounds and surrounding areas of interest in the company of Margaret Bolton who is one of the Matron's at the School.

Below is the set up I used for my Pecha Kucha

1. Modern Print of William Webb Ellis Portrait with Rugby School background

http://www.rugbyrelics.com/rugby-prints.htm

My establishing slide was to introduce the importance that William Webb Ellis is to Rugby School and in regards to the game of Rugby itself.

"The most popular belief is that Rugby was first born in 1823 when William Webb Ellis who played in his time at Rugby school, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, this then originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game".

http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/originsofrugby.htm

2. Painting of Rugby school 1859, note the number of players (Credit: Rugby School)

http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/originsofrugby.htm

This painting details that the rules of Rugby still hadn't been finalised due to the excessive amount of boys playing a game of Rugby at one time. . . . . . "Wouldn't like to be in the middle of that stampede!"

3. Rugby School around the 1950's

http://www.oldukphotos.com/warwickshire-rugby.htm

I found an old photograph of Rugby school from what is believed to have been taking during the 1950's . I used this slide to show the change to the surrounding of the School over time.

4. Picture taken from similar angle (Oct. 2006)

http://www.rugbyfootballhistory.com/originsofrugby.htm

Again this is a further picture taken from a very similar angle of view 56 years later in 2006. I again included this photograph to show the changes to the surrounding of the School over time.

5.My Photograph of Rugby School on 27th September 2010

This is my establishing photograph. I again wanted to capture the school from a very similar viewpoint to the other photograph's founded from the internet to again show any major differences that have happened since the painting drawn in 1859. The school has not been modernised therefore it is standing in its original form since it was built in the 1800's, this is evident on all three photographs. I decided to take my shot whilst the pupils of the school were walking from and to their next lesson, to personalise that the building is actually still to this day used as a fully operational Private Boarding School.

A used a Vignette detail within Lightroom to guide the viewers eye to the main topic of focus being Rugby School and the Rugby goalpost

6. Dr Thomas Hughes, from an 1893 edition of The Law Gazette

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Arnold

I used this slide to show the portrait of Dr Thomas Hughes who was the Headmaster of Rugby school at the time William Webb Ellis first ran with the ball during a game of football. He was a great educator and historian and introduced new reforms to the School.

7. The Chapel at Rugby School - est late 1800's

http://mosomoso.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/rugby-chapel/

This is a drawing of the inside of the Chapel in the late 1800's. The Chapel is evident in the painting and all the photographs to the left hand side of Rugby School. I included this due to the importance that the School was religious in their actions to participate in morning mass before or even during the School day.

8.My Photograph - Between the Pews in the Chapel

9.My Photograph - History written on Chapel Walls

Both plaques are dedicated to the lives of a famous novelist and poet. To the left is the plaque of Lewis Carroll which reads;

In Memory of Charles Lutwide Dodgson

"Lewis Carroll"

Author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Born 27th January 1832. He entered Rugby School under Dr Tait in 1846 and afterwards lived and taught at Christ Church Oxford, Till his death on 14h January 1898

To the right is the plaque of Rupert Brook, a great English poet who used to live just across the road from Rugby School

10. Tom Browns SchoolDays , by Thomas Hughes , First published in 1857 . Caption reads : Toms visit to the tomb of Dr Arnold . Illustrations by Arthur Hughes 1832 1915 and Sydney Prior Hall 1842 1922 . The school is Rugby School , an English public ( private boarding ) school . English lawyer and author , 20 October 1822 – 22 March 1896

http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=2284326

11.My Photograph - Tomb of Dr Thomas Hughes and Arthur Stanley, both principles of Rugby School

12.My Photograph - The Chapel 2010 awaiting HARVEST sermon

13.MY Photograph - Corridor before entering the CHAPEL

14. Film Still of Tom Brown School Days 1951

http://www.vo2ov.com/Tom-Brown-s-Schooldays-1951-_632615.html

15. Nostalgic: the 1950 film version of Tom Brown's School days Photo: KOBAL COLLECTION

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7789823/Ripping-yarns-for-the-Dave-and-Nick-era.html

16.My Photograph - Within Rugby School Grounds

17.My Photograph - Original Rugby School

18.My Photograph - Middle Square corridor leading to the classroom where Tom Brown was disciplined

19. Statue of Thomas Hughes at Rugby School- author of Tom Brown School days

http://www.answers.com/topic/thomas-hughes

20.My Photograph - Statue of Thomas Hughes

Within my conclusion shot I planned to capture the still statue in the background with the busyness of today's pupils that are walking around the grounds to symbolize that these pupils are already writing their own history

The above two photographs were not included in my Pecha Kucha. I really liked the way in which the light was falling on the pews giving a very atmospheric and moody feel. I did not add them as they didn't play a strong enough value to my picture story of Rugby School.

Cityco - Celebrating Manchester through the Lens

During the summer holidays I attended a Open City photography day in Manchester with a fellow university colleague and friend, Gemma McAuley. As we were both aware that we had a photojournalism brief on returning back to University we thought that we would take the opportunity and participate in one of the tours of Manchester hosted by a professional photographer to experience and shoot some street style documentary photography. http://www.cityco.com/opencity

The Professional photographers involved to promote Manchester as an open and accessible photography destination were;

• Aiden O'Rourke - http://www.aidan.co.uk/
• Andrew Brooks - http://www.andrewbrooksphotography.com/
• Len Grant - http://www.lengrant.co.uk/
• Paul Herrmann - http://www.redeye.org.uk/
• Mark Page - http://www.manchesterphotography.com/

We attended on the last workshop hosted by Mark Page. He suggested to look beyond taking the norm expected landmark shots and to think about photographing Manchester from a different viewpoint and light, giving a new expressive documentary style feel at showing the very true nature of the City of Manchester.

Before we began to take photographs Mark handed us all a detailed information leaflet which the photographic group had produced to clearly state our legal and moral rights as photographers;

Manchester Open City - Photography Guidelines May 10

"It is often said there is ‘no law against taking a photograph’, but in fact there are many legal restrictions on the right to take a photograph, so it would be better to say that one is free to take photographs except when the law provides otherwise.

Here are some basic guidelines that outline the main restrictions on taking pictures which you might find useful.

People, privacy and children

There's nothing stopping you taking pictures of people in public places within reason, but if you are too obtrusive or follow them, the subject could naturally object and you could possibly face a legal charge of harassment or breach of the peace. Harassment is defined as a 'course of conduct' (so it has to happen at least twice) that causes another person 'alarm or distress', but paparazzi activity would suggest that prosecutions are few and far between. However, it is advisable to use common-sense and respect a person’s personal space and privacy.

The law relating to harassment, invasion of privacy and data protection applies in the same way to children as to adults, but a child does not have the legal capacity to consent and a parent or guardian must consent on his behalf. It is a criminal offence to take an indecent photograph of a child under the age of 18.

Photographers are free to use their photographs of people taken in public places as they wish - including for commercial gain.

Photographing buildings

Property owners have no legal right to stop people taking photos of their buildings, so long as the photographer is standing in a public place (e.g. the road outside).

However, if you're standing on private property and the landowner/occupier objects, then they have every right to request that you stop immediately and ask you to leave if you refuse. Many museums, art galleries, football grounds, concert venues and similar places prohibit photography as a condition of entry which they have the right to do.

The same applies to all private property open to the public in general - e.g. offices, train stations, airports, shopping centres etc - with the owner or occupier having the right to ask you to stop taking photos.

Obstruction, trespass and breach of the peace

Under UK law, it's a criminal offence to obstruct the free passage on the highway and this includes footways, bike paths and roads. If you're standing on a thoroughfare to take a photograph and you're not impeding the movement of traffic or people to any degree, then you're absolutely within the law. However, it is advisable to move if asked.

Taking photographs is unlikely to amount to a 'breach of the peace' or be seen as 'conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace', but if you're stuck in the middle of a demonstration, you'll have to be careful that the police don't confuse you with the participants and treat you accordingly. Deleting images

Your photos are your work, and you're entitled to protect them. Security guards do not have stop and search powers or the right to seize your equipment or delete images or confiscate film under any circumstances. In some circumstances, the police may confiscate your film or memory cards but they are still not authorised to delete any images. If you've committed an offence the images would act as evidence, and if you haven't broken the law, the images are innocent.

Recovering deleted images If you are forced to delete your photos, take the card out of the camera immediately. Whatever you do, do not take any new pictures as these will reduce your chances of recovering the deleted images. If you want to keep on taking pictures, use a fresh card. When you get home, you can use a file recovery program to get your images back. These often have a high success rate."

Below are my edited photographs