Kathleen Mensing - Book Paragraphs

Kathleen Mensing

Photo 202 Photo Book Assignment

Life’s A Beach by Martin Parr

Martin Parr is a British documentary photographer who is well known for his eclectic perspective on the world via his photography. He's had 40 photobooks published, has been featured in 80 exhibitions, and founded the Martin Parr Foundation in 2014 which showcases his work. He began his photographic career at Manchester Polytechnic and later became a part of the Albert Street Workshop where he created his first mature pieces. Martin’s style truly makes the viewer feel as though they are dropped into the scene, not viewing it. In each photo, the subjects do not realize they are being featured, so the resultant photograph is one that exemplifies people in their most natural state of relaxation. Whether they’re bathing in the sun, swimming in the ocean, or just minding their own business having lunch, Martin is particularly interested in photographing people without their awareness to create a natural feel. The photos tend to be close ups of the subjects, and their faces are not always featured in the photographs. Because he is photographing at the beach where sunlight is abundant, his ISO settings are most likely very low because the photos are crisp and have a great amount of detail., He also uses a quick shutter speed to capture movement in a still frame. The colors he uses are vibrant, playful, and have a radiance to them. Not everything in the frame is always in focus - in fact, he will often use shallow depths of field when showcasing something either in the foreground or background. It is very obvious when this technique is utilized as his blurring is very apparent. He accomplishes this by changing his aperture settings. He also likes to use multiple subjects, or just one, even if that subject is not human. He photographs geese, books, dogs, and much more.

Monstera Kunsthalle by Shirana Shahbazi

Shirana is a Iranian born photographer, but currently resides in Switzerland. She is known for her abstraction of the world and use of color which landed her the Citibank Photography Prize in 2002. This photography is incredibly surreal; there are hardly any human subjects. Most of the photography includes geometric shapes, three dimensional shapes, and screen color overlays. The color overlays are either over the entire image, or fractals of color overlays in triangular collage fashion. When the photos are not in color, they are in a high contrast black and white with little to no hierarchy. Other photos have one singular color that pops out of the drab coloration, like taillights of a car or open lipsticks. Other photos consist of only a texture, like leaves of palm trees that create a break between busy photographs that neighbor it within the book. Landscapes, architecture, texture, and even forms of transportation are featured in extreme color overlay fashions. The cover even ties the book together with abstract colorful shapes and somewhat recognizable locations and objects. The line between fantasy and reality are skewed, and all the colors are fully altered. Hardly anything is left unprocessed post production. Only certain objects are recognizable in the prints, and even then, the way in which the overlays are placed makes you question what exactly you are looking at. Viewing the photos on their own is interesting, but seeing them in a series is a whole different experience.

Signs by Peter Granser

Peter was born in Hannover, Germany and was later the author of multiple publications, exhibitions, and member of the German Photographic Academy. Peter Granser’s photography is very plain and straightforward. At first glance, there is no glitz or glam to them. Most of the photos are created in parking lots, empty fields, or even on the side of the road. The colors are fairly drab, and few pops of color are used. There are a few colors included, but the brightest colors are typically a part of the signage he is trying to capture. Although his photos may seem plain, once taking a closer look, everything Peter photographs has a symbolic meaning, whether that meaning is written out on a sign or not. For instance, many buildings and truck typography are photographed, but flags and memorials are also photographed. Upon looking at his photos, you can truly find meaning in the photographs. The military “Welcome Home” signs, the churches, and the memorials all represent groups of people, their beliefs, and what they value. Human subjects are also rarely featured, but there are people in some photographs. He utilizes a deep depth of field in each of his photos, a low ISO due to the photo quality, and a quick shutter speed that is fairly common seeing that no motion is shown in his work.