Pulitzer Photo: Fatal Fire

 

This photograph is certainly among the most visually striking Pulitzer winners displayed at the Newseum. It is at once shocking, engaging, and horrifying, compelling the viewer to stare in spite of the desire to look away. Stanley J Forman took this shot in 1976 while on scene at a fire in Boston. The woman and girl in the photo were climbing down a fire escape when it suddenly collapsed. Forman began to shoot, turning away only seconds before they hit the ground. Though clearly a matter of happenstance- the photographer had no time to change lenses or adjust aperture- this frame draws on point of view and composition to tell a tragic story.  

Forman’s point of view in this shot suggests precisely how drastic the fall is. He has positioned himself under and in front of the scene. It is clear that the camera is angled up, letting the viewer know that subjects have a great distance to fall.  The angle also included enough of the building to give the viewer perspective; the cut-off window suggests a tall building and a long fall. Had the frame been captured even second later, the two individuals may have been too close to ground to create a startling picture. In this case, the photographer’s point of view accounts for the jarring effect of the photo.

Composition is also a key component of this frame. As evidence of a remarkably gifted eye, Forman has managed to enact the rule of thirds both horizontally and vertically, even in a high-pressure situation. Horizontally, the rule of thirds draws the eye to the adult woman in the frame. Above her, the top third drawn contains the falling child and below a window creates the bottom third. As a result, the eye is immediately drawn to the center third, and to the woman who appears to be the most in focus of all the shot’s elements. Vertically, both the woman and the child make up the center third, framed on one side by the collapsed fire escape and on the other by a line of building bricks. The lines in the outer thirds, as well as the windows directly behind the two people, give the illusion of a straight line that allows the viewer to imagine the subjects’ movement and trace the path of their fall. These composed lines ensure that only the two people are emphasized, making their story central to the shot.

This image was immediately attractive solely because the subject matter was both upsetting and provoked curiosity. It seemed essential to read the story that explained it, and study it further, even though the image is not a desirable one to have etched in the brain. The photo is certainly powerful, drawing the viewer to gasp one second and blink back tears the next; even several who hardly glanced at most of the gallery paused to study this frame. It isn’t a shot the viewer is drawn to “like;” it’s far too tragic for that. But it is one the viewer is drawn to understand. As many great photos do, it makes the intangible tangible. The ephemeral nature of life is shockingly real in this photo. The woman died just moments after Forman clicked the shutter. The little girl, however, survived.

 

The Ethics of Benetton's Advertising

From supposedly sexually active Catholic officials to intimate glimpses of death row prisoners, United Colors of Benetton has been quick to confront polarizing issues through commercial media. Over the past twenty years, Benetton advertisements have become one of the most enduringly controversial topics in communications, and with good reason. The evocative ads play with the boundaries of ethical photography and question the very nature of advertising. Is it ever ethical for corporations to create image-inspired social discourse to sell products? Or is it always acceptable?

Surely the images Benetton uses, however heart-breaking or horrifying, are validated as creative expressions. But the use of an image alone determines it’s ethics, and this is where Benetton finds itself on shaky ground. Company officials, including the man behind the photo advertisements, claim that they desired to foster dialogue and confront difficult issues. In a free speech (or free image, as the case may be) society, the value of debate is not only guaranteed but prized, and rightly so. Freedom doesn’t always yield responsibility, however, and it is a lack of responsibility that led Benetton from engaging, challenging photographs to well deserved public outrage. Photographs possess immense power. A well-chosen subject cleverly lit and shot from the right angle doesn’t just produce an image, it produces an idea. When the photo is published, that idea creates discussion and then, if the photographer is both skilled and a little lucky, the discussion creates action. The pattern is natural, but Benetton has managed to distort it, marrying symbolic photography to consumerism. The moment the copy of Benetton’s logo is transposed on the photograph, the nature of the photograph is sacrificed to marketing. In this age, social activism is trendy amongst young people, making an activist photograph a more distinguishing mark for a company than merely a shirt. Benetton does not happen to be engaging in social dialogue while selling clothes, they are engaging in social dialogue in order to sell clothes. The former might have maintained the integrity of the image; the latter certainly does not. Instead of making tangible the intangible values of racial equality or social justice, Benetton has used images to make consumerism attractively tangible.

Is it ever ethical for corporations to photographically create social dialogue to sell product? I would argue that it isn’t. Such advertisements trivialize the photographs and demean the issues presented. They capitalize on the real experiences and struggles of others for capital gain. Photography tells a story. It shouldn’t be one about consumerism. It should be one worth hearing.

Exploring a Subject

 

The intent of this shot was to capitalize on the concepts of light, color, the abstract, and creative lenses. The idea for this shot struck while finishing a bottle of iced tea with an intriguing pattern on the bottom. The ball was placed behind the bottle while the camera was aimed through the top.  The concept was effective, so a soft light was placed to the right of the bottle to create a warmer effect. The color was then enhanced electronically to emphasize the yellow tones. The object isn’t directly visible, but the “lens” enhances its color and texture, creating an abstract image.

Like the previous shot, this photo was achieved by aiming the camera through a textured plastic bottle. However, it was aimed at a slight angle instead of straight down. The light for this set-up was placed in front of the bottle for a harsher effect that rendered the ball more visible. Including the slightly angled side of the bottle creates an illusion of distance between the viewer and the photo, while the narrow strip of green wall creates an interesting division and emphasizes the
 curved line of the bottle. 

Instead of relying on color, this photograph plays with shadows and contrast to create visual appeal. A portion of the ball is shown, but the eye more readily focuses on the interesting shadow it creates. Natural sunlight was harnessed for the shadows; the ball was placed to the right of a window. The angle of the light divides the frame roughly into horizontal thirds: the entirely light portion, the dim, grey area, and the entirely dark bottom. Similarly, complete light and complete darkness are contrasted in this shot to add depth. 

This shot relies on angle, vibrant color and overexposure. The photo was taken with only natural light, and the camera was positioned underneath the subject, angled up to emphasize curvature and create the illusion that the ball is far larger than it is. The color was electronically enhanced and the image slightly overexposed for an intense, almost jarring effect.

This photo was shot with the intent of creating a textured piece suitable for layering. It could also stand alone as a striking, somewhat abstract piece, particularly if different color filters were applied. The camera was placed almost directly on the ball while taking this shot in order to capture the details of the crack, a testament that imperfection can become attractive in the right photographic context.