Photographer Research - Duane Michals

Duane Michals

Duane Michals is an American photographer. Michals' work makes innovative use of photo-sequences, often incorporating text to examine emotion and philosophy.
Michals' work inspires incorporating writing with portraiture/documentary but unlike with Strain's work, the two things are not merged together and rather placed with each other, one representing the other; linked but not directly. I feel this style will be more appropriate with photos in my portfolio with a less harsh presentation, so I can still incorporate writing, but in a way that is fitting to all the photos.

Photo One

This piece presents a photo of assumably a couple together on a bed, around the photo is writing from the man in this photo. The top of the photo says 'this photograph is my proof', suggesting this man is trying to prove something to someone, maybe even himself. The writing below says things such as 'when things were still good between us' and 'she did love me. Look, see for yourself', these suggest a split between the two in the photograph, something has changed between them, due to the past tenses used in the man's sentences. The 'see for yourself' seems defensive, especially linked with the 'this photograph is my proof', as if someone doesn't believe this man, and he is desperate to prove that there was a love between the two of them. Say if this photo didn't involve any writing around it, this photo would be a simple romantic photo of a couple to viewers, the interpretation would be positive; but because of the writing there is a darker undertone to the photo, showing that it is a piece of the past and this happiness displayed doesn't exist anymore.

Photo Two

This piece is a series of photos together of a woman with a mirror reflecting her in bizarre ways, some photos with writing beneath them. The title of this series is 'Heisenberg's magic mirror of uncertainty', this better explaining the different reflections in the mirror in each photo. The first piece of writing saying 'Odette can never be sure with any certainty, which reflection of herself she will see in the mirror', this explains the purpose of the series and what it is revealing. The series documents in a way what this woman experiences with the mirror, the photos present a variation of the woman showing what the mirror reflects, she appears calm and contained in the photos, as if she is used to this experience, this being odd since most people would not be calm to such a bizarre scenario. The second piece of writing says 'The act of looking in the mirror affects which image she will see', Michals here is better documenting this woman's experience, explaining the reasoning for such variation. If this series owned no writing around it, viewers interpretations would be very different, the photos would not be seen as documentation and rather as symbolisation, as if this was an identity-themed series of photos, but the words change the premise to the photos entirely.

Photo Three

This piece is of a man with a hat balanced on his head, while a second photo layered on top with the same hat held in the man's hand, with only a few words below the photo. Just below the photo is the sentence 'Magritte with Hat', this sentence in defining terms is redundant, since in the photo it is already clear that this man is with a hat; this redundancy creates almost a comedic effect due to it being so obvious. The photo owns a lot of negative space, making the atmosphere feel open and relaxed since there is nothing forcing the viewer's attention. The composition in the photo is simple, the focal point being the hat relatively in the centre of the photo, the man's expression neutral and his body seeming relaxed. The photo if on its own, with no writing, would seem like a photo for symbolism, something for the viewer to interpret deeper and find a hidden meaning, but due to the comedic sentence below, it removes all potential hidden meaning in the photo, leaving it to be directly what it is.

Photo Four

This piece is a portrait of a woman and her cat, with a short sentence just below it. The photo itself could be a simple portrait this woman wanted with her cat, the composition is simple and the tones from black to white are soft and well blended together, making the photo atmosphere still and calm. The sentence below the photo says 'Madame Schrodinger and her cat are both wondering at this moment what the probabilities are that at this moment you are reading this', this sentence directly address the viewer of the photo, this further brings in the viewer also added with the fact the woman and the cat are directly looking at the viewer. The sentence and overall photo own a serious atmosphere, there is a tension made since the present time and the viewer is addressed, but due to Michals' previous work, there always seems to be a hint of comedy and light-hearted humour in his work, the softness of his presentation also supports this.

Overall…

I believe Michals' interpretation of writing to be humorous and also welcoming for a viewer. His work feels soft in presentation with the gentle use of tone, the lack of colour also removes any harsh colours that could interfere with this subtlety. The use of writing not being merged with the portraiture is a useful way into completely changing the premise of a photo, really conveying the power words hold and the message the artist wishes to present. For my personal project, I want to present the romantic and softer sides of our relationship, and I feel Michals' style in photography is a perfect way to present this aspect of our relationship.

An Investigation into Romantic Photography for Documentary Project

Romance
The topic for this personal project is romantic documentary, made as a tribute to a personal relationship between two people. The documentary is made to express love in its purest forms and convey deep passion between two people. Romance in this current society appears to be more ‘romanticised’ than real; the millennial youth use humour and irony to present their frequent heartbreaks and the lack of purity that is now in love. The idea of being in love is craved by this generation so desperately that it is now being pushed away, and commitment appears to be a thing of the past now. This is rather an unfortunate matter of fact and this personal project is to bring back this ‘old fashioned’ way of love presented in a modern style. The idea is to bring faith to viewers that this pure love still can and does exist, presenting to them something real and authentic, rather than social media posts of teenagers expressing their desire to have someone close yet they are unsuccessful to find that person.

History of Romance in Photography  

The current generation seem to have a lack in pure love and crave it, but that desire has appeared to drive it away more. People never used to look for love, it was just something that was fortunate for them, and they were grateful for that. Now everyone young appears to look for this ‘one true love’, they strive for it, and this search appears to hinder them. Historically many men and women have made meaningful and passionate acts to express their love for one another. A beautiful example of this expression being the Taj Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan adored his third wife Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtāz Mahal – “beloved ornament of the palace”), so much so that when she died, Jahan had many architects, sculptors, calligraphers, and craftsmen construct the Taj Mahal in her honour; the complex taking full completion through 1631-1653. To put this into a photographic perspective, in 1992 during the Prince and Princess’ Royal Tour of India, photographers had captured Princess Diana alone in front of the Taj Mahal.

Due to Prince Charles in meetings during the tour, the Princess visited the landmark alone. In the photo on the left there is a clear juxtaposition, the Taj Mahal presented in full makes Lady Di appear small and feeble to such a prominent building that represents love. The contrast here is not just the size comparisons, but also symbolic. The Taj Mahal is a pure tribute to love, so for Lady Di to be sat there alone, not with her partner, it presents her alone and this pure love behind her is towering. Many photographers were there at that moment, capturing Lady Di with digital cameras at various moments while she sat without her Prince. Some photos were closer than others, revealing her expression which appeared tense, as if her head was clouded. The colours presented around her vivid. This example clearly is not a tribute to love, but it is presenting the contrast and style of how these things are presented.  

An earlier example of photographers presenting romance is this photo of Marlene Dietrich passionately welcoming a returning soldier while fellow soldiers hold her up to do so. 

This photo was captured by Irving Haberman during 1945, New York, where returning soldiers from World War II lift Marlene Dietrich as she kisses a GI (private soldier). It was shot using a film camera as a black and white photo, flash evidently being used to capture the moment clearly. The photos overall atmosphere and emotion is cheerful and free; all the men are smiling and cheerful, this most probably due to the fact that the Second World War had ended, and they were returning home. The passion between Dietrich and the GI is conveyed through the expression and body language on both of them. The two are gripping on each other’s hand tightly to keep each other close and their eyes are tightly closed, presenting the pure passion and release in the kiss between the two. This photo may not be a personal tribute from either of the people, but it shows purity of love in the past and you can compare this to what we see now and how different it is. You could oppose this view and claim this photo is set-up for Dietrich’s fame as a Hollywood star. It is likely that these two do not know each other at all, and Haberman wanted to create a dramatic photo to celebrate the end of the war while using Dietrich’s fame. This can completely remove the symbolism of love and passion, but it can’t remove the fluidity of romance back then. People were comfortable to freely love people and not care as much about the formal appearance expected for love someone.

A more modern example of romance now is couple portraiture. Relationships are more common to now pay professionals to capture their relationship, so they can have visual presentation of it; that can be to show others or to have for themselves. This style has become a formal aspect of romance. Typically, couples will attempt to appear strong and proud in their photos, to convey that the two are good and powerful together. The photo above taken sometime in 2018 presents a couple that wish to look powerful as one, the body language and facial expressions conveys a professional and formal manner. Compared to the previous photo of Marlene Dietrich and a GI, the passion appears lacking between these two. Dietrich’s is presenting a passion and strong desire to be close to the soldier, whereas this couple present more of a need to appear attractive together. A viewer when seeing the Dietrich photo would consider the clear desperation that the two hold to touch each other, whereas with the couple above, a viewer would only consider how good the two look together, not their love. It is not right to belittle the love between these two, but it is clear that the times have changed when it comes to the formality of romance. It is also good to consider culture when it comes to presentations of love. In more foreign countries, it is deemed disrespectful to present a more spontaneous style of romance, so for some countries, this formal style of portraiture has always been the appropriate way to present your love for another person. 

Photographer Research 

Alfred Eisenstaedt 

The photograph from Eisenstaedt that reached an iconic status, depicting this photo as a symbol of romance and love, known as the ‘V-J Day Kiss’ on the 15th August 1945. The sailor in black is captured as he embraces the nurse in white, arching her back and locking their lips in tightly; their faces forever concealed by a beautiful kiss. The two were in face perfect strangers and the sailor was on the streets celebrating by kissing many women. The silhouette of the two together presents a passion. The sailor’s hand is tightly gripped onto the nurse’s waist, pulling her in close, the other hand wrapped around the woman’s head to keep her even closer. The grip and pressure that is pulled into these two is pure and symbolises a powerful romance. The sailor’s face is pressed firmly into the nurse’s, you can see the curvature on the woman’s cheek where the sailor is pushed so firmly onto her lips that it is distorting her face. The way the nurse is held and the positioning of her legs, where one is slightly lifted, and how her arm is fallen to her side, has her presented as delicate and is the prime symbol of femininity. However, in more modern times this delicate presentation tends to be frowned upon, and women would like to appear more powerful and less helpless. Whereas the strong grip on the sailor’s hand and how he is towered over the nurse presents a symbol of masculinity. In the 1900s this was a prime representation of love between a man and a woman, and still to this day many consider this to be an example of love perfectly. The contrast in colour where the sailor is in black and the nurse in white conveys a message that suggests they may have different backgrounds and be different people, but at the end of the day, these two can still have such a passionate moment. 

Here Eisenstaedt captures two loved ones kissing at a crowded departure station during WWII. All their surroundings are blurred, leaving only them in focus. This could symbolise them so brought into their kiss that everything around them no longer matters, all that is important is them being together. Based on the fact that the man is dressed in uniform and they are at a station, this can only suggest that this man is leaving to go to the war, making this their potential final goodbye. The lighting above them reveals their faces with a glow, highlighting the kiss in this photo, showing the viewer the significance of this goodbye, making it the standout of the photo. This photo could also represent traditional romance and the stereotypes of man and woman. The man being tall with a strong frame, his head pointed down over the woman as he kisses her, this representing a strong traditional man in those times. The woman just below him in height, her small frame covered by the man’s, and her head facing up to kiss him; this will all make her appear fragile and it can further emphasise the need this woman has for this man. Eisenstaedt in this time had to use film cameras so photos were always black and white, but this appearance creates a deeper contrast compared to a photo in colour, it allows more focus to be what is actually in the photo rather than the appearance of the things in the photo. Black and white photos appear to be a more traditional to romantic photos also. 

Minna Kantonen

Kantonen created a portfolio titled ‘Happy Ever After’, the description states that in 2000, she got married, ‘this was followed by a honeymoon in Florida’, also them eventually having a daughter; the portfolio is to imitate a family album. The odd factor of these photos is the fact that the husband is a cardboard cut-out, same with the daughter, they are not real people; only Kantonen is an actual person in the family. In the photo above presents Kantonen in an altar, with her newlywed husband, as the Ordain performs the marriage. Kantonen is shown holding the shoulder of the cut-out as it stands next to her. The back of the cut-out husband presents no features to his appearance, just mere strips of tape where the cut-out folds so it stands straight. These strips could present vulnerability in a man when getting married, the tape holding him straight as though he relies on someone or something to stay strong, when in reality he is thin and frail. This can be further supported by Kantonen holding the thin shoulder of the cut-out, suggesting men rely on their woman to keep them stable. This could also suggest that the woman is stronger, and more stable for marriage, since Kantonen’s back is full and stronger than the cut-out's. Furthermore, the husband being a cut-out could suggest that men are simple compared to women, he only has one expression, one pose, one feeling, one need. Whereas the woman has many expressions, many feelings, many poses and acts, this could let us infer that men have a lack of care, and throughout this entire relationship, he is only one thing and only acts in one way, because it is simply not as important to him as it is to her. The overall photo presents a traditional romantic wedding atmosphere, capturing the back of the couple to present their vulnerability and closeness to each other. The romance in the photo feels tainted by the peculiar presentation of a cut-out husband, it removes the humanity that love holds and that makes the photo oddly unsettling. Even furthermore, the cut-out could represent modern social issues, such as online dating, a common thing in this generation is to meet people online. Many people will fall in love online now, never even meeting the person, Kantonen’s cut-out husband could symbolise and online romance, so strong that she’d marry him even without meeting him. Another social issue could pressured marriage in societies, it is common and always has been for parents or general society to expect (especially women) to get married after reaching a certain age, Kantonen could be representing her feeling the need to just marry anyone to remove the pressure given by society for her to settle down.


This photo also being in the ‘Happy Ever After’ portfolio presents Kantonen in embrace with her cut-out husband, only presenting the husband’s face over Kantonen’s shoulder. The atmosphere of the room is dark and warm, as though we are in a deep intimate moment between Kantonen and her husband. The lack of identity presented of Kantonen and her body language suggests she is distressed in some way, as though something has upset her; this is inferred from the positioning of her head tucked away into the cut-out's shoulder and the tension in her shoulders. Once again, the lack of humanity within the cut-out creates an unsettling distortion to the ‘love’ in the photo; love is pure and a humane feeling, so to remove the humanity feels fake and contradictory. The lack of expression in the cut-out could suggest once again that the man does not care for this love and marriage, that it is all fake, which would appear ironic due to the husband being a cardboard cut-out. In addition, due to the photo appearing emotional on Kantonen’s end, the lack of emotion in the cut-out could suggest that men aren’t as emotional or passionate anymore in relationships. Overall, the photo presents at first glance a warm and intimate moment, but that appears to be distorted by the lack of humanity within the cut-out husband. 

My Personal Project

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This is one of my photos from a previous shoot, where I was presenting studio setting photos with my partner. I feel this photo presents my exact intention for my personal project. In my proposal and look into the history of presented romance, I state that this current generation try too hard to be romantic and find love, they care more about appearance of a relationship, and pride themselves on things such as how they look together, rather than the pure love they have for each other and presenting that. I state how with my personal project I want to go against this but also incorporate aspects of this. In this photo I use the modern and typical way couples will now present themselves, with a studio, but went against the cliché and took my own personal twist of not being serious in the photos. Current couples will try so hard to look good next to each other based on appearance, with my relationship though we want to present the pure love and comfort we have for each other; this photo presents that. We have taken a serious setting and made it fun and meaningful. The childish act of performing a piggyback ride symbolises a nostalgic feeling, as if me and my partner have always known each other in our minds, and we are comfortable enough to do these childish things with each other even though we are grown-up. The smiles on our faces also present an authenticity of love and happiness with each other, this being opposed to the photo of the couple in my history section, where they are posing formally and have expressions of pride rather than joy. This opposed presentation is my exact intention for my photos, presenting the authenticity rather than the focus on appearance. 

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This is another one of my photos from a previous shoot, where I was presenting the more causal aspect of my relationship and our lifestyle when spending time together. I felt this photo had similar aspects of the first photo from Minna Kantonen in my photographer research. The edit style appears similar with the black and white appearance, with a high range of tone. Also presenting the behind of a person, which can symbolise vulnerability, but in its current context it’s a positive thing to be this vulnerable. A more hidden aspect of the two photos that are similar is the symbol of commitment and marriage. In Kantonen’s photo, she is directly presenting her getting married and therefore symbolising commitment and unity. In my photo, I am presenting a projection of commitment. The presentation of me and my partner brushing our teeth together and being close are the typical actions of a married couple, which is what me and my partner strive to be one day, so to present this in a photo is a projection of our aspirations. To already act as a married couple further presents the symbolism of commitment and unity between us, which is what I intend to present in all of my photos in different ways. 

The Future
I feel in the future of romantic photography there will continue to be a focus on appearance rather than passion. Already today love and relationships is joked upon by this current generation, making humour of the lack of affection and unity they have, you could see it as a coping mechanism for them. I don’t believe this generation will ever really learn the fact that you don’t need to look for love, and that heartbreak will only be for a little while. It seems the use of photography to document someone’s romance with another person is depleting slowly; it is rare to find, but the rare few that do document their love present a very high-quality artistically. Over time, cameras and ways of documenting will develop and it’ll be easier for couples to present themselves in aesthetical and ‘professional’ ways, and maybe this development will inspire more couples to get creative and share their love. Furthermore, with this development it’s possible couples will feel less of a need to go to professional photographers and have such formal photos taken. 

Conclusion 

As I continue with my project, I will be taking in the aspects from my photographer research for my personal project. I intend to document aspects of my relationship such as our desire to be committed, our unity together, our childish behaviours, our struggles such as separation, etc; our pure love for each other. This personal project is intended to be a tribute to the old-fashioned style of love and a tribute to my partner. Since going through in my project, I have had the idea of presenting this documentation in a scrapbook presentation, this will connotate with the idea of commitment and marriage, it will also pay tribute to the old-fashioned style. I have also had the idea to also present a short video to present possibly a day in our life together; this pays tribute to a more modern style of presentation, but it is one of the styles that has stayed authentic. With my technological sense of photography, since I am mimicking an old-fashioned way of photography, I intend for the photos to be black and white to imitate that time of photography. I have always found the use of writing in documentation to be not only useful for understanding a story, but also rather aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and so, in my edits I will be attempting to incorporate writing with my documentation. The actual composition of my project has been focussed on portraiture; I have created photos such as the ones above using a tripod and self-timer, which so far has not caused many issues, so it is an effective technique. 

References

DeSimone, L (2015), ‘5 Incredible Landmarks Built in The Name of Love’, [https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/landmarks-built-in-the-name-of-love], (Accessed: 8 October 2019) 

Hughes, L (2016), ‘The Story Behind the Iconic Photograph of Princess Diana at The Taj Mahal’, [https://www.womansown.co.uk/celebrity/royal/princessdianatajmahal-33332/], (Accessed: 8 October 2019) 

'Marlene Dietrich Greets the Troops by Irving Haberman’, [https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Photography-Marlene-Dietrich-Greets-the-Troops/781496/2433955/view], (Accessed: 8 October 2019) 

Ables, K (2019), ‘The Controversy Surrounding Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Iconic Photo of a V-J Day Kiss’, 

[https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-controversy-surrounding-alfred-eisenstaedts-iconic-photo-v-j-day-kiss], (Accessed: 8 October 2019) 

Durkin, E (2019), ‘George Mendonsa, The Kissing Sailor in famous photograph, dies at 95’, 

[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/18/george-mendonsa-kissing-sailor-second-world-war-photograph], (Accessed: 11 October 2019) 

Kantonen, M, ‘Happy Ever After’, [http://www.minnakantonen.co.uk/happy-ever-after.html], (Accessed: 11 October 2019)