ART110 Module 8 Notes

Topic: Photography and Film

Photography and Film

Photography incorporates all of the elements and principles that have been presented (line, shape, value
color, rhythm, texture, space, proportion, unity, emphasis and form), but relies on a few of them more
intently; especially value.

 Photography is _science________________ and _____art______________.

 The inspiration of the individual separates the work of art from ___just a
picture_________________________.

 The word photography comes from the Greek word meaning to ___to write with
light________________________.

 First photograph: View from the Window at Le Gras, 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce
(Heliography – Bitumen placed on a pewter plate; poor image quality)

Impact of Photography
 Changed the ____public’s view of
war______________________________________________________________.

 Changed the ___Changed the purpose of painting

________________________________________________________________.

History of Photography:
1) _The Camera Obscura____________ ____________________ - a covered box or a darkened
room with a pin hole to project light and an image on the opposite wall. The image was projected
upside down. It was used to trace a scene and get correct perspective in the Renaissance before
photography.

2) Daguerreotype - Invented in 1829 by Niepce and Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre (France).

Used a thin sheet of ___silver- plated copper_______________________________..
Drawbacks:
Long exposures: 5 - 40 minutes.
Image reverses left to right.
Very delicate, had to be sealed behind glass.
No negative, therefore no copies could be made.

3) The ‘negative” - Invented in 1839 by British scientist William Henry Fox Talbot.
How:
Placed an object on a piece of light sensitive paper.
Exposed the arrangement to light.
 Called them _photogenic drawings_______________________________________.

Page 25

ART110 Module 8 Notes

Topic: Photography and Film (con’t)

4) portraits - Became popular in 1850.Photography and portraits available to the middle classes.
-Felix Nadar (1820- 1910) – photographed the rich and famous of his time.
-Matthew Brady (1822-1896) – first to photograph a presidential candidate. “Make no mistake”
Lincoln said, “__Matthew Brady made me
president______________________________________________________________”.

5) photojournalism - Photojournalism revolutionized the capacity of news media, with the ability to
bring realistic representation of important events before the public’s eyes.

__Alexander Gardner_________________________________ (1821-1882) first used the camera

to record major historical events such as the US Civil War.

_______Dorothea Lange_____________________________ (1895-1965) impacted the nation

with photographs of migrant workers.

6) photography as an art form - The main goal of photography as art is to promote a unique,
thought provoking way of looking at something.

In 1902, Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) founded the ___Photo

Secession___________________________________, a group dedicated to advancing photography
as a separate art form.

Walker Evans (1903-1975) - Brooklyn Bridge, New York, 1929

David Hockney (1937- ) photo collage

Shared Elements of Photography and Film

1) black and white (monochromatic) – most of the masterworks in photography are in black and
white. Black and white photography has a purity that is created by removing the “distraction” of
color. This allows value, light and shadow to become more pronounced.

2) light and shadow - Considering light in a controlled environment is important, but planning how
light will affect the work in a less controlled environment is equally important and much more
difficult to control. Factors such as time of day, time of year, and weather conditions must be
considered.

Painting ____Chiaroscuro_______________________________________________________.
 Photography ____Actual in 2-D____________________________________________________.

3) frame – dictates what is included and what is excluded. Gives the photographer the ability to
direct the viewers attention. Creates ___emphasis________________________.

4) vantage point – where the photographer places the viewer. Creates

_____emphasis_________________.
Page 26

ART110 Module 8 Notes

Topic: Photography and Film

5) high angle shot – __looking

down______________________________________________________________.

6) low angle shot – _____Looking

up____________________________________________________________.

7) objective point of view –

__Passive________________________________________________________.

8) subjective point of view –

__Active_______________________________________________________.

9) depth of focus – _all in

focus________________________________________________________________.

10) shallow focus – one plane is in focus while others are not. Includes a context but de-emphasizes its
importance.

Film

Types of Film:
 narrative film – tells a story; most common (90-95% of all films).
 documentary film – informative
 absolute film – “art for art sake” (least common).

Elements of Film:
1) ____Willful suspense of belief_________________________________________________ – even
though we know it’s not real, but we suspend disbelief to make us participate more fully.

2) ____Music________________ – helps achieve focus. interactive (heard by characters); film score

(not heard by characters).

3) ____Mise en scene_______________ – the “look of the film”in each scene and the production as
a whole. Should be consistent (costuming, time period, setting, etc.)
 4) __Editing_________________ – the separating and assembling of sequences of film. Helps to
make stories more coherent and heightens dramatic impact.

4a)__Montage_______________________________– the sequencing of widely disparate images to

create a fast-paced, multifaceted image. Creates a “shock”that ideally leads an audience to knowledge
and perception.

4b)____Parallel editing_____________________________ – the story shifts back and forth from one
event or scene to another. Scenes of one segment of a battlefield may be interspersed with scenes
taking place back home or at another location.
Page 27
ART110 Module 8 Notes
Topic: Photography and Film

5) ___Flashback________________________ – a form of parallel editing in which the storyline is

interrupted by the portrayal or narration of an earlier episode. *gives current action more
meaning.

6) ___Flash Forward________________________ – editing that permits the audience to see

glimpses of the future. *often used at the beginning of dramatic tv shows to capture the interest of
the viewer who may be switching channels.

Film Analysis Definitions:

 Round Characters: more developed; know better.

 Protagonist: main character.
 Antagonist: rival of protagonist/creates conflict
 Foil: character who makes protagonist more pronounced (same or opposite characteristics).
 Confidant: a character to whom the protagonist speaks so we know him better.

• Physical – the look of the person; as age, gender, build.

• Social – economic, ethnicity, location, family.
• Psychological – what does the character desire. *most important b/c it creates conflict.
• Moral – character’s values; what is he/she willing to do to obtain desire.

 Exposition complication: What happens to start the drama? Inciting Incident

 Dramatic question: a thematically relevant question that is relevant to the entire story.

 Complication: What happens in the middle of the film to drive the story forward?
 Denouement: How does it end?

 Foreshadowing: Hints at what’s to come later

Page 28