Flim Photgraphers

About

Sally Mann.

Born in Lexington, Virginia, 1951 is one of America’s most renowned photographers. She has received numerous awards, including NEA, NEH, and Guggenheim Foundation grants, and her work is held by major institutions internationally. Was named "America's Best Photographer" by Time Magazine in 1994. Has a documentary about her and was nominated for an Academy Award. Has written many Books and many have received awards and nominations and even became a finalist for the National Book Award.

“As for me, I see both beauty and the dark side of the things; the loveliness of cornfields and full sails, but the ruin as the well. And I see them at the same time, and chary of that ecstasy. The Japanese have a phrase for this dual perception: mono no aware. It means "beauty tinged with sadness," for there cannot be any real beauty without the indolic whiff of decay. For me, living is the same thing as dying, and loving is the same thing as losing, and this does not make me a madwoman; I believe it can make me better at living, and better at loving, and, just possibly, better at seeing.”

― Sally Mann, Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs

W. Eugene Smith.

William Eugene Smith was born in 1918 in Wichita, Kansas. He took his first photographs at the age of 15 for two local newspapers. In 1936, Smith entered Notre Dame University in Wichita, where a special photographic scholarship was created for him. A year later he left the university and went to New York City, and after studying with Helene Sanders at the New York Institute of Photography. In 1937, he began working for News-Week (later Newsweek). He was fired for refusing to use medium-format cameras and joined the Black Star agency as a freelancer. Worked for a few different magazines such as LIFE and FLYING magazines and then finally became apart of Magnum. A year after he moved to Tucson, to teach at the University of Arizona, Smith died of a stroke. His archives are held at the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona.

“Negatives are the notebooks, the jottings, the false starts, the whims, the poor drafts, and the good draft but never the completed version of the work… The print and a proper one is the only completed photograph, whether it is specifically shaded for reproduction, or for a museum wall.”

– W. Eugene Smith

Differences

Sally Mann- Her style of photography varies. her first pieces being kind of close up and personal where it established a relationship between the subject but also made you wonder because of how abstract it was. And some of her other work establish the appeal of "it's not on the outside what counts, its whats on the inside," kind of emotion. As a black and white photography it definitely gives you more opportunity to express a certain feeling and I think that Sally Mann captures that very well.

W. Eugene Smith-His style of photography is kind of a photojournalist style where he takes photos of alive event (like World War 2) and puts them out to create some political tension. He uses a lot of his scenes in combat or a person in combat to show they really feel about a certain subject such as war. He also uses a lot of far distance techniques to show how big of a scale this really is.

Similarities

They both have very unique styles but one common theme with both of them is how they use light. they both dont usually have a very bright and outgoing picture, its supposed to represent something dark and personal, like a motif. Something distinct. They both use some close up techniques as well as landscape and family/personal photos.

Critique

I like the way Mann captures her images, it provides a very understandable and unique outlook into her mind and what she was thinking while capturing the image. I really like how she uses different techniques yet can still convey a message clearly through all. I just wish that her images were a little more colorful as well. I really like who Smith uses the far distance thing because it conveys a message to what i think is that, "Some problems truly are serious, yet there are bigger problems you should worry about." With the journalism aspect coming in as well. I wish he also brightened his photos up more and I also wish he took more portraits of some people he captured in there true elements.

Sally Mann

W Eugene Smith