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PHOTOGRAPHY
War Never Changes
WAR NEVER CHANGES
War photography is a movement of photography that is still present in cultures today. It’s a movement that involves capturing armed conflict that depicts the effects it has on people and places. Photographers were and are in the midst of live firefights and often lose their lives in attempts to capture the true horrific realities of war.
It began with the invention of the camera in the 1830s. The technological insufficiency of early cameras didn’t allow photographers to capture the action of operations, so most photos are still shots of fortifications, soldiers at leisure, and environments before and after battles. As technology progressed, soldiers smuggled cameras onto the battlefront to photograph the war they were participating in. In the 20th century, during the Civil War, WWI & II, and events of D-Day, professional photographers took daring actions to capture the impact of wars. Robert Capa was one of these photographers who’s work focuses on the Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, and D-Day landings. Unfortunately, in May of 1954 he lost his life stepping on a landmine. Today, war photography is just as significant as it was back then. Combat journalists and photographers are continuing to capture images that reveal the dark and gruesome realities of war. These photographers are often targeted by terrorist groups and opposing armed personal.
War photography has a mostly uniform visual style and aesthetic. This includes, but is not limited to, highly focused or out of focus subjects, high contrast, and mostly black and white images. Photographs with early cameras have gritty matte textures. A few well-known war photographers are Timothy O’Sullivan who documented the Civil War, Dmitri Baltermants who was a soviet photographer during WWII, and Platon who did a project on the Iraq war for businessinsider.com.
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Note: All edits were done in Lrc, no Ps.
This project is dedicated to the men and woman who are fighting, who have fought, and who have lost their lives in battle. They deserve so much more than they are given.
It began with the invention of the camera in the 1830s. The technological insufficiency of early cameras didn’t allow photographers to capture the action of operations, so most photos are still shots of fortifications, soldiers at leisure, and environments before and after battles. As technology progressed, soldiers smuggled cameras onto the battlefront to photograph the war they were participating in. In the 20th century, during the Civil War, WWI & II, and events of D-Day, professional photographers took daring actions to capture the impact of wars. Robert Capa was one of these photographers who’s work focuses on the Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, and D-Day landings. Unfortunately, in May of 1954 he lost his life stepping on a landmine. Today, war photography is just as significant as it was back then. Combat journalists and photographers are continuing to capture images that reveal the dark and gruesome realities of war. These photographers are often targeted by terrorist groups and opposing armed personal.
War photography has a mostly uniform visual style and aesthetic. This includes, but is not limited to, highly focused or out of focus subjects, high contrast, and mostly black and white images. Photographs with early cameras have gritty matte textures. A few well-known war photographers are Timothy O’Sullivan who documented the Civil War, Dmitri Baltermants who was a soviet photographer during WWII, and Platon who did a project on the Iraq war for businessinsider.com.
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Note: All edits were done in Lrc, no Ps.
This project is dedicated to the men and woman who are fighting, who have fought, and who have lost their lives in battle. They deserve so much more than they are given.
1. TOY SOLDIER
This B&W image depicts a soldier with his rifle taking a breather while war wages around him. The increased Clarity and Texture capture the grittiness of his environment such as the peeling paint on the wood behind him or the grains of sand in the dirt. His head is bowed as if in defeat, contemplating if it’s worth pushing forward. The slight increase of Contrast also deepens the shadows and brightens the highlights.
2. RUNNER
By increasing just the Clarity and Texture to this B&W photograph it adds depth to the brush this soldier is about to cross through as he carries ammo cans to aid fellow soldiers. The urgency is represented by the sand that caught up into the air as he trudges through the mud.
3. UNDER FIRE
Captured in this B&W image is a soldier sprinting with ammo cans to supply troops laid up in trenches. Increased Clarity, Texture, and slight decrease in Whites creates a grainy quality in the sky that is often in war photography. He crouches as he runs avoiding enemy fire hoping to get the much-needed ammo to his comrades. The slight blur of the moving subject aids the active movement within the photograph.
4. DOWN THE SIGHTS
The sidearm in this B&W photo points at something or someone beyond the camera. The increased Clarity and Texture pull the subject away from the blank sky as well as revealing the stitching in the SEAL’s gloves and shemagh. By decreasing the Whites and Blacks it flattens out the image and creates a central focus on the 9mm. This image is also cropped closer to the subject, so he fills most of the frame.
5. THE FACE OF WAR
The B&W still of this soldier captures the expression of war. A soldier may leave the war he once knew behind but when he returns, he engages in a whole new conflict within. The increased Clarity and Texture lays bare the Kevlar weaving in the helmet as well as the coarseness of his beard. By using the Brush Adjustment Tool to select just the eyes and increase the exposure the irises and pupils were brought to light. The decrease in Whites, Blacks, and overall Exposure of the image distinguishes the lights and darks. Increased Contrast and lightening of Shadows assists in unmasking as much texture from this image as possible.
5. WHO IS LEFT
This last image depicts a Navy SEAL cradling a civilian who was caught in the crossfire of a recent firefight. The increased Clarity and Texture helps display the weaving of the tattered blanket the civilian is wrapped in. Increased Contrast, Blacks, and lightening of Shadows pulls the subjects away from the background. Decreased Highlights and Exposure assist in darkening the over bright areas of the image. Bullet holes in the wall behind them can be seen adding more depth to the image. The looming shadow of the tree over them creates a presence and a representation of the death that surrounds them.