Extra Credit Blog Post

Blog Post 11: Advertisement

What is a better way to advertise a product than to show a half-naked woman throughout the whole video? Well this racy photography commercial aired in Spain. It shows what seems to be a woman gripping her breast to the sound of mellow and relaxing music. At first the viewer may get the wrong idea, but by the end of the video they will understand why the woman was used in the commercial.

This commercial, believe it or not, is a commercial about a company that deals with photography. Throughout the video a woman is shown grabbing her breast.However she's not trying to convey a sexual message. By the end of the commercial she removes an image of a breast that is larger than hers. By this time the viewer understands what the commercial is really about. An enhanced image is better than a real life picture. The woman uses the enlarged picture of a breast to make herself seem "bigger". By this commercial we can infer that photography is not necessarily real.

This commercial does contain a slogan. It is "FotoPrix: The Best Phots; The Best Price". The slogan is catchy in the way that it is represented. The slogan and the product name are shown at the end of the commercial because the viewer wants to stick to the end to see what this commercial is all about. It tries to make the product/service stand out from the rest of competitors by saying FotoPrix has the "best" photos. It's also saying the this service is acceptable because it makes women feel good about themselves because they are able to make themselves look better in a photograph. This commercial is naughty because it features a half-naked woman trying to her improve her assets by using photography, but in another way it is nice because it shows that people can look better through photography.

Blog Post #11: Advertisement

This ad, like many other Cover girl ads, has a picture of a flawless model attempting to sell their new and improved makeup product. Even though a product just like the one advertised may have been recently released, the picture of the girl and cleanliness of her skin, attracts consumers of all ages regardless of the product. The idea that photography is fake also plays a role in Cover girl advertisements.

This product attempts to come across as "new and improved, bigger and better" as according to James B Twitchell. Being a company that sells makeup, this is always their goal. Women are always looking for a way to better improve themselves and photography is also to blame for this. Editing, cover-ups and touch-ups are things that photography is capable of altering in a photo and consumers believe that the product will give them these results.

Cover girl's slogan is "Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Cover girl" and in all the cases of their makeup advertisements, they want the consumer to believe that their product is simple and will make the women who buy it, natural and beautiful looking all at the same time. This is the idea that Twitchell makes when he says that ads have to appear as if they were, "not new and big, but old and small". The "small-ness" of this ad is that if one buys the foundation, it will be so natural to their complexion that people will hardly notice that they're wearing anything. But the makeup is not the magical product here. The power of editing is. 

Post 11: Advertising

Appealing to the viewers emotions is key to creating a successful advertisement. When looking at the Nikon TV commercial promoted by Ashton Kutcher, it gives the viewer a sense of happiness because of the relaxing environment of the setting of the commercial. The commercial takes place along the beach and shows different people taking pictures of each other at the beach.

Although there is not necessarily a specific slogan, jingle, or tagline, the product is constantly represented throughout the commercial. Simply by having a celebrity endorse the product, there is no longer a need for a slogan or such because there is now a greater chance that people would go out and purchase the camera because Ashton Kutcher supposedly uses it. This is another advertising technique that has been used more recently to appeal to the consumers. 

There is no clear distinction between naughty and nice or good and evil. The advertisement focuses on the abilities of the camera and makes it more appealing by using attractive women and an attractive man in a calm setting. 

This advertisement is not really a standard ad that would require a slogan or jingle because the use of a celebrity does more than a slogan or jingle ever would. Now when people think of Nikon cameras, an image of Ashton Kutcher appears in peoples heads, making the advertisement that more memorable.

Blog Post 10: Analysis

This photograph was taken by Andrew Pearce, a photographer from rural Australia. His hope is to show people the world's beauty and devastation. This particular photograph is called "Passing Spirits" and it is of a skyline of a city located in Australia. The first where my eyes are pulled to is to the center of the photograph. The center-horizontal area of the picture is lit up with many city lights and the outside of the photographs is very dark and gray relative to the center. This dark area creates a frame for the picture because it is dark and gray. Seeing this picture gives me mixed emotions because there is a dark area and a dark area, so I do not know whether this photograph is trying to convey a cheerful feeling or a depressed feeling. One of the the things that really pops out is the yellow-lit building the center of the photograph. The reason for this is that it's a totally different color from the whole photograph. Also the bridge fulfills its function because my eyes tend to follow it in both directions. It follows it into the city and to the outside of it.There is some sort of pattern happening in the water. The body of water creates a mirror image of the buildings. This image can be interpreted in multiple ways; depending on how the viewer wants to dissect it.

Blog Post 10: Analysis

This image is known as "Tourist Guy (2011)" and it was captured by some man that was later identified by the name of Pacer Guzli. When looking at this image my eye is first drawn to the tall man on the right side of the frame. His body is very bulky and takes up about half of the shot. After scanning through the rest of the image it becomes apparent by the tiny structures in the background that this man is standing somewhere of high altitudes. However mixed in to the colors in the background a form of an airplane can be found that seems to be directed towards the man. This is when one may feel a bit worried for the man and curious as to what the situation is. Looking around the image a little more, a few numbers can can be found on the bottom right that probably determines the date the image was taken. The date is 09-11-01. The exact date of the terrorist attacks in NY. This is when the image begins to make sense as a whole. The man is standing up on a building taking a picture of him with a beautiful view moments before the plane would come crashing through the building he was standing on. This photograph evokes such strong emotions, making the viewer worried, anxious, and curious as to the fate of the man in the image. Although the plane is not necessarily as big as the man in the foreground, its significance is shown throughout the color it is and how shiny it is in contrast to the dull brown background. This image does a good job communicating the idea of how even extremely unexpected things can happen at any moment in time. 

Although this post was not meant to focus on story or plot I feel it is necessary to mention that after a little research I found that this image was not real at all. It was completely photoshoped to seem like it was captured moments before the plabe would crash into the building and the date depicted on the bottom right validates the belief that the image was indeed from 9/11. When in reality this image was originally nothing people expected it to be. With the help of photoshop this image won an award for the best edited picture. 

Blog Post 10

This photograph is one of many of TESOPhotography. I'm not exactly sure who this person is, but they have multiple videos on YouTube that play a series of photos of nature taken by them. Throughout this video classical music is played. This means that no lyrics are in any of these songs, partly because the intent is to make the viewer appreciate the photography and not take away from the meaning of the photos or cause distraction. If a song with words were to be played in the video rather than an instrumental song, the lyrics could easily sway the story or emotion of the viewer. However I like this picture in particular because at first glance the first word that came to my mind was hope. I got this from the soothing colors of the photo in the sky and the ground, not too dull and not too gray. The rocks somewhat remind me of the many life obstacles or opportunities that are constantly put in front of us every day that we must overcome. The photo also gives me a sense that the "life" in the picture is the water that no matter what, keep flowing regardless.  At the end of the rocks is a small peek of the sun which made me feel like beyond these obstacles that we encounter is a small prize. The photographer does a good job of portraying the idea the prize is never too close and if we waste time, the sun will fall and the water will never touch it. 

Blog Post 9: Comment

Group Post:
In Shanilla's post I agreed with what she posted. It is simple editing that can change how a person sees a photograph. It's amazing how people now have access to the technology and programs that allow them to alter a photograph. It was great knowing that Shanilla and I understand these type of controversies that arise from the world of photography.

http://realorfakephotos.blogspot.com/2012/10/blog-post-7-free-choice.html#comment-form



Different Post:
In this blog, I was able to discover a different take on photography. I saw some photographs simple botanical object. It was amazing seeing how such simple photographs were able to convey such strong emotion.


http://www.photographyblogger.net/miles-of-light-botanical-photography-by-romina-bacci/

Blog Post 9: Comments

Own Blog:

In this response to Shanilla's Post of Recreate, I discussed how I agree with her stand that photos cannot always be trusted. I also expand a little bit on how if she was able to mimic and image so well, a professional photographer is able to do much more and this is a reason why most of photography could easily be taken as fake. 

http://realorfakephotos.blogspot.com/2012/11/blog-post-8-recreate.html?showComment=1352350237662#c5298367591571491617

Separate Blog:

In this post I discuss how the photographer uses techniques to enhance a photo before snapping it rather than how other photographers edit photos after they are taken (making them fake).

http://heartifb.com/2012/10/09/the-trusted-lens-blogger-photography-tips-from-lydia-hudgens/comment-page-1/#comment-73121 

Blog Post 8: Recreate

.   People get surprised when they see this photograph  (upper) because it makes them wonder. How can eleven workers look so casual and relaxed while they are sitting on a beam 850 feet above the ground. Some people believed that it was a hoax but surprisingly it is the real thing. However, there is a catch to this famous photograph. A photographer intentionally sat the eleven men on this beam to advertise the near-completion of what is now the GE building. We conclude that this image is real but it only captures what the photographer wanted to portray. The lower picture is a comical version of the photograph "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper". In this photograph I edited out the men and replaced them with soccer players that were originally sitting on the bench. This goes to show that almost anyone can alter the reality of a photograph.

Blog Post 9: Comments

Link to comment on our blog:

http://realorfakephotos.blogspot.com/2012/10/blog-6-re-mix.html?showComment=1352074685522#c4060011704256551519

This comment discusses how I agree with Briannas opinion on photography and how it can easily be messed with to make it more physically appealing. 

Link to comment on other blog:
http://www.deceptivemedia.co.uk/photoblog/portfolio/lime.html
(website doesn't allow for direct link to comment)

My comment explains how photography means something different to different people and how beauty can be found in anything. 

Blog Post 8: Recreate

For this post I recreated Taylor Swifts album cover with my friend Lauren. Although it does not accurately depict the album and definitely doesn't do it justice, it shows how easily an image can be altered to any desired outcome. I used numerous editing softwares as well as Adobe Photo Shop to recreate this image to reflect the album cover just as many photographers. They accomplish the same task with their photographs to make them end with their desired look for a model or image.

Again playing with the idea that photos are fake and can easily be manipulated with.

Blog Post #8 Recreate

My friend who happens to do photography as more than just a hobby, took this picture of me. I wanted to use it to give the viewer the concept of :"Your Picture Here". Photography gives people, more specifically girls, the desire to be like the people in the photos they see. I didn't copy a specific pose or photo taken by a model, but rather I wanted to portray the people in society who think that professional photography is the only way to express beauty and make it seem like I had the desire to fulfill this. While working with this friend, I had asked for the pictures immediately but realized that a photographer would never give someone a photo with having edited it first. At first I couldn't understand this because I thought the concept of photography was to capture something real in front of you and make it available for others to interpret, but my friend said that the picture would only be complete after editing. Just by this, I can conclude that even to photographers, nothing is good enough with having being messed with first.  

Free Choice

The point trying to be proved is that photographers don't share or expose pictures that portray the truth of the person/object being captured. If you think about it, photography is a hobby that is intended to make pictures look nothing like they do in real life. This photo shows the process a wedding photographer makes in attempt to make the bride come across as angelic.

When you compare the two, the first looks like a picture that could have been taken with an 8 megapixel camera. In the last photo, the bride doesn't even look remotely real. It is obvious that she is airbrushed. As the pictures progress, we can see that the first contains shadows. In the second, these shadows as well as some blemishes on her face begin to disappear. By the third photo, all shadows have been removed and if you look closely, what seems to be a mole at the top right of her mouth, has been removed.

In my opinion, photography's only purpose should be to enhance the quality of a photo. Every other factor beside that is used to make the object or person look fake. This also leads to the social issue that women and young girls have this idea or picture in their heads of what beauty is supposed to look like, due to photos such as this one. A lot of times, people forget all of the editing that goes into these photos and should remember that the edited version of a photo is never the real version.

Blog Post 7: Free Choice

Focusing on the main point of this blog- real versus fake images, it becomes apparent through this image from a Dove Real Beauty advertisement that images are not always what they are portrayed as. Before I begin analyzing the image, I would like to point out the irony behind the title of the ad... "Real Beauty". Im sorry but nothing about this image on the left is real. Regardless, the image on the right side shows the woman's natural face, completely unaltered and simple while the left side of the image shows her face after being photo shopped. Personally I believe that most images are tampered with to fit what society declares as beautiful. Whether it be a picture of a flower or a portrait, these photographs are edited and cropped to glorify the actually image and depict it as something it truly is not. 

Photography is very complicated in this way. What defines something as being beautiful? The natural beauty it posses or how it is depicted after being messed with and altered? Photo shop and different editing softwares give people a corrupted meaning to what beauty is and how people should look. Referring back to the image above, specifically the left side, it is obvious that the image has been tampered with and edited. No one could ever look that flawless without being messed with. This again plays with the idea that people are given a false description of beauty. Many girls look up to images like these and desire to look like that girl. When in reality she does not exist. This image on the left is a fake girl with fake features that have been enhanced as a direct result of editing tools and photo shop techniques. 

Admittedly the image on the left is definitely more appealing that the one on the rifht. However, this idea of editing images and making them fake proves that photography is not necessarily real. 

Post 6: Remix

Many people know what occurred during the LA riots. Many people know what caused these riots. Rodney King's incident was very controversial and created an upheaval in Los Angeles. Rodney King was in a high speed pursuit and once the police were able to stop him they used excessive force to control King. He was a victim of police brutality and citizens of Los Angeles, mostly African-Americans, decided  riot when the police officers' jury was happening.

The collage of pictures that is shown here displays the different events that led to the riots and they also show the chaos of the riots. All a good story needs pictures and bias information. For example, Rodney King's incident and the LA Riots had a lot of media coverage. Therefore, there were many photographers on the streets taking pictures of the events that were happening. A good photograph is worth more than a thousand words and these pictures explain a lot of what happened during the incidents. Was a still frame of the video of Rodney King being beaten enough to start a riot? Was it a newspaper article filled with pictures able to create such an upheaval? A photographer can sway a viewer's opinion by the photographs they take. It can stir up many biases, but the photographs taken of the riots are not the photographer's interpretation of the riots. These photographs represent the reality and chaos of the LA riots. Therefore, these photographs are real.

Blog 6: Re-mix

This here, is a picture of Rosie Huntington-Whitely. A Victoria Secret Model or what most refer to her as, the current "Transformers girl". Look closely. I combined the pictures so that one side (the left) displays her made up at a formal event, and the other side (right) displays the same girl without all the makeup and glamour.

In this case, the photographer has chosen to manipulate the appearance of a person, rather than a scenery. In all cases, photographers are capable of adding effects and  convincing the viewer to visualize something that is not actually true. When compared, the bags under her eyes are gone, her tan has obtained and even glow (probably due to the lighting added to the photo) and every blemish she has, has seemed to disappear. The question that may be asked is, is the picture fake or is the model herself fake? The answer is, both. The photographer has done enough editing to make her look completely different to the person she really is. 

Post 6: Re-Mix

This is a photograph goes against conventional ideas of what photography is. This image shows a photo within a photo and also plays with different techniques. The idea behind this image is to focus on a small part of a greater picture. These photographs are of the same scene but presented within one another to show depth as well as focus and color. 

A typical photograph would simply depict any scene with a single shot photo that focuses on one subject. However, the blending of the same picture onto another plays with the viewers emotions and seems to make them step back and look at the picture as a whole. Not only was the technique manipulated, but so were the colors. The image in the foreground is in color while the background image is black and white. The purpose of this is to show how photographs can easily be altered to fit the artists desires. Therefore proving that photography is not always real and it could easily be manipulated in any way. 

Post 5: React

This photograph was taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. The photograph is known as Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. It displays five U.S. Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising the United States flag on the summit of Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. People may believe that only one flag was raised that day, but that is not true. A first flag was raised prior to this one. A few hours later the second flag (shown here) was raised. This photograph depicts the bravery and heroism that these soldiers had. Three of the six men survived the battle to witness the fame and glory that was brought by this photograph. The photograph may be the most reproduced photograph of all time. It was the first photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in the same year it was published. This is a true and real piece of photography.  This image would be impossible to replicate even if professional photographers tried to to replicate it. The image gives off so much emotion that it makes the viewer want to be part of the scene. It must have reached out to many Americans since it won an honorable prize the same year it was published. Since it was able to accomplish that, this image must be a real piece of photography.

Blog Post 5: React

This is a photograph captured by Richard Lam in Vancouver after serious riots spread throughout the city as a result of the tragic loss of their city team in the Stanley Cup. This image portrays a moment or serenity and passion while surrounded by utter chaos and tragedy. At first this picture looks pleasant simply because of all the bright colors and lights. However, that is not the case. After closer analyzation of the image, it becomes apparent that all those lights and colors depict angry rioters and police officers that are trying to control the scene. Additionally, the fact only the subject in this photograph is in focus but not necessarily in the middle makes it more private but prominent in capturing the essence of this special moment shared between this couple. This image illustrates the idea that even though there is all this fighting surrounding the couple, it does not stop them from loving each other. I feel as if the image is trying to explain that when you are in love, nothing else matters around you.