Crab Trap Collection

Posted by Twelvebit (Victoria, United States) on 7 June 2008 in Business & Industry.

Seadrift Image 5

Melissa W. inspired me to write about a couple of topics relevant to photography in general, and to photo-blogging or the submission of images for publication.

In his New York Times column, the film-maker, Errol Morris, wrote a three part series that examined the question of "staging" in two famous Crimean War photographs taken by Roger Fenton.

Apparently, somewhere outside of Sebastopol, Fenton took two photographs of a road in a valley that had seen heavy artillery shelling. He took both photos from the exact same tripod position, yet, in one photo there are cannonballs on the road, and in the other, all the cannonballs are on the hill or in the ditch to the side of the road. In lieu of any historical information about the order in which the photos were taken, several questions arise: which photo was taken first? did Fenton "stage" the photograph of the cannonballs on the road? did he "stage" the image of the cannonballs "off" the road? if Fenton "staged" one of the photos, what was his motive?

Morris examines these questions is great detail. My interest here is primarily in the concept of "staging." Melissa W. asked me if I found the hose in the position pictured in OJ or if I placed it in that position myself? It so happens that I merely found it that way, but I think a question like this contains a suggestion that the answer, whatever it is, will influence the viewer's perception of the image. There are multiple possibilities for interpretation. If I manipulated the hose I might be considered clever by some, while others, under the assumption that the image, as presented, implies a "found" and not a "staged" scene, might consider the image deceptive.

While I don't have any particular bias against "staging" a photograph, my own practice is generally not to "stage" --at least not "in the field." I will sometimes remove an obstruction --push a branch out of the way, for instance-- or wait for a scene to change or an obstruction to be removed (a blocking object like a car to move, or people to rearrange themselves within the scene).

On the other hand, there are times when I will rearrange a "found" scene entirely to suit the composition of a photograph. Melissa W. took this photo of table accoutrement's in a restaurant. Nothing precludes these objects from being shot as "found," and one, in fact, might stumble upon such objects in a particularly pleasing arrangement. However, as these objects are easily and commonly rearranged in the course of being used, and there can really be no expectation with regard to their arrangement, I would not hesitate to move them into a more pleasing composition. In other words, I don't view this image by Melissa as conveying any particular expectation about the position of objects within the scene, or containing any suggestion that it was "found" exactly as it is presented. In contrast, I think there is such an expectation suggested in my "OJ" photo, and that most viewers would interpret, or expect it, to represent the scene as found.

Tomorrow, something about photo-blogging and the submission of images for publication.

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