Photography in the Great Depression
an 11th grade art lesson to be used when teaching the Great Depression
Instagram... what is it?
Instagram + the Great Depression
If people used Instagram during this era... what images would you have seen?
What makes a good picture?
• We all have ideas of what makes a good picture...
• How do we analyze an image and determine it is "good"?
Elements of Photography
There are several elements of photography...
What is an element?
Merriam-Webster defines "element" as...
a constituent parta plural : the simplest principles of a subject of study
Composition
• The way things are arranged in the photo
Pattern/Texture
Line
• Lines are what moves your eyes around a photoo A photo with interesting
lines engages your viewer!
Light
• Fundamental elements that illuminates subject
Color
• Different colors affect different emotions• Some people say color can distract people
from the subject/mood of the image
Viewpoint
• Viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo
• Can greatly affect the message conveyed o consider photographing
from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.
Depth
• It can isolate a subject from its background and foreground
• Or it can put the same subject in context by revealing it’s surroundings
Framing
• Framing allows you to isolate main subject in an image.
• Draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest
Elements
Review.... What is?
• Composition
• Pattern
• Line
• Light
• Color
• Viewpoint
• Depth
• Framing
Photographers of the Great Depression
• Dorothea Lange
• Walter Evans
• Arthur Rothstein
Dorothea Lange• Educated at Columbia University
• moved to San Francisco to work in a portrait studio
• During the Great Depression moved to the street to capture American citizens dealing with the consequences of the era
• Was hired by the FSA (Farm Security Administration)
• Brought images of the poor (sharecroppers, displaced farm families, migrants) to public attention
Lange, Dorothea, (photographer). (1936). Destitue pea pickers in California, [photograph], Retrieved June 5, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa1998021539/PP/
Walter Evans
• Went to Williams College for French Lit before dropping out
• Was a clerk on Wall St until 1929
• 1935 worked for the Resettlement Administration (RA) in PA and WV
• Went on to work for the FSA
• Famous for many photographs taken of farm families and sharecroppers of the deep south
Evans, Walker (photographer). (1935). Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania [photograph], Retrieved June 11, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa1997019491/PP/
Arthur Rothstein
• He was a graduate of Columbia University
• Founder of the University Camera Club and photography editor of the Columbian
• Worked for the RA and FSA
• Well known for his images of small town, rural America
Rothstein, Arthur (photographer). (1939). Business center. Colp, Illinois [photograph], Retrieved June 11, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa2000008212/PP/
Picture Walk!
Divide into groups of 4-5 people
Walk around the room, stop at each photo for a few minutes. Analyze and discuss:- What elements are present?- Who/What is the subject? - What part of the subject is shown? - Where was the camera positioned? - What story is told through this photo?
Discuss
Rothstein, Arthur (photographer). (1938). Uncompleted hotel on main street, started in 1929, never finished because of depression. Vincennes, Indiana [photograph], Retrieved June 11, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa2000007850/PP/
Discuss
Evans, Walker (photographer). (1936). Tengle children, Hale County, Alabama [photograph], Retrieved June 11, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa1998016792/PP/
Discuss
Lange, Dorothea, (photographer). (1939). Family who traveled by freight train, [photograph], Retrieved June 5, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa2000003842/PP/
Discuss
LaLange, Dorothea, (photographer). (1937). Drought and depression refugee from Okalahoma now working in the pea fields of California [photograph], Retrieved June 5, 2013, from: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa2000000976/PP/
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