ebook img

Photography and Cinema PDF

161 Pages·2010·2.45 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Photography and Cinema

Photography and Cinema David Campany Photography and Cinema EXPOSURESisaseriesofbooksonphotographydesignedtoexplorethe richhistoryofthemediumfromthematicperspectives.Eachtitle presentsastrikingcollectionofapproximately80imagesandan engaging,accessibletextthatoffersintriguinginsightsintoaspecific themeorsubject. Serieseditors:MarkHaworth-BoothandPeterHamilton Alsopublished PhotographyandAustralia HelenEnnis PhotographyandSpirit JohnHarvey Photography and Cinema David Campany reaktionbooks ForPolly PublishedbyReaktionBooksLtd 33GreatSuttonStreet Londonec1v0dx www.reaktionbooks.co.uk Firstpublished2008 Copyright©DavidCampany2008 Allrightsreserved Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem, ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying, recordingorotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublishers. PrintedandboundinChinabyC&COffsetPrintingCo.,Ltd BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Campany,David Photographyandcinema.–(Exposures) 1.Photography–History 2.Motionpictures–History I.Title 770.9 isbn–13:9781861893512 Contents Introduction 7 one Stillness 22 two PaperCinema 60 three PhotographyinFilm 94 four ArtandtheFilmStill 119 Afterword 146 References 148 SelectBibliography 154 Acknowledgements 156 PhotoAcknowledgements 157 Index 158 ‘...everythingstartsinthemiddle...’ GrahamLee,1967 Introduction OpeningMovement On11June1895theFrenchCongressofPhotographicSocieties(Congrès dessociétésphotographiquesdeFrance)wasgatheredinLyon.Photography hadbeeninexistenceforaboutsixtyyears,butcinemawasanewinven- tion.LouisandAugusteLumièrehadjustbeengrantedapatentfortheir Cinématographe,thefirstmoviecameraandprojectionsystem.Louis,who workedforthefamily’sphotographybusiness,wastheretodemonstrateit. AboattriptoNeuville-sur-Saônehadbeenarrangedforthephotographers andLouissetuphiscameratorecordthem.Hefilmedastheycamedown thenarrowgangwayontothequayside.TheLumièresmadeseveralfilms ofpeoplefilingpasttheircamera,includingoneofworkersleavingtheir factory,thefirstfilmtobescreenedpublicly.1Thesubjectmatterwasideal: endlesslydifferentfigurespassingthroughafixedframeexpresssomuch sosimply,aboutphotographsinmotion. ThephotographershadheardoftheCinématographeandwerekeen toseeit.Inthefilm,whichislessthanaminutelong,somesmileself- consciouslyastheypass,otherswavetheirhats.Oneman,lookingmore serious,clutchesalargeplatecameratohischest.Heslowsdownashe passes,takesaquickphotoofLouisandthemoviecameraandrejoins theflow.2Thewhereaboutsofhissnapshotisunknown.Hemayhavenot actuallytakenone.Perhapswhatreallymatteredwasthefilmingofthe gesture,thefirstfootageofastillphotographer‘inaction’.Louiswasnot bluffing.Infact,thosephotographerswerethefirsttoseethefilmwhenit wasdevelopedandprojectedforthemthefollowingday. 7 Whatmighttheyhavethoughtofwhattheysaw?WastheCinéma- tographesomethingfamiliarandagreeableorradicallydifferent?What effectwouldithaveonphotography?Whatpurposemightitserve?Was itcompetition?Wasitanoveltyorwoulditlast?Andwhatwasthemean- ingofthatmomentwhenLouiswasphotographedandthephotographer wasfilmed?Itpassesinsecondsbutitsenigmaremains.Wasitafriendly affirmationthatphotographerandfilmmakerwereessentiallythesame, orarealizationofprofounddifference?Wasthiscinemaaffirmingadebt tophotographyordistancingitself?Thequestionsmusthavebeenfelt 1ArrivéedescongressistesàNeuville- acutely.Whatevercuriosityortrepidationthephotographersexperienced sur-Saône[ThePhotographicCongress astheywerefilmedwouldhavebeencompoundedastheywatchedtheir ArrivesinNeuville-sur-Saône].(Louis encounterplayedbackinrealtime. andAugusteLumière,1895),frame. Ofcourse,wecantracethedepictionofmovementinimagesasfar backaswelike,viatheperceptualrevolutionswroughtbyrailwaytravel, opticaltoys,theatre,panoramasandnarrativepainting,backtotheshadows flickeringonthewallofPlato’scave,butthereisnoparticularorigin. TheLumières’filmisagoodenoughplaceforustobeginhere.Notonly wasitthefirstmeetingofphotographyandcinema,itwasalsoameeting thatseemedtotakeplaceoncinema’sterms.Thisbookisathearta reflectiononwhatcinemahasdonefor,orto,stillphotography.Itlooks attheinfluencesofcinema–aesthetic,intellectualandtechnical.Itlooks attheinfluenceofthemovingimageonthesocialfunctionofphotographs. Itlooksatquestionsofcinematictimeandmotionandhowtheyhave reconfiguredphotographicstillness. FromOnetotheOther Photographyhasbeenmoredispersedthananyothermedium,including film.Almostfromthebeginningitwasputtouseacrossthespectrum oftheartsandsciences.Infact,itspreadsoquicklythatgettingagrip ontheparticularnatureofphotographysoonproveddifficult,andithas remainedso.Howcanoneuniteunderasingleidentityimagesasvaried aspassportphotos,advertising,topographicstudies,familysnaps, medicalrecords,newspicturesandpolicedocuments?Facedwithsuch 8

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.