For this task we were asked to explore the different codes and conventions of genre within photography, we had to choose a subject or topic and photograph them using these different conventions of these genres. Genre within photography is important as it allows us to create expectations and group together classifications for audiences to interpret as a specific genre. David Larsen believes that there are 4 basic categories of photographic genre: Creative, Editorial, Retail and Personal. In the Creative category ‘the primary ethic is aesthetic – whatever looks good goes.’ (David Larsen, Shutha) suggests that not all these creative genres are ethical in terms of exploiting their subject. In the genre such as fashion the sexualization of the female form, the editing in post production of the female physique to create the ‘perfect body’ is very common within this genre to create ‘beauty’. However, also in the Creative category genres such as Fine Art nude photography may not be considered unethical because its aim is not to be sexually explicit, but to rather highlight the beauty of the human form with less editing within post production.
However, photography genres and categories can sometimes overlap for example, Creative photography and Editorial can sometimes overlap with genres such as Fashion Photography. When conventions (which are a set of rules, requirements or methods that govern how something is produced) overlap within genres it creates a ‘Hybrid’ which is conventions from multiple genres put together to create something new. For example the use of portraiture on the street would bring together the conventions of both portrait and street / documentary photography.
For this task I decided to look into the genre of both Street and Portrait photography, my subject I used was a plush unicorn that I incorporated into my photographs as my subject. To begin I researched some typical conventions of the Documentary photography genre. Images must be truthful and objective, artificial lighting is barely ever used, the photos are usually candid. When also looking into the Street photography genre as well a lot of these conventions also apply to this genre too. Street photographs can also be used to convey a certain emotion wether it be empathy or humour; most are usually shown in black and white to create a timeless effect and to also lost the distraction of colour, the eye focuses on what is going on in the image such as lighting and composition rather than looking at colours.
When taking this image I used the natural light of the sun to illuminate the subject, I like how the light reflects off of the pavement creating a circle of light almost, around the subject, drawing your eyes immediately to it. There is nothing else in the photograph which in street photography can portray loneliness, also the use of a stuffed toy can also convey innocence. The use of the pavement as a marker as to where the image has been shot and the lack of colour automatically sets up an interpretation for the street photography genre. The use of a displaced subject makes the photograph more artificial and therefore brings in portraiture aspects, as I have placed the subject the way I wanted and is the predominant feature in this image.
References:
http://shutha.org/photo-genres
https://fstoppers.com/education/why-its-still-important-shoot-black-and-white-48141