17 September 2015 5th Hour 8th Grade Visual Art Warmup

 

Dorothea Lange. Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California. 1936

"Photography has often been perceived as an objective, and therefore unbiased, medium for capturing and preserving historical moments. Yet the choices made by a photographer—including how the image is composed, what is left in or out of the shot, and how it may be manipulated after it is taken—necessarily impacts how we perceive the image. It also raises critical questions about how willingly we accept any one photograph as the definitive truth. 

Photographs can bear witness to a definitive moment in history or even serve as a catalyst for change. They can foster sympathy and awareness or, alternatively, offer critical commentary on an historical figure or event. The photographers discussed here aim to wordlessly capture the essence of events they witnessed—though the question of accuracy is always up for debate." (MoMA, Photography as Witness)

We will be creating a sketch that depicts how you plan on composing your photograph.