Photography was invented and observed in the year 1839. Photorealism might also could have been a style manner of artwork that usually enclosed on portray drawings and exceptional photographs platform all through artists research an image, and so makes an attempt to create the photo as in any other medium although the time period can be used loosely to provide an explanation for layout in lots of diverse media it’s conjointly accustomed refer in particular to plenty of art work and painters of the social movement that started out within the overdue 1960s and early 1970s. As a full-scale social movement, photorealism emerged from Pop Art, and as a counter to the maximalist other creative movement, similar to the minimalist art movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Photorealists use a photograph or many photos to collect the statistics to form their art works. They argued that the utilization of a camera and picture is a recognition of modernism.
However, admittance to the utilization of images in photorealism become met with severe grievance once the motion commenced to acquire momentum in the past due 1960s, regardless of the actual reality that visual devices were used because the fifteenth century to assist artists with their work. The creation of images inside the nineteenth century had three fundamental effects on art portrait and scenic artists had been tested significance to images and artists turned to photography as careers amongst 19th and 20th-century art moves. It’s far nicely recounted that artists used the photo as deliver fabric and as a useful resource, however, they visited nice lengths to disclaim the very fact fearing that their paintings might be misunderstood as imitations and via the photo’s invention artists had been hospitable a good buy of latest experimentation.
Thus, the end result of the discovery of the photograph became an event in art’s records in the direction of the assignment going through the artist because the earliest acknowledged cave drawings making a try to reproduction the scenes they considered. By the time the photorealists started production their bodies of labor the photo became the main definition of recreating fact and abstraction turned into the primary awareness of the art international. Realism continuing as a present day the front, even experiencing a reemergence within the 1930s, however with the aid of the fifties modernist critics and artistic movement had mineralized realism as a significant art undertaking.
Photorealists, as an alternative, were more inspired by using the paintings of pop artists, and reacted against the creative motion. Pop art and photorealism were reactionary moves, stemming from the increasing and in very extremely good quantity abundance of photographic media, that by means of the middle 20th century had adult into such a big improvement that it certainly turned into threatening to reduce the worth of images in artwork. However, while the pop artists have been primarily commenting at the absurdity of loads of the representational manner, photorealists have been trying to reclaim and exalt the worth of a photo.
In photorealism, change and motion ought to be frozen in time that must then be as it should be painted by means of the creator. Photorealists acquire their intellectual imagery and information with the digital camera and picture. Once the photo is developed the author can consistently transfer the picture from the photographic slide onto canvases.
Commonly that is regularly performed either through sticking out the slide onto the canvas or by way of victimization historic grid strategies. The resulting snap shots are typically direct copies of the primary image however are normally larger than the first picture or slide. This ends in photorealist vogue being tight and specific, generally with a strain on mental imagery that wishes an excessive level of technical artwork and technology to simulate, like reflections in a reflect like surfaces and therefore the geometric rigor of synthetic surround.
By the 1970s, the accepted acknowledgement approximately the genesis of photorealism had driven ahead for step one to the discovery of the camera within the nineteenth century, with the new device displacing painting by using its realism and velocity. Then, approximately a century and a half later, painters started projecting digital camera producing photographs onto canvas and tracing the imagery, growing the primary works of called photorealism. Photorealists normally display a photographed picture on to many sizes canvas and then used an airbrush to recreate the results of a photo revealed on smooth photographic paper.
The concept of the portray become complicated in most cases with the photograph and that the painting was fair-minded with the method of finishing it up. To conceal the painterliness of panorama/portrait scenes with the appearance of images. To are looking for out a way to capture a crisp floor by means of the usage of an airbrush strategies in their many pictures of the well-known American culture.
Photorealist artists try and make paintings that undergo a resemblance to snap shots as near practical. Photorealist creations are as well frequently called via many names as superrealism and hyperrealism. Each of those names normally could pass under their personal particle genre. They are commonly all in generally taken into consideration to be aspect shoots of photo realism raising upon later with their very own precise surroundings of attention. Numerous specialists do speedier, littler scale watercolor investigations of the photo to work out the subtleties of shading and arrangement, before setting out on the strongly point by point generation of an enormous scale photorealist painting. So, as to precisely move the picture from the photo to the canvas, photorealist craftsmen utilize a mechanical or semi-mechanical methods for move, for example, a projector or the matrix framework.
Despite the fact that recently kept for the most part to the jargon of workmanship fans, the terms ‘photorealism’ and ‘photorealistic’ have abruptly become substantially more unmistakable on the grounds that they’ve been applied in the enormously well-known area of PC gaming. Over numerous decades now, every specialized and graphical development in the gaming scene has been one little advance towards what is in actuality the genuine ultimate objective for most of game planners – an ongoing, 3D world that is genuinely unclear from a true scene. Consequently, the utilization of descriptors photorealistic, and now and again photoreal, to depict games with always improved illustrations.
Ways to deal with games structure that evade this pattern, supporting rather a masterful style in which scenes purposely look like works of art or drawings, are correspondingly depicted as non-photorealistic. With many artists that worked within the photorealism era took a deeper meaning to paintings that not only tricked the viewers as in to thinking the painting is a realistic photograph showing the long process of the patient mind recreating a real still life image on to a canvas.
The science of High dynamic range imaging has developed the dynamic range of processing, transmission, and representation of imaging photography beyond the traditional forms. In this paper, I examine the recent developments in high dynamic range (HDR) and tone mapping. Before the nineteenth century, the majority of the artwork was developed in two or three-dimensional forms. The concept of using various exposures to secure a wide range of luminance was pioneered by Gustave Le Gray to deliver seascapes presenting the sky and the sea in 1895 (Sayre, 15). It was difficult at the time to use standard methods as the luminosity range was markedly extreme. Gustave Le Gray used two different negatives, one for the sky and a long exposure one for the sea. He then combined both in the positive. The need for high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) has existed for a long time but it was until in recent times barred by computer processing power (Sayre, 56).
Ansel Adams a great conservationist and veteran photographer created great public awareness of photography. He engaged a vigilantly controlled process to tone map scenes on negatives and subsequently tone map them on print (Alinder, 8). He used a zone system to accurately predict the details he could capture on paper and film. In 1933 he opened the Adams Ansel Gallery in San Francisco. He later secured a job in Washington as a photo muralist as well as teaching photography at the museums around the time of the Second World War (Alinder, 14). He perfected HDR by use of dodging and burning images, a previous form of tone mapping which provided better contrast in the elements of his images.
Contemporary HDR was developed in the ’80s and 90’s when computers were used to analyze and create local tone mapping functions. It represents a great change in imaging technology from black and white images to color photography. The process involves the use of a high dynamic range luminance followed by tone mapping the product. Tone mapping is employed in the display of HDR images in devices of low dynamic range, for instance, a computer screen (Kopelow and Doug 20). HDR is used to reproduce images as seen by the human eye including images.
Presently cameras, e.g. the Pentax K-7s perform in-camera processing of HDR and can produce high-quality scene photographs. Nikon has effectively combined three image sensors into a single platform significantly reducing the limitations posed by previous imaging technology. The customary imaging technology was characterized by taking three fast shots of an object and merging them to make an HDR image however the Nikon’s image sensors with a video component combine the three into one shot (Revell 23). This development has led to elevated shooting speeds and increased memory reads.
Works cited
Alinder, Mary S. Ansel Adams: A Biography. New York: H. Holt, 1996. Print.
Kopelow, Gerry, and Doug Smith. All Our Changes: Images from the Sixties Generation. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2009. Print.
Revell, Jeff. Nikon D3100: From Snapshots to Great Shots. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 2011. Print.
Sayre, Henry M. A World of Art. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print.
Nowadays, journalists often publish content that may offend their audiences: photos and videos of bombings and killings, fake news, content created on the troll farms. Few people adhere to the fact that such information violates ethical principles of journalism. This work aims to evaluate the decision of a photojournalist John Harte and managing editor Robert Bentley to publish a photograph of a family mourning over the body of their drowned son.
Case Raview
In 1984, a photojournalist for the Californian John Harte found himself at the scene of an accident when a 5-year-old boy Edward Romero drowned in Hart Park Lake. Harte took some pictures of the rescue operation, including an image capturing the moment when the rescuers found the body of a drowned boy and showed it to the family (Green, 1985). Managing editor Robert Bentley approved the publication of a photograph along with an article about a drowned boy. Although the Californian never published dead bodies, Bentley decided to violate this rule. On the next day after the publication, a wave of the readers’ criticism fell on the Californian: they received more than 500 letters, 300 calls, and 80 terminations during the one day. Bentley had to apologize for the decision to publish the photograph.
Harte was sure that his editor was wrong to apologize. In an interview for the Chicago Tribune, Harte stated: “The picture should have run… I am very sorry that little boy died, but I am proud of the shot” (Green, 1985, para. 14). He emphasized that the Californian was not a sensationalistic paper, and there have been a lot of drownings in the Hart Park Lake area that year. In the month that followed the month of the photo publication, the drowning statistics decreased dramatically from fourteen to only two people.
After the photograph was published in the Californian, Harte sent it to the Associated Press. The photograph was then nominated for the Associated Press Photo of the Year and won the nomination (Harte, 2014). Thus, an ethical dilemma arose whether this photograph should have been published. On the one hand, the publication offended some readers and violated the privacy of the grieving family; on the other hand, it could have saved at least 12 lives and was recognized as a masterpiece of journalism.
Ethical Problems and Broken Principles
Firstly, the compliance with the ethical principles of journalism should be analyzed. According to Clifford, Fackler, Richardson, and Kreshel (2016), journalists should adhere to the principles of “decency and basic fairness,” “redeeming the social value,” and “respect for personal dignity” when making controversial decisions (p. 120). Researchers note that these are “three moral principles that undergird ethics of privacy for newspeople” (Clifford et al., 2016, p. 120). Secondly, the external factors, the emotional side of the issue, and the traditional behavior of journalists under similar circumstances should be considered when finding a solution to the ethical dilemma.
Harte claims that the publication aimed to promote water and swimming safety. He was hurt deeply when the audience of the ceremony started to insult him after he left the stage with the Mark Twain Award for the Associated Press Photo of the Year in his hands. Harte (2014) recalls: “It shook me up. I was young and hoped that someday I might move on and work for one of these people” (para. 6). Therefore, it is highly likely that the 27-year old photojournalist did not violate the principle of decency and basic fairness.
The principle of redeeming social value was not violated as well, due to the significant decrease in the drowning statistics. However, Harte did violate the principle of respect for personal dignity (Clifford et al., 2016). The publication of the photograph was not approved by the family members portrayed, which is a violation of the ethical principles of journalism. Harte was required to obtain permission, but he did not take the risk of bothering the family. Nonetheless, Harte should have talked to them later, when the photograph was nominated for the Associated Press Photo of the Year.
After all, it was the grief of the Romero’s family that made the Californian readers more aware of water and swimming safety. Harte (2014) casually noted on his blog: “Eloy Romero, the boy’s father, told the Californian that he had seen the photo, but was so grief-stricken that he could not care about a picture” (para. 1). Yet, nobody knows so far whether privacy interference had any psychological effect on the family members.
There were no external factors that could affect the decision to publish the photo. It was published in the Californian and then re-published in the Associated Press solely on the initiative of John Harte. No one and nothing put pressure on Harte in this regard (Harte, 2014). The fact that the photograph was published to promote the water and swimming safety could not be an external stimulus for inevitable publication.
When evaluating the emotional side of the issue, Emerson’s concept of privacy should be considered. Researchers note that Professor Thomas Emerson formed the following idea: “A right to privacy attempts to draw a line between the individual and the collective, between self and society” (Clifford et al., 2016, p. 119). BBC News published a fair share of stories about people who lost their loved ones in accidents. They were ready to share their experiences with the public and perceived it as a tribute to the deceased. Moreover, a discussion of the personal tragedy with a journalist helped people to find the inner strength to move on. Of course, all the publications were made with their consent.
It will be interesting to consider what journalists usually do when making controversial decisions. Generally, editorials do not publish photographs of the dead bodies, as well as other images that may cause readers’ concern, and the Californian was no exception (Green, 1985). Managing editor Robert Bentley made a personal decision to publish the photograph. On the next day, after the publication caused a wave of readers’ criticism, he had to apologize for this decision.
Nonetheless, later, he proposed to nominate a photograph for the Pulitzer Prize. Bentley admitted in an interview for the Chicago Tribune: “The Pulitzer Prize is given for journalistic and technical excellence. It is not given for reader approval” (Green, 1985, para. 19). The editor emphasized: “I think the photograph should never have been published. I also think it should be awarded the Pulitzer Prize” (Green, 1985, para. 21). Associated Press decided to publish the photograph and nominated it for the Associated Press Photo of the Year. According to the editorial policy of the Associated Press, the Californian editorial board was entirely responsible for the publication since the photo was first published there. Harte (2014) recalls: “The controversy over the photo’s publication split opinion in the industry, with most editors siding with my editor… and most photographers believing the photo should have been published” (para. 6). Perhaps the Associated Press expected Harte to talk to family members portrayed on the photograph before the ceremony was held, but he remained unconvinced.
Finally, some tribute to unknown people who became a part of the issue should be paid. These are readers of the Californian, who readily expressed their opinion and the editorial office (Clifford et al., 2016). Of course, editors have their human right to make mistakes. They have to adapt their ethics and morality to the objective realities continually. Decisions to publish certain disturbing details are usually made after taking into account numerous factors. In this case, the editorial policy of the Californian did not affect the decision of the managing editor.
Conclusion
Given all of the aspects outlined above, the managing editor Robert Bentley should have never published this photograph indeed. The only alternative could be Harte’s photograph depicting rescuers who were standing in the water and searching for a body since rescuers were not the participants of the tragedy (Harte, 2014). John Harte and Robert Bentley may have a different opinion on this case as well as the editors of the Associated Press and photo correspondents that supported the decision to publish the photograph. Probably these people believe that since the photograph is a product of the creative work of the photojournalist, it is his property. Still, the photograph is equally the property of the people portrayed. The publication of an image without their consent is a violation of the ethical principles of journalism.
Thus, an ethical evaluation was made considering the decision to publish a photograph of a family mourning over the body of their drowned son. The issue was evaluated in terms of the ethical principles of journalism and analyzed under the SAD model for moral reasoning. The decision not to publish this photo was made since its publication violates the ethical principle of respect for personal dignity, and Emerson’s concept of privacy.
References
Clifford G. C., Fackler, M., Richardson K. B., & Kreshel P. (2016). Media ethics: Cases and moral reasoning. London, UK: Taylor & Francis.
Photography is a powerful tool in evoking people’s emotions because, with a single picture, the human brain unconsciously processes biological motion and develop emotions based on the image. Subsequently, the mind activates the expressions depicted in the photo and conveys this information to language processing centers, and individuals can consciously express their emotional response to the art (Orvell 16) The power of photography lies in how one portrait can sway people’s feelings, transforming their behavior. Humans have evolved to feel how others feel and develop empathy for them. Susan Sontag argues against this idea by arguing that photographs are a weapon that violates people. She claims that constantly seeing images of violence frequently makes individuals immune to them, affecting their sense of morality and view of the world. This essay uses a historical approach to study Susan Sontag’s perspective of disaster photography.
The Numbing Effect of Disaster Photography
Pictures of injured bodies have been used to vivify war condemnation. Past photographers, such as the archipelago on the Pacific Ring of Fire, used disaster photography to bring home a part of global conflict to people who do not have any war experience (Protschky 9). However, when people accept war proliferation as a portion of reality, they dismiss photographs claiming they do not show any evidence for war renouncement (Hoffman and Kaire 1671). In the 21st century, people are no longer affected by photos of destruction and violence. The media has allowed wide accessibility of imagery and information. Oversaturation of such imagery on the internet acts as a numbing agent to the sensitivity of people to similar world events (Ye et al. 3). Although catastrophes should be documented to create understanding and awareness of issues needing resolution, abundant documentation is counterproductive (Lichfield 5). Repeated exposure makes the events less accurate and sensitive to people, leading to the numbing effect of disaster photography.
Limits of Photography
Photographic knowledge goads conscience; however, it cannot finally be political or ethical awareness. The information obtained from still pictures often triggers sentimentalism, either humanist or cynical emotions (Sontag 17). However, the hypothetical, comprehensive muteness in the photos makes them provocative and attractive. The ethical sensibility of the images is not calculable; furnishing the world with duplicate images only makes people feel that the world is more accessible than it is (Lydon 2) Therefore, photography is limited to provoking emotions and the conscience of people, but it cannot be used to convey long-term knowledge. There is no moral charge attached to the representation of cruelties in disaster photos.
Moral Dilemma
There is a moral dilemma in people’s urge to respond to suffering photographs of others by either just looking at the pictures or doing something to stop the disaster. In the past, photos had the advantage of bringing contradictory aspects together (Yasmin 214) They had inbuilt objectivity and a necessary point of view. As a result, people had the urge to stop the atrocious suffering represented by the pictures. However, with the new era, the aspect of co-joining the two contradictory photography features is lost, and therefore, shots can be edited to be what the photographer wants (Huber 4). Thus, people have lost trust in the reality portrayed by them. Everybody is addicted to aesthetic consumerism, needing the experience enhanced by pictures and the truth confirmed (Cameron et al. 14). People love viewing images of disaster with less liberating feelings. The lack of realness in photographs and their abundancy puts individuals in a moral dilemma of whether to believe the photos and want to “stop this” or “look at that” and pass.
Conclusion
To conclude, photographs can be interpreted differently, especially those without a caption or context. Although objectivity is believed to be an intrinsic photography aspect, most images are usually produced with a point of view. Subjective framing makes it hard for individuals to believe in the realness of the pictures; hence they do not know where to react by stopping disaster or looking and passing. Today’s culture is media-driven and full of depictions of violence because these are the best-selling news. People have become addicted to hunting for dramatic images, which normalizes shock, leading to a numbing effect on disaster photography.
Works Cited
Cameron, Daryl, et al. “’Does empathy have limits?” The Conversation, Web.
Hoffman, Aaron and José Kaire. “Comfortably numb: effects of prolonged media coverage.” Journal of Conflict Resolution, vol. 64, no. 9, 2020, pp. 1666-1692.
Huber, Mary. “How is disaster photography sublime?” Frieze, Web.
Lichfield, Gideon. “In Defense of the Disaster Selfie.” Quartz, Web.
Lydon, Jane. “Worth a thousand words: How photos shape attitudes to refugees.” The Conversation, Web.
Orvell, Miles. Empire of Ruins: American Culture, Photography, and the Spectacle of Destruction. Oxford University Press, USA, 2021.
Protschky, Susie. “Searching for Indonesian Histories of Disaster in Photography.” Research Center for Material Culture, Web.
Sontag, Susan. Regarding the Pain of Others (London: Penguin, 2003), pp. 79-106.
Yasmin Ibrahim, ‘Self-Representation and the Disaster Event: Selfimaging, Morality and Immortality’, Journal of Media Practice, vol. 16, no. 3, 2015, pp. 211-227.
Ye, Zheng, et al. “Brain imaging evidence for why we are numbed by numbers.” Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-6. Web.
The regions of Canada are significantly variable, with each of them having its own climate, terrain, traditional industries, and history. These characteristics are helpful in completing the given task, which is to examine five pictures and to determine which five regions from a list of six they correspond to. Based on the landscapes and the industries shown in the pictures it may be assumed that they depict, in order, British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and Western Canada.
Identification and Explanation of Images
The first picture likely depicts British Columbia as there is a mountain on it, and the mentioned area is known for its mountains. The Rocky Mountains cause both a physical and a political divide there (Bone, 2018). Because of the combination of two types of climate and the terrain, there is a wide difference of ecosystems. There is a large body of water on the picture, which may be the ocean or a large lake. If it is indeed the ocean, then the mountain is part of the Coast Mountains, rather than the Rocky Mountains. Nevertheless, it is part of British Columbia in any case.
The second image is likely Atlantic Canada, as there are fishermen on it, while the most popular fishing region of Canada is Nova Scotia, which is a part of Atlantic Canada. It has a long story of cod fishery, which has dominated this region since its early days (Bone, 2018). In later times, however, petroleum developments and advanced fishing technologies causing the collapse of the cod fishery (Bone, 2018). In the recent times, cod fishing has started a recovery, but federal officials limit it (Bone, 2018). Thus, taking the importance of fishing into account, the second picture likely depicts Atlantic Canada.
The third picture looks like both Ontario and Quebec, with their famous woods and the Great Lakes. However, as there is a second possible option for Ontario, Quebec is the most likely province to be on this picture. The picture likely shows a part of The Great Lakes or St. Lawrence River. It may be a remaining marine deposit of the retreated Champlain Sea as well (Bone, 2018). Multiple factors such as the region’s location near the industrial United States, its environment and climate have made Quebec the most populous region in Canada (Bone, 2018). Considering all of the information mentioned above, it is likely that the picture depicts Quebec.
The fourth picture may be Ontario, as it is famous for its automobile industry, and on the picture the camera is ‘riding’ a truck. Automobile manufacturing in Canada has little perspective in the future (Bone, 2018). Still, there are options to improve the situation, if the Ontario industry is converted into a high-tech research base improving the production models (Bone, 2018). However, this is a matter of the future, and currently the automobile industry that was once crucial for the Ontario economy has regressed, and Ontario is becoming poorer. Thus, like Atlantic Canada, the photo depicts the main traditional industry of the region which is currently dwindling.
Lastly, the fifth picture might have been taken in Western Canada as it depicts something similar to Alberta’s oil sands, and Alberta is situated in Western Canada. They symbolize all the right and wrong aspects of Alberta’s economic development (Bone, 2018). The oil sands produce 1.8 billion litres of toxic water every day (Bone, 2018). Still, Alberta’s oil sands are the most profitable of the region’s natural resources, driving the economy and creating job opportunities. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers forecast a significant increase in production (Bone, 2018). Thus, it is possible that the picture in question depicts Western Canada.
Conclusion
Thus, the pictures correspond to regions in the following order: British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, and Western Canada. The most significant attributes that helped the identification are the terrain and the regions’ traditional industries and natural resources. The most troubling problem is that the traditional industries of Atlantic Canada and Ontario are currently dwindling, and, while Ontario has options to overcome it, Atlantic Canada’s attempts at revival of their craft faces no support from the government.
Reference
Bone, R. M. (2018). The regional geography of Canada. (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.
The timeless relevance of showcasing social inequality struggles through voices and faces of the Afro-Americans in the United States draws the parallel between the historical and contemporary context. “Harlem” or “Dream Deferred” by Hughes (1994) and the photograph of the reflecting pool by Leffler (1963) deploy verbal and visual techniques to document the eternal topics of rising against the oppressive system. Ultimately, through symbols and foreshadowing, these works of art capture the transcendent moments when the marginalized people dared to reconsider what having a dream entailed.
The narrative’s recurrent motif of ‘deferred dreams’ examines the human cost of continued injustice. Hughes (1994) wrote “Harlem” as part of a longer work exploring Harlem residents’ culture, experiences, and racial consciousness. Although the poem uses several analogies to describe what can happen to an aspiration that is constantly put off, the main symbol of the poem is the dream itself. “What happens to a dream deferred?” – the piece asks (Hughes, 1994, p. 426). The work’s title, ‘Harlem,’ places the poem in this historically black and immigrant neighborhood of New York City, the ‘dream’ representing Harlem people’s hopes: of a better life, of opportunity, and equality.
The historical context of “Harlem” is intertwined with its literary context and is vital for understanding the poem as it includes the history of Harlem itself. During the Great Migration of the early XXth century, over six million African Americans moved from the rural South to the cities of North, Midwest, and West (Collins, 2021). Harlem became known as the ghetto neighborhood, its residents trapped in a cycle of poverty, which Hughes (1994) speaks of in his poetry. These conditions led to the Harlem Riots, sparked by violence against African Americans; the last riot commenced after a white policeman shot a black soldier (Collins, 2021). This historical context can readily be transferred to the present day with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, a recent civil rights effort in the long struggle for black equality and social justice (Alfred, 2021). Thus, the premise of history repeating itself echoes the sentiment of the narrative even today.
The dream of racial equality that briefly glimmered in the post-Civil War era has been incessantly delayed and deferred. This postponement and the demand for justice and equality led to the civil rights movement formation (Alfred, 2021). Hughes’s (1994) work foretells this initiative’s energy and strength with the dream “exploding” and demanding consideration (p. 426). Simultaneously, the poem reflects the disappointment of being held back by racist policies. However, the narrative clarifies that the “dream deferred” because of injustice does not simply disappear; it grows and inflames until it bursts (Hughes, 1994, p. 426). Inevitably, the poem conveys, there will be a societal reckoning once dreamers claim what is rightfully theirs. Similar power dynamics of growing public outrage suppressed by systemic discrimination are widely discussed at present.
In the poem, a dream simultaneously signifies a unified strive for equality and individual dreams of oppressed people, allowing different audiences to find themselves in the narrative. The poem could concern the collective dream’s postponement, the collective, judging by the title, being the Harlem community. Simultaneously, the narrative can refer to the deferral of hopes and dreams of individuals in this community. The persistence of discriminatory policies meant that individual yearnings of black Americans could not be achieved without accomplishing a larger, collective vision of equality and civil rights. Through the poem’s presence of both individual and collective experience, “Harlem” reflects and comments on this reality, which is relevant today.
The poem employs find linguistic details to empower its message. For instance, the term ‘defer’ brings a more bureaucratic, dry language and contrasts with the rest of the writing. The work suggests that deferring the dream may weaken it, making it “dry up” or “fester like a sore;” or even “stink like rotten meat” (Hughes, 1994, p. 426). These images show what happens to racial and social equity vision when it is not realized because of injustice. Furthermore, the term ‘fester’ is commonly used for an infected wound: already painful and getting worse due to lack of proper care, like the trauma of the Afro-American experience. However, a different outcome is then suggested by the question, “Or does it explode?” This image of an explosion may refer to the Harlem riots. Crucially, the latter question shifts from dream decomposition to ‘exploding’ and perpetuating action. This last question implies that society then and now must reckon with the dream.
Photograph: March on Washington by Warren Leffler
The process of standing up for the dream is well documented, an example being the photographs from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. One photograph shows a crowd of Americans surrounding the Reflecting Pool and continuing toward the Washington Monument (Leffler, 1963). Protesters gathered in the square to once again express their collective dream, hoping for equality for all. A year after, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law, prohibiting public discrimination, ensuring schools’ integration, and making employment discrimination based on race illegal (Alfred, 2021). Performative and transgressive, Leffler’s picture (1963) displays over 250,000 citizens gathered around the reflective pool to stand up for African Americans’ civil and economic rights. However, subsequent decades of struggle have yet to follow the captured image.
For many Washington residents, the photographed gathering ended less than cheerfully. Speeches came and went while Washington’s intolerance and racial prejudice persisted. The history repeated fifty years later, with a black teenager shot by a white man after being mistaken for a burglary suspect and a court ruling against the perpetrator’s conviction (Alfred, 2021). This ruling catalyzed the #BlackLivesMatter movement, similar to Harlem protests and the Washington March. Today, the BLM movement still has plenty to address – showing that both artworks conveyed themes as relevant as ever.
One of the fundamental differences between the historical context a poem and photography convey is the medium’s very nature. Reading the narrative of photography in search of understanding history is tricky. One could argue that news photographs function only as receptacles that allow viewers to bring certain discursive systems onto the images. However, the statement about photographer neutrality can be lifted to expose the politics hidden in Leffler’s (1963) image. Photographs themselves convey the presence of the photographer and the subjects. Thus, seeing the photograph only as a superficial introduction takes it out of time and place. It disconnects the photograph from the living history of the movement, shifting the sense of presence into the theoretical discourse. Indeed, every time a photograph is taken, it directly absorbs and transfers the historical context surrounding it.
Therefore, it is vital to consider both people in the photograph and its setting and composition to fully understand the photographer’s message. The Washington Monument, which is featured in the background of Leffler’s (1963) photograph, reminds viewers of George Washington’s fight to establish democracy, freedom, and a peaceful transfer of power in the nation. The Monument, seen between people’s heads, symbolizes the equality and peace that the protesters hoped to achieve on the documented day. On the reflecting pool’s other side, behind the crowd and the photographer, lies a much darker period of American history. Lincoln Memorial’s reflection can not be seen, but it is an invisible reminder of the struggle and the abolition of slavery and the Union preservation. The reflective pool itself is a middle ground, a place for introspection and contemplation. The protesters in the photograph are turned with their back to the memorial, leaving this era behind and moving towards the Washington Monument in a march for their freedom.
The difference between reading and seeing is not simply a change in interpretive metaphor. Rather, literary analysis like that of the “Harlem” poem tends to view the content as full of linguistic signs, whereas the approach to images relies on different knowledge. Photography becomes eternally heartfelt, indulging a human fascination with history as a cycle, a vague but effective mode of interpretation that transcends the story of protests, civil rights movements, and injustice. The crowd slogans seem to reverberate through time, supporting in one continuous roar the cheers of the various masses gathered in Washington in 1963, in 2013, and 2020.
Conclusion
To conclude, the eternal refrain of social injustice speaks through poetry and photography to this day. Hughes’s poem ponders the consequences of the Afro-American deferred collective dream, referencing the political, social, and racial circumstances of ubiquitous systemic oppression. This poem hints at the possibility of a protest’s explosion, foreseeing not only the civil rights movement in the XXth century but predicting the same turn of history as witnessed now. Leffler’s photograph of the crowd by the reflecting pool during the March on Washington continues the theme of the African American struggle and movement toward a better future. This photograph portrays human nature by picturing a unique yet commonly repeated moment in history.
Hughes, L. (1994). Harlem. In A. Rampersad & D. E. Roessel (Eds.), The collected poems of Langston Hughes (1st ed, p. 426). New York: Knopf – Distributed by Random House.
Leffler, W. K. (1963). March on Washington—reflecting pool [Photograph]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. U.S. News & World Report Magazine Collection. Wiki.
The paperwork evidence is one of the main evidence, as it is the prejudicial evidence of the witness, who walked the cemetery and saw the act of vandalism of the tomb. The witness’s evidence is reliable, as he called the police, waited till their arrival and then told what he saw. The detailed description of the criminal is also reliable as it was 6:45 and the sunset on April 6, 2009 was on 7:15 – 7:20 pm, so the criminal was observed in a good way and the witness could have seen him. The witness’ ability to remember the face of the criminal gives the opportunity to create the picture of the criminal, what is crucial; as it is additional information, which is needed to make this a conclusive piece of evidence. The main points of the testimony are the appearance of the criminal, his cloths, and the actions, which he was provided (painting X’s on the tomb). The evidence also tells us about the time of the violence creation. The witness did not introduce any suggests; he just retold what he saw, without implying.
Photographs
The photo evidences, introduced in the case are important as they show the very issue of the crime provided. The pictures of the vandalism paintings on the tomb may not be contested as they were photographed after the very crime. The photos give the detailed description of the marks, which were painted on the tomb, their size and nature. The pictures were supported by the testimony of the witness, who saw the person, who created them. There could have been some confuse with the marks, as there are a lot of them, but as the pictures and investigation was made immediately, it was easily distinguished the old and the new marks, presented on the tomb. The vertical and horizontal lines with XXX’s were painted not so long before, and to prove it, some chemical investigation had to be provided with the aim to make this a conclusive piece of evidence, where the type of pain was identified. The lines allow making some suggestions that that the person was rather tall and managed to paint on the very top of the tomb.
Additional Evidence
The additional evidences, which are introduced in the case, are the evidences analysis, which give the information about the type of paint, the finger-print of the suspected criminal and James George Seizman biographical information. The biographical information of this very person is introduced not by chance, as after careful investigation all facts were directed against him, and the supposition was made that he is the criminal, who violence the tomb. The first additional evidence, which pointed to Seizman, was the witness’ description of the person he saw, which coincided with Seizman’s photo. The finger-prints, which were investigated, also coincided with Seizman’s. So, according to additional evidences, the supposition may be made that the person, who violated the tomb, is James George Seizman. The additional investigation should be provided, such as to interrogate the criminal and, according to his testimonies to create the whole picture of the crime an whether to confirm the suppositions or to reject them and look for another criminal, who could be related to the case. But still, the evidences are so strong, that James George Seizman should better confirm his guilt, that will reduce the time of punishment for him.
The history of humankind needs to be remembered and passed to the next generations. Unfortunately, we cannot witness the events in the past. Luckily, however, we have evidence of the past events, which shows us exactly how things happened, what people looked like, and what the world was like long before us. While written facts do not always convey the whole truth and should be taken with a pinch of salt, there are ways of passing on the earlier happenings that do not seem unreliable. These ways of collecting and sharing information are video and audio records and photographs. They are valuable sources of peeping into the past and contemplating the things there. All the same, photography and recording data are used for keeping the present available for the next epochs.
Cape Beaton is lucky to have a large number of collections in the archives, which have absorbed the sense of history and can be used to share the atmosphere of the past. These assortments include tapes, manuscripts, songs, stories, pictures, and many other items. I would like to describe the collection of photographs by the Abbass Studios Ltd. fonds because it made a particular impression on me. I believe that as well as the sound recordings transfer the audio atmosphere, the photos pass the visual environment of the past better than anything else. This opinion especially concerns the old pictures because people tended to be more sincere and they did not have an opportunity to take hundreds of pictures at a time. Unlike at present, in the past, the art of photography was much more time and money-consuming. Thus, pictures were taken less frequently but with more responsibility.
Abbass Studios Ltd. considers its purpose to preserve the memories of the surrounding events for history. Moreover, after many decades of its activity, the Studios’ owners decided to donate a big part of their collection to the Beaton Institute archives so that as many people as possible could feel the sense of history by visiting the archives and observing the items.
Summary of the Collection
The Abbass Studios Ltd. fonds is a collection of photographs covering the span of seventy years. The pictures were taken by the studio owners, as well as by the employees. The selection includes 250,000 negatives. The approximate creation date of the collection is mentioned as 1940 – the year when the eldest of the Abbass brothers became interested in photography (Beaton Institute, 2016).
The collection began to be deposited in the Beaton Institute archives in 2007. The first part of the presented items included “negatives, prints and copies of business indices” (Beaton Institute, 2016, par. 5). In 2014, the collection was enlarged by the school photography items. And, 2015 was noted as the year when portraiture items were added.
The images portray various artistic, official, and commercial events of the region. The negatives are systematized in seven series (Beaton Institute, 2016).
Historical Context of the Collection
It was the year when the Abbass boys – elder sons of Lebanon emigrants Jobe Abbass and Lily Khattar – began getting interested in photography. The eldest, George, started working for Meyer’s Photography when he was a high school student. John joined him in 1941 after graduation. Soon they started cooperating with Chronicle Herald and Post Record papers. When they went to the front in 1943, the four Abbass brothers – John, George, Joe, and Ferris –entitled their youngest brother Tony to look after their contracts and to take care of the business with the newspapers. Upon returning from the war, they obtained a government grant that enabled them to set up their business.
Abbass Studios was launched in 1946 in the Abbass household in Sydney. The services performed by the brothers included business photography, personal pictures, and other kinds of photographic art. Three of the five brothers took part in the photography business – George, John, and Tony. George was in charge of the office and the studio. John was the main photographer. Tony’s responsibility was taking care of the Moncton photo finishing plant (MacLeod, 2015).
In two decades, the brothers expanded their business to all the Provinces of Maritime. They bought outlets in New Castle and set up a photo finishing factory in Moncton. Later, they established the Econo-Color camera store chain (Beaton Institute, 2016).
Biography of the Collector
The photography business was founded by three Abbass brothers – George, John, and Anthony. However, John, being the one responsible for the very process of taking photos, is considered the most influential of the three in the means of memorabilia and collectibles. He is also the one whose sons now continue the photo business dynasty.
John Abbass was born in 1923 in Nova Scotia, Sydney, in a big and friendly family that Jobe Abbass and Lily Khattar created when they moved to Canada from Lebanon. John had eleven brothers and sisters. Two of his brothers worked in the photography business along with him.
After returning from World War II, John, George, and Tony set up their enterprise. John already had some experience and he never stopped working up his way to success. The name of John Abbass has become a synonym for the word photography (Stewart, 2007).
John’s biggest support and his most cherished people were his families: the wife and the children. Apart from being an outstanding photographer, he was a caring husband and father. The sons described John as the most significant role model (Stewart, 2007).
The contemporaries noticed John Abbass’ fondness for politics and his exceptional tolerance. People also praised him for his sense of humor and his sincere amiability. Canadian Premier Rodney MacDonald said he adored communicating with Abbass because he always had “something colorful to say” (Stewart, 2007, par. 9).
The retired Senator John Buchanan mentioned that Abbass was never afraid to express his opinion and was a good advisor. He emphasized that Abbass always held the needs of the people of Cape Breton as his first and foremost priority. Buchanan considered John Abbass “an exceptional individual” (Stewart, 2007, par. 15).
Gordon Photography co-owner Warren Gordon mentioned a joke connected with Abbass’ name. He said that whenever somebody took a camera to some social ceremony, he or she would hear people say “Johnny Abbass, here is Johnny Abbass, take my picture” (Stewart, 2007, par. 23). This joke exemplifies how people identified the photography with John Abbass’ name.
John took all of his photos by his four-by-five inches Graflex. He was always dedicated and responsible. Photography was the sense of his life, but so were the people who surrounded him and whom he dearly loved. John Abbass was sometimes called “the photographer of photographers” (Rankin, 2014, par. 3).
Out of all the fantastic moments captured by John Abbass, there is one that deserves particular awe. It is the photo of Frank Sinatra taken in 1953 when the great singer’s plane had to make an emergency landing in Sydney. John, at the time an employee at Sydney-Post Record, was sent to the airport. Sinatra played along, and now the collection had a photo of a cheerful Sinatra taken by the great Abbass.
This outstanding figure will remain in the memory of the people forever. Several social events are held to commemorate John Abbass’ talented personality. He was inducted into the Cape Breton Business Hall of Fame in 2004 (Cape Breton Business Hall of Fame, 2015). In 2009, the John Abbass Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament started and is held annually (John Abbass Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament, 2016). The tournament is conducted to support and fundraise for the John Abbass scholarship program. This scholarship is aimed at promoting family business in Nova Scotia (John Abbass Sr. Scholarship, 2013). The John Abbass Scholarship Fund was founded to commemorate John Abbass Sr. The fund awards the children, grandchildren, or nieces/nephews of the members of the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise with an annual scholarship of $1,500 (John Abbass Sr. Scholarship, 2013).
Detailed Description of the Collection
The Abbass Studios Ltd. fonds includes a great number of photographs taken within the seventy years by the Abbass brothers. The graphic material is systematized in the seven series, namely A, B, C, D, N, P (portraiture), and DOSCO. The last sector consists of the images captured in the middle of the twentieth century at “the Dominion Steel and Coal Company” (Beaton Institute, 2016, par. 6). Part N contains the primary pictures and some of the nitrate film negatives (Beaton Institute, 2016). The parts A, B, C, and D represent the chronological order of photos until 2001. Part P illustrates the photos until 2004.
Each collection element bears a reference code and is accompanied by a detailed description, including the title of responsibility and its statement, the creation dates, the physical description, the archival description, the notes, and the access points. The archival description covers the name of the collection’s creator, the custodial history, and the scope and content of the collection items.
The Significance of the Collection
The importance of the Abbass Studios Ltd. fonds is crucial both in local and world scopes. The collection reflects the events of over seventy years, depicting the changes in social life, the alterations in people’s lifestyles, the transformation of the towns, and many other aspects. The Abbass family’s contribution to the Cape Breton community cannot be overestimated. It has been mentioned by many politicians, historians, and artists that what John Abbass has done is an unselfish act of patriotism and love. Both while taking the photos and while deciding to contribute them to the Beaton Institute Archives, the Abbass family was acting with a noble purpose to sustain the history of the region and its people for the coming generations. The fonds is a considerable investment into the future of the locality and the whole country.
Abbass Studios at Present
These days, Abbass Studios continues its successful enterprise activity. The enterprise is managed by John and Blaise – the sons of John Abbass Sr. Since the original edifice was destroyed in 2014, the two brothers have offices in other places. John has a store in Halifax, at Scotia Square Mall, and Blaise administers the business from his home in Sydney (Beaton Institute, 2016). The studio suggests renovation of the images, taking pictures of business and marriage ceremonies, putting photos in frames, and other services (History of Abbass Studios, 2014).
While the Beaton Institute Archives fonds is a large set of archival data accessible permanently, the studio continues offering its materials for numerous exhibitions where art lovers can contemplate the results of many years of hard work and dedicated activity. Only in recent years, several events involving the artistic heritage of the Abbass brothers were held.
In 2014, there was a photography exhibit in Sydney, which represented the photos of Abbass Studios. As the Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science curator Vanessa Childs-Rolls remarked, the family pictures of Abbasses help to get an insight into the life of ordinary people in the past (Pottie, 2014). Childs-Rolls mentioned that as a rule, only rich people’s lives were photographed and widely represented in the chronicles. The Abbass Studios, on the contrary, kept innumerable pieces of evidence of the simple people and their work. The collection included pictures of sports activities, people at work, random images of children playing, and other people and events. According to Childs-Rolls, the exhibit made it possible to see “a little bit of everything and a little bit of everyone” (Pottie, 2014, par. 12).
In the following year, another presentation took place at Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science. This time, some new photographs were displayed in addition to the previous exhibit. As Blaise Abbass commented at the opening, his father introduced the art of photography to the people who could not possess a camera, and thus he “recorded the history of the community” (MacLeod, 2015, par. 7). Johns Abbass’ son considered the exhibit “spectacular” and expressed an opinion that his father “would be thrilled with what we are doing with his photographs” (MacLeod, 2015, par. 8).
Just a few days ago, the collaboration of the Abbass family, the Old Sydney Society, and the Beaton Institute made it possible to present another exhibition, consisting of 250,000 negatives. The presented collection illustrates the history of Cape Breton by showing old buildings, news stories, visits of celebrities, Christmas displays, and other issues. Apart from the pictures, the current exhibit suggests a large number of old cameras and photography equipment from the beginning of the industry up until now (Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science, 2016).
Conclusions
I think that the Abbass Studios Ltd. fonds at Beaton Institute Archives are valuable material for everyone interested in the history of photography and the Cape Breton community in particular. The photos tell the story of ordinary people; they show what life was like many years ago. They illustrate the potential of Cape Breton back then and trace the development of the community through many decades.
Every community has its history and wants that history to be passed to future generations. Thanks to the Abbass Studios Ltd. fonds, the people of Cape Breton have an impressive collection of historical moments. Thanks to the Abbass family, these moments were captured and found their way to the archives, where anyone can observe them and enjoy their liveliness and warmth.
The general organizational goal of the relevant communication strategy resides in improving the photography service’s performance. In other words, it is expected that the relevant strategy will assist the company in attracting new customers and increasing the profit rates. As a result, the particular communication aims might be put as follows:
Build social awareness about the service;
Persuade potential customers in the high-quality of the service;
Put particular emphasis on the service’s competitive advantage;
Motivate clients to try the service or to inform their relatives and friends; about it.
The accomplishment of each aim will be performed following the specificity of the targeted audience that is supposed to be composed of the middle-class population of the Seattle Area. Research and surveys that study public opinion in the framework of the demand for photography services show that people tend to use associate photography services with holidays or special occasions such as weddings, birthdays parties, anniversaries, etc. as a result, the public appeal must include the connotations for these events (Parker, 2016).
Moreover, research shows that the middle-class population is often particularly curious about the so-called “luxury” products. In the meantime, they expect that the price of the service to be reasonable (Kharas & Gertz, 2010). The communication strategy can employ this insight to achieve the best results. Thus, the competitive advantage might be gained by offering exclusive quality at low prices.
Also, the advertising message must take into account all types of clients. In other words, it is critical to assure that it equally addresses individual customers, families, and firms. To that, it is essential to list all the types of services offered – the more options will be introduced, the larger the potential clientele group will be (Sengupta, 2009).
Before, identifying the most effective advertising and promoting tools, it is critical to determine the sensor focus (Lordan, 2003). In other words, it is necessary to decide whether the advertising appeal should be transposed through visual or audio tools. As long as the PR project is devoted to photography service. It is assumed that visual images will have a more powerful impact and will be able to illustrate the offer more explicitly.
Therefore, it will be reasonable to focus on those sources that can reflect the visual aspects of the advertisement: web sites, television, billboards, blogs, e-mails, social networks, etc. It is recommended to carry out a simple survey to indicate the most popular mass media sources among the residents of the targeted area. The survey’s findings will be highly assistive while working out the implementation strategy.
Finally, the promotion activity should be focused on increasing sales as well as the general awareness of the targeted population about the service. The aims can be achieved through the implementation of special offers. Hence, the service can introduce discount coupons, regular discounts (for example, at weekends), discounts on a particular type of service (for example, standard black-and-white photo/wedding pictures, etc.).
Therefore, the stated aims might be accomplished through the following actions:
Building social awareness: explicit report on the offered services and options available as well as a detailed description of all the promotion offers;
Persuading the clients of the quality standard: visual illustrations of the service’s products;
Gaining competitive advantage: promising exclusive, luxury service at low cost;
Motivating to share the information: reminding the clients of the special occasions concerning which they might want to recommend the service to other people.
Integration of the Communication Tactics
While integrating the communication tactics, it is, first and foremost, essential to point out a couple of principal advertising tools. The indication of these tools can be done based on the survey’s results. It is expected that the most popular mass media source among the targeted population are social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and television. Therefore, it is necessary to work out advertisements for these sources. It is recommended that the first advertising campaign is limited to one month so that one has a chance to evaluate its efficiency and perform the urgent changes, if necessary.
In the course of the advertising campaign, it is essential to collect and analyze the relevant feedback. It can be done both through online surveys and personal communication with the customers (Now Hear This, 2009). For example, each client might be welcomed to tell where he or she learned about the service.
From the promotion standpoint, it is essential to introduce a couple of special offers and discounts. For example, the service can offer a 50% discount for the coupon owners (on condition that a coupon can be received by those people only who have already used the service, at least once) and an insignificant (5-10%) discount for a particular type of service (for example, anniversary photos). It is recommended that special offers are regularly changed to meet the demand for a maximum number of people. Moreover, special offers can also be used for advancing those services and products the demand for which is relatively low.
Reference List
Kharas, H., & Gertz, G. (2010). The New Global Middle Class: A Cross-Over from West to East. Web.
Lordan, E.J. (2003). Essentials of Public Relations Management. Chicago, Illinois: Rowman & Littlefield. Web.
Photography is one of the most promising businesses nowadays. What with the great demands for photo and video coverage of various events and occasions like weddings, birthdays, debuts, anniversaries, graduations and much more. However, with the industry booming so fast, competition is also now at its peak. Business owners or those in the photography business are now thinking of possible and probably the best way to reach a wider market in the most fashionable and quickest way.
Meanwhile, the advent of information technology has paved the way for many industries to promote their businesses in a highly technological way. E-commerce and/or e-business is now one of the most common ways of combining the power of marketing and information technology to market one’s business. It is for this reason that people in the photography business are also contemplating on whether or not to put up or market their business online.
The environment that professional photographers currently find themselves in is one where families, couples and decision makers are extremely busy and prefer to find out as much as possible about the photographers before ever stepping foot in the studio. The dimensions of marketing to these clients have changed enough that now photographers are using electronic marketing tools and websites to reach these clients. Photographers operating in today’s economic climate must have a website to effectively reach their target market.
Problem Statement
Will it be profitable? Is it practical for this kind of business to venture in such kind of marketing strategy? How can the business owners ensure the security of their business and of course of their customers? These are just some of the questions that need some answers in order to ascertain the feasibility or marketing photography using the e-commerce approach.
Methodology
In depth study and review is conducted in this paper. Most updated Websites, journals and magazines related to the subject of study are gathered and analyzed.
More so, a survey was conducted from a Professional Photographers on the Professional Photographers of America’s (PPA) Forum (www.ourppa.com/forums) and through various PPA affiliated State Associations. The research gathered then served as guides in conducting the interviews with the consumers and visual merchandisers. A total number of 256 professional photographers responded. The survey consisted of 11 questions. These respondents were chosen randomly and were asked to answer the several close-ended questions.
Results and discussion of the study is obtained by analyzing the results of the survey conducted and correlating it with the research. Mean, mode and percentage is obtained in getting the best possible results. These are then tabled and graphed for easy presentation of data.
Literature Review
The Existence of On-line Communities the will Benefit Photography
Computer mediated and hyperlink networks are very much handy today specifically to schools or big business establishments. These networks are used to link and connect computers, within a single site (local area network, or LAN) or via telecommunications systems connecting geographically dispersed sites (wide area network, or WAN). Such networks may provide users with access to shared facilities (files, software, databases, printers, fax machines), and may also provide access to communications (email and conferencing). Networks can be linked through gateways to other networks. Where this uses the common protocol and addressing system tcp/ip, an internet is created (Sturges, 1998).
The Internet has indeed become globally part of our everyday lives. From merely buying the basic necessities in life to having to get airplane flights. It has been widely useful to the students through their continuous access to faster, easier and reliable sources of different information. It has been very significant to business-oriented individuals because of its wide range of marketing and sales strategies being offered by different web owners. It has been very useful even to the simplest member of the society for you can even sell and buy things from the Internet or get credible information regarding a certain product. Yes, Internet is very much useful to everybody, and we can safely say that one is losing such big opportunity if he or she has not been accessing the Internet.
From a study conducted on July of 1995, the estimated numbers of Internet hosts for each continent are:
Continent
Hosts
North America
4,540,703
South America
25,577
Europe
3,111,048
Asia
292370
Australia
252,426
Table 1. Estimated Hosts Number.
Meanwhile, a recent survey done by Survey.Net has disclosed that out of 2974 total respondents (taken last May 23, 2004), majority of the people who accessed the Internet are those ages ranging from 22 – 25 years old. Meanwhile, most of the respondents (26.2%) were presently enrolled in college (as to their highest degree attained).
Meanwhile, Adamic et al. has searched and sourced out different studies prior to theirs, focusing on characterizing online interaction and measuring the effect of Internet on real life social interactions. They were able to find out that even through the most basic and simplest community website, people were able to chat, organize events, share opinions on different issues presented, share and view photographs, make announcements and even meet new friends (Adamic, et.al., 2003).
E-groups, E-messaging, MIRcs, and different personal blog sites (like Multiply, MySpace, Friendster and even Bebo) are just few of the famous community websites that has been established and being patronized by many. A lot of cyber relationships started with this community websites. Even job opportunities, job applications and/or job hunting are now presented in numerous community websites. Schools and various other institutions are giving assignments and research works using community websites in the pursuit of allowing the learners to familiarize themselves with these websites. This process eliminates tedious processes on information gathering specially on survey types, because small and expensive mails, phone calls and likes were avoided (Adamic, et.al., 2003).
As stated above, Internet and On-line communities have reached even the youngest of the young, or the farthest place all over the world. With this idea, marketers and business minded individuals were able to see the big business opportunities offered by the networks – hence, commercial markets for networks was born. Companies like the Cisco Systems, Proteon, and Wellfleet (now Bay Networks) and 3Com are some of the best examples of the companies who opted to manufacture and sell “routers” (the commercial equivalents of the “gateways” (Cerf, 1997). These companies can serve as good examples and basis as to how much benefit can photography gain if it also make its presence felt in the world wide web.
Photography and the E-commerce Approach
Photography has been a long-standing business. It has been part of every one’s life. From the mere and simple personal events to more extravagant activities such as in the movie industry, photography is said to be always present. And amidst all of this seemingly continued productivity of photography as a business, it is still a big consideration for the photographers of the business owners to combine information technology in their marketing and/or promotional strategies.
E-Commerce and How will it Benefit the Photographers
E – commerce simply means electronic business. It is making business through electronic media more known as the Internet. E – Commerce is the means of selling goods on the Internet, using web pages. This involves much the same processes as selling goods elsewhere, but in a digital format. Presentation, placement, display, stocking, selling and payment are all familiar concepts involved on the e-commerce process. Goods are presented as images with text descriptions, prices and product options. Instead of “printing” each product web page uniquely, only one page is made, and filled in by a database.
Electronic commerce is a means of enabling and supporting bigger changes on the business world at a global scale. It enables companies to be more efficient and flexible in their internal operations, to work more closely with their suppliers, and to be more responsive to the needs and expectations of their customers. It allows companies to select the best suppliers regardless of their geographical location and to sell to a global market.
One special case of electronic commerce is electronic trading, in which a supplier provides goods or services to a customer in return for payment. A special case of electronic trading is electronic retailing, where the customer is an ordinary consumer rather than another company. However, while these special cases are of considerable economic importance, they are just particular examples of the more general case of any form of business operation or transaction conducted via electronic media. Other equally valid examples include internal transactions within a single company or provision of information to an external organization without charge.
Benefits and Social Impact of Photography in the E-business
Despite the early technological limitations of the Internet, companies were still quick to recognize the value of the Internet and the World Wide Web in particular as a medium to reach out to customers all over the world (Hoque, 2000).
The impact of electronic business will be pervasive, both on companies and on society as a whole. For those companies that fully exploit its potential, electronic commerce offers the possibility of breakpoint changes – changes that so radically alter customer expectations that they re-define the market or create entirely new markets. All other companies, including those that try to ignore the new technologies, will then be impacted by these changes in markets and customer expectations. Equally, individual members of society will be presented with entirely new ways of purchasing goods, accessing information and services, and interacting with branches of government. Choice will be greatly extended, and restrictions of geography and time eliminated. The overall impact on lifestyle could well be comparable to, say, that of the growth in car ownership or the spread of the telephone (Definition of E-business, 1997).
The boundaries of electronic commerce are not defined by geography or national borders, but rather by the coverage of computer networks. Since the most important networks are global in scope, electronic business enables even the smallest suppliers to achieve a global presence and to conduct business world-wide (Definition of E-business, 1997).
Electronic business enables suppliers to improve competitiveness by becoming “closer to the customer”. As a simple example, many companies are employing electronic commerce technology to offer improved levels of pre-and post-sales support, with increased levels of product information, guidance on product use, and rapid response to customer enquiries. The corresponding customer benefit is improved quality of service (Definition of E-business, 1997).
With electronic interaction, customers are able to gather detailed information on the needs of each individual customer and automatically tailor products and services to those individual needs. This result in customized products comparable to those offered by specialized suppliers but at mass market prices. One simple example is an on-line magazine that is tailored for the individual reader on each access to emphasize articles likely to be of interest and exclude articles that have already been read (Definition of E-business, 1997).
Electronic business often allows traditional supply chains to be shortened dramatically. There are many established examples where goods are shipped directly from the manufacturer to the end consumer, by-passing the traditional staging posts of wholesaler’s warehouse, retailer’s warehouse and retail outlet (Definition of E-business, 1997).
One of the major contributions of electronic business is a reduction in transaction costs. While the cost of a business transaction that entails human interaction might be measured in dollars, the cost of conducting a similar transaction electronically might be a few cents or less. Hence, any business process involving “routine” interactions between people offers the potential for substantial cost savings, which can in turn be translated into substantial price reductions for customers (Definition of E-business, 1997).
In addition to re-defining the markets for existing products and services, electronic business also provides the opportunity for entirely new products and services. Examples include network supply and support services, directory services, contact services (i.e. establishing initial contact between potential customers and potential suppliers), and many kinds of on-line information services (Definition of E-business, 1997).
Survey Results and Discussion
Below are the results (graphical representation and/or in a numerical form) from the internet marketing survey conducted.
Do you currently have a website?
Yes – 256 (100%)
This only shows that all of the 356 respondents now run their own websites which they use not only for personal functions but also to highlight their products and services.
How effective do you consider your website to be in attracting new clients?
Approximately how many visitors do you have to your website each month?
Based on the survey results, an average of 300 visitors log in on the photographers’ website every month. Considering that there are hundreds of photographers and websites that can be accessed in the Internet, this number is worth noting.
Do you currently advertise with any publication that uses the internet for marketing your services?
What is your main style/type of photography?
The graph above shows that photography is used in many different ways as a form of business, and the top most of it all is in wedding and portraits. This is where the biggest market lies for the photographers. This graph can also demonstrate that there is a big potential for photography to grow even bigger when marketed in the websites.
Do you currently show client images from their sessions on the internet?
Do you currently sell your clients their images on the internet?
Below are the results to questions concerning the respondents (156) who show and sell images to clients on the internet.
If you answered yes to both Questions 6 and 7, have you seen your sales increase, decrease or stay the same?
This graph shows that a big percentage or majority of those who show and sell their clients’ images online became more productive and has increased sales. This very graph alone represents how profitable internet or online selling and marketing can be for the photographers.
What was your main reason for getting a website?
Did you design and create your own website?
Majority (64%) or 164 of the overall respondents have created and designed their own websites while only 36 % (or 39 from the total number of respondents) created their own. This shows that still the majority of those who have their websites wanted to highlight their own creativity by designing and or personalizing their own websites. This will help them impart to their target customers how their creative thinking works.
Would you consider not having a website again?
With the response gathered above, it shows that a big part (95%) of the total respondents would want to continue using their websites to market their photography. They have seen how it works and they have proven for themselves that their products and services become more marketable when promoted online.
Conclusion
Because of such advantages in the e-commerce or internet approach, it is of no doubt that marketing photography through online will be profitable. Some famous photographers and website users even commented that:
“In this era of digital imaging and information technology, some sort of presence on the web is absolutely mandatory for every photographer. Whether it’s just a simple portfolio page with contact information, or a full-blown storefront, you not only have to use the web, but not using it can hurt your business.” (Heller, Dan)
“With the click of a mouse, you can find nearly anything on the web these days, from a public company’s earnings, to a private company’s business descriptions to pricing schedules and office locations” (Kaplan, Steve)
“If you do not have a website, get one started by the end of the week-a website is essential…” (Williams, Robert)
Thus, it is of no doubt that photographers in the 21st century should adopt the advent of the world wide web and make their presence felt through online. They can maximize profits and productivity if they have their own websites where their can reach a wider market.
Reference list
A Profile of the Internet. 2004. Web.
Adamic, Lada, et. Al. A Social Network Caught in the Web. 2003. Web.
