What is the significance of The Snapshot?

The Snapshot

The Snapshot

An emblem of social communication.

The Snapshot

Enigmatic historic artifact.

What can students learn from snapshots?

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

Photographs are evidence.A recording of events.

Fact.

Maybe.

Maybe.

A reunion?

Maybe.

A reunion?A farewell?

Maybe.

A reunion?A farewell?An award?

Maybe.

A reunion?A farewell?An award?A binding agreement?

Maybe.

Looking more carefully reveals details that leave questions.

What is the meaning of that detail?

Who or what is he looking at?Could it be read as a sign of distrust?Could that mean the relationships here are more complicated than they appear on the surface?

There is an enormous gapbetween the photograph,and the viewer of the photograph.

What do we fill that gap with?

Narrative

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

2. History

That our identities are a collection of narratives.

[Album of 131 Views of a French Family and Their Travels], 1880s–1900sUnknown Artist, French SchoolAlbum of 50 plates with 121 gelatin silver prints and 10 cyanotypes; 8 11/16 x 12 3/16 in. (22 x 31 cm)Anonymous Gift, in honor of Barbara Billingham, 1990 (1990.1181)

[Woman and Dog on Beach, Far Rockaway, New York], ca. 1920Unknown Artist, American SchoolGelatin silver print; 4 7/8 x 2 3/4 in. (12.4 x 7 cm)Funds from various donors, 2000 (2000.298.3)

Since the birth of photography, we have been compelled to collect snapshots that document our narratives.

Since the birth of photography, we have been compelled to collect snapshots that document our narratives.

Our Stories.

[Man with Dead Raccoons], ca. 1910Unknown Artist, American SchoolGelatin silver print; 4 7/8 x 2 7/8 in. (12.4 x 7.3 cm)Funds from various donors, 2000 (2000.298.2)

Girls I Have Known, 1916–17Daniel Rochford (American, 1900–1989)Gelatin silver prints and photomechanical reproductions; 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 in. (24.1 x 19.1 cm)Purchase, The Joyce F. Menschel Photography Library Fund, 1989 (1998.103)

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

2. History

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

2. History

3. Art

Kevin Landers, untitled (Grate), 2002, C-print, 73 x 99 cm

Shape, pattern, composition.

Kevin Landers, untitled

Art uses metaphor toquestion the status quo.

Jamie Livingston, a photographer and filmmaker, took a polaroid photo every single day, starting when he was a student in 1979 up until he died of cancer at 41 on October 25, 1997. He called it “Photo of the Day” and for 18 years religiously used his Polaroid SX-70 camera to capture these unassuming, unposed, ordinary memories that eventually became the narrative to the last half of his life.

Documentary photography

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

2. History

3. Art

What can students learn from snapshots?

1. Truth.

2. History

3. Art

4. Anthropology

“Again I’m fascinated by the anthropological aspects to these camera phones. It’s like at weddings when you put disposable cameras out on the tables and have the guests photograph “real” moments at the wedding to get variety and the really drunk shots. Having tons of camera phones out in society serves the same purpose, one giant album of the “real” and sometimes drunk moments of everyday society.”

Jody Sugrue Photo: Christina Black

Narrative is the most pervasive and lasting form of communication between human beings.

Narratives are our way of understanding our place and purpose in the world.

Caves of Lascaux, France

What can students learn about Language Arts by writing about pictures?

Visual Literacy ( How to “read” an image. )

What is going on in this image?

What do you see that makes you say that?

The basic structure of a story.

Who is the main character?What does he/she want?Who or what is preventing them from getting it?How do they overcome that obstacle?

You might think it’s obvious.

A good story is never obvious.

Exploring character, motive, and human behavior lets the mind wander into the territory where stories can be imagined.

To be dramatic, stories must always have conflict.

What is about to happen?

What did you do?

What did you do? How did you do it?

What did you do? How did you do it? Did it work?

The boundaries between content areas are imaginary.

Life is not about filling in answers.

It’s about interpretation.

Resources

Tysh, George, 2002: Detroit Metro TimesSeeing is revealing: Anonymous visions from the most democratic art.http://metrotimes.com/arts/review.asp?rid=4474

Smith, Joel, 2001: Roll Over - analysis of snapshot photography, photos of everyday life not initially produced as art. Bnet: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2479/is_2_29/ai_78437070/pg_1

Olve & Maja in Japan olveandmajainjapan.blogspot.com

Jody Sugrue. Eatingsandwiches.com (blog)

Jamie Livingston: Photo of the Day. Posted by Hugh Crawford at: http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com.nyud.net/

Photos of work by Kevin Landers. Posted by Edward Winkleman. edwardwinkleman.blogspot.com

Fineman, Mia. Department of Photographs, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kodak and the Rise of Amateur Photography. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kodk/hd_kodk.htm

Contact

Louis MazzaMedia Arts EducatorThe Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Philadelphia, PA

lmazza@philasd.org

Download NCTE Presentationsrushmediaarts.wikispaces.com

The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rushartsacademybenrush.wikispaces.com

Snapshot Storiessnapshotstories.net

Download NCTE Presentationsrushmediaarts.wikispaces.com/ncte

BookLesson Plans for Creating Media Rich ClassroomsEdited by Mary T. Christel and Scott Sullivan