Lewis Hine: Adolescent Girl in Carolina Cotton Mill

"There is work that profits children, and there is work that brings profit only to employers. The object of employing children is not to train them, but to get high profits from their work."

-- Lewis Hine, 1908

 

The work of photographer Lewis Hine led to social reform in America in the early twentieth century. Hine (1874-1940), exposed the horrors of child- labor through his photography. The images Hine captured were instrumental in the alteration of child-labor laws in America.

During the industrial boom of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, children were pulled into the workforce. Wages were low, and many children were forced to work to help support their families. By 1910, over two million children under fifteen years old were working in America. Companies were eager to hire children because they were paid less than adults. These children lost their youth to to the factories and mills in which they labored. For many, school was sporadic at best. Overwork and poor working conditions were responsible for illness, stunted growth, and curvature of the spine. Children who worked in coal mines were  susceptible to tuberculosis and bronchitis. Fatigue from overwork led to accidents and deaths.  In 1904,The National Child Labor Committee, an organization whose goal was the abolition of child labor, was founded. Investigators were hired to find evidence of dangerous working conditions.

In 1913, Lewis Hine quit his teaching job and became an investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee. Hine traveled America, using his photography to document  the working conditions of children in different industries. In order to do this, Hine had to become a bit of an actor. Factory managers did not want the plight of child workers to to uncovered and were very hostile to anyone who would expose the injustice. Hine often took on the identities of  bible salesmen, fire inspectors, industrial photographers, and postcard vendors, in order to gain entry to workplaces. Hine knew that when people saw the injustices of child labor that laws would change. In 1916, the Keating-Owens Act was passed by Congress. This established a minimum working age of 14, a maximum workday of eight hours for a child, no night work for children under 16, and a documented proof of age. This act was later ruled unconstitutional, but  legislation at the state level banned some child labor and set maximum workday hours. By the 1920’s, child labor was cut in half, and by the 1930’s, the New Deal prohibited manufacturing and mining for children under 16.

The above photo, taken by Hine, features a young girl who was a "spinner", at Whitnel Cotton Mill in North Carolina. Hine recorded that the girl was "51 inches high, has been working for one year, sometimes works at night, runs 4 sides, makes 48 cents a day. When asked how old she was, she hesitated, then said, "I don't remember," then added confidentially, "I'm not old enough to work, but do just the same." Out of 50 employees, there were ten children about her size." The photo speaks volumes. Hine is able to incorporate the subject, surrounding structures, clothing, and personal adornment. We view the girl, her youth contrasted against the age of the structure. The girl is naturally full of potential while the unnatural world surrounding her decays. The building is a cold, uncaring environment, that offers this young girl not the freedom in life that she deserves, but constant labor at a slave wage. The disheveled look of the girl indicates injustice, yet the braid and bow in her hair show her humanity. There is still life here, and for goodness sake, save it. Hine places the child and a bit of a factory machine in focus. The viewer is allowed to see the soft skin of the right hand next to the sharp metal of the machine. The background becomes an endless blur, lost, like the youth of so many of these working children. In an instant, Hine has the viewer empathizing with the child's situation, and with good reason. Hine's photography blends with social message, and becomes art.

Lewis Hine found art in photography through its ability to interpret the everyday world. He recorded the truth of the people. Hine's subjects look straight into the camera, forcing the viewer to look straight into the eyes of the subject. A personal bond is created. The subjects are not just characters in a painting, but real, living people. Hine's masterful methods were noticed, and his influence on photography grew. Hine's work captured the plight of children forced to labor, and while it triumphed in influencing the change in child labor laws, it is also a reminder. Some of these children were our grandparents and great-grandparents. America is barely removed from these images, and if we are not vigilant, injustices like child-labor can and will happen here again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Good Videos:

Lighting Tutorial:

This is a nice presentation on lighting. In the past,  I've used videos from Tony Northrup to learn some basics. All of his videos are easy to understand, and are full of useful information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwv7WuJOCkU


DIY Filters:

This is a quick video showing some easy-to-make, do it yourself filters. I like this video because it gets right to the point, and gives quick examples of what the filters will produce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrmhzVvBrlM

Lenses:

This is an easy to understand lesson on lenses for beginners. There are nice close-ups on each lens that makes it easy to see sizes, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y4D4_vaUx4

Week Four Photo Assignment:

Automatic Setting:

 

 

Manual Setting:

I chose these two photos as the best of my seven photos for this week. The top picture was taken in automatic, the bottom was taken in manual. The auto setting used a small aperture at f/8, with an exposure time of 1/400th of a second. In the manual setting photo, I chose a larger aperture at f/3.5, with a faster exposure at 1/1600th of a second. ISO was set at 100 for both photos. I feel that the automatic picture works better for this scene because of the even tones, and nice, blue sky. The manual picture is too dark in the barn/shadow area, and gives the picture too much contrast. If I were to redo this assignment I would definitely use a tripod to make direct comparisons easier, and to keep composition consistent. I would also choose manual settings closer to what the automatic setting did on its own. I can learn from the automatic mode by observing what the camera chooses to do. Another thing I would do is change the time of day I took the photo at, so the barn would not be in, or casting a shadow.

Here is a link to the series of photographs I took at the railroad:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/140059785@N05/

Week 4 Writing Assignment:

1.What are the limitations/ advantages of the automatic settings on a camera?

 

An advantage of using the automatic setting on a camera is that the camera makes calculations based on built-in algorithms. The camera attempts to makes everything as neutral grey as possible by adjusting tone levels. The photographer is free to concentrate on composition alone. The camera handles exposure and light conditions. The automatic setting is a great learning tool for beginning photographers in that they can see what choices the computer is making, and can learn to understand why.

 

A disadvantage of using the automatic setting is that the camera’s computer does not know what it’s “seeing” as far as human interpretation. The computer does not know what the photographer is intending to accomplish artistically. Also, the computer may not know the intended subject of a picture. An overall reading can leave an intended subject underexposed.

 

2.What are the mechanics of a digital camera?

 

The main function of the camera is to capture light. The mechanics of the camera allows for light to pass through the image sensor. Certain components make the exposure, control light, and control effects. The basic parts of the camera include:

 

Viewfinder = Allows the photographer to view scene.

 

Shutter = Covers the sensor, opens when the shutter release button is pressed, allows light to fall on sensor and creates a capture.

 

Lens = Allows zooming, focusing, use of aperture.

 

Aperture = Opening inside lens which allows light to pass through. Value is measured in f-stops, or f-number. Determines depth of field.

 

3. How does light become an image you can see on a computer screen?

 

Light becomes an image seen on a computer screen through the use of a light detector. A light detector, called a “charge-coupled device” turns light rays into electrical signals. LCD screens make images using pixels. Light from the photograph comes into the camera, hits the light detector, and is broken up into millions of pixels. The light detector measures brightness and color and stores the information. This information is made up of numbers which describe the details of each pixel.

 

4. How does this compare with a traditional film camera?

 

In a traditional camera, the light causes reactions to take place in the chemicals on the film. The film then needs to be developed using an automated developing machine. Various other chemicals are added to the film to make the photo appear.

 

5./6. What are the mechanics of vision? / How does light become an image you can understand?

 

Light enters the eye through the spherical cornea. The light then passes through a chamber containing liquid. The back of the chamber contains the iris. The circular aperture in the iris is called the pupil. The iris regulates regulates the diameter of the pupil, and the amount of light passing farther into the eye by contracting and relaxing. Behind the iris is the crystalline lens. This lens is mounted on the ciliury muscle. This muscle squeezes the lens, reducing the focal length. Behind the lens is a chamber filled with fluid called the vitreous humor. At the back of the vitreous humor is a light-sensitive structure called the retina. The retracting structures of the eye, the cornea, and the lens cast an image on the retina. The retina changes light into electrical signals that are transmitted by the optic nerve. The interpretation happens in the brain.

 

Sources:

http://www.apnphotographyschool.com/equipment/camera-mechanics-how-does-the-camera-work/
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/digitalcameras.html
https://www.kenlyonsphotography.com.au/advantages-disadvantages-using-cameras-auto-mode/
http://www.math.brown.edu/~banchoff/Yale/project14/vimechanics.html
http://www.nkcf.org/how-the-human-eye-works/

The Work of Dave Jordano:

Photographer Dave Jordano attended the College for Creative Studies and received a BFA in photography in 1974. Jordano moved to Chicago in 1977 and started a successful commercial photography business which teamed with companies including Starbucks, Sears, and McDonald’s, among others. In 2001 Jordano began producing “fine art” photographs when he started his “Chicago Bridge Project”. Jordano’s work has changed over the years, from his early days of black and white portraits, to industrial structure landscape, to a modern exploration of landscape and its inhabitants.

When Jordano’s early work from 1970’s Detroit is observed (http://www.davejordano.com/#mi=1&pt=0&pi=52&p=-1&a=-1&at=0), it is possible to see the influence from the photographers he drew inspiration from. Jordano names Cartier Bresson as one of his influences, and I see Bresson’s style present in Jordano’s early work. Candid black and white photographs, often featuring multiple subjects can be seen in Bresson’s work (https://www.google.com/search?q=cartier+bresson&biw=1440&bih=775&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiDzsfd_rbLAhUBMj4KHSCkDzcQ_AUIBigB), and the same is plain to see in Jordano’s early 1970’s photographs. The use of black and white forces the photographer, and viewer, to see things differently. Black and white influences the photographer creatively, and can provide a strong emotional connection to the subject. Free of the distraction of color, the photo can bring out eyes and a face in a way that would be lost if not for the dramatic contrast of black and white. There is a timeless quality to Jordano’s black and white photography which is supplemented by the strong composition that his work exhibits. Jordano’s portraits and street photography of the early 70’s shows the individual, and individuals among the chaos of city life. Whether it is the modern world passing an old person by, or a youth in the proud prime of life, Jordano captures the spirit of the moment beautifully, and for all time. Jordano achieves this through angle, juxtaposition, contrast, and of course, subject matter. In one photo, an elderly worker sits in a darkened corner of an office, a relic of a time gone by, while in the foreground, a youthful hand holds a paper cup with a modern soft drink logo. In another photo, a young man stands in the foreground, powerfully shot from below, his hair greased back. The young man in contrasted by another young man in the background, with just the hint of the nose of a street rod in between the two. These photos are powerful, and are not only strong compositionally, but are strong thematically. There is story and meaning to the images, played out for the viewer by the people who are the subject.

In 2001 Dave Jordano began work on his Chicago Bridge Project. This work (http://www.davejordano.com/#at=0&mi=1&pt=0&pi=51&s=0&p=-1&a=-1) consisted of photographs of bridges and other industrial structures in and around the city of Chicago. This project was Jordano’s first fine art project since the early 1970’s, and focuses on architectural landscapes as opposed to portraits. Urban landscapes can display the grit, beauty, and design behind a city. In this project, Jordano captures the magnificence of Chicago’s bridges. Like his earlier portrait work, Jordano succeeds with the use black and white, composition, and timing. In this photograph (http://www.shashicaudill.com/wp-content/gallery/dave-jordano-bridges/lasalle-st_-bridge-chicago.jpg), Jordano chooses to wait until it is dark enough for street lamps to be lit, but not too dark that the water is lost in the night. Jordano uses the angle of the buildings in the background to handle composition. The angle of the buildings contrasts the angle of the water almost perfectly. The buildings are lost in fog, emulating the murkiness of the water. The bridge stands out as the subject, contrasting the infinite right angles surrounding it with rounded, flowing features. This is a truly beautiful photograph.

In 2010, Jordano returned to his original hometown of Detroit to begin work on what he calls a “re-photography” project. Having done his early black and white portrait work in Detroit,  Jordano’s goal was to document the changes that had taken place over nearly forty years. According to Jordano, most photographic work done in Detroit in recent years has focused on economic and abandonment issues. Jordano views this as an attempt to create beauty out of tragedy, and considers it a one-dimensional approach that is detrimental to Detroit’s image. Having been born and raised in Detroit, Jordano wants his work to show the human side of the city. Detroit is not the apocalyptic, decaying city as portrayed by the media, but is a place made up of many communities surviving through perseverance. The abandonment is overwhelming, but the people live on. Jordano’s work in Detroit doesn’t steer away from the hard issues, but includes the people who are full of life, despite the struggle. There is a present sense of hope in the photos. One photo in particular (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1ABehC-cxco-lg8dbCodyN_ndxOESZmwPFR-ysttm7kduTcKq) shows a group of police cadets practicing riot control training in the parking lot of an abandoned shopping center. The police academy trains cadets in public spaces to gain better public relations with residents of local neighborhoods. It’s an interesting subject that contrasts the uniformed, orderly cadets against the disorder of the unkempt, abandoned shopping center. Order among chaos. In Jordano’s modern Detroit work (http://www.davejordano.com/#mi=1&pt=0&pi=44&p=-1&a=-1&at=0), he abandons black and white photography for color. I believe Jordano chooses color to bring his subjects out of the perceived dark and decay, and into bright, exciting life. This work is about both the people and their environment. Nothing should be hidden. The cracks and fades exist alongside the hope, and surprisingly diverse skin color of the people. Contrary to popular belief, people of light skin aren’t immune to poverty, and many live in poor Detroit communities. Jordano was at first surprised by the number of white people he encountered, and made sure to include them in his work. Again, Jordano chooses to show reality instead of giving the public the stereotypical view. Jordano’s work in Detroit resembles the work of Sebastiao Salgado. Salgado’s work presents the faces of nature and humanity in black in white, in the same way that Jordano’s work presents humanity and its urban environment in color. Neither photographer steers away from reality, and finds beauty in the perseverance of the subject.

Dave Jordano’s philosophy should inspire those who wish to follow in his footsteps. As Jordano himself learned from greats such as Sebastiao Salgado, others can learn from Jordano. His work can be studied technically as well as morally. Like Salgado, Jordano’s work raises public awareness. His work isn’t photography for the sake of photography, but something is something more that tells an honest story. This work transcends, and will stand the test of time. Since 2010, Jordano has been back to Detroit more than sixteen times. Jordano’s philosophy is that “...you don’t pick your projects, they pick you. If you’re concerned enough about something it will ultimately surface and you will have to act upon it.”

References:

https://www.aimiaagophotographyprize.com/artists/dave-jordano

http://www.davejordano.com/#s=0&mi=1&pt=0&pi=1&p=-1&a=-1&at=0

http://petapixel.com/2014/01/18/interview-photographer-dave-jordano-detroit-unbroken/

http://www.featureshoot.com/2012/09/dave-jordano-photographs-a-gritty-but-hopeful-detroit/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Jordano

Dave Jordano

Dave Jordano was born in Detroit in 1948. He attended the College for Creative Studies where he received a bachelor's degree in photography. In 1977, Jordano formed a commercial photography business. Jordano's clients included Starbucks, Nestle, Sears, McDonald's, and General Mills, among other large companies. Jordano turned his photography toward fine art in 2001 when he began work photographing industrial structures in the Chicago, Illinois area. Through 2007, Jordano continued to work in the Illinois/Indiana area, photographing landscapes, churches, and individuals. In 2010, Jordano began work on his Detroit: Unbroken Down project. This project focused on the cultural identity of his birth place of Detroit, Michigan.

Jordano's work has been featured in many private collections and museums, most notably, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Detroit Institute of Arts, and The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. Jordano has won or been nominated for over ten major photography awards since 2003. These awards include Canada's most significant photography award, the $50,000 AIMIA/AGO Photography Prize, which Jordano won in 2015.

Dave Jordano's introduction to photography was, as he explains in a 2014 interview, "an epiphany". While stationed in Germany in 1968 Jordano was invited by a friend to take black and white portraits. As Jordano was developing the film, he knew that photography was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He had never felt so strongly about anything, and likens the moment to a religious experience. A woman who ran the local photo lab, Frau Nastvogel, became Jordano's mentor. Jordano was guided by Nastvogel's enthusiasm, his own family's support, and the work of another teacher named Bill Rauhauser. Rauhauser would influence Jordano's love of street photography with his knowledge of history and photo theory. Jordano has stated that Rauhauser's critiques were "invaluable". Jordan's other influences as a young photographer were Ansel Adams, Minor White, and Paul Caponigro. Jordano's remaining time in Germany was a time of "experimentation", where he learned a contemplative, and methodical approach to photography. This precise way of working, he states, fit his own personality.

When Jordano began work on Detroit: Unbroken Down in 2010, it was in response to a rising trend in photography known as "ruin porn". Jordano was affected by the media's portrayal of Detroit as a one dimensional city, and wanted to alter the public's negative view of Detroit.  Jordano's goal was to return to his birthplace of Detroit and right what he called a "horrible misrepresentation of a city that had fallen on hard times". After the initial shock of experiencing the crumbling buildings and homes, Jordano realized that he was doing nothing to help the problems of Detroit by recording what had already been shown to the country. To combat the capitalization of Detroit's failure, Jordano turned to the people of Detroit. They became the focus of his street photography. These poor people hadn't failed, the system had failed them. Jordano's portraits capture the resiliency of the people. The photos aren't about the crumbling surroundings, they are about the hope the people of Detroit still hold on to. By 2013, Jordano had returned to Detroit 23 times. In those three years the people displayed "an uncanny ability to remain positive". Despite the hardships, these people continued to make the best of their situation. By showing this to the world through his photography, Jordano doesn't allow the people to be blamed. They get by through life working together, bartering, growing gardens, and maintaining self-sufficient communities. The people transcend the negativity brought on by the media.

Dave Jordano's work will stand the test of time because of its honesty. Jordano's work steers away from the trendy, and offers something real. Jordano's unpretentious portraits and landscapes hide nothing, honestly revealing the people and places he photographs. While Jordano's work differs from my own for many reasons, one of which being his superior skill, I can take something from it. I can learn from Jordano's photographs on a technical level, and on a moral level. As well as taking good photographs, there should be a reason for taking the photographs. There should exist a theme and meaning behind the work. Dave Jordano's work is truly inspirational.


References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Jordano

http://petapixel.com/2014/01/18/interview-photographer-dave-jordano-detroit-unbroken/