'The Photographer & The Viewer' - St Catherine's, Bramley

T

oday photography is a means of recording our lives as they are lived. We are ready to capture images of our daily lives, our meals, our holidays, and our own image at almost any moment. But in the early days of the art, photography was indebted to a tradition of portraiture in paintings.

The photographs that we take today, post on social media, share with friends, are often intended to capture a fleeting moment. But in the early days of photography, photographs were often seen as a way of preserving the living, or at least their likeness, for future generations.

But how accurately do these images represent us? And does that matter? Annie Leibovitz, the American photographer famous for her sometimes controversial portraits, said that ‘In a portrait, you have room to have a point of view and to be conceptual with a picture. The image may not be literally what’s going on, but it’s representative.’

How do we view the images that we and others make?

Ansel Adams, the American landscape photographer and environmentalist, said ‘There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.’ What strikes you when you see a photographic image, be it a professional photograph, an Instagram post, or a holiday snap? As the ‘second person’ how does your reaction to the image differ from the notion that the photographer had when they made it? How often do we consider the intention behind the image, the processes which have been employed

to create it, or the message that the maker hoped to convey?

And do we acknowledge that while the image may not be “literally” accurate, it is representative of a mood, feeling or message?

At St Catherine’s creative thinking is key to all that we do.

The Art & MakerSpace @ The John Palmer Art Centre is a place where girls of all ages can explore their creativity. The new Photography Studio and Dark Room will provide girls with an environment in which they can experiment with techniques and push their creative boundaries.

Thank you to those of you who have already supported the Campaign, if you would like to find out more please do get in touch.

Jane Pink Capital Campaign Officer +44 (0) 1483 899787 jane.pink@stcatherines.info stcatherines.info/artmakerspace

The images in this publication are the work of Sixth Form Photography students