Andre Kertesz
The photographer I have decided to research and compare my
work to is no other than Andre Kertesz. Andre Kertesz was one of the greatest
photojournalist known to man. Creative, anxious, and full of ideas, Kertesz was
successfully able to capture images that told real stories to his audience.
According to Kertesz, capturing a real photograph consists of subjects or
people that are unaware that they are being photographed. This is something I
strongly believe in because, when you tell someone “come on lets take a
picture, ” the first thing that person is prone to do is smile. Having said
that, if the picture doesn’t turn out in their favor, they may even ask for a
retake. Retakes to me go against Kertesz idea of capturing a real image. Once a
retake is given, that person will again try to impress the camera by posing,
which is creating not capturing the truth.
The first photo I will discuss is one shot by Andre Kertesz,
where we see a couple enjoying a drink in what some would assume to be a bar.
As we all know, every picture says a thousand words. Kertesz is famous for
having his audience wonder what is going on in his photos, and why he decided
to take that photo the way he did. The reason why I like Kertesz as a
photographer is because he really captures true images in real moments.
Kertesz’s photos immediately inform his audience of how unaware his subjects
are that they are being photographed.
In Kertesz’s photo, you can clearly tell this couple is
laughing it up, and having a great time as they enjoy their beverages. In my
image you can also see a couple laughing it up and having a great day at the
beach. In both images we can tell that these couples are really enjoying each
other’s company. We can draw the feeling of love, and happiness from both these
images. I tried my best to portray Kertesz’s practices by capturing this image
without the couple’s attention. In other words they were unaware that they were
being photographed.
A Photo Shot By: Andre Kertesz
A Photo Shot By: Atekel Mclarty
In this photo, Kertesz takes a photo of a group of friends
having a laugh in what seems to be a lounge, bar, or restaurant. I feel as if
Kertesz caught this photo at the perfect moment because he captures the heart
of the laugh. Luckily, he snapped this photo right before one of his subjects became
noticeably aware of his presence and camera. In my photo you can see a group of
friends just hanging out. In this photo, you can’t really tell who’s speaking
with whom, but you could clearly see that everyone is comfortable with each other.
I did not take this photo to mimic Kertesz’s photo, I took this photo to
capture the truth from this event as he did in his. In my photo no one is
paying attention to the camera, everyone is either having conversation or
listening in on conversation. If I had said, “listen up,” or “round up for a
picture,” to everyone, none of this information could have been drawn from this
photo. Everyone would have posed with a smile, which would have the audience
think, “Everything is OK,” “we are all smiling,” and “life’s great.”
A Photo Shot By: Andre Kertesz
A Photo Shot By: Atekel Mclarty
In this photo we have two friends (assumed) sitting down by
a tree reading or doing school work together (assumed). Once again these people
are totally unaware that they are being photographed. In my photo I tried to
mimic the same situation. I didn’t do much of a good job though due to weather
(winter) and I also had no one to sit with. These photos are similar because
they are both taken with Kertesz’s practices of capturing off guard photograph.
Differences between the two include: the background, what I am doing compared
to what the two men are doing, and you can also tell that these pictures were
taken in two different eras. You can tell this by the way the two men are
postured and dressed, compared to how I am postured and dressed.
A Photo Shot By: Andre Kertesz
A Photo Shot By: Atekel Mclarty
In this picture, we see a group of students in a classroom
with their eyes glued to textbook pages. In my photo you see my father and
sister-in-law enjoying the sun as my sister-in-law teaches my father-in-law how
to fish. I compared the two photos to each other because in both photos there
is someone trying to learn. None of which are aware that they are being
photographed while they learn. I took my photo this way so you can see my
sister-in-law teaching while my father-in-law learns. The two photos are
significantly different due to background and activities. I honestly feel as if
I could have taken a better picture, because the picture I took doesn’t clearly
let the audience know that my father-in-law is learning to fish.
A Photo Shot By: Andre Kertesz
A Photo Shot By: Atekel Mclarty
In this photo Kertesz captures a row of trees that are planted
beside a sidewalk that seems to be on a bridge. I presume that this photo was
taken in the season of autumn, due to the amount of leaves on the tree. In my
photo I have captured a row of trees that have been slightly brushed with snow
(indicating the winter season). In Kertesz’s photo you can see a few people in
the background, but I believe the main focus of this picture are the trees by
the walkway. In this photo I believe Kertesz really shows his artistic value by
taking a picture of something so simple like a tree and having it look like a
work of art on paper. In my photo I try to do the same by taking a picture of
the trees, particularly the snow on he trees. Not many people are pleased when
they see snow start to fall in a county like Canada, but it is honestly so
beautiful. Apart from snow being cold, when it lands on the right object it can
give that object a unique look. With all that said I don’t think Kertesz’s
practice of capturing a photo of someone that is unaware that they are being
photographed applies to these to photos. I say this because there are a few
people in Kertesz’s photo, but I think the main focuses in his photo are the
trees. In my photo there aren’t any people, and the main focus is the snow on
the trees.
A Photo Shot By: Andre Kertesz
A Photo Shot By: Atekel Mclarty
This photo I saved for last, because you always save best
for last. I really love the way Kertesz took this photo; everyone is clearly
unaware of the photographer as he captures the T joint street corner. This
photo is fabulous, and if your in it, when you view it, you will at least know
how you look steering a carriage, riding a motor bike, walking, or rounding up
a horse. People are aware of how they look in the mirror or in a picture, where
the camera is set right in front of their face. On the other hand we are
unaware of what we look like from a bird’s eye and other angles. I personally
want to have someone photograph me during a regular day, so I can see my self
from every angle while completing my daily tasks. In my picture I try to in
corporate the same idea of taking a birds eye viewed shot of my school. I
really wanted to be in the picture walking so I could see what I look like as I
stroll through my school. These photos are similar because of the views they
are shot from, because of the unaware people in them, and also because of the
natural truth captured in both images. The differences set when you look at the
background, which lets you know what era that photographer was in. It is quit
obvious that Kertesz’s photograph was shot far back in the day, because no one
steers carriages anymore we now drive cars. In my photo there are no major
indicators as to which era the photo was shot in. The school does look modernly
built though. Lastly Kertesz’s photo is of a T joint street corner, while I
took a picture looking down from the 5th floor of my school.
A Photo Shot By: Andre Kertesz
A Photo Shot By: Atekel Mclarty
