Dorothea Lange reflection

Last week in discussion we discussed Dorothea Lange briefly and the incredible photography she managed to capture in such a fragile time period. Considering people were in their most vulnerable states during the great depression, the dustbowl, and times of Japanese internment camps, Dorothea managed to capture more than just vulnerable, poor people being exploited in rough times. She would always ask for permission to take a photo, which is important because of the issue of exploiting poverty. However, this risks several photos that could have been candids turning into portraits. Regardless, she knew what she was doing. Graham Clarke mentions the Indian's view of the camera as a "shadow catcher". The camera can be intrusive, but the article goes on to discuss the counterpoint to that which is the several ways there are to manipulate a photo-it doesn't always have to be photographing the vulnerable. If it is thought of as a piece of art or a way of "capturing the soul" then it would be understood that there is an underlying message trying to be conveyed as with any piece of art. Dorothea calls her photos portrayals of what "society kicked down", signifying there is an underlying theme to her photos, not always vulnerability, but always having an American feel to them-something all Americans can look at and relate to in some way.