GET SHOT!

  

The photographer I have chosen is Martin Sorrondeguy. Sorrondeguy was a prominent member of the hardcore punk scene in Chicago, Illinois while performing with the bands Los Crudos and Limp Wrist. He was also a vocal and active member of the Straight Edge and Queercore scene.

Beyond being a musical and social influence in the many punk scenes around The United States, Sorrondeguy is an active photographer and director. His most recent project - where all the photos have been lifted from - is a photo book titled GET SHOT. Get Shot depicts life in the punk scene over the years from the perspective of Sorrondeguy himself. Having been involved in my own local punk scenes over the past six years, I chose these photos because of their portrayal of a past era I idolize and often romanticize.

The photographer I have chosen to compare and contrast the previous images to is Conte Starfire, and photographer and member of the punk and metal scene in my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario.

Starfire has been an active member of the punk and metal scene and often photographs the shows as a hobby and as documentation. I believe his photos reflect the aura and atmosphere of Sorrondeguy’s as well as chosen to be taken in the first place for similar reasons.

The obvious similarities between these collections of photos is that they are both of local, all-ages punk scenes. They are shot in black and white and depict high energy. They are representations of youth who do not feel they belong in the mainstream culture forced on them, and have searched out and created one for them by them. It is a rejection of the status quo and a hurricane of teen angst and confusing self-reflection.The differences on a technical level are the fact that the photos taken by Starfire are digital, as opposed to the one’s by Sorrondeguy, taken before that technology even existed.

The important aspects of these works are the atmosphere that they capture. The raw energy of the performers on stage. The hectic, intense thrashing done by the crowd. The eccentric outfits and fashion meant to yell at the world who they are. These are the merit of the photographs. They take the amazing and powerful movement that was the hardcore punk scene in America and immortalize it for all the youth that will come after it. That will look up to it and recreate and establish it in their own lives and subcultures.

It is not the technical aspects of these works that are important, it’s the raw energy and feeling of independent culture that they capture. I consider it one of the most important and significant aspects of my life, and these photos are the physical manifestations of these feelings.

Photography and Ethic

The following photos are ones I have chosen for my Photography and Ethic assignment. They are one's I have taken personally in the past year. Two were taken during the Occupy Toronto support movement in the fall of 2011, and the third from the Smoke's Poutinerie Anniversary Event, that took place in the Fall of 2012. 

I chose these photos because they are similar in many ways. They are basic images with simple content matter, that immediately draws the eye of the viewer. Second, they are images which propagate a message, view, or product. The objects in the images were all created with the specific purpose of getting the viewer to adopt a certain view or idea. This is premise of why I chose to edit these specific photos, to highlight that within the current sphere of media, the images that reach us can be manipulated in many ways to benefit those who produce them. 

I began my process by colour correcting each photo. This was done purely to yield a higher quality, more clear photo. After that I began to alter each one individually. While each one is altered to display different content, they all contain a manipulation of the words displayed on banners, posters, or signs. Each one was changed to show something more absurd than before. This was done with a specific purpose. 

With the presence of media in our culture bombarding us from all angles, and the interests of those who want our attention directed at them, we find ourselves in a cacophony of messages. We are being told to think a certain way by everything, and it becomes difficult to distinguish between which messages are genuine and those that aren't. Photos, soundclips, and video can all be altered to push a message. It is our responsibility as not only consumers of media, but as producers of it. We must work to make sure that our photos and messages that are given to the public push a message that is honest and real, not one that exists to trick the viewers into consuming it. 

My photo edits were very simple in nature, but they served a very serious purpose. They represented the responsibility of media to not mislead the viewer with propaganda but instead with genuine insight. The represent the responsibility of the viewer to dissect what they are seeing and decide if it is worthy of being accepted. Most importantly it represents the responsibility of all to question all of what is real and what is observed. Our senses can be tricked, so it is never wise to be comfortable with accepting any aspect of life as absolute.