Wall Street, 1915 by Paul Strand

Paul Strand's "Wall Street, 1915"

Paul Strand was an American photographer born in New York City. He studied under Lewis Hine (the photojournalist).

Paul Strand successfully sought out details in an everyday situation, and was able to turn the photograph its self into a real life translation into abstract art that captured energy and movement. Strands framing is spot on, the diagonal lines and partial shapes create a sense of forward movement. The actual situation is simply people walking down a street, the image its self is of movement and energy.  Details like the forward action of the people, shadows jetting backward, and perspectives moving back into space all give the feeling of movement. In all Wall Street is the ideal example of photographic abstraction and realist cubism. 

A study of light and how it changes through out the day. 

The Documentary Impulse

1.     To discover new things

2.     To understand what you have discovered

3.     To relay your discoveries

4.     To creatively relay your discoveries

5.     To make the audience understand what you understand

6.     To use documentary work to reflect

7.     To take in knowledge and keep it

8.     To take your discoveries in the real world and imagine greater

9.     To stop and think about what we are relaying to others

10. Use our ability to relay to make a difference in the world

While reading the Documentary Impulse, I had to stop and reread the part about the little girl that would dream about things to lock away knowledge.  Maybe its because I am a teenager now and all I want to do in go into a deep hibernation, but I don’t remember anything that I dream about. I don’t even remember anything about what happens after I wake up. My mornings are always hazy as I go step by step through my morning routine. 

      In my images I attempted to creatively relay my mornings by experimenting with camera angles. I used the natural morning sun to help convey a dream like state of mind. Odd camera angles and intermittent images of myself to give the feeling that I’m not quite there and to maybe make the viewer feel more like they are in the story I am telling.