Blog Prompt 21

A. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “news”-related photographs.
Usually they are snapshots: Usually are in the moment kind of happening, somewhat enhanced by the use of camera tricks like over exposure or shutter speed. I think this is by far the most honest category in which media uses photographs, as modifying these would take away the function they serve as news dealers.

B. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of “snapshots”, including family photographs, cell-phone shots, photos posted to facebook
The lighting is somewhat dim and usually comes from natural sources such as windows. It can also come from unnatural sources such as lamps. There is a sense of vouyeristic pleasure on them and I once red on the internet that these pictures makes you intimate with the owner in a very odd way, as they allow you into their intimacy just a little bit.

C. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of advertisement photographs, including fashion photography, product photography, etc
Everything is artificial, and apparently, the more artifical the better. Which is probably why me and half the world doesn't like those pictures: usually the subject is well lit, with unnatural sources of lighting, make up and fancy clothes (or the lack of them) play a huge role on the picture, even sometimes more than the subject itself who also, happens to be standarized on what the "ideals" on beauty are. Also the usage of Photoshop or other photo enhancement software is expected and even encouraged.

D. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of film/movie and television stills.
What I find interesting on them is that visually the only thing they have in common is that they appear to be telling something, just in one frame they tell a story due the context, body language or lightining. Apparently, they are highly contextual as just one picture may develop a whole story and sometimes fans and readers alike make up their own stories just by looking at them.

E. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of yearbook photos, senior pictures, and team/club/sports group shots.
I am not completely familiar with yearbooks, however I think there's a lot of standarization: usage of the same lighting and background, the same pose, almost like 3/4, the pose is somewhat unnatural and usually the photo contains either a face pic from the chest up or a photo in a medium close up, covering from heads to the middle of the legs.

F. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of stock images. http://www.corbisimages.com/ http://www.gettyimages.com/
They are general and powerful. Every single idea of context is removed and are left somewhat ambigous as all the pictures have to be easily relatable to everyone. The other thing is that they have to be easy to read and easy to be understand in less than 30 seconds. When the subject is a human there are some poses that are usual on those pictures and sometimes made fun.

G. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of fashion photography.
The interesting thing on fashion is glamour: it has to be visually appealing in every way and photographers use all of the tricks they can get their hands on: good looking models, great lighting, great outfits, great make up artists, great photoshop artists... the point is to glamour you, to hipnotize you into this picture.

H. Describe some common aesthetic aspects of paparazzi shots or celebrity photographs.
Flash and the subject being "unaware" of the pescence of the photographers. There is an element of voyeurism in these pictures as the audience enjoys what is seeing and the subject being unaware of these intervention. However, most of the time these pictures are "acted out" and "paparazzis" are called on to do their job, sometimes, they even get to know the celebrities really good because of this.