A Black and White Photograph by Wynn Bullock Captures History

Black and white photography is only one of my many passions as an aspiring artist. I enjoy the art of developing the black and white film and shooting the negative onto paper. I know this sounds easy, but it requires a great deal of time and patience’s as you focus the negative on the paper and decide the exposure time-one required element of the developing process. To understand the elements of photography I look through many galleries and read books to learn as much as I can about different techniques and to learn different aspects from my favorite photographers.

Recently, I was inspired to write about a black and white photograph done by Wynn Bullock from the moment I looked through a book titled Capturing Light, “Masterpieces of California Photography, 1850 to the present”. The photograph is untitled but known as the “Girl with Doll and Logs”. I was captivated by Bullock’s ability to capture the pure innocents the portrait holds, yet, an emotional eeriness sweeps through your thoughts when looking at the photographs landscape. Bullock’s photograph has captured some elements of the Art world that leaves reactions upon the viewer.

Bullock sets the language of the photograph by adding humanization with the little girl, water and the logs. I recognize that Bullock used a slow shutter speed to blur the water around the logs and I believe that Bullock blurred the water to give the photograph that eerie imaginary awareness, but as you look at the little girl playing with her doll you can almost experience her innocent that the artist has captured. A diagonal line sets the mood with the landscape and gives the photograph drama. The blurred water gives shape to the log and brings the drama together like a piece of Mozart’s music. Bullock does a neat thing with adding value to the photograph. The photograph process takes time, and precise decisions must come from the photographer before the shutter is released to capture the essence of the moment on film.

Bullock’s use of value in the contrasts surrounding the water and the dark background give a feeling of gloominess lurking in the shadows as if the shadows are waiting to conqueror the innocents. The use of lighter contrast surrounding the little girl in the photograph gives a feeling that the child’s innocence gives her the uninhibited knowledge of the power and deadliness the water embraces. Instantaneously, the child’s innocence could be lost by the powerful forces of danger that await the child because of its inability to sense harm in the environment. The landscape setting of the logs and the shadowy background gives a sense of something more powerful than she is. A sensational eeriness of something lurking in the shadows that almost makes you want to reach in and make the child become aware of the world surrounding her.

Furthermore, the innocence I see in the photograph reminds me of a time when I was young and carefree about the world; all it has to offer and all it has to fear. Bullock brings emotion into the photograph by adding humanistic aspects with the little girl being photographed nude. It shows how the innocent have no apprehension of the world around them. The photograph illustrates the purity of the little girl and her baby doll enjoying time by the river giving the photograph consistency with Bullocks style.

A reflection of the artist can be seen and witnessed in Bullock’s photograph. Bullock places emphasis on the water and the little girl to give you an idea of what the photograph is about. Additionally, Bullock’s photograph presents a sense of time. The little girl’s movement can be felt and the water’s rush can be absorbed in the minds eye giving a rhythm of movements and reason.

This photograph has many stories it could portray to its viewers. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so it is said. The time, effort and precise detail that has gone into this photograph has truly imbedded an impression of how an artist must feel when doing such a grand work of art. Do they really know how the viewer perceives their art work or do they question themselves and their ability to create emotional feelings that come from their art piece itself? The basic element of art is the artist’s base structure. But, it is the artist’s imagination that makes the art piece leave an impression in the minds of the people who view it.

A quote from Bullock,”A thing is not what you say it is or what you photograph it to be or what you paint it to be or what you sculpt it to be. Words, photographs, paintings, and sculptures are symbols of what you see, think, and feel things to be, but they are not the things themselves. -Wynn Bullock.”

References

Capturing Light. Masterpeices of California Photography, 1850 to the present. Edited by Drew Heath Johnson. Wynn Bullock “Untitled” pg 223.

www.photoquotes.com. Wynn Bullock. Taken 1/25/05.