Riis photographs .2
Other life Half Lives .8
Riis approaches to photography .9
Work Cited 12
Introduction
Riis was born in Denmark in the 19th century. When he moved to the United States, he faced several tribulations that later informed his career of photographing the less privileged (Hapke, 403). Therefore, he knew how to suffer, how to be homeless, and other basic necessities of life. He was a writer in the newspapers and magazines before venturing into photography. Basically, he wanted to show the Americans and the whole world what he saw while facing the low life. From the nature of his photographs, it is evident that Riis used different approached to picture the poor. In his work, he applies conventional wisdom to make clear photographs. In some instances, he is referred to as the first American documentary photographer with much reform in photography. After his publication, the American community was overwhelmed with revelations of the inferior aspects, dangerous classes, slaves, among other social and economic ills he pointed with his photography. Therefore, this paper describes the different approaches used by Riis in picturing the poor and how they related to the story How the Other Half Lives.
Riis photographs
In his photographs, Riis emphasized in the contradictions between the living truths of class exploitation and the limited remedies proposed by the other persons. His photographs illustrate that Riis was aware that the economic class have the potential of causing problems in the social arena if not properly exposed. Unlike other American photographers who appear confused with the social conscience, Riis has a clear conscience for the overall benefit of the society.
The above photographs show a family living in deplorable conditions. In this photograph, Riis demonstrates how housing a major problem to the people living in the United States is. This photograph also depicts how everyone, including the children is affected by the housing problem in the United States. Therefore, the photography illustrates how housing is a major problem that warrants the attention of the policy makers.
The above photograph illustrates how a man who appears to be in poor health situation is being helped by his peers. In this photograph, Riis illustrates how health is a problem that needs to be addressed by the government. As evident from his work, Riis believed that modern city was a Christian fraternity. As a Christian, Riis believed that people should live in modestly, both socially and economically. By adopting the norms of Christianity, Riis believed that the poor could be helped accordingly (Sally 17).
The above photograph illustrates the image of men with lots of worries. In this picture, Riis is able to cover the tribulations and the worries of men in the streets due to their deplorable living conditions. Riis uses this picture to send the message that there are several men outside there who should be given hope by solving their socioeconomic problems. It is evident from his photographs that they contain enough implicit ant Urbanism to portray that they are recognized. Even though the media was not his essential message, he was determined to portray the other side of the community that is often ignored. The pictures of Riis are a good testimony of the life the people lead as can be seen from the sweatshops, the lives of the immigrants, street children, among other social conditions. With his flash camera, Riis was able to penetrate the inner places that were traditionally avoided by the clients (Owens, 54).
Riis uses these photographs to showcase how children are victims of improper planning and poor governance. These children appear homeless, tired, hungry, and poor health status. In addition, Riis demonstrates how children are being used as workers in the interest of the capitalistic class. Riis affectionate to paint the poor makes people ask several questions on the social status of the community. His images elaborate that he has lots of compassion for the dignity of labor and provide a reliable witness of the conditions in the sweatshops.
The above photograph is used by Riis to illustrate the violence in the slums. After teaching the basic tenets of photography, Riis hit the streets and provides the evidence of the nature of life lived by other persons. With his good timing and flash photography, Riis was able to provide clear pictures containing the primary evidence of the life lived by some members of the society. His mastery of art enabled him to employ the new techniques to capture the stark indoor and outdoor night scenes. In this manner, the photographer was able to come up with images of downtrodden underclass that most people have only read and not seen.
Other life Half Lives
It was once believed that half of the world does not know about the lives of the other half. The other half that was on top seldom thinks of the other half that are below them. As long as the people on the bottom are able to hold the people on top, there is no problem.
Riis images printed in the other life was a clear demonstration of how the other half lives and this provided the foundations for social reform. The books provided an eye opener for the readers and the policy makers, especially in New York. It contains a proper account of poverty and low social class along the city streets of New York. His philosophy was that every man’s experience offers valuable lessons to the community. No matter the nature of the experience, Riis believed that important lessons can be drawn from them to provide social improvement (Hapke 403).
How the Other Half Lives was written by Riis to combat the evils of tenement life experienced in New York. Based on his initial experience, Riis believed that the urban slums bred moral decay, corruption, crime, paupers, among other negative aspects of life. Therefore, he despised the slums based on the negative consequences it impacts on the health and the moral status of its inhabitants. The poverty culture in the slums had the potential of affecting the younger generation by making them grow up to irresponsible adults. In publishing how the other life lives, Riis illustrated his skills as a photographer, a reporter, and a lecturer.
The response was positive in that the current police commissioner and the future president promised to act upon seeing Riis images. Roosevelt promised to improve the lives of the people in New York. In other words, Riis was demonstrating to the future president the action areas that he needs to address once he becomes the president. When he became the president of the United States, Roosevelt immediately closed the police lodging houses based on the negative images he had seen earlier. In addition, he petitioned the legislature to pass a significant piece of legislation that was aimed at addressing the state of affairs immigrant neighborhoods.
Riis approaches to photography
The availability of the negatives was responsible to create more printings in the market making more printings to be made of his drawings. The reprints, further altered the works of Riis especially the reputations that his work created in the minds of the viewers. The revisionist interpretation of Riis’s photography was majorly supplied by John Szarkowiski who also lent the instrumental support of self-consciously modernized school of exhibition photography. In search for more capital to support his growing family, he decided to form more of the pictorial selling in the social and different communities to support his family.
In his bid to facilitate the process of developing his pictures, he faced challenges and ended up being rejected by a number of major dailies. He gained the reputation he required in working as a journalist which furthers his understanding of the social nature of the photographs. His graphics in the daily newspaper were brilliant and discloses in his own right intentions. Different individuals appreciated his extraordinary work on the photographs and production of different books. Despites the critics that he got from different individuals from his work, he also received some appreciations which made him strong in his work. Riis life and development in the social photography consisted of setbacks which include the tribunal interferences, but he was determined to serve the community (Sally 16). None of his work could be supported since he was not fully decided on the specific work to bring into reality. The family need made him identify and realize the social gaps within the community and facilitated his work of photographs. He did his photography work irrespective of the family challenges which was a serious setback in terms of the sustainability required. The printings and reprinting made his work popular and his books became a sale need in all the community in regard to his photographs.
Different approaches are used by the photographers to indicate the poor in the pictures. Some of the approaches used include; first the asset based approach which majorly facilitates the life-skill formed by the conceptual framework of the project. The approach is majorly embedded in the field of positive psychology through the umbrella of awareness (Sally 13). It indicates the ideas of empirical understanding of the demands and the pressures of the present-day workplace and social environment. It majorly takes into account the psychological understanding of the asset associated with the poor. The approaches ensure a keen interest and evaluation of the assets in the poor community and only indicate the disorganized, poorly arranged and old assets in the surrounding. It is also based on the notion that each individual has the potential to enhance his/her individual mental well-being.
The other approach is the participatory approach which majorly involves the participatory action in the areas. These participatory approaches may include the photo indicating the introduction of a new machine to people with several unorganized communities. The photographs indicate some members being unwilling to closely get into contact with the projects creating an image of fear. The approach is difficult to use, but can clearly bring out the required image of the poor in the picture. This approach only indicates the disparity in the member’s participating in the activity showing the poor as desperate for the projects. It depicts the environment as a neglected economy with several areas shown having non-important activities (Sally 14)
Conclusion
In conclusion, Riis photography of the poor worked towards the social reform by bringing the hidden realities to the eyes of the public. He exposed the evil of the poverty in the New York City and its destructive effects on the society. Later, his images altered the public opinion and encouraged the enactment of the political reforms that helped to uplift the socioeconomic conditions of New York City. Riis believed that the combination of words and images is more effective in convincing the readers to believe the realities that exist in the New York slums. The work of photographs is important explaining and reaching different people through photographs. The approaches used by different people in portraying the poor should be made in such a way that it clearly brings the information required irrespective of the approach used. All the approaches used for the portraying of the poor are still subject to improvement and more information should be gathered to bring out the picture clearly.
Work Cited
Hapke, Laura. "Rediscovering Jacob Riis: Exposure Journalism and Photography in Turn-of-the-Century New York." Working USA 11.3 (2008): 402-3. ProQuest. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
Owens, Patricia Ann. "Jacob Riis: Reporter and Reformer." School Library Journal 52.7 (2006): 122. ProQuest. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
Sherman, Jennifer. "Where the Other Half Lives: Lower Income Housing in a Neoliberal World." Contemporary Sociology 39.3 (2010): 303-4. ProQuest. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
Sally, Stein. Photography and Social Mobility in the career of Jacob Riis. Making Connection with the Camera, 10 (1983), 9-19.
