Group items tagged

"As the seventh anniversary of the United States' 2003 invasion of Iraq approaches-and as American and NATO forces gear up for a major push into a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan-LIFE asked five outstanding photographers who have covered both wars to reflect on the conflicts, and on their own work. Collectively, these four men and one woman have taken tens of thousands of photographs from the two wars; here, they've each chosen a handful of images that, for reasons as varied as their utterly distinct styles, resonate most deeply with them. The pictures that follow, and the photographers' words that accompany them, comprise a chronicle of courage, folly, misery, hubris-in short, a look at humans at their best, their worst, their most guarded, and their most vulnerable. WARNING: Some of the images depict extreme violence."

"Simplicity Can Seem Complex Memorable pictures are made using time-tested techniques, methods -- and, yes, even tricks. To help photographers of all stripes up their game, LIFE.com is launching a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. One of those aspects, of course, is the critical consideration of lighting. LIFE.com asked professional photographer Tyler Stalman to offer insights on effective lighting, use of shadows, shooting at night, etc. Of this stunning Andreas Feininger picture of a young Dennis Stock (a formidable photographer in his own right) holding camera in front of his face, Stalman says, "The main lesson here is that a smart, accomplished photographer can manipulate light and shadow so the viewer is not immediately aware of what's going on -- while knowing that the image itself is somehow powerful. I admit, I went for years without realizing that it was simply lighting at work in this picture, creating an amazing 'shape' within the image, rather than the subject wearing gloves, or a sort of cowl on his head. So sometimes a really simple technique -- like this tight circle of bright light on a face -- really goes a long way.""

"Find Natural Frames Memorable pictures are made using time-tested techniques, methods -- and, yes, even tricks. To help photographers of all stripes up their game, LIFE.com is launching a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. One of those aspects, for instance, is composition, or how a picture is framed, and how that frame is filled. LIFE.com asked professional photographer Tyler Stalman to offer insights on effective composition. "I love this photograph," Stalman says of Ralph Morse's shot taken on a naval ship in 1942 for LIFE. "Keep an eye out for natural frames for your subjects. Here, even if the doorway or hatch had not been there, it would have been a nice photo. But the framing adds an extra level of drama: You get a kind of voyeuristic look through the door, which is heightened because the guy is not looking at the camera, as if he's unaware of it.""

"Look for New Environments, Mix People Up Memorable pictures are made using time-tested techniques, methods -- and, yes, even tricks. To help photographers of all stripes up their game, LIFE.com is launching a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. Among those: portraiture, or how to take pictures of people that really feel alive. LIFE.com asked professional photographer Tyler Stalman to offer insights on taking great portraits. Of this classic LIFE photograph by John Loengard of the Beatles in a pool in Miami, Stalman says: "Most people, when taking group shots, want to line everybody up -- even putting them in rows -- but when you have a bunch of people it's great to put them in a new or unexpected environment. Like this Loengard photo: you get all this extra depth in the picture, and there's so much going on at once. Don't be afraid to shuffle people around when you're doing a group shot.""

interview with woman who marched with Dr. King as a young girl, didn't know her photograph was taken

"During the Great Depression, the United States government sent Danish-born photographer Peter Sekaer on a mission through America's back roads to chronicle the lives of ordinary Americans as they struggled through one of the most challenging periods in U.S. history. Now, for the first time, Sekaer's telling odyssey through America is available to the public after years in obscurity. The 87 vintage gelatin silver prints are in an Atlanta High Museum exhibit called "Signs of Life: Photographs by Peter Sekaer," which will be on view from now until January 9, 2011."

"In the early 1960s, the great LIFE photographer Paul Schutzer went to Berlin to chronicle the construction and the effect on everyday lives of the then-brand-new Berlin Wall. What he saw, and what he photographed, provides a chilling glimpse into an era both eerily familiar, and profoundly alien. Pictured: Shadowy silhouettes of seven West Berliners waving to their relatives on the other side of the Wall."

"The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material related to World War I, including photographs, documents, newspapers, films, sheet music, and sound recordings. This guide compiles links to World War I resources throughout the Library of Congress Web site. In addition, this guide provides links to external Web sites focusing on World War I and a bibliography containing selections for both general and younger readers."

"The selected pictures listed below are among the audiovisual holdings of the National Archives that relate to the American Revolution. They are photographic copies of works of art. The dates and mediums of the originals and the names of the artists are given wherever it has been possible to determine them."

produces and hosts high-quality documentary films and photographs. The films and images focus on exploring the world and the work of non-profit organizations around the world.

"This activity can be used as an introduction to the March on Washington during a unit on Civil Rights. It could also be used to illustrate First Amendment rights according to the United States Constitution. For grades 5-12."