Pinney, MacDougall

Photography is a multi-dimensional art. What I mean by this is that photography can mean different things to different people. To some, it does not even qualify as art. To others, it is a means of documenting and recording events. In the film Photo Wallas, by David and Judith MacDougall, the meaning and types of photography in India are explored. According to David MacDougall in the article Photo Wallas: An Encounter with Photography, this film is an attempt to learn “how photography differs from other kinds of visual representation, and how different people interpret that difference” (28). Within the confines of Indian culture, the MacDougalls drew the conclusion that photography is used as a medium of both imagination and evidence. This conclusion is supported in the Pinney article “To Know a Man From His Face:” Photo Wallas and the Use of Visual Anthropology. Pinney reviews the film, focuses on specific points that back up the MacDougalls conclusion. He agrees that fantasy and performance is a large part of photography in India, which is a method to reveal a person's 'personality.' The outer appearance is stressed more than what is inside, which is not seen as much in western style of photography. Our culture, I believe, has a desire to find extraordinary things within the ordinary and many photographers focus on taking pictures of everyday life and events. In a still photo it is possible to reveal something that would otherwise go unnoticed. What is usually observed as a mundane action or person can be turned into a stimulating subject. Pinney and MacDougall both recognize that India creates the interest in a person through props and settings – like the photographers who reside on Gun Hill – stressing the fantasy and preparation of the photograph. However, not all Indian photographers act in this manner and neither do all Western photographers. There are overlaps between the two places which again emphasizes the point that photography holds a variety of meanings for different cultures.