Discussion #3

European and American photographers traveled along the trade route in 1845. African photographers, studios or traveling photographers, started in 1860s. 

Although photography is an American thing, African photography is structured by African cultural values. The photography contains the traditional clothing, accessories, African textiles and so on. Later on, we can see how much influence of the colonization was given to the African in the photographs like people in the western background setting or wearing western accessories while dressing up in the traditional clothing, traditional fitting pose or looks on the faces. However, identity was important for Africans that not only for portraits and postcards, but also for identity cards people got pictures taken. 

The photographs from early time, American and African photographies are very similar that it is hard to tell American photography to African or vice versa. Postcards give clues to us to learn the process of development of West African studio photography. Between 1890s and 1930s, postcards played a big roll as records of local events, local characteristics, colonial propaganda and cultures.

European photographers typically included colonial and native life and points of interest in West Africa. For example, Fortier, one of the most popular European photographer, photographed post office, train station, the mosque, market, a butcher’s shop, the arrival of a caravan transporting salt in Timbuktu, and African people. On the other hand, African photographers like Lisk-Carew photographed portraits of local and British clienteles and official pictures for the colonial administration. 

The studio photography sounds to me more like art. As Okwui Enwezor says on page 28, the studio is a like a stage and the sitters are the actors or actress who show themselves as who they are or who create their images as who they desire to be by acting. For example, Keita's photography includes fancy looking clothing, accessories, settings, background, and so on. His photographs are like pieces of art. His photographs are artistic. He makes the sitters look fabulous in the picture, and he organizes things so that everything fits in the picture perfectly looking good. 
Studio photography focuses more on the sitters and their identities, whereas documentary photography focuses on the daily base. What people do in their daily life and routine, what happens in society, and what the city looks like during that particular time. For example, Gordon focuses on the daily lives like fisher, random people on the street, stores in New York City, a flyer on the street wall, and so on. His photograph has a purpose like letting the outsiders know what goes on in the cities.