Personal
Investigation pt 2
MY CONCEPT
I have 2 concept ideas currently which I am deeply passionate about. Both ideas stemmed from me contemplating the effects of quarantine on people and how different individuals are coping. My 2 ideas are:
- The digital world v The real world and how the virtual has now become commonplace for people as a primary means of communication and interaction. I wish to focus on the lives people live while online compared to their lives irl. I aim to accomplish this task by taking in game screenshots of computer generated scenery and comparing them to images of the real world which I intend to get via my own photos. I also want to also incorporate a section dedicated to just pictures of our world that have been edited through technology, as although the picture captures a real landscape, the whole picture is fake due to the touch of technology.
- Social Anxiety and my personal story with it. I aim to mix a first person story with a third person perspective, having text and images contrast each other while holding similarities. My idea to have these photos in a third person perspective is due to the fact that it reflects how the exterior of a person may not convey what the interior is going through. I will be also able to blend these 2 concepts together and also focus on how those who struggle with social anxiety utilize the online world as a form of escapism.
- The digital world v The real world and how the virtual has now become commonplace for people as a primary means of communication and interaction. I wish to focus on the lives people live while online compared to their lives irl. I aim to accomplish this task by taking in game screenshots of computer generated scenery and comparing them to images of the real world which I intend to get via my own photos. I also want to also incorporate a section dedicated to just pictures of our world that have been edited through technology, as although the picture captures a real landscape, the whole picture is fake due to the touch of technology.
- Social Anxiety and my personal story with it. I aim to mix a first person story with a third person perspective, having text and images contrast each other while holding similarities. My idea to have these photos in a third person perspective is due to the fact that it reflects how the exterior of a person may not convey what the interior is going through. I will be also able to blend these 2 concepts together and also focus on how those who struggle with social anxiety utilize the online world as a form of escapism.
I looked into the Threshold Concepts and I believe these to be the concepts that mostly relate to my ideas:
PAUL GRAHAM
What is "easy" about photography? What is "difficult"?
Paul Graham states that "It’s so easy that I can’t even begin – I just don’t know where to start. After all, it’s just looking at things. We all do that. It’s simply a way of recording what you see – point the camera at it, and press a button." He then continues on about how due to technological advances, we no longer need film and hard work to process and create a photograph, it's all done digitally and all the photographer needs to do is press one button. However he proceeds to explain the difficult aspects of photography, mentioning how photography is everywhere around us at all times, moments pass leaving a mark of regret on the photographer as the reflect on those past minutes thinking "What if.." and "If only..." Life is always moving and it can be difficult to keep up with it, so a photographer may become overwhelmed by opportunity itself.
What does Paul Graham value about photography?
Paul Graham has a very abstract yet direct view of his surrounds, this ideology he carries leans into what he values about photography. These thing consist of whether pictures matter, hard won photographs, Offhand snapshot made on a whim, lucky observations and more. His insight towards what fascinates him produce broad results yet all share a similarity which relate back to who Paul is as a character. In summary, Graham values the thoughtfulness behind a photograph and the time that goes into it, from creation to product.
What advice does Paul Graham offer us about what to photograph?
Paul believes that upon going out and taking photographs you shouldn't get too impatient, he advice's us to " Be aware of it, but don't get stuck." Questions of what 'it' is arise upon hearing his words however I can only assume it relates to the style of photography that we are seeking to capture, or the objects that attract our eyes to them. He talks about how what you seek is everywhere however it doesn't mean you should take pictures of everything, he says "You will find it, and it will find you, just start, somehow, anyhow, but: start." which I find to be a very powerful message.
How much planning should we do before getting started?
Graham touches upon the topic of planning, having a clear coherent theme before going out on your expedition. He doesn't dismiss the idea of a pre-planned concept and comments on that ideas, "That would be nice." However, he begins to list artists such as Robert Frank, Cindy Sherman and Robert Mapplethorpe suggesting that these people did not have a conceived idea of what they wanted to shoot. He says "The more preplanned it is the less room for surprise, for the world to talk back..." which both relates to his previous statements constituting similar themes of naturalism and freedom and his love for natural occurrences. He touches on the idea of making sense, I quote "but really it's your choice, because you are also free to not make 'sense'", he puts forward the idea that sense is a measurement in which one does not need to worry about when planning or photographing.
What makes photography "beautiful"?
Paul states "It was worth it, because it is something real, that didn’t exist before you made it exist: a sentient work of art and power and sensitivity, that speaks of this world and your fellow human beings place within it. Isn’t that beautiful?" Upon talking about his own work, he refers to very specific examples that all are apart of this world, people, relations, aspirations, age, identity. Graham takes upon a humanistic approach to his photography, or even more accurately, he is a humanist who capture that that "speaks of this world and your fellow human beings place within it." He doesn't like to focus on businesses, fashion industries, money jobs, the big corporations that rule society, he focuses on the individuals, those who we meet and interact with, those whose lives we relate to. He says "Then one day it will be complete enough to believe it is finished. Made. Existing. Done. And in its own way: a contribution, and all that effort and frustration and time and money will fall away" upon speaking about those industries mentioned.
ALEC SOTH
Alec Soth held a very interesting and thought provoking interview, he speaks about his introduction into photography and how he was not apart of urban culture, he grew up in a rural area, excluded from the big cities where most opportunities lie for example New York or Los Angeles. He had to come up with abstract techniques to compete with those with a greater advantage, one way he did this was by using the Mississippi River as an analogy for old America as it was used as a motorway for the people of that time period as a means of travelling through the country.
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He used this idea for his project, by following the river and capturing the sights that beheld him, he represented the modern times and the evolution from past to present, what one would've seen then compared to the sights now.
What I find inspiring about Soth and his words is the concept of self-gratification, manufacturing a piece that just resonates with the creator. Soth said, 'If you know everything about what you are doing, It can be stale'. This statement inspires me as it shows that esteemed photographers also experience moments of doubt, confusion, mental blocks and having to improvise and hope something hits them. Alec Soth has a very critical view upon reviewing previous work and his past self, specifically his past ignorance. However, due to these critical views, it allows Soth to grow as a person and photographer as all he knows is what to improve.
What I find inspiring about Soth and his words is the concept of self-gratification, manufacturing a piece that just resonates with the creator. Soth said, 'If you know everything about what you are doing, It can be stale'. This statement inspires me as it shows that esteemed photographers also experience moments of doubt, confusion, mental blocks and having to improvise and hope something hits them. Alec Soth has a very critical view upon reviewing previous work and his past self, specifically his past ignorance. However, due to these critical views, it allows Soth to grow as a person and photographer as all he knows is what to improve.
JOEL MEYEROWITZ
During his interview Meyerowitz touches upon many aspects of his photographic journey:
- Meyerowitz discusses street photography and the advantages it presents like helping the photographer get into a state of high alertness, allowing them to pick upon the minor details of what's around them while also maintaining an idea of the bigger picture. Therefore, one is able to anticipate moments on the streets, and how they may happen, before they actually do happen allowing for a more admirable view upon the surrounding area, due to all its events having some linearity. Meyerowitz aims to be in a state of alertness, so that in the event he does not possess a camera he can capture the very moment in his minds eye and perhaps pick upon it again later. |
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- Meyerowitz perceives the world to be in a constant state of ambulation, where one moment passes and another is created. He believed a photographers role is to capture these moments, not letting them escape the grasp of time. He also elaborates on this idea while referring to the photographer behind the lens, as mentioned he talks about flow when talking about the world, this applies to the photographer too as they become conditioned to predict this order and choose what and how to photograph that moment. Although the object presented in the image has it's own beauty, the true art comes from the photographer being able to capture that specific thing in a specific way at a specific time.
- Meyerowitz believes that photography is a form of self-discovery, a means to find out who you are. When being asked by his students about when they should take a photo, he responds suggesting that their photos should be taken on reflex, a quick sudden judgment as that photo would represent their innate desires at that very moment. He shares similar views to Paul Graham as they both share the ideology that one should be free when taking photos, and that the world around them will present them with opportunities and that you shouldn't have a pre-planned notion.
- These philosophies did not come naturally, he met another photographer Robert Frank, a Swiss photographer and documentary filmmaker. He would watch how he worked, soon becoming infatuated with his work, and not just the product but more so the process of creation. After a while he began noticing a certain linearity in Frank's work, he began to see the fluidity of Frank's work, how he would capture every moment, not missing even the subtlest movement. His experience with Robert Frank was eye-opening was Meyerowitz, originally believing that photography only utilised static methods, he starting understanding the significance of movement in the world, describing a gesture of a man waving for a taxi as a 'poetic revelation'.
- Meyerowitz believes that photography is a form of self-discovery, a means to find out who you are. When being asked by his students about when they should take a photo, he responds suggesting that their photos should be taken on reflex, a quick sudden judgment as that photo would represent their innate desires at that very moment. He shares similar views to Paul Graham as they both share the ideology that one should be free when taking photos, and that the world around them will present them with opportunities and that you shouldn't have a pre-planned notion.
- These philosophies did not come naturally, he met another photographer Robert Frank, a Swiss photographer and documentary filmmaker. He would watch how he worked, soon becoming infatuated with his work, and not just the product but more so the process of creation. After a while he began noticing a certain linearity in Frank's work, he began to see the fluidity of Frank's work, how he would capture every moment, not missing even the subtlest movement. His experience with Robert Frank was eye-opening was Meyerowitz, originally believing that photography only utilised static methods, he starting understanding the significance of movement in the world, describing a gesture of a man waving for a taxi as a 'poetic revelation'.
JUNG LEE
I find Jung Lee's photography to be very influential and appealing to me for multiple reasons. Jung Lee specialises in using neon signs within her photos usually placed within a natural settings whether that being mountains or a snowy forest, the contrasting sentimental phrases juxtapose the deserted plains or barren snow fields, she makes strong various emotional statements through her masterful work. Jung Lee is trained Korean photographer born in 1972, Seoul, South Korea. Lee received her M.A. in Photography from the Royal College of Art, UK and her B.A. with honors in Photography from Kent Institute of Art & Design, UK. She also received a B.A. with honors in Mass Communication & Journalism from Kyung Hee University in Seoul. One of her main sources of inspiration for many of her artworks is Barthes and his poetry. Barthes was a french literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician. He said:
Lee likes to slow everything down patiently analyzing that most intense and overwhelming language of complete love and the deep solitary state it throws the lover into. She collects childish cliched expressions of love and hatred such as “How could you do this to me?” and “I still remember” making them an echoing as a powerful statement. Using Barthes work 'A Lovers Discourse' as a referral. As mentioned before she inspires me due to the strong meanings behind her photography while being partnered with eye-catching colours and breathtaking scenery. I love the use of colour and am a fan of neon signs so when that is partnered with a deep concept, It really speaks to me.
GABRIEL ISAK
Gabriel Isak was born in 1990 in Huskvarna, Sweden. he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California in 2016. Isak has shown off his work at solo exhibitions at The Cannery Gallery, San Francisco, California. Isak lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden, from where he travels all around the world for personal and commissioned projects. Through his photography Gabriel explores the depths or surrealism and presents melancholic images that aims to represent diving into ones subconscious state and drawing out rich symbolism and emotion. Gabriel suffered from depression and he intends to tell his story through these expressionistic photographs.With the spotlight aimed at human psychology, dreams and romanticism Gabriel exhibits a strong sense of inner-reflection and abstract ideas, his story allows him to protrude such mystifying imagery that portrays the chaos of life soon transforming into an introspective journey that questions the depths of existence. Gabriel places slight hints of consciousness surrounding by a monochromatic setting in order for the viewer to envision themselves as the subject, reflecting back on their own experiences and journey in life.
This ideology of diving into ones consciousness and exposing it's darkest aspects is something I personally find inspiring and relatable to the body of work that I wish to produce. Upon reading about Gabriel I have learned that past-experiences is an excellent catalyst towards a body of work, reflecting upon emotions you felt, sights you did and did not see alongside what you learned from those events. He subtracts humanity from his photography by numerous amounts of ways, for example placing the model in uncharacteristic positions or hiding by distracting the viewer away from a models human features through elaborate costume (as shown in his Story: Blue Dimension), an overwhelming mix of colours (Dazed Delusions) and other techniques. I believe I could use that concept and effectively apply it to my idea since it focuses on the fear of people, therefore being directed to focus on an individuals state of mind.
PHOtOGRAPHY AS A CURE
When looking into social anxiety and photography I came across a blog about a girl named Kelly who suffered from depression who used photography as a means to cure herself. The blog covers what she experienced as a sufferer and how photography acted as a huge helping hand in her journey to recovery. She says:
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"Just like photography, you have to practice, practice and practice some more when it comes to social anxiety. Learning or managing one small thing at a time, until each small thing becomes second nature." At first she used a camera as a mask to hide her face however through passion, dedication and hard work she turned that physical mask into a mental drive. Her story is inspirational to me as I experienced many similar things therefore I can take away her solution and apply it to my practice. She continues to talk about her thought processes about overcoming such an obstacle.
In summary, At first Kelly used photography as a physical block between herself and others using the camera as an excuse to not look at people, shy away from crowds, and talk to people if necessary. I could incorporate this technique and turn it into a meaningful metaphor of artistic intention, rather than just a physical object, into my work to portray a sense of distance, isolation and desperation. Kelly's journey led this physical barrier to break, now becoming a more mental substitute instead. While this could have more her delusional she decided to use this to her advantage and commit to learning about photography as an art form, going through these steps and learning about photography assisted in her finding her own cure. This act of discovery is truly admirable and I wish to expand upon it in further research and hopefully apart of my final product.
In summary, At first Kelly used photography as a physical block between herself and others using the camera as an excuse to not look at people, shy away from crowds, and talk to people if necessary. I could incorporate this technique and turn it into a meaningful metaphor of artistic intention, rather than just a physical object, into my work to portray a sense of distance, isolation and desperation. Kelly's journey led this physical barrier to break, now becoming a more mental substitute instead. While this could have more her delusional she decided to use this to her advantage and commit to learning about photography as an art form, going through these steps and learning about photography assisted in her finding her own cure. This act of discovery is truly admirable and I wish to expand upon it in further research and hopefully apart of my final product.
SAM CONTIS
Sam Contis lives and works in California. She received her MFA from Yale University’s School of Art in 2008. With great success, her work has been recognised and has therefore been presented around the world at major cities such as Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Antwerp, London, and San Francisco. She has had recent solo shows at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in New York and in 2018 her work was included in Being: New Photography at MoMA, New York. She received the 2017 Nancy Graves Foundation Artist Grant and the 2016 Aaron Siskind Foundation Fellowship. She publishes primarily photo-books, these include Deep Springs (2017) and Day Sleeper (2020).
Sam Contis, A California-based artist who published her first book Deep Spring in May 2017. Contained within the covers of Deep Spring Contis utilises photography as a tool to understand the landscape of the American West in both its physical manifestation and whimsical mysteries. She responds to the vintage photographs of the American West, such as those by Carleton Watkins and Timothy H. O’Sullivan. Contis began photographing her own version of the West by availing oneself to the campus of Deep Springs College, a tiny all-male school in Deep Springs Valley, hence the name of her first publication. Contis swiftly grew a personal connection to the community of young men at Deep Springs, making intimate photographs that challenge our expectations how the American West is often represented and gendered. Contis’s young subordinates are gentle and affectionate despite perhaps appearing like ruffians. The boys at Deep Spring seem to become part of the very soil of the land they tend to, forging a oneness with the historically feminized earth.
Contis' focus on ones identity and the exposure of the truth surrounding a grey area is something I believe to be admirable and deeply interesting. In Deep Spring, she uses both macro and portrait shots in black and white to communicate the idea of true identity and it exposes the truth of the livelihood of those located in rural areas, and how those living there are one with the soil . In regards to Day Sleeper she explored ways to convey intimacy: taking a great interest in gestures, movement, fragments of the human body or cropped portraits.” Many images Contis selected are closeups of torsos, hands and faces. Rather than portraying the contrast and interaction between the environment and people like in Deep Spring, she focuses more on the individual. Despite sticking to the same techniques of portraits and black and white pictures, her concept gives the project and each photo a completely different meaning and power.
WILLIAM KLEIN
William Klein, born in April 19th, is an american photographer whom is most famously known for his strange elements that he includes into his photography. Klein was born in New York, however his upbringing wasn't all fame and wealth, Raised in an anti-semetic neighborhood, as a Jewish boy himself his childhood was filled with dark experiences. To overcome these unfortunate events, he became an art fanatic at an early age. He frequently visited the Museum of Modern Art, and he studied at the City College of New York before enlisting in the Army. In 1948, he left the United States and traveled to France, where he studied painting with Fernand Leger and later enrolled at The Sorbonne, a university in Paris. Klein studied painting and worked briefly as his assistant, but never received any official training in the art of photography.
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His fashion work has been featured in Vogue magazine, and has also been the subject of several photo books, including Life is Good and Good for You In New York, published in 1957 and Tokyo, 1964. In the 1980s, he decided to turn to film projects and has produced many documentaries and feature films, such as Muhammed Ali, The Greatest (1969).
In the documentary, We become to determine that Klein is a person of innovation and creativity, adding twists and personal touches to each photo, Klein is able to produce photos that don't only interest the majority, but also himself. The documentary shows him taking photos of close-ups of people's faces, people in barber shops, those completing their everyday chores, photographing groups of children playing with dangerous weaponry all while utilising unusual angles. Klein wasn't a photographer who was out to capture a 'Good looking photograph', he was a very outgoing man. Upon taking up film making, he would never hesitate to voice his own thoughts and feelings, one way he did so was by critising the media pretty openly. Similarly, when taking photos of subjects, he would delegate time to get to know the person in front of the lens, by knowing about them he could produce a photo that grows deeper than being just a 'nice looking picture'.
In the documentary, We become to determine that Klein is a person of innovation and creativity, adding twists and personal touches to each photo, Klein is able to produce photos that don't only interest the majority, but also himself. The documentary shows him taking photos of close-ups of people's faces, people in barber shops, those completing their everyday chores, photographing groups of children playing with dangerous weaponry all while utilising unusual angles. Klein wasn't a photographer who was out to capture a 'Good looking photograph', he was a very outgoing man. Upon taking up film making, he would never hesitate to voice his own thoughts and feelings, one way he did so was by critising the media pretty openly. Similarly, when taking photos of subjects, he would delegate time to get to know the person in front of the lens, by knowing about them he could produce a photo that grows deeper than being just a 'nice looking picture'.
WRITING ANALYTICALLY
What is happening in this image?
This photo produces both a feeling of happiness and sorrow. The photo depicts a group of young children playing with what appears to be broken toys. The imagery of young children playing together always generates an atmosphere of joy and nostalgia, however, the children clearly live in poor conditions, their tattered clothes and manner of dress portray that.
Why has the photographer stopped to make an image?
I believe the photographer captured this image to expose the truth behind children in poverty, the ugly reality that is their entertainment. To those behind the lens and prints, we feel bad for these children, however the children may be happy with what they have despite their situation. I think the photographer envisioned this contradiction and wanted to bring it to life.
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How would you describe the composition of this photograph?
I believe this composition to relate to that of William Kleins work. The picture emits an arbitrary yet organised composition, the kids in the photo are scattered yet remain in the centre in the picture, some are looking at each other and some at the camera, some being in focus and some not. The composition of this photograph personally is the very definition of contradiction and discrepancy.
How did this photographer make an image like this?
I think the photographer just stumbled upon this scene and took the photo rather spontaneously, they had a short time to collect their thoughts and plan their approach, however due to the random nature of the scene that was unfolding, the photographer was forced to take the picture.
How might she/he work on a daily basis?
I believe that the photographers style is just that. Explore places and capture what interests them. They like to capture very specific moments of time involving people, especially in the streets. They are accustomed to random events, are able to plan their approach in a quick and precise manner, then capture the scene before them in a way that brings out every aspect of it.
What type of camera did he/she use?
Judging purely by appearances, due to the quality produced and the surroundings that are shown in the background, I can deduce it's an older camera and therefore I am led to believe it was taken by a form of film camera.
How does this image make you feel?
I do not have any emotional response to the photo as I do not find it fascinating nor relatable, however I can understand the images' appeal and message. Although the picture emanates a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality, I personally feel a disconnect to the photo despite the pictures atmospheric prowess.
MY IMAGE
Due to personal circumstances I was not able to go out and explore my local area while capturing what catches my eye, therefore I decided to produce a photo that embodies what I envision my concept to be like. The picture shows a headless person slouched against a wall, my intention for this picture was to remove any sense of humanity and to be left with a shell of emptiness. I removed just the head because it's the most human thing about us, and the most expressive, other animals have legs and arms, monkeys for example have 2 legs and 2 arms that closely resemble a humans, however our face is something only humans have, therefore I came to the conclusion that by removing that feature, a disconnect and growing distaste would occur between those who look at the photo and the subject behind the lens.
I placed the model in that position as it lacks personality and life, closely resembling a dead body. This further saps the humanity out of the photo and is replaced by an aura of revulsion. Similar to the expression of a face, the language of ones body can show a lot about them, if the model was active and wore an exaggerated pose, it would protrude a sense of liveliness and energy, so by also removing that aspect of someone, alongside ones face, all that's left are lifeless limbs and different pieces of material.
My concept is about social anxiety, portraying the story of a sufferer through the eyes of an outsider. Those who unfortunately suffer from these anxieties often feel small and irrelevant, they hide themselves from the world almost as if they are erasing their existence. There are others who put on a facade to hide their securities but commonly, sufferers are introverted and reserved. My photo intends to reciprocate those feelings of absence and erasure by removing signs of humanity.
I placed the model in that position as it lacks personality and life, closely resembling a dead body. This further saps the humanity out of the photo and is replaced by an aura of revulsion. Similar to the expression of a face, the language of ones body can show a lot about them, if the model was active and wore an exaggerated pose, it would protrude a sense of liveliness and energy, so by also removing that aspect of someone, alongside ones face, all that's left are lifeless limbs and different pieces of material.
My concept is about social anxiety, portraying the story of a sufferer through the eyes of an outsider. Those who unfortunately suffer from these anxieties often feel small and irrelevant, they hide themselves from the world almost as if they are erasing their existence. There are others who put on a facade to hide their securities but commonly, sufferers are introverted and reserved. My photo intends to reciprocate those feelings of absence and erasure by removing signs of humanity.
PHOTOSHOOT
RHETORIC OF THE IMAGE
Semiotics is the study of signs, a sign is anything that can communicate a meaning to it's interpreter. Within the meaning of semiotics contain 2 other principals, Connotation and Denotation which are used to describe the meanings of photographs. Connotation refers to the hidden meaning behind a photo, the messages and social context of the photo, whereas denotations is the exact visual aspects of the photo.
An advert for a French company selling Italian cuisine:
The Denotation: It's an advert for a brand that makes pasta, sauce and cheese. There are organic ingredients such as onions and tomatoes along with packets of pasta and tins of sauces in and falling out of a string back that is half opened, the bag seems to be attached to something on the left. The subjects are on and in front of a deep red background. There is french writing on the lower left corner of the photo that says 'Pates - Sauce - Parmesan A L'italiene de luxe'. |
The Connotation: It follows the colour scheme of red, white and green to portray "Italianicity". All ingredients are quite healthy foods therefore inferring that their products are healthy for the consumer, making the brand more tempting to buy. The use of red in the background is to enhance the illusion that the products are popping out of the image, coming closer to the consumer , it also helps bring out the other colours since red and green are complimentary to each other. The string bag used in this image suggests a return trip from a local marketplace, where the ingredients were bought.
GARRY WINOGRAND
Through researching Garry Winogrand I have learnt many important lessons that I intend to include in my personal investigation. Winogrand aims to capture life rather than an image, he observes his surroundings carefully, taking into consideration everything that makes where he stands what it is.
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Winogrand does not aim to create a visually appealing photograph, he captures the essence of life by mostly capturing the people surrounding him, sometimes naturalistic yet other times surrealistic. He presents his images as a documentation of urban life rather than a piece of art using human life as its subject. I began to appreciate the nature of photography a lot more due to his wisdom and ideology as I am now cognizant of the significance behind the story of a photograph's subjects and I intend to incorporate these teachings into my own work.
The Connotation: My deduction of this image is that the chimps are being used as a representation for their actual children, as animals like monkeys were used as a derogative phrase used against people of colour.
When Garry Winogrand took this image he was with another photographer named Tod Papageorge, who described his experience with Winogrand in an extract in which I have linked below. He discusses what it is like working with Winogrand, and talks about the moment the photo above was taken, he says "Then, bang! I felt myself being pushed in the back away from this odd little group. A real shove, unfriendly, hard. And, of course, it was Garry, camera already up, making pictures, who'd done it." Upon reading this extract you begin to really understand Winogrand's personality and ideology, and how much it differed from the usual photographer of that time. He also says, "Garry Winogrand, however, had obviously processed the fact: where I saw only the possibility for a joke that, at best, touch on the crazy-quilt nature of city life, you could say that Garry, by not so much seeing the group itself but instantaneously imagining a possible photograph of it, placed meaning, particularly as it might gather around the question of race, at the very centre of what he was doing."
roland barthes
Roland Barthes - Camera Lucida - 1980
Roland Barthes was a french literary theorist and philosopher who investigated the effect of photography on it's spectator, the book named 'Camera Lucida' was written after the death of his mother Henriette Barthes, therefore it also acts as an eulogy to her. There is a section within this book that talks about her, how after her passing he wanted to obtain a photograph to remember her by, but he craved for a specific photo that encapsulated her as a person. |
We bear witness as he desperately describes this photo which does that very fact, however we are not able to see the actual photo, I assume this to be the case due to Barthes connection to this image, it is an image which values that of his life, so I do not think he would expose it, and by therefore making it a public spectacle, so freely.
In the book Barthes refers to 2 new principles behind the meaning of a photograph, the Studium and the Punctum. The Studium originates as a French word meaning, in it's most simplest, 'Study'. It is the word for when one extracts historical, social or cultural meanings of a photograph through semiotic analysis. Barthes comments on the idea of Studium by saying "It is by studium that I am interested in so many photographs, whether I receive them as political testimony or enjoy them as good historical scenes: for it is culturally that I participate in the figures, the faces, the gestures, the settings, the actions." He continues to refer to the other principle which "will break the studium", which he calls the Punctum, an aspect or specific area within a photograph that captures the recipients attention; It is a Latin word meaning sting, speck, cut, little hole - and also a cast of the dice. We use these newfound principles while analysing an image semiotically, as I will do with the image below.
In the book Barthes refers to 2 new principles behind the meaning of a photograph, the Studium and the Punctum. The Studium originates as a French word meaning, in it's most simplest, 'Study'. It is the word for when one extracts historical, social or cultural meanings of a photograph through semiotic analysis. Barthes comments on the idea of Studium by saying "It is by studium that I am interested in so many photographs, whether I receive them as political testimony or enjoy them as good historical scenes: for it is culturally that I participate in the figures, the faces, the gestures, the settings, the actions." He continues to refer to the other principle which "will break the studium", which he calls the Punctum, an aspect or specific area within a photograph that captures the recipients attention; It is a Latin word meaning sting, speck, cut, little hole - and also a cast of the dice. We use these newfound principles while analysing an image semiotically, as I will do with the image below.
Now that we know this, we can go back to Garry Winogrand's image, the studium in that image is that during the time this photo was taken, the civil rights movement has had made a significant impact on society and there was a sort of fear of those of colour as 'white superiority' was being challenged and therefore it's believers felt hatred stemming from fear, which I think shows in the image due to how separated the mixed couple are from the rest of the people. In some images, I fail to make any emotional connection to something within the photo and in this specific photo, that is the case, therefore, this image does not have a punctum for me.
William Klein - Little Italy - 1955
Upon analysis, I am able to shift viewpoints due to semiotics to infer different ideas and meanings behind this photography: The Denotation: There is a person pointing and holding a gun against one of the 3 childrens' head, they all seem to be smiling however 2 of the 3 children are looking toward the camera whereas the other is looking at the gun. It appears to be a populated area due to the people at the back. |
The Connotation: This photo is set up by the photographer since both the people at the back do not appear to be disturbed by the scene unfolding before them, and also the children seem to be calm and nonreactive.
The Studium: The photo was taken in 1955 in a small town named Little Italy. The area is not the most wealthiest of places as we can see the children in dirty rugged clothing. The Civil Rights movement and the Vietnamese War massively influenced USA at this point in time, so this image could be under the influence of these 2 events.
The Punctum: The area in this photograph that catches my eye especially is the gun that is held against the head of the middle child. He seems unfazed by it which would perplex any person on first inspection, however due to the connotation, I am able to understand the probability that it is a fake scene. The gun sticks out to me since it is unexpected and unfitting.
The Studium: The photo was taken in 1955 in a small town named Little Italy. The area is not the most wealthiest of places as we can see the children in dirty rugged clothing. The Civil Rights movement and the Vietnamese War massively influenced USA at this point in time, so this image could be under the influence of these 2 events.
The Punctum: The area in this photograph that catches my eye especially is the gun that is held against the head of the middle child. He seems unfazed by it which would perplex any person on first inspection, however due to the connotation, I am able to understand the probability that it is a fake scene. The gun sticks out to me since it is unexpected and unfitting.
A semiotic analysis of my own photography:
The Denotation: A man holding a camera and pointing it towards the opposing camera or mirror. There is a flash of light towards the bottom of the photograph. Curtains and a Chandelier are in the background behind the person. He is holding the camera with one hand. |
The Connotation: I can assume that this was taken in the day time, or at least at a time there was a lot of natural light as you can see the light hit the curtains from the outside, this is natural light and not artificial light as the chandelier is not on. Furthermore due to the brand of the camera Canon, we can infer that he takes photography up as a hobby at the very least since those who do not pursue it would not own such a camera. Finally we can tell the indoors is not a very warm place as the man is wearing a hoodie.
The Studium: This photograph was taken in the subjects' own residence in the Royal borough of Greenwich. The subject is 18 years old and he took this photo as a part of his curriculum as he studies photography at a nearby sixth form.
The Punctum: The one thing that stands out to me mostly is the harsh white light and it's affect on the subjects' face. In one way I can understand why the light has been used, to light up the dark interior, however it has been used in such a way that it becomes both attractive to look at yet shouts at me to look away, I find myself looking everywhere but the light, however this is not intentional, my tunnel of vision is being guided by the light.
The Studium: This photograph was taken in the subjects' own residence in the Royal borough of Greenwich. The subject is 18 years old and he took this photo as a part of his curriculum as he studies photography at a nearby sixth form.
The Punctum: The one thing that stands out to me mostly is the harsh white light and it's affect on the subjects' face. In one way I can understand why the light has been used, to light up the dark interior, however it has been used in such a way that it becomes both attractive to look at yet shouts at me to look away, I find myself looking everywhere but the light, however this is not intentional, my tunnel of vision is being guided by the light.
DIANE ARBUS
Diane Arbus was an American photographer, born in March 24th 1923 in New York. She was raised in a wealthy family, which was a head-start for her to explore her artistic interests from an early age. Arbus often photographed those in the hidden part of society, the ones who were secluded and pushed aside, this included people who suffered from mental illness', transgender people and circus performers like 'freak shows'.“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know,” she once stated.
MINDMAP
JUAN ORRANTIA
jUAN ORRANTIA:
LIKE STAINS OF RED DIRT
What are his interests?
Juan Orrantia is takes a deep interest in documenting personal memories and moments. He creates these home-like scenery by manipulating the scene in front of him by shifting the focus towards the colours of the scene. He studied Southern African history, focusing on the earth and how it affects those living upon it.
What are his concerns?
One thing that Juan raises while discussing the journey to creating the book was his concern towards how South Africa is misrepresented. A message that I personally deduced while listening to Juan was that he also tried to warn us about the war between Man vs Nature.
What changed during the process of his photography?
Orrantia decided to start focusing on the intimate gestures of humans and also how the outside infiltrates the home. His photography became more intimate and claustrophobic due to his new change of subject.
How and why did he change the course of his investigation?
What did he note?
Upon taking this direction, Juan became aware that focusing on colours is a form of racial bias in colour.
How did he make his transition as seamless as possible?
Orrantia took a whole 2 years to complete this book, the 1st year was spent on the outside exploring and trying to learn what to capture, in order to change focus as transition seamlessly, he adopted the lessons he learnt while exploring the outside and was able to capture what he wanted while indoors due to knowledge of the outdoors.
Is there an element of his photography that became important?
Due to his extended knowledge of Southern African history and the lessons he learnt while making his book, he used his newfound focus on colour to portray the political history of South Africa.
Juan Orrantia is takes a deep interest in documenting personal memories and moments. He creates these home-like scenery by manipulating the scene in front of him by shifting the focus towards the colours of the scene. He studied Southern African history, focusing on the earth and how it affects those living upon it.
What are his concerns?
One thing that Juan raises while discussing the journey to creating the book was his concern towards how South Africa is misrepresented. A message that I personally deduced while listening to Juan was that he also tried to warn us about the war between Man vs Nature.
What changed during the process of his photography?
Orrantia decided to start focusing on the intimate gestures of humans and also how the outside infiltrates the home. His photography became more intimate and claustrophobic due to his new change of subject.
How and why did he change the course of his investigation?
What did he note?
Upon taking this direction, Juan became aware that focusing on colours is a form of racial bias in colour.
How did he make his transition as seamless as possible?
Orrantia took a whole 2 years to complete this book, the 1st year was spent on the outside exploring and trying to learn what to capture, in order to change focus as transition seamlessly, he adopted the lessons he learnt while exploring the outside and was able to capture what he wanted while indoors due to knowledge of the outdoors.
Is there an element of his photography that became important?
Due to his extended knowledge of Southern African history and the lessons he learnt while making his book, he used his newfound focus on colour to portray the political history of South Africa.
The photographer also has a focus on light and shadows, as in the image not only is the upper half darker than the lower half, there are shadows protruding from behind the rocks. When I think about all this I can infer that the photographer set out to capture the themes of colour, light, shadows, shape and intimacy due to how close the photographer is to the subject. They, therefore, set out to capture the shape of the land they live on, the unorthodox formation and its colour. This spot that they chose to capture has an element of instability and risk, it does not seem like a safe place to be, it comes across to me that the surroundings that the photographer is unsafe and dangerous. When looking at this image I feel repulsed and tense, it is not an image that I want to look at for a while as there is no sense of security nor do I feel at ease when looking at this image.
We were tasked with going out on a photoshoot while going out with a piece of paper that had written on it 12 words that we believe described our type of photography, and we had to take pictures based on our words. One negative that I have about my photoshoot is the fact that I only took 9 images, as I believe many of my words and images blended in with one another and did not want to seem like the images were prompted by very similar words, therefore I took away the words which I thought matched other ones, which left me with: Isolation; Colour; Creation; Dystopian; Inanimate; Mystery; Nature; Representation; and Focus. I personally really like the colour photo as the composition of the photo is very interesting, how the most colourful thing in the frame is the the side rather than the centre of the frame, almost explaining the narrative that it's been discarded. However, my main flaw with this shoot was the fact that I took 1 photo per 1 word, instead of taking the pictures based on the words as a collective influence rather than a specific rule I had to follow, so I retook the shoot and these are the results I ended up with..:
...which ended up turning out to be a greater success in my opinion. The photos match more closely to what my type of photography is, which also made it a much more enjoyable project to do.
A slideshow of Diane Arbus' work
Diane Arbus loved to capture people inside of their own home, she had this strong desire to capture them in the comfort of their own home, she aimed to tell the story of their lives and how they lived. Susan Sontag had a particular problem with this, she believed her work was a moral crime, an injustice due to her own selfish craving. As Susan says, "She was drawn to subjects that she could believe were found, just lying about, without any values attached to them. These subjects are necessarily ahistorical: 'private' rather than public pathology, secret lives rather than open ones." she takes offence as to Arbus' way of interfering with these people's private lives, intruding and exposing them, without adding or helping them in any way shape or form. She suggests that Arbus derives perverted pleasure from doing so, which of course in regards to human values and perception, is morally incorrect and revolting.
Diane Arbus - Untitled - 1970-71
Diane Arbus committed suicide in July 1971, without ever releasing or editing these photos that were soon to become known as her 'Untitled' series. Arbus loved to travel, often regularly by bus to the state of New Jersey with the goal of photographing those at the residences for the developmentally and intellectually disabled. Across the Hudson from her Manhattan apartment, there was the coeducational Woodbridge State School, where she would also visit for her photography. However, she gained word of an all-female institution in Vinland, and decided that this place provide an even better opportunity for her work to shine, which eventually led her to exposing 1900 frames of film in these institutes.
Over the course of making these photos, Arbus began perfecting her craft, learning and experimenting new ideas and techniques in how to portray her, as critics would refer to as, her 'subjects'. She arrived at 2 major insights, the first was that the photos would become more piteous and mournful if the subjects of the photo were happy, the second was to take the pictures in a vast, outdoor setting, as to disregard institutionalisation and being seen as a 'journalist'.
The image on the left is "Untitled (27)"; As if in a dream, a figure with a clown mask appears beneath a cloudy sky, behind the figure is a blurred, mass gathering of people that appear to be running.
Diane Arbus committed suicide in July 1971, without ever releasing or editing these photos that were soon to become known as her 'Untitled' series. Arbus loved to travel, often regularly by bus to the state of New Jersey with the goal of photographing those at the residences for the developmentally and intellectually disabled. Across the Hudson from her Manhattan apartment, there was the coeducational Woodbridge State School, where she would also visit for her photography. However, she gained word of an all-female institution in Vinland, and decided that this place provide an even better opportunity for her work to shine, which eventually led her to exposing 1900 frames of film in these institutes.
Over the course of making these photos, Arbus began perfecting her craft, learning and experimenting new ideas and techniques in how to portray her, as critics would refer to as, her 'subjects'. She arrived at 2 major insights, the first was that the photos would become more piteous and mournful if the subjects of the photo were happy, the second was to take the pictures in a vast, outdoor setting, as to disregard institutionalisation and being seen as a 'journalist'.
The image on the left is "Untitled (27)"; As if in a dream, a figure with a clown mask appears beneath a cloudy sky, behind the figure is a blurred, mass gathering of people that appear to be running.
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Susan Sontag was an American writer and political activist, she was not a photographer, however loved to write about photography. She criticised Diane Arbus for her practice in the file to the left.
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One of Sontag's many criticisms of Arbus was that "she has no intention of entering into the horror of those images as experienced by the inhabitants of those worlds. They are to remain exotic, hence “terrific.” Her view is always from the outside." She proposes the idea of inside vs outside, outside being the bad side of the two. Sontag says that all Arbus was doing was curing her boredom, becoming a super-tourist (A person whom intrudes into someones life, takes what they need and leaves ) into these unknown lives, which soon began to transition into fascination, or some say an obsession; "The whole point of photographing people is that you are not intervening in their lives—only visiting them." Sontag implies that Arbus gains an unbecoming almost perverted pleasure from doing this, by exposing the lives of those who are unknown to her, in Arbus' words; "I’m very little drawn to photographing people that are known or even subjects that are known. They fascinate me when I’ve barely heard of them.” Sontag speaks on this further by questioning this statement, she believes that this fascination stems from her sheltered, middle-class upbringing, as she was raised very narrowed minded, paying no attention to these types of people, as Sontag states, "where minority sexual tastes lived way below thethreshold of awareness, and risk-taking was despised as another goyish craziness."
INSIDE/OUT - THE ETHICS OF SEEING
Abigail Solomon-Godeau wrote an essay that she named 'Inside/Out'. She refers to the criticisms that Susan Sontag regarding Diane Arbus' work. Solomon-Godeau then presents us with a theory she calls 'The Theory of Inside and Out', she puts forward this theory due to Sontag's condemnation about Arbus' supertourist and voyeuristic tendencies. Solomon-Godeau takes this idea and gives it a name, the 'Outside', the idea that the person is only peeking into the lives of others, and not having any affect on them. Since the outside exists, it breeds its opposite the 'Inside' , someone who lives with the subject, creates and emotional relationship to them, someone who can sympathise / empathise with the subject and are able to leave a positive impact to said people. Both Solomon-Godeau and Sontag present the argument of ethics within photography, when is it okay to take photos? This is the backbone behind Sontags criticisms on Arbus, the fact that her photography and values are morally wrong.
- When is it not OK to take a photograph?
- Should you always seek the permission of your subjects before taking their photograph?
- Does it make a difference whether or not you have a personal relationship with the subject of a photograph?
- Can photographs hurt people?
- Is all photography a form of voyeurism?
- How responsible is the photographer for the way in which a subject is represented?
- How much control can the photographer exercise over the ways in which their images are understood by viewers?
- Can photographs tell the truth?
OUTSIDE:
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INSIDE:
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HICHAM BENOHOUD
Hicham Benohoud was born in 1968 in Marrakech. He went to the regional educational centre of Marrakech after gaining a bachelor's degree in plastic arts in 1987, his goal was to become a teacher of plastic arts in college. Rather quickly, Benohoud discovered that his teacher and artist were incompatible, so as long as he was a teacher, he could not continue his artistic hobbies, so accordingly, he left his teaching days behind him and, in 2003, started trasining at the Higher School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France. With the 'The Classroom' series (La Salle de classe), Hicham Benohoud developed a photographic approach based on staging. He used the objects from the classroom environment and used these objects to model the children of the classroom in unusual ways. Benohoud has had several exhibitions in both Morocco and abroad. He participated in "Africa Remix", a grand international event dedicated to contemporary art in Africa. He has also participated in two other influential and important exhibitions: “contemporary photography in the Arab world” at the Aperture Foundation in New York and “Regards des photographes arabe contemporains” at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
Images from 'The Classroom' - Hicham Benohoud
Here are 2 images created by Benohoud for his series 'The Classroom', on the left a boy standing in the central foreground with his left arm and legs encased in bamboo, with other stems coming off his body, in the background there are the other children of the classroom, all silently working while paying no attention to the bizarre scene before them. This photograph protrudes a sense of entrapment, restriction and unease, both the boy trapped by the bamboo, and the children trapped by the rules of their education system. The images atmosphere of unease stems from the unusual nature of the photograph, why does the bamboo attach to him like that? Why aren't the children in the background unnerved or phased by the subject matter? Why is the classroom so barren and dirty? All these unanswered questions bring about that uneasy atmosphere, especially since humans are curious creatures, who hate to be left out on information. Both foreground and background play into how the image presents its themes and genres, however this only happens due to the relationship between the two, as they are very separate and unrelated. They do not interact with one another and act as 2 separate images. Overall, with the looming unanswered questions, the relationship between foreground and background and the unnatural subject matter, upon looking at this image I feel perplexed and unnerved, the abnormal synthetic picture presented here does not provoke a positive reaction from me, rather the opposite, a revolting, neglectful view.
After researching Inside/Out, it made me contemplate what my type of photography is and what I like to capture. I was looking at the theme of inside / outside as it really interested me, I wanted to discover what about it I resonate with, and then I realised it was the tensions between the inside and outside, which made me want to explore that more in depth. So, I have decided to change my concept from social anxiety to the idea of duality within the everyday. I am a photographer who likes to capture colour, the night, light and objects rather than people, I prefer to get creative with my ideas and putting images against each other to create a product. My original concept 'Social Anxiety' is a very tough concept to make multiple photoshoots of and expand upon those photos, It acted as a barrier a lot of the time and made it very hard to take photos whenever I went out for a photoshoot and stopped me capturing the images that I would want to capture. Duality is a very broad subject that allows me to play around and experiment with different ideas and techniques, I could take the meaning either as a physical difference of images or a metaphorical approach to my concept. Furthermore, Duality is a word that I personally resonate with, so much so that I have the Yin-Yang symbol as a tattoo, therefore the topic interests me a lot more deeper than other ideas would .
LUKE SAXON
Images from 'The Same But Different' series by Luke Saxon
Growing up in the place you grew up in, do you think this has strongly effected your photography? Or has other people/places influenced the direction it has moved towards?
I grew up in a town called Luton, it's a small town where one could get to one side to the other within 35 minutes of driving. It is mostly known for it's airport, since it is a major airport many people visit, other than that Luton does not have much to offer. The town is not the nicest place to live as crime rate is quite high and the buildings are not very 'well looked after' but to be fair I was raised while constantly moving places, living in temporary accommodation and just living based on government-run schemes. I believe this upbringing has affected the way I see a lot of things which translates into my photography, for example I like to avoid taking pictures in discreet locations so I focus on larger populated areas due to the conditioning of danger being around those type of areas. I moved to London when I was 13, to live with my father and since then my opinion on people has also changed, I like to be a spectator of life, watching people live their life in their own individual way, so in that sense being in London and around those who live here, it has definitely affected some of my viewpoints, and therefore when I photograph, my area of focus shifts to these newfound ideas.
The theme of humanity comes across very prominently in your work, Is photography your sole background or do you have other art influences?
I only started to take up photography as an educational study a year ago, so my photographic background is very scarce. However, I studied Drama for 4 years, so I have a very strong history with working on and off a theatre stage. So it may come with no shock that my photos have a tendency to focus on humans and their behaviour, as an actor myself I always had to play different roles and work with different people , so I always had to think about the stories behind both each character I play and the characters I had to interact with.
What inspires you to shoot?
I have 2 main motivators for when I shoot, the first is when something catches my eye, I try to photograph it, no matter whether I keep or discard the photo, I have this undying crave to capture that moment in time so I can look on it once again to discover why I was drawn to it. My second inspiration behind shooting is to quench this unsatisfactory feeling I have when thinking of an idea or theme, If something comes into my mind that I find interesting, I have a hard time to forget about it, then it stays on my mind until I forget about it over time, or get up and do it.
Let's touch on a subject that I'm positive has never been discussed before: do you prefer shooting on film or digital?
Personally, I much prefer to shoot digitally, as I want to see what I captured when I captured it. In regards to shooting in film, I get no satisfaction from taking a photo, as you are clueless as to how the photo would turn out until after development, which can only lead to a greater disappointment than messing up a photo when shooting digitally.
How is this decision relevant with your photography?
So far, I've given clues as to the answer of this question. I seek satisfaction from capturing moments of humanity that I am attracted to, to then look back at that moment to reminisce and analyse the moment. If I shot in film, half of my purpose for shooting would be gone as I couldn't review the images whenever I want to before the development process.
Who are some of your favourite photographers?
What I find rather strange is I prefer work that is very different from my own, one of my favourite photographers Jung Lee does not focus on humans whatsoever, she takes photos of landscapes and nature, with a neon sign in the photo that reads different messages. The colours of the signs are carefully chosen to either match the landscapes colour palette or contrast it. For example, her image 'I Want To Be Your Love' shows how powerful the contrasting colours can be but her image 'I Am Lost In You' promotes serenity and calmness due to the blend of colours between the neon sign and vast landscape.
Tell us about your photobook, What was the idea behind it?
My photobook was about comparing animals to man-made things like architecture, decor and transportation. I originally got this idea from multiple sources, for example a documentary I was watching about evolution on youtube and a TV show about every human turning to stone for 5000 years, so the world reverts back to pre-human times, where there were no architecture and all nature. Both of these stimuli lead me to the idea of man vs animal, however I wanted to present my photobook in a way where it was also educational, like an encyclopaedia, hence the title, cover design and added information.
My response to Luke Saxon:
WAYS OF SEEING
The beginning of capitalism, merchants becoming wealthy and began to become interested in materialistic goods in order to flaunt their wealth. When capitalism started, that wealth and ideology began to spread across the middle-class, creating a bourgeoisie. In turn, glamour was created, the aim to be the best you, flaunting wealth and attractiveness. -- In my own understanding, Berger presents the idea of public journalism vs private advertising. He raises the topic of newspapers, and begins to talk about how the page layout of each page: The words, pictures, composition, titles, everything that goes into a magazine / newspaper page is in accordance with that countries culture. However, one page in a newspaper could be public journalism, informing the people about those who are in need of help, those who are suffering, the next an advert showing off the new craze of alcohol. This disconnect between the pages, John Berger implies, shows how 'mad our culture really is.'
This is the last picture that Van Gogh painted before he killed himself
John Berger says that "A film which reproduces images of a painting leads the spectator, through the painting, to the film-maker's own conclusions. The painting lends authority to the film-maker." He suggests here that due to the multiple aspects of a film: The sound, the sequence of clips, etc, The creator is able to push a certain agenda that is immovable and irreversible since a film unfolds in time, giving that person a greater power than the common-folk, pushing the concept of how words and views can effect the product. Photography is the same, Berger refers to paintings instead, however we can apply the same ideal to photography. He says "In a painting all its elements are there to be seen simultaneously. The spectator may need time to examine each element of the painting but whenever he reaches a conclusion, the simultaneity of the whole painting is there to reverse or qualify his conclusion. The painting maintains its own authority."
I did a variety of experiments regarding how to combine photography and words:
I juxtaposed happy imagery of smiling families and children with historical newspaper headlines that documented unfortunate events in the past.
I embarked down the idea of photo-poetry by gathering a selection of images and writing a poem about them. Above are the images, below is the poem:
A Place I Want to Be. - Daniel Campbell
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Where I want to go is beyond me,
maybe when the stars overlap with the moon, or when roasters start to lay eggs, only then will I know that place. Who I want to be is beyond me, I crave for change and yearn for forgiveness, As I do not know my role, only then will I know that place. What I want to do is beyond me, Endless searching, Endless wonder, Endless thoughts, without an end, only then will I know that place. There's a place I want to be, Beyond the clouds and above my regrets, Where the past is forgotten and mistakes are left behind, If I could accept the world and strive to change, only then will I know that place. |
john hilliard
John Hilliard, born in 1945, is a British conceptual artist raised in Lancaster. He studied at Lancaster College Of Art from 1962 to 1964, and then at Saint Martin's School of Art until 1967. His interested into photography began from his student days, where he first used a film camera to photograph images of his site-specific art installations. However, slowly Hilliard reached a conclusion, which was the fact that there was bias within photography, that the camera could not be at a completely neutral standpoint. After reaching this revelation, he began to explore the manipulation of the photographic process to see it's results. His first solo show/exhibition was held in the Camden Arts Centre in 1969, which began his popularity explosion, some say that his work "is rigorous and systematic; the emphasis on the intellect in his photographs overules any aesthetic appeal of the physical objects or subjects presented."
My personal favourite piece of John Hilliard's is his 'Cause Of Death' image made in 1974. ----- In this image, 4 images were presented of the same human body covered in a sheet, what I find most fascinating about it was the fact that the images were taken from the same photographic negative, however they were cropped in 4 different ways to suggest 4 different causes of death. Each image was given its own one-word title in order to push a certain narrative further: "Crushed", "Drowned", "Burned" and "Fell". Photographer Chris Steele-Perkins reviewed his work, commenting that in Cause of Death, "framing affects the way a photograph is read", and that Hilliard provides the viewer with "elegant forensic evidence that, although the camera cannot lie, photographs tell different truths.
My personal favourite piece of John Hilliard's is his 'Cause Of Death' image made in 1974. ----- In this image, 4 images were presented of the same human body covered in a sheet, what I find most fascinating about it was the fact that the images were taken from the same photographic negative, however they were cropped in 4 different ways to suggest 4 different causes of death. Each image was given its own one-word title in order to push a certain narrative further: "Crushed", "Drowned", "Burned" and "Fell". Photographer Chris Steele-Perkins reviewed his work, commenting that in Cause of Death, "framing affects the way a photograph is read", and that Hilliard provides the viewer with "elegant forensic evidence that, although the camera cannot lie, photographs tell different truths.
John Hilliard, Causes Of Death, 1974
I went out on this photoshoot as a collaboration shoot with a classmate of mine. I did not really have any specific ideas that I wanted to capture, I just knew for certain that I wanted to go out and capture what was around me and make connections between them. One thing that is very apparent upon looking at the series of images is the difference between fake and real, where most images are taken of a real place with no manipulation from me, however others like the light trial photos are much more clearly set up and thought out. I was inspired by Luke Saxon to go out and try to roughly match photos together, so as I was exploring the area around Charing Cross Station, I would heavily consider the shape, structure and posture of everything, which lead me to many new experiences and discoveries. Overall, I believe this shoot was heavily successful as the scenes captured complimented one another, leading to a well-informed and suitable response to Luke Saxon's work.
Out of all the photos taken and after constructing specific collages and image comparisons I believe that this image is the most successful.
My theme is about duality, and this image encapsulates that word very well in my opinion. We are given 2 perspectives in this photograph, on the left the top half of the tower is replaced by the top of a spherical street lamp. On the right the same tower's top half is now shown whereas the bottom half is covered by the bottom half of that same lamp. This photograph presents us with the question that is 'which is real and which is fake?' Of course we are well aware that they are both fake and are just a photo cropped and placed on top of another, however both images are so similar that it becomes a not so foreign idea to believe that the real shape of the tower is that of what is being shown. Without both images we would be unable to tell the true shape of either image, which what makes the image so powerful.
TOKIHIRO SATO
Tokihiro Sato was born in September 14, 1957 in Sakata, Yamagata Japan. Sato studied at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1981, receiving a MFA and a BFA in music. Sato was a trained sculptor, but he decided to go with photography as he felt he could communicate his ideas better through the medium of a camera. Sato is best known for his unusual expressions of light and space, by using a long exposure of between 1 - 3 hours and creating light patterns by moving around the scene making patterns with flashlights, he produces these images that capture his presence, but not his form. He tends to shoot at nighttime, however is not limited to this, as he can shoot in the daylight by applying the lens with a darkening filter and, with a mirror, redirects the sunlight into the lens.
My Response to Tokihiro Sato:
In order to take these photos I set the shutter speed on my camera to have an 11 second exposure, with a reduced ISO to 100 and an aperture of f/9. What I personally like about these photos is that it allowed me to be experimentative with what I made, which produced interesting results. However, as it was my first time experimenting with light trails, In some images you can see a ghost like mirage of my body near the trail, which if noticed, ruins the image. I intend to reshoot in this style and try and correct that problem, as well as take more photos and have distinct shaped trials rather than random swirls.
JOHN STEZAKER
THE LIFE Of THEIR EVERYDaY
Between the 25th October - 29th October I went to go visit my cousin who lives in Luton, Bedfordshire. After informing him about the project I was assigned, which was to capture his everyday life without capturing him in the frame, I pretty much stuck next to him for the upcoming days. I decided to capture the scenes he sees rather than what he does as I wanted to take the images from his perspective. Similarly, I wanted to to also capture who he is as a person, hence why many of the photos have a very isolated, barren atmosphere to them, by taking pictures of the outside with no form of human life or interaction, I intended to communicate the idea that he was a very reserved person. We went on a trip to Cornwall for 2 days which is where I took the first 2 pictures, I ordered the images in this order to show the journey of the day: waking up with the morning sunrise; the everyday activities of the indoors; the town at night; the journey; then the destination. This order also works in reverse as, of course, one must return home from a journey.
COLLABORATION PiECE
- Me and my friend and classmate Stephen decided to embark on our own collaborative project, where we have what I call a 'visual conversation'. As each day passes, me and Stephen takes it in turns to send one another a picture that corresponds and/or responds to the picture before it, to create a sequence of photos that continuously link to one another. Before starting the project we also set some rules: Every photo has to be indoors and in your own household; The photos must be close ups of objects, be intimate with the items of your household; and no conversing about the photographs we share during this projects while doing it. The reason I chose to partake in the collaboration was due to the fact that it is in itself a duality, 2 household conversing through photography that is, especially as I intend to do a personal project where I compare my lives in my childhood Luton compared to my current livelihood in London. This project allows me to practice the link between 2 lifestyles, where perhaps one may be completely different from the other.
The Full Sequenced Series.
'DUALITY' EXHIBITION
The work created by Simon Bray and Tristan Poyster, Duality, is formed of diptychs, with each person standing in front of a plain grey wall dressed in both their own , casual clothing and their workwear. The aim of this piece of art is to see how a viewer responds to the uniform and how it shapes their perception of that person - how we prejudge based on a uniform or a certain look and style.
What I personally take away from this project is the idea of photographing the same subject however in 2 different states. I could pursue this idea both physically, such as a window, one at day and one at night, or do this very same idea but metaphorically, by having a subject in the photo, the time of day would reflect that individuals mood. If I were to take on this project, after taking the photos I would go out into the public and ask them a series of questions that relate to the photos, For example "What do you think their daily routine is like?", without revealing the other costume. I would record their answers and compare results between workwear and casual clothes, this would give me an idea whether or not the intent of the project, which was to see how a viewer responds to uniforms and how it shapes perception, was effective.
KERENYI ZOLTAN
Before I go into any information I believe it is best to show off Zoltans 'Window To The Past' series.
"I'm always glad to see that we still have so many places unchanged. Clothes, fashion might change, but people don't. They had the same colourful life. We just don't think about them that way. They are just black and white photographs to us, which is a pity. I think it'd help us better understand and learn from history if we'd look at them the way I did." - Kerenyi Zoltan
“Everyone experiences that occasional desire to look back at a bygone age, and to catch a glimpse of something that touches their heart and moves their soul, or throws fresh light on the changes around us. Window to the Past captures snapshots of times gone by in such a way that, while being rooted in reality, the images created form something new by merging the power of the past with that of the present. They offer us the chance to remember with eyes wide open. With open eyes and open heart alike.”
Kerenyi Zoltan was a Hungarian photographer who set out to capture photos of the modern country of Hungary in the same spots that were captured 50 years prior. He stumbled upon an old archive of photos that depicted an antique Hungary, which led his curiosity towards comparing those photos to the Hungary of today. This specific photo personally piqued my interest as the puctum in the photo; that being the crashed train cart, has an overwhelming presence. It reminds me of some threshold concepts (TC), specifically: TC4 (Photography is an art of selection rather than invention) and TC10 (Photographs warp our sense of time; they remind us of things lost).
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Zoltan very specifically chooses where and what he photographs in order to exactly match the old and new together, his selection of location and photograph to replicate reflects how relevant TC4 is as a concept of his photography. Similarly, in an equally explicit fashion, TC10 is also pertinent to Zoltan's work. He digs up old photos and shows them off to the world in comparison to Hungarian society today, reminding those who both lived in those times and those who have old heard stories of the country's past the true landscape of what once was their home. This photo exhibits an old photo of a crashed train cart, that must have derailed from the track about, overlaid on top of coloured photo of the same bridge. What can also been seen are people who have witnessed the tragedy, telling a story that this was no crash hidden away from the public eye, in fact it would have been near a populated town or city for there to be both a photographer and an abundance of people. The photo is not a nice image, it depicts a tragedy which no-one lays observant to and illicit an emotion of any positive nature. I think that the intentional effect of the image being in monochrome adds to the idea of it being a memory thats been forced to be forgotten, as no one likes to remember events in their life that causes pain.
Step 1 - Take photos of London ^
Step 2 - Edit the photos to make them look older ^
Step 3 - Combine them together ^
Indoor photoshoot
This photoshoot was taken during the night as I walked around my desolate house, when my parents and sister was asleep. This fact alone affected how I saw my house and how I captured it, as I was trying to be as quiet and secretive as possible, which made the photos a lot more sinister looking. After looking back on the photoshoot and asking for other people's interpretations of the photos, a dark and disturbing narrative was formed, that being about a family who has recently lost a child and it desperately trying to not forget about her. The dark, high contrasted photos already disturb the image, creating a brooding atmosphere while the stark, empty framing speaks of a unnerving tale. What was most successful about this shoot was how I was able to capture the sensitive and intimate side of my own home, however I believe that there was a lot more to capture in this style and I intend to shoot more unusual objects and abstract angles.
Outdoor photoshoot
Recently I went on a photo shoot in central London, around London Victoria station where my aim was to capture London as I saw it. This was to eventually compare some images to images I would capture in my home town Luton. However, I did not want to make my photos tourist-like, where I would capture only the big buildings and popular landmarks, my aim was to capture London subtly. Although there were some of these types of photos, most photos I believe capture the essence of London, my personal favourite being the lit tourist shop in the darkness, as the light is not too harsh to look at and the strong contrast of the dark background as well as the explicit connotation to London. I believe this photo shoot was successful, as I shot many photos which is something I usually struggle with doing, with these photos also being relevant to my intentions.
My personal favourites from the shoot.
I wanted to experiment with several ways about how to compose a collage. This image shows one of the ideas that I came up with. I cropped out in photoshop the window that looks inside the van and replaced it with another image that also represents 'the inside'. The image is an image I took quite a while back however I used it as it was just experimentation at first, but when looking at it I believe that the image is rather fitting, as the inside of the truck is illuminated, which would be what happens if those neon signs were actually there. The idea of the image as shown as integrating another image into the original photo . Another photo I was going to create using the technique is cropping out the shape of a car and replacing that with a separate image, however when trying this out with the bottle photo, the results turned out not great, as the odd shape of the bottle upsets the image as you'll see below.
La jetée (1962)
La Jetée is a French science fiction featurette (a short feature film or programme) made in 1962 and directed by Chris Marker. Constructed almost entirely from still photos, it tells the story of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel. It is 28 minutes long and shot in black and white and won the Prix Jean Vigo for short film. The film starts off on a picture of what seems to be an airport with the text 'with the participation of the research department of the R.T.F', soon cutting to a black screen that once again shows text, this time saying 'This is a story of a man, marked by an image from his childhood. The violent scene that upset him and whose meaning he was to grasp only years later happened on the main jetty at Orly, the Paris airport sometime before the outbreak of World War III.' Which sets up a dark atmosphere, clearly hinting that the following film will not be a pleasant story. I find that the masterfully composed sequence of images used is very fascinating and useful to me as I intend to create a body of work stemming from a story. I have picked up many ideas from watching this film, like taking photos of one scene from many different perspectives and angles has a great impact on the story telling of that specific moment, and how I can integrate someones story by using bits of text as subtitles or voice overs. Here are some stills from the movie:
Margin of EXCESS
Max Pinckers, born in 1988, is an artist based in Brussels, Belgium. He gained a BA and a MFA in photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. He is a documentary photographer who does not like to capture just external reality, but likes to present reality in a way that can be taken in many different ways, he presents reality as a plural, not singular. In his book 'Margin Of Excess' he explores the line between fact and fiction by speaking to 6 individuals, each recognised nationwide from the US press as people who tried to realise their dreams and passions, but were discovered to be delusional and fraudulent, with the press portraying their idiosyncratic stories and behaviours. These 6 people told their reality and were shamed for doing so:
- Herman Rosenblat became famous for his heart-throbbing love story that was set in a concentration camp in WWII.
- Jay J. Armes, a private detective with prosthetics hands who claims he's the worlds greatest detective that can solve any case he takes.
- Darius McCollum who drew media attention to himself by hijacking trains.
- Richard Heene, the man who claims that he felt like ' the next Bin Laden' by staging an elaborate television hoax.
- Rachel Doležal was the woman who pretended she was 'black'.
- Ali Alqaisi claims that he was the hooded figure in the iconic photo from Abu Ghraib prison.
- Herman Rosenblat became famous for his heart-throbbing love story that was set in a concentration camp in WWII.
- Jay J. Armes, a private detective with prosthetics hands who claims he's the worlds greatest detective that can solve any case he takes.
- Darius McCollum who drew media attention to himself by hijacking trains.
- Richard Heene, the man who claims that he felt like ' the next Bin Laden' by staging an elaborate television hoax.
- Rachel Doležal was the woman who pretended she was 'black'.
- Ali Alqaisi claims that he was the hooded figure in the iconic photo from Abu Ghraib prison.
Jay J. Armes - Margins Of Excess
What I enjoyed most about this series was how he partnered text and images together to create such a clear and interesting narrative. As seen above he separates the text and images into their own pages and actually tells a story rather than covering one, which I believe invest people into the story more, therefore making the pictures have a greater impact. As I too am creating a body of work that involves story-telling and a narrative this piece is a great indication to me as to how to combine words and photos to create an intriguing story.
- Paul Auster - New York Trilogy - Gotham Handbook -
The palms
'The Palms' was an interesting video to watch. In the video, the commentators / the people on stage would accompany a presentation of someone placing images onto a surface with music. At first, I did not think the music would add much to the images, however I was quickly proven wrong. At the beginning, a calming piano would play as images of people playing table tennis would be carefully placed on top of each other. This calming and relaxing atmosphere soon changed when the main instrument playing went from a piano to drums, the tempo of the music increased, it began harsher and louder disorientating my perception on the images, which also went from calming to harsh. In this new set of photos, the were a much more broader range of photographs than the first, and also they were a lot more disturbing, partly due to the music playing. These images weren't being placed down as cautiously ad graciously as the previous set, they were put down quickly and with a level of force. Later on in the video, the commentators would start adding brief context to the photos being shown, allowing those viewing the photo to see it not just visually but contextually too, like a memory rather than a photo. This aspect of The Palms fascinates me and relates to my project as my intention behind my investigation is to do that exact thing, combine context and photos to create a memory, and those who view it can immerse in and understand the photo, and whom that photo relates to. Throughout The Palms, many moments caught my attention, here are those moments:
My response
As previously mentioned, one of the things that The Palms did that really stood out to me and inspired me was adding stories to each photo to give them meaning, and I wanted to take that idea and create something with it. My video begins with me introducing a personal experience with homelessness, which then cuts to a video of pictures of front doors appearing against a surface and overlapping one another at the sound of a clock ticking. I took pictures of a variety of front doors as I believe that doors represent a gateway between someone's personal life and their public one, so when they step out or into the door, that is the crucial moment they change into someone else. Furthermore, every door that I took a picture of were different, this was to represent how not everyone is the same and have the same lives, everyone has their own stories to tell and lives that they live, how their gateway is shaped is meant to reflect their individuality. The video was split up into a segment of me speaking followed by adding pictures to the collage, until by the time the story is finished there's a full screen of overlapping pictures. I added subtitles to the story too, with individual text appearing matching what was being said, this was to make the story a lot more understandable and clearer.
I decided to call this piece of work 'Knock Knock' for 2 reasons, the first is the most obvious, to relate to the theme of doors and homes. More specifically, when you knock on someone's door you almost intrude into their private life, and since the video is about intruding into my privacy and making a personal story public I believed it fit really well. The 2nd reason was a little nod to the clock ticking audio that plays when an picture is added to the collage, the term "knock knock" rhymes with "tick tock" giving the video a strange rhythm. I decided to add the clock ticking sound in to represent time passing, as the story delves into the past, it is like the more ticks that play, the deeper we get into the past and into this story.
Stories We Tell
^ Here are some old photos from old family photo albums that my mother and grandmother had. I plan to use these when making my next photography film as well as my physical piece. As you are able to see most photos are portraits of me and or my brother when we were younger or of other people and landscapes.
Final project
This was the beginning to my final photography project. Unfortunately I was unable to finish it as I soon came to realise that this would take well over 6 hours to create. However, I believe I began a strong foundation which is able to tell the viewer what the rest of the film would entail. My idea for this project was to have 3 audios, one from my mother, one from my brother and the last one was me, all telling the same story about how my brother was diagnosed with cancer but from 3 separate perspectives. Throughout the film, old images and some new ones would show on screen depending on the audio (e.g. If I spoke about my brother an image of me and him as children would show). The difference contrast between context and image as well as a very real, ongoing story compared to old images of family I believe would have made the video very interesting and impactful. I wish to continue editing this film past the deadline as it is something I want to see finished as well as others.