What I will be investigating
For my investigation I plan to research movement and how it can be captured through the lens of a camera. My interest in the concept of movement stems from my curiosity of exploring the centre of the city because of all the activity. I want to focus on experimenting with my cameras shutter speed in order to capture motion within a single frame.
Threshold concepts
Artist influence-Edward Weston
Edward Weston was an American photographer who was labeled as "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers" from the 20th century. Weston's style is based around macro photography where he takes close-up photos of organic objects such as shells and mushrooms. What makes Weston's photos fascinating to me is how he focuses on revealing all the minor details in small objects that you wouldn't normally notice with the human eye.
Edward Weston has inspired me to take my own macro shots since I am interested in capturing all the minor details on objects. I will also remove all the colour from this set of images like Weston has done to avoid any unnecessary distractions. This will purely be done in order to allow the viewer to completely focus on all tiny details on the surface of the object. I will use this knowledge to help me experiment with different styles for when I begin taking my photo shoots for my personal investigation.
Edward Weston has inspired me to take my own macro shots since I am interested in capturing all the minor details on objects. I will also remove all the colour from this set of images like Weston has done to avoid any unnecessary distractions. This will purely be done in order to allow the viewer to completely focus on all tiny details on the surface of the object. I will use this knowledge to help me experiment with different styles for when I begin taking my photo shoots for my personal investigation.
My response to Edward Weston
Artist Influence-Fong Qi Wei
Fong Qi Wei is a photographer who specializes in creating photographs that he calls 'time paintings'. These are photographs that require the photographer to stay in one location for a whole day in order to capture the scenery at different times of the day. His images are a compilation of one location at different times that have been pieced together using geometric shapes. My favourite aspect of his work is his concept of 'time paintings' because of how the image gradually gets darker the further from the centre. I like this because it reminds me of a gradient however the photographer didn't have to rely on colour adjustments to make this effect and instead made use of natural lighting which has fascinated me. In future photo shoots, I plan to experiment with shooting one location multiple times like Fong Qi Wei because I want to try compiling multiple photos together in order to create a similar effect to his 'time paintings'.
Artist Influence-Carl Rosendahl
Carl Rosendahl is a photographer who specializes in capturing movement within long exposure photographs. In the first image, Rosendahl allows us viewers to see the pool table balls before and after the impact which results in some outstanding results. My favourite aspect of his photographs are the light trails that follow objects in motion as it gives us viewers an idea of the speed and path that has been taken after the initial impact. Furthermore, these trails create a visually pleasing image that remind me of light paintings which is partially why his work appeals to me personally.
The second image of a car has reflected motion through a different route, in this case, Rosendahl has decided to focus on representing movement through the use of a motion blur for the background instead of making use of trails like the pool table photograph. I believe that this was extremely successful because even though he has taken a different route for capturing movement, the photo still allows us viewers to see that the car is moving at a fast pace through the use of a motion blur. Furthermore, Rosendahl has even captured the motion blur on the car itself through the use of reflections which I believe makes the overall photograph more convincing. I plan to experiment with long exposures in future photoshoots of mine in order to create a similar effect to Rosendahl. This will allow me to expand my knowledge when it comes to photographing motion.
The second image of a car has reflected motion through a different route, in this case, Rosendahl has decided to focus on representing movement through the use of a motion blur for the background instead of making use of trails like the pool table photograph. I believe that this was extremely successful because even though he has taken a different route for capturing movement, the photo still allows us viewers to see that the car is moving at a fast pace through the use of a motion blur. Furthermore, Rosendahl has even captured the motion blur on the car itself through the use of reflections which I believe makes the overall photograph more convincing. I plan to experiment with long exposures in future photoshoots of mine in order to create a similar effect to Rosendahl. This will allow me to expand my knowledge when it comes to photographing motion.
Artist Influence-Eran Hakim
Another photographer who has managed to capture movement through light trails goes by the name Eran Hakim. I find his work fascinating because of how he manages to create what he calls 'light graffiti'. These trails of light are used as a light source to light up the object in focus and are also used to create light paintings. These result in some surreal photographs that you normally wouldn't be able to see in the real world, however, through the use of long exposures, extended shutter speeds and underexposed shots these images can be created. This relates to my theme of movement because the light trails represent the path taken prior the photo. After researching Hakim, I intend to experiment with light trails and how I can use them to reflect movement/motion.
Mindmap - Movement
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy has a theory in his book 'Painting, Photography, Film' where he discusses the use of cameras and how they offer us unlimited possibilities in regards to making use of light and capturing movement. He discusses how the modern lens of a camera isn’t limited like the human eye and is capable of producing images that seizes a live moment within our world. This investigation was relevant because it enabled me to have a clear understanding of how I could tackle capturing movement through my photography and the way I could use this opportunity to capture scenes that go beyond what a human can see.
Eadweard Muybridge
One photographer that interested me was Eadweard Muybridge because his unique take on capturing motion. His style of photography strongly relates to my personal theme of movement so I intend to use my investigation on his work as inspiration for my projects direction. What makes Muybridge's work so effective is how he presents his selection of photos, he places his photographs in chronological order to convey the idea of motion which brings his images to life. For example, he captured race horses mid-motion and laid out the photographs beside each other to prove that a galloping horse lifts all four hooves off the ground. I found this piece of work very fascinating because it shows all the separate stages of a horse in motion which is interesting for viewers because you wouldn't normally be able to see the individual stages of a horses movement with the human eye. In order for Muybridge to capture these photographs he had to set up a trip wire mechanism that was connected to multiple cameras so when triggered the shutter releases and captures each stage of movement. Overall, I found investigating Eadweard Muybridge's work as very inspirational because when I first decided upon my theme of movement I never thought of compiling a set of photographs together but now viewing Muybridge's work I have realized that I don't need to limit myself to displaying only one frame to showcase movement.
My response to Eadweard Muybridge
After I had finished investigating Eadweard Muybridge I decided to take a photo shoot in response to his work. For this shoot I intended to capture motion within multiple frames like Muybridge's work so I focused on the motion of a basketball during a basket. Once I had all my photographs I combined them together as a collection in order to create a similar effect as Muybridge's work. In addition to compiling my photographs, I also made three variations of the set of photos, this includes a black and white version, coloured version and a compressed version that merges all the photographs into one in order to display the basketballs path when in motion. Overall, I am satisfied with my response as I believe it displays movement successfully whilst resembling Muybridge's choice of layout. However, I believe that my choice of subject could be more interesting so next time I intend to include a person as well in order to make the focus of my photographs more intriguing for the viewer.
Black and white version
Colour version
Basketball in motion (single image)
Etienne-Jules Marey
Etienne-Jules Marey was a chronophotographer who was actually responsible for inventing chronophotography. I decided to research Marey because I believe that I can learn a lot about how he goes about capturing motion. Marey analyses movement by layering multiple exposures on a single photographic sheet. This creates a fascinating effect which allows us viewers to see each individual frame of motion within an action. Marey was interested in breaking down the motion of animals into individual frames, these animals would include horses, birds, dogs, sheep, donkeys, elephants, fish, microscopic creatures, molluscs, insects, reptiles, etc. One of Marey's most famous studies was his on cats and how they always land on their feet. I have picked two images from Marey that I wanted to discuss, the first being of a blacksmith at an anvil. Marey was interested in visually showcasing the manual effort that is put into these types of tasks. I found this piece of work interesting because it shows that he uses chronophotgraphy for research purposes instead of trying to make visually-pleasing image which actually makes his images more interesting to investigate. The next image showcases the individual frames of a bird from liftoff to mid-flight, I liked this image because it shows a very clear visual of how birds prepare for flight which you wouldn't be able with the human eye. Overall, I found researching Marey as very informative because I learnt a lot about different ways to visually showcase motion which I intend to experiment with in future photo shoots.
Michael Wesely
Michael Wesely captures movement based around the construction of buildings within the city which specifically relates to my work because my project concept is capturing the city's movement. What fascinates me about his work is the way he captures the construction of cities, landscapes and buildings. He achieves this using a special ultra-long exposure technique, this enables him to capture the construction of landscapes in one single image which results in a photograph that displays all the movement that took place within that time frame. This intrigues me because this technology enables us to see movement that the human eye wouldn't be able to view in everyday life. Also, the outcome itself is quite abstract due to the multiple layers that have been crafted using the movement that occurs due to the influence of people.
Lewis Bush
Lewis Bush is a photographer that produced the photobook 'Metropole' (2014 – 2018). This piece of work fascinates me because he displays London almost as a dystopia through his use of high-contrast black and white photographs of the cityscape. Some of his images are made of multiple exposures which results in these photos that have a clear sense of depth due to the layering of exposures. This relates to my personal investigation of movement within the city as he captures many parts of London which inspires me because I really like his use of multiple exposures when photographing the active city. Like mentioned earlier I take interest in his use of high-contrast black and white photos because it emphasizes certain details of an image that as a viewer I wouldn't usually pay much attention to. For example, he captured the buildings at night with a high contrast which results in each individual window being extremely clear to see which enhances the details within the photos and makes them significantly more interesting to view. I intend to further experiment with these skill sets that I have now learnt when investigating Lewis Bush's 'Metropole' later down the line in my project.
Harold Edgerton
Harold Edgerton was an American photographer and electrical engineer who was responsible for creating high-speed photography techniques that were used for scientific purposes outside of photography. Edgerton's choices for subjects would include running water and drops of liquid, athletes mid-motion, hummingbirds in flight and his children in play. Edgerton career centered around a single idea which was to make the invisible visible. After spending a lot of time trying to make his idea a reality, he finally managed to capture scenes that the human eye wouldn't see using his invention of the electronic flash. I have included some examples of scenes that Edgerton captured using his electronic flash that I thought were worth analyzing. Firstly, I found an image that was captured using Edgerton's electronic flash, the subject of the photo was an apple, however, the image showcases a bullet that penetrated the apple completely. This image is fascinating to me because I know that with my human eye I would see nothing but a blur if this scene was to occur directly in front of me, however, Edgerton's technology has allowed us to see the scene in full in high detail. I really like how you can tell the bullet is in motion because of how it is airborne and how the apples remains shoot out from the back. The second image I found interesting was quite similar to the apple one where there is a bullet/pellet piercing through an object which in this case would be three balloons. I liked this image because of how it shows the transition of a balloon being pierced at first to then it bursting as the first balloon made contact with the pellet first so you can see it in shreds whilst the last balloon only has a whole in it as it has only just made contact with the pellet. In conclusion, I found Edgerton's work very useful to analyse because it shows how he has worked his way up to being able to capture some of the fastest scenes in motion and I am interested in investigating this idea of making the invisible visible in my own work.
Photo shoot - Motion Trails
My intention for this photo shoot was to capture motion trails from vehicles to represent their movement. This shoot was taken between the road connecting London bridge station and London Bridge. For this shoot to work I needed to get myself a tripod and find a location where I could capture vehicles in motion during the late hours of the day. This was important because to capture the trails of light I would need to make sure it was dark so that the lights would pop out. When taking my photographs I had to change my camera settings in order to achieve this effect. The settings I used were 15 seconds on the shutter speed, 11-8 Aperture and a low ISO. Overall, I believe that I could have executed my photographs better if I would have picked a more suitable location as the surroundings had too many light sources that interfered with the light trails, however, I am glad that I was still able to capture my intended effect even though it wasn't up to the standard I was hoping for. This experience has allowed me to become more knowledgeable about shutter speeds and I intend to attempt this style of shoot again in the future.
My best photo-Motion trails |
This is my favourite photo from my motion trails photo shoot. I decided to showcase this photograph in particular because it was the closest photo I captured to what I aimed for. What I really liked about this photo was how there was a thin purple line of light that wrapped itself around the main light source as it resulted in a visually impressive photo. This photo was edited using Adobe Lightroom because I wanted to increase the contrast and lower the brightness in order to make the trail of light pop more. Overall, I am very satisfied with this photo in particular as I was able to capture a thick trail of light that clearly represented movement. I want to create more photos like this in the future and I feel like I would be more successful next time as I can make improvements based off preventing previous mistakes.
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Photo shoot-local activity
For this task we were told to take a set of photos based off a list of words written by us that related to the theme of our personal investigation. The way I went around this was to focus on each word and produce a photograph that I believe reflected it one way or another. These photos were taken around my local area as I believed that I could capture more organic scenes around there. In my opinion, my most successful photograph was my 'individual' photo as I believe that it really showcased the individuality of the man as he waves back to his friends as he passes by them. My most difficult photograph to take had to be my photo for motion as I spent some time waiting for the bird to fly into my frame and I had many failed attempts before I was able to take the photo that I needed.
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Chris Marker, La Jetee, 1962
La Jetée is a featurette that was constructed nearly entirely out of still black and white photos, this was directed by Chris Marker who was apart of the Left Bank artistic movement. This movement was lead by older directors who were less movie-crazed, they practiced cinematic modernism in their projects. They believed that cinema was similar to other arts with literature being the main one, this ideology played a significant role in Chris Markers work.
This featurette is a science fiction story about a post-nuclear war experiment and how the past, present and future can be manipulated through time travel. I decided to research Chris Marker's work because of how he presents his photographs, he tends to add a vibrating effect to his images to create the illusion that these images are moving and as if someone is holding a camera or it being from an individuals point of view. This makes his work feel a lot more organic since the expectation for a film is for there to be movement so he creates this effect using still photographs through a vibrating/shaking effect. This relates to my theme of movement because Chris Maker works around the expectations of a film by manipulating his photographs in order to create the illusion of movement in his images. This is an idea that I have an interest in experimenting with in the future as I still want to take still photos and by using certain tricks inspired by Chris Marker I believe that I can reflect movement in my images through camera shake and vibrations.
This featurette is a science fiction story about a post-nuclear war experiment and how the past, present and future can be manipulated through time travel. I decided to research Chris Marker's work because of how he presents his photographs, he tends to add a vibrating effect to his images to create the illusion that these images are moving and as if someone is holding a camera or it being from an individuals point of view. This makes his work feel a lot more organic since the expectation for a film is for there to be movement so he creates this effect using still photographs through a vibrating/shaking effect. This relates to my theme of movement because Chris Maker works around the expectations of a film by manipulating his photographs in order to create the illusion of movement in his images. This is an idea that I have an interest in experimenting with in the future as I still want to take still photos and by using certain tricks inspired by Chris Marker I believe that I can reflect movement in my images through camera shake and vibrations.
Drifter - The McCarricks/Keiko Yamazaki
Drifter was created by London based composers The McCarricks in collaboration with photographer Keiko Yamazaki. This piece of work showcases Yamazaki's work through a large set of photos blended together. This is fascinating to me because the way he blends his photographs together feels natural and organic as each photo cleanly transitions to the next which creates the illusion that a large picture is being displayed. What inspires me about this piece is how they chose to display their photographs through a video format as it creates the illusion of movement as if someone is walking through this surreal world recording it all from their point of view. My favourite aspect of their work is how the photographs gradually change from one type of scenery like a forest to a more urban environment as it makes his idea of reality more convincing and interesting to view. In the future I intend to make a response to his work by taking a set of photos and blending them together to create a surreal scene that I will display through a video slideshow like how Drifter was executed. This relates to my theme of movement because it creates the illusion that someone is walking through this world made of blended scenery as its constantly moving which is not what you expect when viewing conventional photography. This highlights how unique of an execution Drifter was as it goes against what we expect of photography because when people think of photographs they think of a still frame of time that is static which is the opposite of Yamazaki's work.
OPI 21, OOPSY DAISY, TIGER LILY by Anna Lucas
OPI 21, OOPSY DAISY, TIGER LILY by Anna Lucas
ANNA LUCAS's film OPI 21, OOPSY DAISY, TIGER LILY is inspired by Tintype¹s location between a beauty salon and a taxidermy shop and a number of conversations with residents along the Essex Road. This flickering film of still images creates connections between tropical fish, fur and fingernails.
This flickering film is made of still images that make connections with fur, fish and mainly fingernails. The photos are constantly being interacted with which is a reminder that these physical images can be touched which is done to reinforce a sense of touch. In this film you notice an appearance of hands quite often which will interact with the real world such as tapping the glass of a fish tank. As you watch this short film it is often disrupted by a black screen with white text which disrupts the flow of the scenes being presented. This is done to bring a loose-narrative to the film so that the viewer can come up with their own personal conclusion to the story so that the viewing experience is unique to that individual. My favourite aspect of Anna Luca's work is how they create opportunities for real life interactions with their photographs as it makes us viewers feel like we are watching from someone else's point of view which allows for us to come up with our own conclusions for that person. This relates to my theme of movement because it showcases how I can incorporate movement into my presentation outside of my actual photographs. I intend to experiment with Luca's idea in my project some time soon as I want to try to present my set of photos through a video format.
A fresh look at Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus was an American photographer who specialized in portrait photography that would usually be described as disturbing, gripping and unsettling. Her work was included in only a handful of museum exhibitions before her passing at the age of 48 by her own hands in 1971. This didn't stop her from playing a significant role in the photography community as her photographs were described as 'unforgettable' by those who viewed her series of photos. Her work was displayed in New York at the Museum of Modern Art which took place where she grew up most of her life. The event drew in massive crowds of people who valued her work and its formal beauty, however, not everyone shared the same opinion. Susan Sontag criticized her work by labeling her portraits as "assorted monsters and border-line cases. . . . anti-humanist.” Sontag also said that the work of Arbus “shows people who are pathetic, pitiable, as well as repulsive, but it does not arouse any compassionate feelings.”
Arbus as a photographer aimed to capture "the space between who someone is and who they think they are,” through her photography which led her to become one of America's most highly regarded as one of America's most well-known photographers due to her work being quite controversial. However, due to her photographs having a disturbing element to them she was labeled a freak among photographers.
An exhibition of nearly 200 of her photos known as “Diane Arbus Revelations" has sparked the conversation regarding the meaning behind Arbus's disturbing but compelling photographs. A new generation of viewers and critics are reviewing her photographs and trying to interpret the significance and her true intentions behind her images. This took place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through May 31. The senior curator of photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Sandra S. Phillips says “To cast Arbus in the role of a tragic figure who identified with freaks is to trivialize her accomplishment" she believed that Arbus "was a great humanist photographer who was at the forefront of what has become recognized as a new kind of photographic art.”
The exhibition sparked lots of critical reactions from all sorts of people. One being from San Francisco Chronicle art critic Kenneth Baker as he praised Arbus’ work for its intelligence and compassion. Also, in the New York Times magazine, Arthur Lubow called her “one of the most powerful American artists of the 20th century.” However, not everyone shares this type of opinion of Arbus. For example, she is labelled as guilt-ridden and morbid by some others and The New Republic’s Jed Perl said "Arbus is one of those devious bohemians" that "celebrate other people’s eccentricities and are all the while aggrandizing their own narcissistically pessimistic view of the world.” This highlights how controversial Arbus's work was as opinions regarding her work have been deeply split and people can't mutually agree about where her work stands.
Jeff Rosenheim believed that Arbus's work was provoking due to its disturbing nature which raised questions that were uncomfortable in regards to the relationship between photographer, subject and audience. Rosenheim says that “Her work implicates you and the ethics of vision itself" and that “Our license to have that experience of viewing another person is changed and challenged, supported and enriched.
Arbus as a photographer aimed to capture "the space between who someone is and who they think they are,” through her photography which led her to become one of America's most highly regarded as one of America's most well-known photographers due to her work being quite controversial. However, due to her photographs having a disturbing element to them she was labeled a freak among photographers.
An exhibition of nearly 200 of her photos known as “Diane Arbus Revelations" has sparked the conversation regarding the meaning behind Arbus's disturbing but compelling photographs. A new generation of viewers and critics are reviewing her photographs and trying to interpret the significance and her true intentions behind her images. This took place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through May 31. The senior curator of photography at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) Sandra S. Phillips says “To cast Arbus in the role of a tragic figure who identified with freaks is to trivialize her accomplishment" she believed that Arbus "was a great humanist photographer who was at the forefront of what has become recognized as a new kind of photographic art.”
The exhibition sparked lots of critical reactions from all sorts of people. One being from San Francisco Chronicle art critic Kenneth Baker as he praised Arbus’ work for its intelligence and compassion. Also, in the New York Times magazine, Arthur Lubow called her “one of the most powerful American artists of the 20th century.” However, not everyone shares this type of opinion of Arbus. For example, she is labelled as guilt-ridden and morbid by some others and The New Republic’s Jed Perl said "Arbus is one of those devious bohemians" that "celebrate other people’s eccentricities and are all the while aggrandizing their own narcissistically pessimistic view of the world.” This highlights how controversial Arbus's work was as opinions regarding her work have been deeply split and people can't mutually agree about where her work stands.
Jeff Rosenheim believed that Arbus's work was provoking due to its disturbing nature which raised questions that were uncomfortable in regards to the relationship between photographer, subject and audience. Rosenheim says that “Her work implicates you and the ethics of vision itself" and that “Our license to have that experience of viewing another person is changed and challenged, supported and enriched.
Sontag on Arbus
Why does Sontag describe the photographer as a “supertourist”?
This is because Sontag believes that the photographer is a supertourist because they are going beyond the moral boundaries, when photographing people Sontag believes that you should only visit their lives and not intervene. This photographer visits "natives" and collects information regarding their exotic doings and strange gear.
Why are both boredom and fascination “outside” rather than “inside a situation”?
Boredom and fascination both depend on being on the outside rather than the inside of a situation. Sontag believes that the photographer has no intention of entering the horror of the inhabitants world and stays on the 'outside'. Arbus distances herself from their world and in her eyes they are to remain exotic which is why her view is always from the outside.
Why does Sontag accuse of Arbus of being unethical?
When choosing subject for her photos, Arbus said "They fascinate me when I’ve barely heard of them" and she enjoyed capturing people who were considered ugly and imperfect. However, when it came to her photography she had no interest in ethical journalism and would photograph thalidomide babies, public horrors, napalm victims, deformities and more. This highlights her unethical nature when it comes to her photography practice as she is willing to photograph those who are suffering and still keep enough distance that she doesn't directly involve herself in their situation making her an outsider.
Why does Sontag disapprove of a photograph like the one below?
This is because Sontag believes that the photographer is a supertourist because they are going beyond the moral boundaries, when photographing people Sontag believes that you should only visit their lives and not intervene. This photographer visits "natives" and collects information regarding their exotic doings and strange gear.
Why are both boredom and fascination “outside” rather than “inside a situation”?
Boredom and fascination both depend on being on the outside rather than the inside of a situation. Sontag believes that the photographer has no intention of entering the horror of the inhabitants world and stays on the 'outside'. Arbus distances herself from their world and in her eyes they are to remain exotic which is why her view is always from the outside.
Why does Sontag accuse of Arbus of being unethical?
When choosing subject for her photos, Arbus said "They fascinate me when I’ve barely heard of them" and she enjoyed capturing people who were considered ugly and imperfect. However, when it came to her photography she had no interest in ethical journalism and would photograph thalidomide babies, public horrors, napalm victims, deformities and more. This highlights her unethical nature when it comes to her photography practice as she is willing to photograph those who are suffering and still keep enough distance that she doesn't directly involve herself in their situation making her an outsider.
Why does Sontag disapprove of a photograph like the one below?
Diane Arbus - A Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents 1970
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Sontag's main critique of Arbus is how she uses her privilege to visit the lives of the unfortunate. Arbus used her camera as a way of obtaining experience and a real sense of what was reality. It was clear that Arbus didn't follow the moral expectations of an individual and used photography as an excuse to intervene with peoples lives to cure her boredom and convert it to fascination. In Sontag's report on Arbus she says that Arbus was "basically protected,middle-class, who has been taught to see life in terms of moral response and prudence". This displays Sontag's disapproval for Abus's work as she believes that her work involved her intervening with peoples lives that she was unable to empathize with and would not be willing to get involved in their lives in a positive way and would distance herself from those who were "exotic" by staying on the outside.
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Questions on ethics in photography
When is it not OK to take a photograph?
I believe it is not okay to take a photograph when someone needs help or during a personal moment as it is disrespectful and I believe it is morally wrong.
Should you always seek the permission of your subjects before taking their photograph?
I don't believe it is always necessary or expected to request permission to take a photograph as some cases it would be extremely difficult to ask for permission to take a photograph without losing the original opportunity. Also, by asking to photograph someone you lose the natural aspect of the original scene as they would now be prepared to be photographed.
Does it make a difference whether or not you have a personal relationship with the subject of a photograph?
By having a personal relationship with the subject of the photograph it creates a deeper meaning to the photograph that would only be significant to the individual who took the photo unless explained.
Can photographs hurt people
Photographs can definitely hurt people as they can manipulate reality and make someone look worse when captured in a single frame.
Is all photography a form of voyeurism?
No as the subject of a photograph can vary from people to buildings to plants etc. It would be impossible to compress all of photography into one category.
How responsible is the photographer for the way in which a subject is represented?
The photographer is mainly responsible as they are in control of when the photo is taken and the type of light the subject is being seen in. Of course this can vary depending on the situation and setup of the photograph, for example, if the photo is being taken in public and the subject is a random person then the photographer will lose some control of how the subject is represented.
How much control can the photographer exercise over the ways in which their images are understood by viewers?
I believe that the photographer only has limited control over the ways in which their images are understood by viewers as they can provide information in regards to their photographs but its up to the viewer if they want to acknowledge that information or if they want to interpret the photographers work themselves.
Can photographs tell the truth?
Yes, photographs have the ability to tell the truth as they can be a still frame of reality, however, they also have the ability to manipulate the truth. So even though photographs can tell the truth I wouldn't label them as a reliable source of any kind.
I believe it is not okay to take a photograph when someone needs help or during a personal moment as it is disrespectful and I believe it is morally wrong.
Should you always seek the permission of your subjects before taking their photograph?
I don't believe it is always necessary or expected to request permission to take a photograph as some cases it would be extremely difficult to ask for permission to take a photograph without losing the original opportunity. Also, by asking to photograph someone you lose the natural aspect of the original scene as they would now be prepared to be photographed.
Does it make a difference whether or not you have a personal relationship with the subject of a photograph?
By having a personal relationship with the subject of the photograph it creates a deeper meaning to the photograph that would only be significant to the individual who took the photo unless explained.
Can photographs hurt people
Photographs can definitely hurt people as they can manipulate reality and make someone look worse when captured in a single frame.
Is all photography a form of voyeurism?
No as the subject of a photograph can vary from people to buildings to plants etc. It would be impossible to compress all of photography into one category.
How responsible is the photographer for the way in which a subject is represented?
The photographer is mainly responsible as they are in control of when the photo is taken and the type of light the subject is being seen in. Of course this can vary depending on the situation and setup of the photograph, for example, if the photo is being taken in public and the subject is a random person then the photographer will lose some control of how the subject is represented.
How much control can the photographer exercise over the ways in which their images are understood by viewers?
I believe that the photographer only has limited control over the ways in which their images are understood by viewers as they can provide information in regards to their photographs but its up to the viewer if they want to acknowledge that information or if they want to interpret the photographers work themselves.
Can photographs tell the truth?
Yes, photographs have the ability to tell the truth as they can be a still frame of reality, however, they also have the ability to manipulate the truth. So even though photographs can tell the truth I wouldn't label them as a reliable source of any kind.
Inside/Out
Abigail Solomon-Godeau discusses the different positions of photographers which she refers to as inside and outside. Her idea initially stemmed from Susan Sontag's criticism of Diane Arbus who discusses Arbus's outsider viewpoint on which results in an unsympathetic, tourist attitude towards those she considered 'weird' making her a supertourist and a photographer who is only willing to stay on the outside. If Solomon sees Arbus's work in a negative light and says that she stays on the outside then that would mean that a photographer on the inside is good. A photographer from the inside would make them sympathetic, privileged and trustful according to Solomon's discussion.
Inside
• Intimate • Sympathetic • Trustful • Active |
Outside
• Alienated • Touristic • Distant • Stranger |
John Berger - Ways of seeing
John Berger explains how adding text to an image creates a whole new meaning to that photograph. I strongly agree with this ideology as I believe that a set of text can direct a viewers attention towards the photographers initial idea. The example he gives is of the last painting from Van Gogh before he killed himself. In the painting you can see a path in the centre of a field with a flock of crows passing by. However, if you explain that this is the last picture that Van Gogh painted before he killed himself it creates a whole new meaning. This highlights the significance of text when added to an image and how it can convey a whole new meaning.
Jenny Holzer
Jenny Holzer is an American neo-conceptual artist who specialises in presenting text on buildings to convey a certain idea or message to the public eye. I decided to investigate Holzer because of how she is willing to use anything as her canvas as long as it will help get her message across and direct the viewers perspective on a specific subject. Her installations include advertising billboards, projections and other structures. I find her practice very interesting because of the scale of her presentations that are displayed to the public. I am interested in creating a response to her work where I present a piece of text on a man-made structure using a digital editing program as I am unable to get the permission of placing text onto an actual building. By making this response it allows me to expand my knowledge of the different ways text can affect a photograph and if it is successful then I may further develop this idea so that I can incorporate it into my project.
Examples of their work
Photo shoot - Wanderer
For this photo shoot I went out to the main city with the aim of capturing whatever caught my eye as I wanted to create a set of images that I could use when putting together my short film. For my short film I recorded many different parts of the city and parts of my travel that intend to put together using Sony Vegas. My intention here is to create a short film that has parts of my journey running in the background, as this is being played I plan to overlap photographs of scenes that struck out to me on top of my video in order to reflect the memories I made along my journey. These photographs were taken during the late hours of the day as its my preferred time to shoot as certain colours tend to stand out more and I can experiment with different ways of lighting my scene. This photo shoot was taken in response to Chris Marker's short film La Jetee as I wanted to experiment with putting together a film that used moving images.
Overall, I am satisfied with the result of this photo shoot as I was able to capture lots of scenes from my journey that will complement the recordings I have captured. My favourite scene I captured was of a bicycle that I found placed against a railing, what I found interesting was how the owner had decided to attach his water bottle to the bike using a leather belt. This scene was quite bizarre to me because I think of multiple different ways to store your water bottle but strapping it to your bike using a leather belt wasn't one of them. My next step is to take my photographs and video recordings into a video editing program known as Sony Vegas to covert it into a video format so that it can be presented. Also, using this program I can put everything I captured into a sequence that can convey a certain narrative.
Photographs with text experimentation
Photo shoot - The indoors
These images are taken from the first-person point of view of my father after a long day of work. My images focused on capturing key objects that he interacts with as he enters the house or pays attention to. For the composition of my photographs I focused on the idea of obstruction and interference because I wanted to showcase that once you get home you tunnel vision on settling down and ignore the unimportant tasks. The threshold concept I thought about when taking these photographs is #7 which is "Photographs are not fixed in meaning; context everything. This is relevant to my photographs because without context these just seem like photos of the inside of someones house, however, once you understand its from someones point of view you can begin to link a story which highlights the importance of understanding the context behind a set of images.
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I have chosen to photography everyday belongings and the sights you see daily when coming back to the comfort of your home. These would include belongings such as your wallet, shoes, charging cable and more. I believe my photographs fall into the genre of still life photography because the majority of the images capture inanimate objects (excluding the dog) and captures the still life of someone who returns back to their home after a long day of work. The equipment I used for these photographs was mainly my Canon 800D which is a digital camera because its what I'm most comfortable using and takes photographs at a very high quality where all the details and revealed. It also allows for me to experiment with the ISO, shutter speed and aperture which enables me to take the photograph in the way I visioned.
Tuncay
Tuncay is a street photographer who focuses on capturing the life of those who live within the city. When viewing his work I noticed that he uses weather to reflect the emotions of the people who are captured in his photographs. My favourite aspect of his work is how he limits the amount of colour that make his images as it allows us viewers to easily digest what is taking place with the photographs. Another aspect of his work that interests me is his use of symmetry because it allows for his composition to mainly focus around his subject which are usually people. I want to begin focusing on elements such as symmetry in future work in order to get similar results to Tuncay's work. This will be achieved by taking the composition of the photograph into consideration.
Festival in a box exhibition documentation
Our task for this lesson was to create a exhibition that consisted of a selection of photographers, this exhibition had to display all the work on one wall which was one of the challenges we faced when deciding the layout for our exhibition. We overcame this issue by deciding that we were going to have the larger images be displayed in the centre so that they could be viewed easily. Now reviewing it after completion I believe we could of improved the positioning of the smaller images as they have been placed on the far ends of the exhibition which makes them harder to notice and I don't believe that larger prints deserve more recognition than images that have been printed in a smaller size so making adjustments based off that would be how I think the exhibition could be improved.
Hunter or gatherer by David Hay
Hunter and gatherers are the two categories that David Hay split photographers between, however, in most cases people fit into both categories to a certain degree. The idea of a hunter is someone who travels to a special location or compose a shot in a very specific way in order to capture their scene in a way that matches their vision. Gatherers on the other hand are people who explore one area and capture it in a very intimate way. Based off this theory I would definitely say that my work suggests that I am more of a hunter because I would usually plan beforehand what I want to capture then I would head out to capture the scene that I had visioned. However, saying that I do sometimes tend to just grab my camera and head to one of my favourite shooting locations just to capture scenes from the area. So in conclusion I would still say that I mainly fall into the category of a hunter, however, I still feel that my work reflects both concepts to a degree.
Recall - Photography video
My intention here was to produce a film about someones Journey through the city using moving images and photographs of key scenes that stuck out to me. Once I had gathered my content for my film I then created a timeline for it that displayed when I wanted certain sequences to be queued. I split my video into three different sections, the intro, main content section and the outro sequence. This film relates to my theme of movement because it showcases the movement of an individual who takes a trip to the city and back. This piece of work was inspired by Chris Marker and his film La Jetee, I was influenced by the way Marker used his moving images to convey a certain narrative and I aimed to achieve this through my own video response.
The most successful part of my film
I believe that the most successful part of my film was the sequence between 1:35 and 2:25 because the movement of images felt a lot more organic than the first half because they were synced up with the video background. For example at 1:56 you can see an industrial fan moving along in sync with the train at night, this is effective because it makes it seem like the fan is apart of the train as a component and it looks natural as it moves in sync with the train. This was achieved using tracking in Sony Vegas and I intend to do more tracking in future pieces of experimentation.
Review of film
Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome of my film as I believe I was able to make a relevant response to the work of Chris Marker. After watching my film back there would be many parts of it that I would improve, for example, I would of not added the film effect to the intro sequence of my film since I believe it was unnecessary and distracting. I would have also of liked to add more photographs throughout the video so that there would be less sections with just video. Next time I intend to put a stop to sliding images as they feel unnatural and forced. These will all be improvements that I intend to make to the films that I create in the future.
I believe that the most successful part of my film was the sequence between 1:35 and 2:25 because the movement of images felt a lot more organic than the first half because they were synced up with the video background. For example at 1:56 you can see an industrial fan moving along in sync with the train at night, this is effective because it makes it seem like the fan is apart of the train as a component and it looks natural as it moves in sync with the train. This was achieved using tracking in Sony Vegas and I intend to do more tracking in future pieces of experimentation.
Review of film
Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome of my film as I believe I was able to make a relevant response to the work of Chris Marker. After watching my film back there would be many parts of it that I would improve, for example, I would of not added the film effect to the intro sequence of my film since I believe it was unnecessary and distracting. I would have also of liked to add more photographs throughout the video so that there would be less sections with just video. Next time I intend to put a stop to sliding images as they feel unnatural and forced. These will all be improvements that I intend to make to the films that I create in the future.
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson is a humanist photographer who is said to have pioneered the genre of street photography. When describing his work be believes that his photographs capture a decisive moment in a poetic documentary style. The decisive moment refers to the concept of capturing a spontaneous scene that has unfolded in front of you through the format of an image. This image must be capable of reflecting the essence of the event itself to be considered the decisive moment. Cartier-Bresson was the photographer who was responsible for popularizing the phrase 'the decisive moment' and he believes that to capture these moments you must shoot according to your instinct and foresight. This idea of instinctive photography is relevant to my project of movement because to capture motion you must shoot according to your instincts or you may easily miss the event that unfolded in front of you.
Departure - Photography video
This film is a response to my first film 'Recall' that focuses on capturing my movement as I departure from the station. The most significant change I made when developing this film was changing the choice of music because I believe it completely changed the flow of the video and the way pieces of imagery were introduced. In addition to the music, I also added background sounds from the trains, people and more which I believe makes the viewing experience more engaging and atmospheric.
Successful parts of my film
I believe the most successful part of the film was the pacing because one issue I had with my last edit was that I felt that the video was too fast paced and certain elements didn't get enough screen time, this was due to using a fast paced hip-hop song that decided the rhythm for my video, however, for 'Departure' I decided to use jazz music because it allowed me to pace my video better. I also believe that changing the shapes of the video made the film more dynamic and less predictable as they all aren't the standard video format.
I believe the most successful part of the film was the pacing because one issue I had with my last edit was that I felt that the video was too fast paced and certain elements didn't get enough screen time, this was due to using a fast paced hip-hop song that decided the rhythm for my video, however, for 'Departure' I decided to use jazz music because it allowed me to pace my video better. I also believe that changing the shapes of the video made the film more dynamic and less predictable as they all aren't the standard video format.
Paul Strand
When reviewing the work of Paul Strand I found his use of shadows and lighting extremely fascinating because they create abstract images that paint the photograph. The first image displays a street with two people interacting with each other, however, the punctum of the image for me is the shadows that illustrate the framework of a building as they make the image more dynamic and allows the viewer to get an idea of the time of day it is and where the sun is positioned. I intend to implement this idea into my project by taking photos and videos that use shadows so that I can get more dynamic content for my video.
Konstantin Vikhrov
Konstantin Vikhrov is a photographer who captures the city in a cyberpunk aesthetic by capturing the bright but bleak sides of the capital. His visual aesthetic consists of contrasting neon colors against dark shadows which results in these painting-like photographs that are almost seductive/alluring. I decided to view Vikhrov's work because I like his use of colours, his work relates to mine because I also capture the majority of my imagery during the night so I want to incorporate his style into my work by focusing on contrasting neon colours against the emptiness of the dark.
Lucid - Photo film
For my photo film 'Lucid' I focused on capturing London as a dystopia by capturing the gloomy but lively city during the active hours of the night. My photographs were intended to be seductive and alluring so that they would almost lure the viewer into the dystopian reality that my film recorded. As for how I recorded movement, I concentrated on multiple concepts of movement such as the movement of people, vehicles, construction, light and I used techniques in editing to create the illusion of movement by having still photos and moving images move across the screen according to the background movement. This enables the film to flow together more smoothly and allows for an overall more pleasant viewing experience whilst enhancing my theme of movement. I learnt from my previous film 'Departure' that jazz music suits the pacing of my film and works alongside the atmospheric sounds that I recorded within the active city. I also incorporated recorded conversations in my film to further emphasize that the people who inhabit the city are lively.
What was successful?
I believe that focusing on a dystopian setting for my film really improved it because it allowed me to stick to a specific aesthetic throughout the film which made it more convincing and organic. This also enabled me to get more creative with the different ways to present movement.
I believe that focusing on a dystopian setting for my film really improved it because it allowed me to stick to a specific aesthetic throughout the film which made it more convincing and organic. This also enabled me to get more creative with the different ways to present movement.
Ernst Haas
Ernst Haas was born in Vienna and is a photographer who pioneered the use of colour in photography during a time where is was considered inferior to black and white photography. I decided to investigate Hass's work because he creatively used a slow shutter speed to create a sense of movement within his photos which fascinates me because I also have a strong interest in capturing movement through my imagery. The middle image uses cold blues to contrast against the harsher reds that feature of the top half of the photograph which results in an alluring photograph that caught my attention instantly, this works alongside the motion blur on the vehicles which is used to create the illusion of movement. After researching the work of Ernst Haas I have decided to focus more on colour when capturing scenes of movement within the active city, one technique I will use when focusing on capturing colour is using a neutral density filter to add more colour to my photos.
Harry Callahan
Harry Callahan is a photographer who is considered one of the most influential figures in post-war photography due to his use of both broad perspectives and individual details. His work is associated with three themes, these being buildings, people and nature. These three themes are what he dedicates his imagery to which results in these elegant but fragile images. I decided to investigate Callahan's work because I became fascinated by how he captures the cityscape because my project is about capturing movement within the city so this instantly caught my attention. I particularly like the photograph in the centre of the cityscape because it is clear that he acknowledges the importance of taking line and composition into considering when photographing. I should pay more attention to these elements next time I go to photograph in the city as it results in sharp but fragile photographs of the urban environment that I admire.
These images display another style of photography that Harry Callahan takes part in called light paintings which is where you capture lights with a low shutter speeds to track either their path of movement or the motion of the camera being moved around. I believe that these abstract photographs are elegant and make the lines of movement look delicate and spontaneous. I personally find these images to be beautiful as the thin light trails illustrate unique shapes and silhouettes that could never be viewed without the use of a camera. Investigating this photographer has definitely inspired me and I intend to take a photo shoot in response to Callahan's work.
Photo shoot - Strands of light
This photo shoot was inspired by the photographer Harry Callahan who I investigated because I was fascinated by how he captured the city in an elegant light and his light paintings that reflect motion/movement. This photo shoot response will be focusing on the light paintings part of his work. The way I went around capturing these images was to use LEDs for the lights and then used a low shutter-speed to capture the strands of light. I was able to create these abstract shapes by moving the camera around, essentially I focused on the motion of the camera to reflect my theme of movement.
My favourite photograph
This is my favourite photograph from the photo shoot because it displays movement but also allows the viewer to still vaguely make out what the focus of the photograph is. I also really like the colours as the main colour is clearly a purple/dark blue, however the closer you get to the centre of the photograph you begin to see more vibrant colours such as light blue, green and white where the light is most intense. I intend to take more photographs like this where I can capture more light paintings to further emphasize movement. I also intend to experiment with different ways of moving the camera when photographing in order to produce a variety of results
Photo shoot - Movement within the walls
For this photo shoot I decided that I wanted to capture the movement within my own home during the pandemic. The reason why I decided to take these photos was because unlike many homes my one is currently very active due to the current construction taking place in my attic as its being renovated. This means that people are coming in and out of the attic constantly and moving around the house. In most images you can see footprints due to the dust picking it up which I found fascinating as it enabled me to capture peoples exact movements as the dust displays where someone has been. I also found photographing my attic really interesting as the photos I took presented it as ominous and mysterious which I feel is an accurate representation of how I view the attic as I haven't been up there yet myself so its just as a mystery for me.
The Palms
I found this presentation very fascinating because the commentators would add vague context to the photos when presenting them which gives the images a further sense of depth and makes them feel more authentic. This is done in an eerie manner which is executed through their use of live music when presenting. This aspect of The Palms fascinated me because it relates back to my project and how I intend to present my photographs as I have spent time developing my use of music/audio when presenting my photographs like The Palms have done. When presenting these photographs the presenter sometime decides to put the images side by side like a diptych which has inspired me to experiment with diptychs for my photo films as I really liked the layout of having two photos side by side. I could even go further and put two videos side by side as I believe that could be quite interesting for the viewer.
I took this screenshot because I really liked how the photographs were placed side by side like a diptych as you are able to see both perspectives of the players. I intend to experiment with diptychs for my photo film using still photos and moving images.
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I found the image on the right specifically interesting because the lady is playing ping pong and you can see a slight motion blur on the ball which interests me as someone who is focusing on the theme of movement. This image displays a real sense of motion in my eyes.
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I really liked the layering of photographs here as it makes a connection between all the photos like a collage. The reoccurring element in all these photos is that the individual being photographed is sleeping which makes all the images relevant.
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I captured this screenshot because I found this photograph interesting because the colours have been slightly distorted because it seems this image was captured on a film camera which has resulted in an aging effect.
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This screenshot was taken because I really liked the ocean photographs as they feel raw and vulnerable in the open ocean. I also really like the collection of photos and the consistency in colours. My favourite photo would have to be the one in the centre of the diver as they are surrounded by photos of the other elements of the ocean.
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This screenshot captured my favourite photograph which is a rabbit beside some red flowers which I am assuming are roses. This photo is fantastic because the red flowers match the eyes of the rabbit and even though flowers and rabbits are usually used to reflect innocence, in this photo I feel that there is a dark hidden intent that is subtly being hinted at.
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This screenshot was taken because I took an interest in the distortion, it makes it seem that its in motion which relates to my theme of movement. I may experiment with distorting my images to create a similar effect in my movement project.
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This strip of portraits fascinates me because its the same person in different poses which I believe reflects movement as the individual has needed to subtly reposition himself in each frame. This is how it relates to my project of movement.
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This photo interested me because it displays the impact of a collision that has just occurred. I have taken an interest in this because I haven't considered capturing the aftermaths of collisions (produced through movement). I intend to take this idea into consideration when capturing my next set of photos.
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I took this screenshot because I liked how the images were stacked on top of each other as it creates a sequence of images that work as one piece. I also like how raw the image on top is as its just an individual attempting to take a selfie however the use of a flash has resulted in the their identity being hidden.
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My response to 'The Palms'
Review of my first response to 'The Palms'
The main idea for this response was to focus on pairing photographs together in sets of two like a diptych. I got this idea when watching 'The Palms' as the presenter would put the photos in two piles side by side. I really liked how the images were paired together as it added a lot more to the images then if they were separated as it lets the viewer create their own narrative for the images. I believe that I could have improved my response as I didn't focus enough on my personal theme of movement. This is why I intend to make a second response which will be displayed below.
The main idea for this response was to focus on pairing photographs together in sets of two like a diptych. I got this idea when watching 'The Palms' as the presenter would put the photos in two piles side by side. I really liked how the images were paired together as it added a lot more to the images then if they were separated as it lets the viewer create their own narrative for the images. I believe that I could have improved my response as I didn't focus enough on my personal theme of movement. This is why I intend to make a second response which will be displayed below.
Second response to 'The Palms' - Collage timelapse
This is my second response to the palms where I used a random number generator to decide the ordering of my photographs in sets of two. This idea was inspired by my previous response where I produced diptychs as it gave me the idea of putting together a collage in sets of two like a diptych. However, the significant change I made in this response was using photographs that related to my theme of movement as I hadn't focused on linking my previous response back to my theme/work. For my setup I had two piles of photographs, one pile being photos of movement within the city that I took before lockdown and the second being photos of movement I took during the lockdown in my own home.
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I believe that this contrast between indoor movement and outdoor movement produced a balance within the collage as these were my perspectives of movement before and after lockdown took place. Each pile of photographs were labelled 1-15 so that I knew which photograph to select when a number popped up on the generator. Once everything was in place I rolled the number generator twice and based off the numbers that popped up I would pick one photograph from each pile and put them together on the collage. This was repeated until all the photos were in order on the collage.
This response was successful to me as I believe it encapsulated the elements of the palms that caught my attention, these elements being a live display of the photographs, the aspect of randomization when deciding the order of photos and the use of music/audio for the presentation. This is why I made a timelapse as I wanted to make the creation process part of the final product whilst also implementing elements of audio to the visuals like what was done in the palms. I really liked the final result of the collage as it made me remember all the different types of movement that I have acknowledged and captured over the last few months and how they gradually changed during each period of my development.
My response to 'In the shadows of the pyramids' by Laura El-Tantawy
The living city - A narrated presentation
This presentation focuses on displaying the inner thoughts of those who regularly travel in the city and keep the city alive. The narration discuses topics such as the life of an adult, how movement affects the city and peoples inner-thoughts when they begin heading home. I wanted to reflect the sombre atmosphere within the city so I focused on finding a suitable audio track to match the narration. The images that I will use are going to be photos that I left on my camera roll and didn't get much use out of. I believe that using all these images and putting them in an appropriate sequence will result in a unique outcome that reflects the movement of the city and the inner-thoughts of the people.
Review of presentation
For this presentation I focused on using images that I hadn't got that much use out of as I believe that these "discarded" images have a certain charm to them and their own story to convey. The majority of these images were taken during a photo shoot within the city, I was accompanied by two of my friends. When thinking about the narration for my presentation I concluded that a poem would be most suitable as I believe I could reflect the thoughts and feelings of those who actively travel within the city. I constructed this poem with the two friends that joined me on the photo shoot as I wanted our individual perspectives of traveling in the city to shine through the poem. Once the poem was constructed, I contacted another friend of mine to narrate the poem as I wanted the narrator to be anonymous so that people would take the presentation seriously and also because this friend of mine was a confident reader. Once the audio was recorded, I layered it together with my pictures and added some background jazz music to further amplify the sombre atmosphere of the city at night. I believe this presentation was successful because the photos and audio layered together successfully which enabled me to convey the thoughts of those who travel the city streets during the late hours of the day. If I was to make improvements I would had included some moving images so that viewers could get a real sense of movement. I could have also made the presentation longer as I still believe that there was elements of the city that I hadn't acknowledged in my poem/narration so that is something that I could have expanded on.
For this presentation I focused on using images that I hadn't got that much use out of as I believe that these "discarded" images have a certain charm to them and their own story to convey. The majority of these images were taken during a photo shoot within the city, I was accompanied by two of my friends. When thinking about the narration for my presentation I concluded that a poem would be most suitable as I believe I could reflect the thoughts and feelings of those who actively travel within the city. I constructed this poem with the two friends that joined me on the photo shoot as I wanted our individual perspectives of traveling in the city to shine through the poem. Once the poem was constructed, I contacted another friend of mine to narrate the poem as I wanted the narrator to be anonymous so that people would take the presentation seriously and also because this friend of mine was a confident reader. Once the audio was recorded, I layered it together with my pictures and added some background jazz music to further amplify the sombre atmosphere of the city at night. I believe this presentation was successful because the photos and audio layered together successfully which enabled me to convey the thoughts of those who travel the city streets during the late hours of the day. If I was to make improvements I would had included some moving images so that viewers could get a real sense of movement. I could have also made the presentation longer as I still believe that there was elements of the city that I hadn't acknowledged in my poem/narration so that is something that I could have expanded on.
Personal investigation plan
I have put together this plan for my personal investigation to organise and plan the next 9 weeks of my project. This will enable me to be able to make the most out of my time whilst also giving me time to refine and develop successful ideas before the final deadline.
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Final piece/presentation ideas
One of my ideas for my final piece was to have my film displayed using a projector as I believe it would make the viewing experience more enjoyable for the viewer as it enables them to purely focus on the film and presents the film as raw and authentic. The projector has a larger viewing width and projecting the film straight onto a wall instead of a screen allows for the viewer to almost have direct contact with the film itself. One issue with this idea is that the quality of the film may be affected as the projector may not be able to display all the details of the film. The way i could avoid this is by making the room pitch black so that the display can be seen more clearly.
Another way I could present my work would be to display it on a large screen, this will allow for most of the details to be picked up. This is convenient because a lot of my photos/videos are captured in the dark so some of the details won't be as easy to notice without a clear HD screen. The issue with using a large screen to display my film is that it is quite underwhelming for the viewer as its just like watching any film and isn't a unique experience in the slightest. This means that my final presentation won't stand out which is not ideal in an exhibition.
My last presentation idea was to have the film playing on a screen that circles the viewer to convey the main theme of movement. If I were to execute this I would use a sliding platform on tracks to allow for the screen to rotate around the viewer so that the film can be viewed whilst moving. I have a clear idea of how this could function and have produced a diagram of it. I think this would be a successful way to present my final film because it enables the viewer to get a clear idea of the theme of the film as there is movement taking place right in front of them. The one negative about this presentation idea is that ti requires a large budget which i don't have access to however, if I did then this would be the way I present my final project.
Slideshow with audio
This is an experimental piece that I have focused on ambient sounds, specifically the sound of people talking. I wanted to experiment with this because I believe that implementing the sound of people in my photo films results in the focus being represented more accurately as the movement of people play a significant role in my films. So this meant that the audio was what I was focusing more on rather than the visuals for once. Now reviewing this piece, I believe that using the audio of people speaking was interesting but next time I think I would rather use audio of a conversation taking place instead of crowd sounds so that my audio has more of a direction.
Final outcome - Motion is medicine
The process behind producing my film
Step 1: I had to start off by importing my videos into the editing program and order them. The order is likely to change during the editing phase however it enables me to get a general idea of how the film will play out.
Step 2: The second step is to edit any images that need to be corrected. This was achieved using the brightness/contrast adjustment feature that Photoshop offers. These were then imported into Sony Vegas.
Step 3: I imported all the edited images into the timeline. I also removed/modified audio from my videos as I had to be quite selective since I had a large selection of audio to work with. I only wanted audio that was relevant to be present in my film.
Scene 4: At this point of my development I finished layering my all my content and experimented with different opacities and compositions.
Step 5: I produced some text/imagery for the introduction of my film using Photoshop.
Step 6: Import title imagery and render video.
Final film - Motion is medicine
Final evaluation
My final piece is called 'Motion is medicine' because I wanted to emphasize the importance of movement. My aim for this film was to not limit myself to the movement that we appear to see but instead dare to see it for what it really is. This was achieved through long exposures, lighting, videography, still images and more. This piece of work is the result of all my experimentation/development of my previous photo films and uses my most successful imagery that I had produced over this project alongside some brand new content that I captured for this specific film. I believe that the use of videos were very successful because I had varied my subjects that I recorded so that the film displayed all forms of movement.
Another part of my film that I believe was refined and successful was my use of audio was successful as the slow jazz allowed my video to be paced better so that the viewer could process all the movement taking place. In addition, the use of atmospheric sounds adds a lot of character to the film and also enables the viewer to properly engage with the film as they can imagine that they are there. Lastly, my use of sound effects enabled me to be more creative with my transitions. If I were to make one improvement to my use of audio it would be to use a jazz song that has more snares since they are useful for transitions.
This journey that I have embarked on during the development of my project has really challenged my views on what I should be aiming for when capturing movement. My project has evolved significantly since the beginning as I first intended to reflect movement from only still photos, however, after researching the work of Chris Marker and The McCarricks/Keiko Yamazaki I quickly realized that I could reflect my theme of movement through film so that was the defining point of my project. Harold Edgerton made me realise that I shouldn’t limit myself to the movement that we appear to see but instead dare to see it for what it really is. Through the technology that I had access to during this project, I was able to capture movement that the human eye wouldn’t normally be able to see through long-exposures. I also understood that through the use of film I am able to reflect my theme of movement using moving images and still photos. I have retained my focus on my theme of movement by producing multiple short photo films and each time I focus on the successful elements and parts that could be improved so that each film is more refined than the previous, these improvements mainly focus on ways the movement can be emphasised and how alternative audio options can be used to immerse the viewer. All this development and research resulted in my final photo film 'Motion is medicine' and I will able to achieve what I had set for myself which is why I am satisfied with the outcome. This made me realise how much I have developed as a photographer since the start of the project and has prepared me for future projects in the creative field.
My final piece is called 'Motion is medicine' because I wanted to emphasize the importance of movement. My aim for this film was to not limit myself to the movement that we appear to see but instead dare to see it for what it really is. This was achieved through long exposures, lighting, videography, still images and more. This piece of work is the result of all my experimentation/development of my previous photo films and uses my most successful imagery that I had produced over this project alongside some brand new content that I captured for this specific film. I believe that the use of videos were very successful because I had varied my subjects that I recorded so that the film displayed all forms of movement.
Another part of my film that I believe was refined and successful was my use of audio was successful as the slow jazz allowed my video to be paced better so that the viewer could process all the movement taking place. In addition, the use of atmospheric sounds adds a lot of character to the film and also enables the viewer to properly engage with the film as they can imagine that they are there. Lastly, my use of sound effects enabled me to be more creative with my transitions. If I were to make one improvement to my use of audio it would be to use a jazz song that has more snares since they are useful for transitions.
This journey that I have embarked on during the development of my project has really challenged my views on what I should be aiming for when capturing movement. My project has evolved significantly since the beginning as I first intended to reflect movement from only still photos, however, after researching the work of Chris Marker and The McCarricks/Keiko Yamazaki I quickly realized that I could reflect my theme of movement through film so that was the defining point of my project. Harold Edgerton made me realise that I shouldn’t limit myself to the movement that we appear to see but instead dare to see it for what it really is. Through the technology that I had access to during this project, I was able to capture movement that the human eye wouldn’t normally be able to see through long-exposures. I also understood that through the use of film I am able to reflect my theme of movement using moving images and still photos. I have retained my focus on my theme of movement by producing multiple short photo films and each time I focus on the successful elements and parts that could be improved so that each film is more refined than the previous, these improvements mainly focus on ways the movement can be emphasised and how alternative audio options can be used to immerse the viewer. All this development and research resulted in my final photo film 'Motion is medicine' and I will able to achieve what I had set for myself which is why I am satisfied with the outcome. This made me realise how much I have developed as a photographer since the start of the project and has prepared me for future projects in the creative field.