My Personal Investigation Intentions
My personal investigation started when I created my photobook. My photobook was about personal journeys that we make in life and the people we encounter. I focused on a street photography style for my photobook which led me to decide that for my Personal Investigation I would carry on my interest for street photography. I chose to look at the more urban side of street photography and urban culture. I want to continue on a street photography path as that is what I am mainly interested in and am fascinated by the different ways of portraying street photography. I am also interested in portraiture and the impact that portraits can have. If possible, I would like to combine the two genres of photography or at least take influences from each to create an outcome that is meaningful and personal to me.
themes/ideas
I would like to have a specific theme/genre while stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit, possibly by experimenting with portraiture and social issues which is a subject that I am very passionate and curious about. I would like to explore the idea of world issues, events of social factors such as discrimination and or political influences. Additionally, I would like to incorporate urban/Street Photography into my work. I am inspired by photojournalistic aspects of street photography and influences such as Henri Cartier-Bresson. If I do not pursue either of these options I would like to consider doing something more staged/composed as i feel that by doing street photography again, my work will get repetitive and I will loose interest/passion as I'm not exploring other great possibilities within photography.
Editing/processes
I would like to do a lot of editing, manipulation to my photographs, although I am open to the idea of having minimal editing to have more raw, natural images. I am also very interested in photo manipulation and distortion, for example artists like Annegret Soltau who does sewn/embroidered photographs by connecting her images to construct her identity.
cameras/formal
Al though I like film, and I am possibly considering using medium format, I think I will use more digital than film as I used mainly film in my photobook project and would like to develop and explore different routes for creating meaningful work.
I would like to have a specific theme/genre while stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit, possibly by experimenting with portraiture and social issues which is a subject that I am very passionate and curious about. I would like to explore the idea of world issues, events of social factors such as discrimination and or political influences. Additionally, I would like to incorporate urban/Street Photography into my work. I am inspired by photojournalistic aspects of street photography and influences such as Henri Cartier-Bresson. If I do not pursue either of these options I would like to consider doing something more staged/composed as i feel that by doing street photography again, my work will get repetitive and I will loose interest/passion as I'm not exploring other great possibilities within photography.
Editing/processes
I would like to do a lot of editing, manipulation to my photographs, although I am open to the idea of having minimal editing to have more raw, natural images. I am also very interested in photo manipulation and distortion, for example artists like Annegret Soltau who does sewn/embroidered photographs by connecting her images to construct her identity.
cameras/formal
Al though I like film, and I am possibly considering using medium format, I think I will use more digital than film as I used mainly film in my photobook project and would like to develop and explore different routes for creating meaningful work.
Alex FaKso
Alex FaKso is a renowned street photographer, photographing underground scenes and culture. When collecting his photographs, Fakso travels numerous times throughout the year, visiting different countries and locations while starting with no expectations so that he is able to have a fresh and new perspective on what he wants to create; Although Fakso starts with little to no expectations, all of his trips all have a common factor of being high risk and he often experiences or witnesses violence, muggings and has many encounters with the police force during the course of his projects. I like FaKso's work because he uncovers the hidden areas of the underground cultures and communities. Each and every one of his photographs has a story of its own to tell about the community that he is in; not only that but the style of is work is unique. He captures a singular subject and the effects the surrounding area has on that particular subject.
Fakso photographs are most known for exposing underground/street culture and tied together by their street/urban feel. Fakso's style of photographs are very unplanned and never posed, allowing them to have a really raw and natural finish.
The subject matter of Fakso's projects and work always changes depending on where he has gone or how he feels and how he has been influenced by what he has seen in those places. A common theme throughout Fakso's subject matter is the effect on people, such as his collection of work called "Ukraine" where he was asked to photograph a guy and his friends while being able to explore the urban landscape. As Fakso was in an alien and unknown environment, he felt the need to document whatever he came across, creating a series of images which, in a sense, were the aftermath of the shock Fakso felt towards the noticeable effect the soviet had on the city and it's people.
I like that Fakso's work has a somewhat faded and washed out appearance, some with less saturation and less contrast. Fakso uses digital cameras and produces digital photography rather than using film as he is a documentary street photographer so using digital is easier as there isn't the need to go and process the film.
Fakso photographs are most known for exposing underground/street culture and tied together by their street/urban feel. Fakso's style of photographs are very unplanned and never posed, allowing them to have a really raw and natural finish.
The subject matter of Fakso's projects and work always changes depending on where he has gone or how he feels and how he has been influenced by what he has seen in those places. A common theme throughout Fakso's subject matter is the effect on people, such as his collection of work called "Ukraine" where he was asked to photograph a guy and his friends while being able to explore the urban landscape. As Fakso was in an alien and unknown environment, he felt the need to document whatever he came across, creating a series of images which, in a sense, were the aftermath of the shock Fakso felt towards the noticeable effect the soviet had on the city and it's people.
I like that Fakso's work has a somewhat faded and washed out appearance, some with less saturation and less contrast. Fakso uses digital cameras and produces digital photography rather than using film as he is a documentary street photographer so using digital is easier as there isn't the need to go and process the film.
Raymond Depardon
Raymond Depardon, born 6 July 1942 in France, his career in photojournalism began in the early 1960s. For his work, he often travelled to conflict zones, such as places like Chad, Algeria, Vietnam and Biafra. Some popular work of Depardon's is his collection of photographs of the rural landscape in colour and his black-and-white journal of his travels in Africa. In Raymond Depardon's work, he photographs deprived city areas using traditional street photography techniques and uses this to expose different subjects within these areas. For example, Depardon's image of the little boy playing in the rubbish tip. This captures what it was like to be a child in deprived, Scotland during the 1980's. What I like about Depardon's photographs is that they are somewhat reminiscent and helps place the viewer in the photograph itself due to its powerful use of texture and colours. Depardon took everything he saw and utilised it to create powerful, meaningful images that are strong and provocative, for example, by composing his 'Revolution' image so that he caught just one person waiting outside the boarded up shops, while using the bright red sign to add impact and power to his image, including capturing the old, faded text.
Depardon is part of the renowned photo co-op called 'Magnum' which started in the late 40's. Depardon started photography at a young age, shooting with a 28mm camera with a wide angle lens with Kodachrome 64. He started out only reporting local coverage such as news and sports until, eventually, moved on to cover other aspects such as the war in Algeria. He then opened up his own studio until he moved into Magnum. Raymond Depardon's job as a photojournalist was to capture photographs of events, times, culture, places and so much more to tell a story; his work allows us to have a window into another worldview, culture, experience, etc. by bringing in the amazing photographic composition in with the telling of a story.
Depardon is part of the renowned photo co-op called 'Magnum' which started in the late 40's. Depardon started photography at a young age, shooting with a 28mm camera with a wide angle lens with Kodachrome 64. He started out only reporting local coverage such as news and sports until, eventually, moved on to cover other aspects such as the war in Algeria. He then opened up his own studio until he moved into Magnum. Raymond Depardon's job as a photojournalist was to capture photographs of events, times, culture, places and so much more to tell a story; his work allows us to have a window into another worldview, culture, experience, etc. by bringing in the amazing photographic composition in with the telling of a story.
I took a series of photographs in a residential area to experiment with capturing people in their natural state. I tried to take inspiration from Raymond Depardon by revealing people's true personalities and the area without glamorising it. However, I feel that I could have better executed this and took more direct links to Depardon's work. Depardon uses a lot of bright reds while being very precise with the images he captures. To improve these photographs, I would try to take pictures that are more precise and capture a more real depiction of the area that I am photographing.
One of the most important threshold concepts of Photography is #7 which focuses on the significance of chance in photography. As a photographer, I like to embrace chance and the roles in can play in photographs although I have never really thought about it as in-depth as I had to for this task. I already knew that some people liked to control all aspects and elements of their photographs or as many as they could, and I already knew that wasn't something I did very much but I had never really thought about how much or how little I control the aspects of my photographs so at first, this task seemed a lot more difficult because I was overthinking.
In this task, I chose to take photographs without looking at the viewfinder and then not looking at the photos I had taken until afterwards and until I had uploaded them to my site. Not only did I do that, but so I couldn't control what was in each frame, I chose to take the photos at set intervals for every place that I moved to so that each place would have a varying amount of photos to add another element of chance.
I am pleased with some of the photographs and I found this task extremely interesting, but I would like to try it again but somewhere outside of school so maybe in central London or different areas of London.
In this task, I chose to take photographs without looking at the viewfinder and then not looking at the photos I had taken until afterwards and until I had uploaded them to my site. Not only did I do that, but so I couldn't control what was in each frame, I chose to take the photos at set intervals for every place that I moved to so that each place would have a varying amount of photos to add another element of chance.
I am pleased with some of the photographs and I found this task extremely interesting, but I would like to try it again but somewhere outside of school so maybe in central London or different areas of London.
Inside/Out
Diana Arbus's 'The Jewish Giant' is in black and white, probably set in the 1950's due to the decor of the house and the outfits of the subjects. The photograph is high in contrast and a range of tones. This picture generally is disturbing to me even though I am interested in it, as it seems like Arbus is showing the difference between "freaks" and "normal" people but it is more documentary than voyeuristic. I think Arbus did possibly know the subjects on a personal level and wasn't intentionally trying to hurt anyone with this photograph but, in my opinion, depending on who looks at this photograph and how they look at it then it can be quite offensive and hurtful as it creates a clear division between the possible parents and son. I personally wouldn't take a photo like this in some ways because I do find it slightly degrading but I also think it is documenting something rather than just exposing it.
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Nan Golding's work is very deep and extremely personal to her and her own life. However, Golding's work represents a lot of outside qualities of photography while using herself and other connections.
This photograph, in particular, is a photograph of herself in bed with a man, possibly after sex or an intimate encounter. The colour palate in this photograph is very warm and comforting, the use of the oranges and yellows make this photograph feel more intimate and less harsh than if it was in black and white. |
Evaluation of changing my personal Investigation
From doing the Insider/Outsider investigation, I realised I was more uncomfortable with the outsider point of view and process of taking photographs than I thought I was original. I found outsider photography very invasive and intrusive on the life of the person I was photographing. I decided that because of this I wanted to take more insider photographs, even though I prefer the candidness of street photography. Additionally, the potential that posed photography has to purposefully display meaning has also inspired me to evolve my project to be more focused on portraiture and studio photographs which take an insiders point of view.
I felt that street photography became an abuse of power through surveillance and being oppressive ethically. I became uncomfortable with the voyeuristic nature of street photography and decided to switched from threshold concept 9 which is that photographs are never neutral and are susceptible to the abuse of power to 8 which is that the meaning of photographs is never fixed, suggesting that the meaning of the photograph is not just to do with the photographer, but also the viewer and their knowledge of the subject and what context you provide. Structured studio photography allows models to have at least part of ownership over the photographs and involves concept.
I felt that street photography became an abuse of power through surveillance and being oppressive ethically. I became uncomfortable with the voyeuristic nature of street photography and decided to switched from threshold concept 9 which is that photographs are never neutral and are susceptible to the abuse of power to 8 which is that the meaning of photographs is never fixed, suggesting that the meaning of the photograph is not just to do with the photographer, but also the viewer and their knowledge of the subject and what context you provide. Structured studio photography allows models to have at least part of ownership over the photographs and involves concept.
Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh, born December 23, 1908, and died July 13, 2002, was one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century by using a distinct style of theatrical lighting. Lighting his subjects hands separately was one of Karsh's distinct practices.
Karsh often used 8×10 bellows Calumet camera throughout his career. Through the careful manipulation of the subjects poses and artificial lighting, Karsh instils all his sitters with a sense of timeless dignity and therefore when the famous would think of being immortalised, they think of Karsh of Ottawa first.
I began looking at Yousuf Karsh for my change into the portrait as he is a classic portrait photographer who takes inspiration from street photographers such as Henri-Cartier Bresson. I also believe that by looking at such an iconic studio portrait photographer, I will be able to able to gain a great deal of insight in how to experiment with lighting and models during a studio shoot, which currently I am unfamiliar with due to mainly working in street photography and urban settings.
What I particularly like about Karsh's work is that from at a first glance, they just look like plain simple portraits, but when you take a deeper and more focused look at his work, he has captured so much more than just the sitter, he has captured their emotions and their personality. The composition of Karsh's portraits are also very interesting because depending on who the sitter is, the composition of his photographs is slightly altered, such as the photograph of Mother Theresa in comparison to Winston Churchill; the composition of Mother Theresa's portrait is more central overall and she is the only thing in frame to possibly show that she was a very simple woman, whereas with Churchill's, the background of the photograph is also in the shot and it is clear what it might be, such as an office of some sorts, this could be to represent his status and place in society.
Karsh often used 8×10 bellows Calumet camera throughout his career. Through the careful manipulation of the subjects poses and artificial lighting, Karsh instils all his sitters with a sense of timeless dignity and therefore when the famous would think of being immortalised, they think of Karsh of Ottawa first.
I began looking at Yousuf Karsh for my change into the portrait as he is a classic portrait photographer who takes inspiration from street photographers such as Henri-Cartier Bresson. I also believe that by looking at such an iconic studio portrait photographer, I will be able to able to gain a great deal of insight in how to experiment with lighting and models during a studio shoot, which currently I am unfamiliar with due to mainly working in street photography and urban settings.
What I particularly like about Karsh's work is that from at a first glance, they just look like plain simple portraits, but when you take a deeper and more focused look at his work, he has captured so much more than just the sitter, he has captured their emotions and their personality. The composition of Karsh's portraits are also very interesting because depending on who the sitter is, the composition of his photographs is slightly altered, such as the photograph of Mother Theresa in comparison to Winston Churchill; the composition of Mother Theresa's portrait is more central overall and she is the only thing in frame to possibly show that she was a very simple woman, whereas with Churchill's, the background of the photograph is also in the shot and it is clear what it might be, such as an office of some sorts, this could be to represent his status and place in society.
Annegret Soltau
Annegret Soltau, born 1946 in Lüneburg, Germany, is a photographer and artist who believes that the integration of body processes in her work which connect body and spiritual part as equals. Soltau's work often focuses on the identity of the subjects and the different identities which they possess. Soltau started her career in arts in 1967-72 where she studied painting and graphic arts at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste (University of Fine Arts) under Hans Thiemann, Kurt Kranz, Rudolf Hausner and David Hockney.
Annegret began using herself as a model after her first exhibition. Regardless of this, her topic was humans and she did not want to deliberately exclude men from her work or create the idea that only women were interested in it, so to avoid this she gave up the traditions of photography and their techniques. In this period, women were discovering themselves and wanted to work with new materials which did not have traditional associations whereas Soltau, on the other hand, wanted to work in direct with her own physical appearance. To her, a photo is like a print that reflects reality, and she wanted to take photos as the starting point for her work. Soltau's work had become a way of expressing herself. Soltau uses images of herself and other personal artefacts to reconstruct her identity and distorts how others view her expression of herself. By cutting up other images and personal objects, Soltau breaks down the social norms of identity to rebuild them in a way that represents her in an open and honest way. I would still consider Annegret Soltau's work as photography as just like found images, by adding new context and meaning to her work in a photographic experiment, they can still be considered photographs. Additionally, as mentioned in Threshold concept #1 and also #4, photography consists of many aspects and also is unlike any other visual media art. Photography has the power to be a process of selection and is an art production. As said in TC #1, Photography is a way to disrupt our expectations, in my opinion, that is exactly what Soltau's photography does by breaking the conventional norms of photography and social identity.
Annegret began using herself as a model after her first exhibition. Regardless of this, her topic was humans and she did not want to deliberately exclude men from her work or create the idea that only women were interested in it, so to avoid this she gave up the traditions of photography and their techniques. In this period, women were discovering themselves and wanted to work with new materials which did not have traditional associations whereas Soltau, on the other hand, wanted to work in direct with her own physical appearance. To her, a photo is like a print that reflects reality, and she wanted to take photos as the starting point for her work. Soltau's work had become a way of expressing herself. Soltau uses images of herself and other personal artefacts to reconstruct her identity and distorts how others view her expression of herself. By cutting up other images and personal objects, Soltau breaks down the social norms of identity to rebuild them in a way that represents her in an open and honest way. I would still consider Annegret Soltau's work as photography as just like found images, by adding new context and meaning to her work in a photographic experiment, they can still be considered photographs. Additionally, as mentioned in Threshold concept #1 and also #4, photography consists of many aspects and also is unlike any other visual media art. Photography has the power to be a process of selection and is an art production. As said in TC #1, Photography is a way to disrupt our expectations, in my opinion, that is exactly what Soltau's photography does by breaking the conventional norms of photography and social identity.
Tom Hunter - Holly Street Residents Series
Tom Hunter, a London-based artist working not only with photography but film also. Hunter's work often takes influence from 17th-century golden age of Dutch painting and paintings in general; the influences of these paintings often come through Hunter's work, such as his recreation of Vermeer's Girl Reading a Letter.
In this series of photographs, the construction of the images is so beautiful and tasteful, Hunter has used a wide angle lens from a further distance so that he can really capture everything in the frame. It looks like he has placed the camera in a similar place in every apartment and kept that consistency, creating a typology of sorts.
Hunter has used the rule of thirds when composing these images and he kept them very organic, nothing looks like it has been specifically placed in an area and he has been able to document these peoples lives without influencing the images.
What I like most about Hunter's work is that it explores people's identities through their possessions and really looks into the life of his subjects, it's more personal and intimate as he takes the time to build a rapport with the families and people he wants to photograph.
In this series of photographs, the construction of the images is so beautiful and tasteful, Hunter has used a wide angle lens from a further distance so that he can really capture everything in the frame. It looks like he has placed the camera in a similar place in every apartment and kept that consistency, creating a typology of sorts.
Hunter has used the rule of thirds when composing these images and he kept them very organic, nothing looks like it has been specifically placed in an area and he has been able to document these peoples lives without influencing the images.
What I like most about Hunter's work is that it explores people's identities through their possessions and really looks into the life of his subjects, it's more personal and intimate as he takes the time to build a rapport with the families and people he wants to photograph.
William Eggleston Portraits - The National Portrait Gallery
As this exhibition was no photography or media recording allowed, I decided to make notes on things that I saw that stood out to me and I also tried to take some photos where possible but it was very difficult. Where possible, I will try to include photographs of the exhibition pieces that I find online or on the national portrait galleries website.
William Eggleston had an important influence on contemporary portraits, he is considered a pioneer of contemporary portraits. His photography is often classed as Poetic, Mysterious and strong in many ways. Eggleston took simple tasks: spontaneous and unconventional and opened up more questions about humanity, self-memory and experience. Eggleston used 5x7" view camera and portable light setup (nightclub portrait series), Sony portapak film video cameras to shoot family and friends around him while travelling with his cousin. Eggleston has more than 30 hours of footage never publicly shown. In Eggleston's 5x7" proofs, there is a motif of the glare of artificial light blazingly overexposed as are Windows and reflections metaphorically boundaries and illusions. He often captures facial expressions, especially when his sitters are at their most emotional point while maintaining professional detachment. Ambiguity allows the viewer to imagine the artist himself might have caused it. (SELF PORTRAIT WITH TC BORING). He photographed in readily available films and developed in drugstore labs to keep costs low but still obtain amazing quality. Made it easier for Eggleston to shoot on the go. William Eggleston often used dye transfer processes which are a close cousin of technicolour In cinema. Eggleston has a unique way of handling lighting, it is very delicate and precise with light and how the light is shown in photographs. I think that Eggleston is very inventive with how he took his photographs, such as customising film so it would fit the certain types of cameras he was using. (Eg getting hold of surveillance film and having to cut it down in the dark room and create sprocket holes in the film so that it would fit in a spy camera he had purchased)
Eggleston often captured intimate situations that many people wouldn't usually feel comfortable capturing.
William Eggleston had an important influence on contemporary portraits, he is considered a pioneer of contemporary portraits. His photography is often classed as Poetic, Mysterious and strong in many ways. Eggleston took simple tasks: spontaneous and unconventional and opened up more questions about humanity, self-memory and experience. Eggleston used 5x7" view camera and portable light setup (nightclub portrait series), Sony portapak film video cameras to shoot family and friends around him while travelling with his cousin. Eggleston has more than 30 hours of footage never publicly shown. In Eggleston's 5x7" proofs, there is a motif of the glare of artificial light blazingly overexposed as are Windows and reflections metaphorically boundaries and illusions. He often captures facial expressions, especially when his sitters are at their most emotional point while maintaining professional detachment. Ambiguity allows the viewer to imagine the artist himself might have caused it. (SELF PORTRAIT WITH TC BORING). He photographed in readily available films and developed in drugstore labs to keep costs low but still obtain amazing quality. Made it easier for Eggleston to shoot on the go. William Eggleston often used dye transfer processes which are a close cousin of technicolour In cinema. Eggleston has a unique way of handling lighting, it is very delicate and precise with light and how the light is shown in photographs. I think that Eggleston is very inventive with how he took his photographs, such as customising film so it would fit the certain types of cameras he was using. (Eg getting hold of surveillance film and having to cut it down in the dark room and create sprocket holes in the film so that it would fit in a spy camera he had purchased)
Eggleston often captured intimate situations that many people wouldn't usually feel comfortable capturing.
-extraordinary coloration, focus = clever. only face arms and her camera in focus, causing extra dramatic weight. grass largely out of focus/surroundings. -extraordinary coloration, vivid greens, the reds on her dress and her face, the buttons, focus = clever. only face arms and her camera in focus, causing extra dramatic weight. grass largely out of focus/surroundings. The special photographic technique, Dye transfer to capture the great colours and translucency in the objects (such as the buttons). Expressions captured perfectly.
'A collection of Egglestons photographs on display and one of Eggleston's famous photographs of his friend TC Boring in his home in his Red Room.
Both these photographs were exhibited in William Eggleston's exhibition is The National Portrait Gallery. I really like these photographs because Eggleston has carefully constructed these photographs within the camera. His use of focus and composition in these photographs are extremely well done, for example the image with the man on the sofa, there is a perfect balance between foreground and background focus, with the foreground being slightly sharper. Eggleston used zoomed in on the subject, rather than cropping after he took the photograph, this is evident in the details that Eggleston purposefully captured such as the window and photo frame without cutting any details of his sitter out.
My Portrait Experimentation
These images are from a shoot I did where I tried to uses the influences of Maurizio Anzeri and Yousuf Karsh while exploring the threshold concept #9 more closely. I took influences from Yousuf Karsh by trying to portray my sitter's personality through the photographs explicitly, this then helped me explore TC #9 as I was telling him what to do to help bring out his personality. The influence of Anzeri comes through in the easy-going, playful nature of the photographs as well as trying to capture a somewhat magazine-like photograph
In this shoot, I wanted to see if I was able to construct photographs that can make the meaning or emotion of the photograph explicit, whether it be staged or real. When taking this photographs, I shot in raw so that I could get the highest level of quality; this also made it easier for me to edit the final product so that it wasn't over/underexposed and I wasn't going to lose any quality.
To edit this photos I used Lightroom and did batch editing so that it was quicker and easier to edit a lot of photos quickly, whereas on photoshop I would've had to edit them individually and the process of editing them would've taken a lot longer. When editing the photographs, I made the background a lot lighter and increased the brightness in some of the photographs, along with darkening the shadows slightly in specific pictures and then also taking out the shadows against the backing completely.
If I were to do this experiment again, I would use more sitters so that I can display an array of characters and personalities to make it more interesting, although I am pleased with my final outcome. I would like to further explore Anzeri's technique of embroidery on photographs though as that seems like something I could bring through my whole personal investigation
In this shoot, I wanted to see if I was able to construct photographs that can make the meaning or emotion of the photograph explicit, whether it be staged or real. When taking this photographs, I shot in raw so that I could get the highest level of quality; this also made it easier for me to edit the final product so that it wasn't over/underexposed and I wasn't going to lose any quality.
To edit this photos I used Lightroom and did batch editing so that it was quicker and easier to edit a lot of photos quickly, whereas on photoshop I would've had to edit them individually and the process of editing them would've taken a lot longer. When editing the photographs, I made the background a lot lighter and increased the brightness in some of the photographs, along with darkening the shadows slightly in specific pictures and then also taking out the shadows against the backing completely.
If I were to do this experiment again, I would use more sitters so that I can display an array of characters and personalities to make it more interesting, although I am pleased with my final outcome. I would like to further explore Anzeri's technique of embroidery on photographs though as that seems like something I could bring through my whole personal investigation
Hanna Lenz - Else
Hanna Lenz is a German photographer who is well known for her documentary photography. Her series 'Else' is a collection of photographs following the life of an elderly lady called Else who she grew close with over a series of years. I found Lenz's photographs to show a very precise process for each photograph taken. Lenz took careful consideration of the composition of each photograph which creates a more dramatic and real connection between the viewer and the photograph. A very common formal element used in Lenz's pictures are the use of leading lines, often straight vertical lines leading to Else herself. Additionally, Lenz has a broad range of value and tone in her pictures, often having the background darker with harsher shadows and Else in the foreground is lit with softer, natural lighting. Lenz uses natural light for most, if not all, of her pictures of Else, this gives the image a softer, more translucent and personal feeling, making it feel as if you are right there at the current moment.
I like how personal Lenz's pictures of Else feel; it is very apparent that she grew close with Else and they built a relationship during this project. I find that this contributes to the images creating a more powerful and emotional reaction to the pictures; it is easier to relate to the pictures because it feels as if it could be you and a relative.
I like how personal Lenz's pictures of Else feel; it is very apparent that she grew close with Else and they built a relationship during this project. I find that this contributes to the images creating a more powerful and emotional reaction to the pictures; it is easier to relate to the pictures because it feels as if it could be you and a relative.
What I did this summer and where I plan to go with it.
Over this summer, I really thought about my threshold concept and how I was going to really push that throughout my personal project and how I could use it in an original and unique kind of way. To carry on my personal project over the summer, I continued some artist research such as my research into Hanna Lenz and William Eggleston. To then further my research, I went to an exhibition of William Eggleston's work at the National Portrait Gallery. I was really intrigued by Eggleston's work when I went to see it, I love the techniques and master skills that he presents throughout his work. His work also is unique and iconic, so much so that just by looking at one photograph, you can tell that it's his work. After going to the Eggleston exhibition, I decided to do a portrait photo shoot taking some inspiration from his work along with Maurizio Anzeri and Yousuf Karsh, I am really pleased with the outcome of this shoot. I think that I would like to take this kind of shots further by taking more photoshoots but including more people and maybe responding more directly to one artist who I am really interested in. I would also love to play around with studios more and taking more studio portraits to see how they differ to home portraits. Although I think I made progress with my personal investigation this summer, I feel like I can do a lot more over the next few weeks to solidify where I am in my investigation and to help me find more of a focus, even though after looking at Hanna Lenz's work, I have decided I want to gear more towards documentary portraits and a more personal and emotion-rich style of portrait.
Philip-Lorca diCordia
Philip-Lorca diCordia uses photography to voice his artist personality through his distinctive photographic methods. A lot of diCordia's work began as intimate to his life such as photographing his family or relatives in familiar surroundings.
I find diCordia's work fascinating because even though they are portraits, they aren't just your average headshot type portrait; they are more complex and skilful. The images that diCordia takes are carefully composed and created, but they don't look unnatural or artificial.
I find diCordia's work fascinating because even though they are portraits, they aren't just your average headshot type portrait; they are more complex and skilful. The images that diCordia takes are carefully composed and created, but they don't look unnatural or artificial.
Abstract Portraits + Roger Ballen - I fink you freeky
In this experiment, we watched the film Die Antwoord - I fink you freeky, directed by Roger Ballen. I really enjoyed this short film; it wasn't your standard music video short film and every frame was carefully set out so no matter where you stopped the film, there would be a really unique and interesting photograph.
What I like the most about Ballen's work is that he focuses on creating art and photography that leaves an immediate and lasting impact on the viewer. Not only does Ballen want his work to leave a powerful impact, he wants it to stimulate a conversation in the viewer's own mind on why they feel the way they do about his work.
To take influence from Ballen's work, we had to take a limited amount of photographs focusing on the body that isn't just regular portraits, so they are unique and memorable. When taking my photographs, I wanted to look more at hands and the way people move their hands and how they rest their hands. From doing this experiment, I learnt the importance of impact and that everything in itself is a frame/still that can make an impact on the viewer, it just depends on how you capture it and if you are prepared to capture the moment. Much like Roger Ballen, I also wanted to capture something that goes unnoticed and the human condition. To further this investigation, I would consider doing this outside of school and in a lot more depth, looking at more of the human body and let them be more of a self-portrait, not that they'll be of me but they'll be representative of a part of me, much like a mirror or window into my thought process and artistic values.
What I like the most about Ballen's work is that he focuses on creating art and photography that leaves an immediate and lasting impact on the viewer. Not only does Ballen want his work to leave a powerful impact, he wants it to stimulate a conversation in the viewer's own mind on why they feel the way they do about his work.
To take influence from Ballen's work, we had to take a limited amount of photographs focusing on the body that isn't just regular portraits, so they are unique and memorable. When taking my photographs, I wanted to look more at hands and the way people move their hands and how they rest their hands. From doing this experiment, I learnt the importance of impact and that everything in itself is a frame/still that can make an impact on the viewer, it just depends on how you capture it and if you are prepared to capture the moment. Much like Roger Ballen, I also wanted to capture something that goes unnoticed and the human condition. To further this investigation, I would consider doing this outside of school and in a lot more depth, looking at more of the human body and let them be more of a self-portrait, not that they'll be of me but they'll be representative of a part of me, much like a mirror or window into my thought process and artistic values.
Self Zine: Influences from Roger Ballen
For this experiment, I took a series of images focusing on the body after looking at Roger Ballen and his introduction of objects. I took inspiration from Ballen by including objects from childhood and had my model in a child's bedroom, I did this because I wanted to connect childhood and the body together. Additionally, I wanted to look at how the body moves and acts around objects, especially in front of a camera.
Overall, I am pleased with my images and how they turned out as I believe that they convey a message of the body and childhood. However I do not feel as if they connect with the viewer the same way that Ballen's images do, in the sense that all of Ballen's images tell a story and everyone is a precious moment regardless of where you stop his films, however, I do not believe all of my images have this effect. To improve this, I would like to experiment more with the body and how it moves, feels or can be perceived.
Overall, I am pleased with my images and how they turned out as I believe that they convey a message of the body and childhood. However I do not feel as if they connect with the viewer the same way that Ballen's images do, in the sense that all of Ballen's images tell a story and everyone is a precious moment regardless of where you stop his films, however, I do not believe all of my images have this effect. To improve this, I would like to experiment more with the body and how it moves, feels or can be perceived.
The Body is Beautiful
For my first resolved piece, I decided to focus on the body and the abstraction for the body, taking inspiration from Roger Ballen. Roger Ballen helped to influence my photographs in the way that I compose my images and what is in the background and what my set-up is like. Taking into consideration his work and the way he composes his images, I decided that just a plain backdrop wasn't going to fit what I was looking for in these photographs and needed something to juxtapose the contours of my models body; thus introducing the big bold mirror and in some of the images, the light fixtures and light switches. I chose to introduce the mirror as it's has a smooth texture along with the sharp and defined edges of the frame, this contrasts with the soft curves and texture of my sitter's body and skin. Above are the images that I took, unedited to select my final 3 images from.
After some time looking over all my photographs and slowly selecting which images I thought were appropriate for my idea and which ones weren't I decided on these 3 images that I chose to use as my final resolved piece. I chose these three as I love the position of the body in relation to the mirror and the background and how central they were to the image. Furthermore, I chose these 3 as the placement of the mirror was exactly how I pictured it in my head, along with the reflection of the chandelier. After selecting these 3 images, I then went on to edit them and crop them in a way that I felt helped them correspond better with each other to tell a story of the body, rather than just having 3 separate images of the body. I then went on to edit these photographs several times to come up with my final piece.
I am really happy with my final outcome as it really grasps the idea that I was going for and the image that I had in my head. I shot all of my photographs with my CANON EOS 70D, in jpeg format with some in black and white and some in colour. I chose to shoot mainly in black and white because I knew that I wanted my photos to be black and white in the end, although I would probably shoot in RAW + jpeg next time in colour so I can do a lot more with my photographs and still keep a lot of the quality. When editing these photographs, I increased the contrast and brightness a little but I also increased the exposure to give them the slightly washed out/faded colour which I really like, additionally, when editing these images, I smoothed out the background and used the clone stamp to erase any marks on the wall so that there was no distraction from the body. I left the floor textured and wrinkled as I like the contrast of the sitter and mirrors softness in comparison to the rough and wrinkled floor; I feel it also adds an extra dimension to the images and perpetuates the idea of imperfection in beauty.
My main concept behind this piece was the abstract form and the bodies natural beauty. I wanted to convey this idea through the shapes and it's movements that the body creates. By excluding the model's face, I tried to present beauty without an identity and show that beauty is within the body, not the identity that we personally create and portray. I chose a more unconventional type of beauty, which comes with using a model of colour because their looks don't go with the western beauty standard- that the media and photography are usually centres around- which is white skin, straight hair, Eurocentric features. This is also a political matter because it is a revolutionary thing for the beauty of POC (people of colour) to be properly recognise; although POC are slowly making a move forward in society, I believe that in the photography and media industry, there is still an exponential amount of inequality and ideology that white is beauty; in my series, I wanted to look at that deeper and show that beauty comes in all colours, not just white. I wanted my photography to speak for itself in a way that not only sparks a discussion but represents something deeper than the average portrait.
If I were to refine this piece, I would try to use more models to further convey my message of beauty in colour and possibly non-people of colour to try and make my outcome more inclusive of all women. Overall, I am pleased with how my photographs came out but there are a few refinements that I would make looking back at the processes of how I took my photographs and which ones came out better than others, for example, I much prefer the last photograph in my series as it is sharper and has a larger depth of field so a lot more of the photograph is in focus, I believe this may be because I switched from autofocus to manual focus so I was more able to control the focus of my images and therefore the final result of that one is, in general, a lot sharper than the first two. I would also refine the process I use while actually taking the photographs, rather than just taking my photographs and looking back at them after a lot of shots, next time I will stop after a certain amount of photos, look through them with my model(s) and see what we like best and what's working best so we can go back and retry certain positions and camera settings to get the best photographs that we can; by doing this, I may also be able to cut down the amount of editing I need to do to the images to create my final product.
The Photographers Gallery, Feminist Avent Garde.
I visited the Photographers Gallery to see the Feminist Avant-Garde exhibition which consisted of multiple artists and photographers. The exhibition focused on the feminist movement of the 1970's, including radical, poetic, provocative and emotional artwork from a multitude of artists.
What I liked most about this exhibition is that it expressed the female identity and feminist movement in an interesting way from each artist. The work of Hannah Wilke and Anna Mendieta mainly caught my eye as I felt I could personally relate to the issues that they were exploring. I particularly liked Anna Mendieta's work as it explored the notion of beauty and beauty portrayed, I liked this because when I think about what I would want to show in a series of feminist portraits, this is the type of theme I would explore and experiment with.
What I liked most about this exhibition is that it expressed the female identity and feminist movement in an interesting way from each artist. The work of Hannah Wilke and Anna Mendieta mainly caught my eye as I felt I could personally relate to the issues that they were exploring. I particularly liked Anna Mendieta's work as it explored the notion of beauty and beauty portrayed, I liked this because when I think about what I would want to show in a series of feminist portraits, this is the type of theme I would explore and experiment with.
Simon Fujiwara, Joanne, The Photographers Gallery.
When walking through the photographers gallery, I came across Simon Fujiwara's exhibition called 'Joanne' I decided to look at it because from reading about it, it seemed to apply to what I was interested in. Fujiwara was exploring the identity of Joanne, a teacher, model and athlete. There was also a documentary that Fujiwara had filmed of Joanne talking about how she describes her identity and how other people portray her. This was very interesting as I was also interested in how other people perceive identities and seeing Fujiwara's was a fascinating way of exploring that idea. I liked the set up and structure of this exhibition as the images were up on large lightboxes and were set up in a way that you had to weave through the different boxes, as if you were walking down a journey to discover her identity to then end up at a film and watch what she describes herself as and how we should really see her.
Hannah Wilke
Hannah Wilke is a pioneering feminist conceptual performance artist in which she uses her own body thus establishing herself as the artist and the subject of her own work. She is well known for working in sculpture, drawing, assemblage, photography, performance and installation.
When looking at Wilke's work I see an artist and subject which feels empowered and is self-reliant, she doesn't need anyone to provide for her and she is well equipt to use her own powers and resources to get what she wants in life. In S.O.S, Hannah Wilke combined her minimalist sculpture with her own body by creating sculptures out of gum resembling the vulva and then sticking them to her body. Wilke had herself photographed in various pin-up poses, presenting a juxtaposition of glamour and something similar to tribal scarification. Wilke posed in these ways as it exaggerates and satirises American cultural values of the feminine beauty and fashion but also presents a hint towards a fascination in ceremonious scarification. |
Final Piece
I took these photographs taking inspiration from Hannah Wilke. My intention was to create photographs that portray an empowered, young, woman who is comfortable in her own body and her own skin; I wanted to create a series of photographs that show a self-reliant new age woman.
I took a collection of photographs with my model where she took inspiration from Hannah Wilke's in the poses and stances that she made to try and emulate the same strong and empowered woman that Hannah Wilke portrayed.
After looking at my photographs more deeply and after some feedback from my peers and teachers, although some still saw the embodiment of an empowered, woman, some did not see the photographs in this light and actually see a more vulnerable, fragile girl who they felt either needed protecting or to be covered up. Furthermore, some also saw these photographs as exploitative of the female body rather than embracing it.
To refine these photographs I would like to add context by using different techniques and process to possibly conceal the vulnerable areas of my mode. I would also like to select a small selection of images to use. Additionally, I would like to explore different methods of distorting and constructing my images, such as using tape and paint to reconstruct a more powerful image.
I took a collection of photographs with my model where she took inspiration from Hannah Wilke's in the poses and stances that she made to try and emulate the same strong and empowered woman that Hannah Wilke portrayed.
After looking at my photographs more deeply and after some feedback from my peers and teachers, although some still saw the embodiment of an empowered, woman, some did not see the photographs in this light and actually see a more vulnerable, fragile girl who they felt either needed protecting or to be covered up. Furthermore, some also saw these photographs as exploitative of the female body rather than embracing it.
To refine these photographs I would like to add context by using different techniques and process to possibly conceal the vulnerable areas of my mode. I would also like to select a small selection of images to use. Additionally, I would like to explore different methods of distorting and constructing my images, such as using tape and paint to reconstruct a more powerful image.
Ana Mendieta
Ana Mendieta's art is between performance and sculptural.
- strength
- fragility
- gaze
- complexity
- simplicity
- empowering
- transparency
- dominant
- pulling faces/ brave
- making something ugly but its still beautiful
- When looking at Mendieta's work, I see a woman who although is empowering, beautiful and strong, if you look deeper into her expression and body, you can see how fragile and delicate she can be.
Response to Ana Mendieta's
I took these series of images in an attempt to take inspiration from Anna Mendieta and her theme of destroying beauty to create beauty. I am satisfied with the outcome of these images as I believe that they are very powerful and there are clear links between my work and Anna Mendieta's, however I do not want to use these images in an outcome as I believe that they did not turn out how I originally intended and do not look as professional and clean as I would have liked. I like the concept that I had behind this experiment, however, I believe that if I had more time I would possibly be able to create a series of images that I am more pleased with, but at this moment, I cannot see that happening.
Final Piece
Evaluation
My final outcome for component 1 is a series of handmade posters using different techniques to conceal or cover-up the exploitative areas of the photographs. I took a series of images of my friend Sonia in revealing clothing, which she chose, in her bedroom against a plain white wall. I then used masking tape, electrical tape, paint, ink and acetate to cover her up and write quotes or messages on the images. The acetate poster has a direct text from Sonia of her opinion on the photo shoot and how she felt about it and the theme that we explored. I was hoping to create a meaningful response to societies expectations of women. I believe that it did work to some extent because it evoked a very strong response from viewers who said that my work opened their eyes to the impact of society on identity. I am pleased with how I explored the theme of identity because by looking at my images, I am able to see how society has weakened an individual's sense of identity and her self-worth. However, I am not satisfied with my original outcome for my final piece as I wanted to portray a woman who is strong, powerful and sure of her own identity, however without the context added in my refinement, that is not clear. Despite this, I am more pleased with the refined outcome than the original as it is more personal as it is directly influenced by the model herself and she was able to have more ownership of the photographs by telling me what she thought and then putting that into the posters. To display this outcome, I will hang my photographs on the wall using bulldog clips, similar to artists such as Wolfgang Tillmans make us of in exhibitions. I have left my posters as the originals that I created rather than scanning them and printing them again. I chose to leave them as was as I felt it creates a more personal and individual reaction from viewers because they are not mass-produced style posters, they have their own character and intentions. I would like viewers to understand the difference between a forced identity or mask that most people on and the own value they place on their identity. My work is personal as it explores a topic that many girls and women I know struggle to deal with on a day to day basis. My work is also personal because I used a model who I am friends with and have had decisions about these issues with before and created work that was meaningful to both her as my model but also as a friend. I would like to think that my work is also personal because I printed each photograph myself rather than sending them off and I also used different techniques that I had learnt through experimentation to add context and meaning to my work, rather than using common methods such as editing away the parts we wanted to cover up. I would like viewers to see my work and make a personal connection with it. I would also hope that when viewers look at my work they are able to understand that my work is not just a piece of school work, but also art that I want to have an impact on many people and it is a very concerning issue that we all should invest more time in trying to address. If I had more time, I would like to try to take another series of images that possibly reflect my original intentions of a strong, powerful, independent woman and resolve some issues that I had with creating that message. I would also like to try creating more magazine-style spreads to experiment with that type of display and explore how the message spreads using magazines.