Sally Mann

I looked Sally Mann’s work which I think is extraordinary.

I understand the controversy created by the publishing of Family Pictures. The images are quite beautiful but I can imagine that some would be uncomfortable with the nudity. It’s a sign of the times that when I was researching the subject I was concerned about what others would think of my observing them. Interestingly, I found it quite hard to find anything on line that specifically criticizes them. There are articles that refer to the concern of others but little else. I expanded my search looking for Christian or Bible Belt references but again found none of the indignant rants that I was expecting. Could this be because the images have been in the public domain for some time?

Or perhaps there is a self-imposed censorship of the issue? I came across a forum discussing the hypocrisy about photography nudity. The post below was made in response to a photographers concern about making images of models below 18.

Im not worried about it because about 10 years ago, I made a business choice. I started shooting nudes and adult stuff ( since there is really only a difference to photographers and some people with a bit of skill),at the that time we stopped working with anyone under 18 for any reason or any project. 

It is totally silly and I will be the first to agree that it dumb as hell, but it has kept me out of trouble and so many people have gotten in trouble for doing nothing wrong, you will not believe until it happens to someone you know.

There are crazy laws on the books, about protecting kids, even if it is Non-Nude some people still thing it can be child porn. The pay and model release are different ( esc. in calf because of the abuse parents have had with kid actors)

Now if I shoot a nude girl that is artist.. You have to assume that not everyone is going to agree with your ideas of art or artist. Often (even if you don't agree with me in general).. it breaks down to this 

• if you shoot nude = you are a porn person and some people can't see the difference between artist nude and porn.. Since you are now creating porn ( artist nudes) then people think of you the same as you shooting hardcore PORN..you are viewed no different than Max Hardcore.When people see you as Max Hardcore.. They don't want you working with high school kids or wedding or **** like that. They will tell there friends "I heard you let a pornnographer take pics of your daughter for high school pics" or some other stupid ****.. "OMG.. you are having a PORN person taking pics at your wedding, I don't think I want my kids around at your wedding, so I will not be coming"I have known Max Hardcore for about 10 years. How many of you would let him work with your kids or work in your high school. Remember to a lot of people there is NO difference between Max Hardcore and artist porn.. not saying it is right or wrong.. it is just the way it is, I can see the difference, most people on this board can see the difference, but that doesn't mean everyone can, if they could then they would call ZchDnn a porn photographer..

Sally Mann seems generally to have been accepted as an artist (because she is a woman) where a man (Jock Sturges for example) is thought by some as a pornographer and is persecuted.

Amateur research

I am working through 'The Photograph as Contemporary Art' and thought I'd canvas the views of friends regarding the interpretation a single image and compare theirs to that of the author.

Dear Friends,

I am working on a photography project. So I thought I would do a fun test with your help! Can you tell me what the picture below says to you? I would be really grateful if you would!

I will give you feedback of what the author says it represents after I get your responses.

No cheating! No research!

Their responses compared to the views of the author are printed below.

Dear All,

Thanks for your comments on the photograph I sent you. I can’t believe that 12 of you took the time to answer! That’s the point of Art I suppose, creating a debate and dragging us away from work in the office ;o). I have listed them below. At the bottom I have included text from the book I’m reading.

  

A.      … pretty stumped, but perhaps something about the whole world being outside the window, but as it is inside it's making you think about... then got lost

B.      Firstly, composition - the walls seem dark and brooding, the window is lit by sunlight, so it draws your attention to the window and what's within it, dulls everything around it so I'd assume from that they're asking for focus there.

Secondly - the globe. I'd also refer it to meaning the world. For me I think it is that everyone has their own world inside their home, so the globe represents the insular world that the people inside live in. Darkened walls show that the outside doesn't matter, the light from the window shows that the environment, the atmosphere, that family and their "world" is behind that window and that matters?

Alternatively you could go waaaay out there. The picture is generally dark and depressing, cold and uninviting. Stone, shadow, minimal light and positivity. The globe is a "comical punctuation" to the image, brightening the view. Perhaps the globe print on it is irrelevant, more a by-product of the shape or that it is just a toy, showing that there is fun and frivolity behind the window pane, giving "light" to a dark image from both a theoretical and physical POV.

It's all wank to be quite honest

C.      The reflection looks like barbed wire so the globe gives the impression of someone that yearns to travel the world but is trapped.  One almost feels sorry for the person behind the curtain, although I am not sure why.

But then again it could just be bullocks ;-) 

D.      I think the picture says: Olympics - window on the world (but then I have been up since 3am...)

E.      Somebody wants to travel .Every time they look at the horizon through the window after they open the curtains which is often (which is why the globe is on the window) they have a look at the globe which they keep on the window because it reminds them of travel. What is odd is the light.

F.       An eye. The eye is the 'window into the soul,' as they say; the soul, I suppose, each person's world.  (You've got the pupil and lid thing going on as well...)

G.     The grass is always greener on the other side... there is a world inside your window that you don't appreciate

H.     it looks quite dark..like looking out to a world you won’t get to see coz you is in prison yeah…lol.  I see barbed wire..the building looks like a huge institution…

But the light is like a glimmer of hope…

I.        I think that this is a window onto the room of someone who dreams of other places. They would probably love to visit them given the chance and although their window only looks out onto the terrace opposite for them the globe is a window on the world they hope to see someday.

J.        Early evening, last of the sun, late Autumn/Early Winter. Child’s room. Makes me feel slightly sad and lonely.

K.      Reflection of trees…

L.       The message I see is education vs fun/freedom. The house and the window are dull, lifeless and the bards across the window look almost like prison bars. Likewise, the grey wall and bricks of the building associate to a prison setting. Where I see education is the atlas in the window - showing that beyond the curtains is even more of a learning environment.

The sunshine that hits the walls is the freedom of a pleasant summers day that waits outside, and this is mirrored in the window, but it can only be seen when you pay particular attention to the reflection, signifying that it is far away from the person within.

Locked in, learning, but would like to be out having fun - or at least the house represents that to the person who lives there - that's what I got!

M.    The World Inside Your Window. The fragility of reflection. The fragile restraints to our world.

Below is the description I was struggling with (my emphasis):

“Jennifer  Bolande’s ‘Globe’ contemplates the innocent yet meaningful placing of objects in unexpected positions. From Street level, Bolande photographed globes stored on the window ledges of homes. By means of this very simple gesture, our perceptions of the world are brought into consideration. Most obviously, these photographs draw our attention to the way in which we receive knowledge about the world from a dwarfed, simplified model. They demonstrate how partial our perception is, framed as it is by the windows out of which, and into which, we look. Human understanding from micro to macro-cosmic proportions is repeatedly explored through Bolande’s work: a sense of constrained human understanding is visualised through simple and subtle observation”

This says that Jennifer Bolande thought “I want to explore human understanding from micro to macro-cosmic proportions”. “Through simple and subtle observation, I’m going to convey a sense of constrained human understanding”. Having seen the globe in someone’s window, Jennifer then goes on to think “capturing a photograph of that will draw attention to the way in which we receive knowledge about the world. That globe will show that we use dwarfed, simplified models.” “And the window will show that our views are only partial”.

Tutor comms

Hi MIke- some comments made while looking at your blog

There is much hypocrisy in the privacy issue. Much of this of course has been fuelled by the celebrity- embracing the camera when it suits making publicity, but shunning it on a whim. The children issue is a massive subject area worthy of study. I have had many students (male) confronted by police on a public beach. What are your views? Don’t be afraid to think out loud on your blog. It can promote debate if you ask others to contribute.

At the same time that parents are refused cameras for snapping their loved one at the pantomime press photographers publish pages of children’s photographs from a variety of events. Have a look at Sally Mann’s work and seek out the debate around this.

regards

dave

Observation

Out looking for locations / subjects for my next assessment when I realised something very obvious indeed. With the exception of flowers and fruit the natural world is almost exclusively green and brown. Almost all of the colour that assaults our eys today is man made.

Try finding anything 'natural' in a city that isn't green or brown is a tough order. The most colourful natural things I could find were cut flowers and a vegetable stall.

Obvious now but a surprising revelation.

Project Colour Relationships - Exercise Colour into tones in Black and White

Colour - as taken

Black and White - as taken

Black and White - with Red filter

Black and White - with Yellow filter

Black and White - with Green filter

Black and White - with Blue filter

The photograph as contemporary art - Deadpan

I was struck by the truth expressed in Rineke Dijkstra view that there is a point of vulnerability as a person leaves the security of the sea and joins the anonymity of the beach crowd.

There must be hundreds of other transition points that would make interesting subjects for study.
Given the vulnerability if the subjects though, is it entirely fair to capture these moments for public scrutiny? This could be a particular issue where children are involved. Being a woman, Rineke, taking these pictures would have been less problematic.

This also applies to the series of deadpan pictures taken by Jitka Hanzlova of women in the street. I suggest that suspicion of men's motives limits their participation in these types of deadpan projects. Unless there is a good 'excuse', for example the party environment used by Albrecht Tubke , a man is likely to be rebuffed.

I suspect that a professional is less likely to have this experience. An interesting study is to be had here. The male photographer with a compact camera versus one with a bag over one shoulder and two SLRs  slung round his neck. This would be a study in sexual psychology than one in photography.


Interestingly, this is not a new problem as witnessed by this poster at the National Media Museum.

With the advent of digital camera functionality in the modern day Smartphone, the issue of privacy has again become a concern.

Use of colours in a public space

Here is a copy the paper version of this story. Traders on this East End high street are really happy with the make-over for the Olympics (with one exception). The on-line report has no 'before' images.

Apart from the obvious brightening up and doing away with the awful mix of cheap signage, some really interesting colour blends have been used. On the top floors of the above image complementary colours have been used with the shop branding below them.

Ladbrokes branding of Red is paired with its opposite of Green. For the others, they have been matched with adjacent colours on the wheel. Blue with yellow makes a similar pair, as do red and yellow, as do blue and green.

On this part of the high street a different approach has been taken. Black matched with grey, dark brown paired with light brown, mustard with brown.

Project Colour Relationships - Exercise Colour relationships

Part 1

Red and Green in proportions of 1 to 1

Blue and Orange in proportions 2 to 1

Violet and Yellow in proportions 3 to 1

Part 2

Red and Pink is appealing against a Green background

There is an interesting balance of Grey, Pink and Green in this image of a children's slide

There are two potential subjects in this image. The small size of stained glass window carries as much weight as the statue due to the boldness of its colours, The statue makes up for its lack of colour by its physical size. This shows the effect that colour can have on the impact of an image.

City of London

I could see it coming but I hate it when people wont even speak to the homeless. "Excuse me, I'm not asking for any money, like everyone thinks I am. Thanks for stopping. Not many people do when they see the state of me." Short, underfed, dirty baseball cap, decayed teeth, dirty hands and finger nails;  I wasn't surprised that nobody stopped. "I dont want money but I wondered if you would help pay for a night in a hostel. Its only £12 for a week". I had only a few pence in my pocket so I gave him a fiver. "Ah man, thats great thanks". He had only gone 5 yards when I called him back to give him another tenner. "Do you want to come round the corner. The hostel's only a minute away?"

I dont know whether the money went on a room or drugs, but what does it matter? New mortgage soon so let's help out while I can.

The Shard from Monument. Here the tallest building in Europe is reduced in size by the camera angle and its location squeezed between foreground buildings. Because it has nothing but glass there is little to give it scale.

Keith Cardwell - Photographer (and professor in fine arts in the USA and China)

The Lloyds building with 'The Gerkin'

Arriving early for a meeting in the City I grabbed a bite to eat in Leadenhall Market and had a 15 minute wander around the art stalls.

There I met Keith Cardwell, an ex Guardian photographer. Here he sells his B/W images taken over a lifetime of journalism. A friend of David Furness (a really bright chap, apparently) he showed me prints taken backstage at the Bolshoi Ballet that hang over Elton John's piano and fireplace.

"These are all silver... Printed in a darkroom". "You're not keen on Digital then?" "No, look at this here" he said pointing at a picture of a ballerina. "You can't get this depth of black in a digital image".

We spoke briefly about the new Leica digital camera with the specially designed B/W sensor. The Bolshoi pictures were also taken on a Leica. "This one was taken at F2 at half a second". "Hand-held at half a second? Thats pretty impressive". "A lifetime of practice ".

Flicking through his pile of carefully wrapped prints he pulled out one of Fidel Castro. "I took this with a 24mm lens, so I was THIS close!". An arm outstretched with his finger pointing, Castro was surrounded by body guards. "I asked Castro why he used blacks as body guards. "Civil Rights' he said. 'Isn't that an American issue?' 'No, its the same in Cuba'".

I told him that race relatuons are still not good based on my experience on the Natchez Trace. He agreed. He used to be a Professor in the USA (New York, I think), and said he had been in Tennessee because he is a keen Robert Johnson fan. Had I been? No, but my friend Robert Plant had named one if his albums after RJ's hometown, Clarkesville.

"I knew Robert Plant!", he says. "I went on tour with him". Diving again into his stack he pulled out  another crowd scene with Jack Nicholson in the centre of the image. "Robert brought Jack to Cuba. He's stood  behind these people and wouldn't come out to be in the picture".

I hope this is a true story. I've met a dozen people who have said they know Robert. All of them liars according to Robert... including the chap who claimed that he once pissed up the tyre of Roberts cadilac.... a cadilac he never owned ;o)

Keith actioned Compay Segundo's hat the night this photograph was taken for thousands of dollars.

silverworks
www.keithcardwell.co.uk

Photography 1 - Part 3 Colour - Exercise Primary and secondary colours

Blue

Green

Red

Violet

Yellow

Orange (with a blue complimentary and pink contrast!)

Tableau photography

How much does a viewer need to know about the background of an image or of the author's intent for it to make sense?

For example, without knowing that Katherine Bosse had photographed a room that could be hired for sex, the viewer could be forgiven (or even applauded) for assuming 'Classroom' was indeed that, or a playroom in a well to do home.

The ethnicity of the man looking through the blinds in 'United States of America' doesn't talk to me of espionage or of any covert operation. Having a phone in the image doesn't necessarily imply that he's waiting for it ring, anymore than he's waiting for the lamp to turn off. These are such common things in an hotel room that they cease to carry specific meaning.

How one relates to this type of image is surely dependent on the viewers experience. Without the explanation of the intent, this image says to me, "I'm a visitor to the city. My colleague is late collecting me for our meeting".

Perhaps the viewing of a single image is the issue here. Viewing a collection might make the intent clear, but I'm unsure. I will need to check this at further exhibitions. Next visit, I will not read anything out it and try to divine the artists intention.

If I had not read the intentions of Noel Bowler's 'Making Space' exhibitions, I might have worked out that Islam was present in the photographs, but I would have assumed they were back rooms at a Mosque rather than places of worship set in unusual buildings. The only clue would have been the single image of the outside of a suburban house.

Would I have know that this was about Islam in Ireland? No. Would I have linked the ordinariness of these places of worship as something that undermines our paranoia about terrorism? No.

Being told of the purpose doesn't undermine the power of the images, but does suggest that often the images cannot tell a story alone. What the exhibition did do, was to reinforce some of my prejudices, and expose my ignorance of Moslem worship.

Impressions Gallery

Noel Bowler - Making Space

The spaces photographed, devoid of people were surprisingly spartan. I know that these places of worship are not Mosques, but I was surprised how unkempt they appeared for places of worship.

I noticed that in a number of the images, the carpet had not been fitted along the lines of the walls. I suspected that this was because, unlike a purpose build Mosque, these building would not be orientated along the points of the compass. A Muslim friend of mine has confirmed that the carpets have been laid aligned to the East so that worshippers know in which direction Mecca is.

The photographs give an interesting insight into worship in the Islam community. If I am being completely PC I shouldn't be offended that women have separate areas in which to worship. The images however reinforce 

what for me, is an arcane practice and a demeaning rule for women. So, even outside a formal mosque, women are treated as what I consider to be second class members of the community. The conditions that the women 'enjoy' are, in all the images, inferior to the men's accomodation.


Women - Blackpits


Men - Blackpits

White walls are a recurring theme. I will discuss this with my friend and why many of rooms have a set of 3 steps and heaters. Are prayers a cold affair?

The composure of many of the images involved taking the ceiling and the floor into the corners of the frame giving the impression of looking into a box.

National Media Museum

Kodak gallery

So the debate is over (see my rant of the 14th May).  The first person to fix a permanent photographic image was Niépce in 1826. What a shame he was a Frenchman. Typical though that it was a rubbish process. 8 years later along comes William Henry Fox Talbot to introduce the worlds first negative allowing the printing of more than one copy of an image. The alternative, the Dageurotype was after all, very limited.

Then along comes Frderick Scott Archer with his wet Collodian process. A great process with sharp images but one that required carrying a darkroom around for every photograph. Studios required an entire production team to produce images on a commercial scale.

We like to think that it's only today that we work in a fast paced competitive world. Take a look at this period in photography and you can see that they were under the same pressures. Someone creates a process to record 4 images on a single plate. More images for your money, or a single image for a quarter of the original cost. Productivity improves, costs fall, prices reduce, and everyone is trying find ways to make money; even resorting to advertising on the back of Carte de Visite's. Today, if you want these type of adverts removed from your photobook, it costs £5!

Then in 1871 along comes the dry plate with the advent of the gelatin coating that remains sensitive after it has dried. This makes photography available to (albeit wealthy) amateurs.

Kodak of course brings photography to the masses in 1888 with 'you take the pictures, we'll do the rest'. I was amazed at the vast number of camera models that Kodak have produced over the years, moving through the range of highest quality to the lowest, allowing access for even the most modest pocket.

It's interesting to see how even in those days Kodak were segmenting the market not just by price, but also in other ways, creating for example, the Vanity Kodak cameras for women.

After the blossoming of a huge number of camera manufacturers, it was again interesting to see the consolidation of the industry into a smaller number of larger brands, many of these Japanese.

Then suddenly Kodak found itself under attack in all its competancies. New films from Japan, high performance cameras forcing them back into the budget range and finally being overcome by the digital revolution that has virtually done away with film.

Some time ago I heard a radio programme where Frederick Forsythe said we should not bemoan changes in technology, nor attempt to save dying trades and jobs. He spoke about buckets. First there were wooden buckets made with staves. When tin buckets were invented, wooden bucket makers went to the wall. And when plastic buckets came along, the makers or tin buckets went the way of the wooden makers. You can't protect wooden bucket makers just because they would lose their jobs.

Its sad to see a great name go to the wall, but it just shows that in a similar way, Kodak's late conversion to digital has been their downfall. Sometimes you have to develop products that will eat your own lunch. It's painful, but if you don't do it, someone else will. Nikon and Canon didn't have film manufacturing to protect so threw themselves into the development of Digital wholeheartedly.

Blink of an eye


This exhibition is focussed on the capturing of movement in photography and covers the earliest days to the present. There was one exhibit which I personally found fascinating. 'Time and Motion' showed film of process improvements in Manufacturing; before and after changes. I used to be an Estimator and Process Engineer for an electronics manufacturing plant where I was responsible for these very things. What I never did was to film the improvements in productivity. Great fun.

The use of Time Lapse and High Speed photography were used elsewhere in the exhibition to expose very different aspect of movement. Slow running of images recorded at High Speed shows motion too fast to see with the human eye, whilst Time Lapse shows fast running images of things we don't have the attention span to watch or to remember accurately. Who could watch a flower for a day and remember how each petal opened?

The Road

Watched the film The Road again tonight and notice for the first time the degree to which colour (or lack of it) adds to feel of desolation, cold and bleakness.

The almost exclusive use of greys and browns gives the film an unearthly feel. When the cellar is found that contained forgotten supplies, colour is again present, returning life to normality.

Lack of colour unbalances the world and creates a surreal, disturbing place.

Tableau photography

Looked up Gregory Crewdson today. Really impressed with the quality of the images. Story telling in a single image. I was also surprised by the size of the production team and the technology to create a single image. In one photograph there is a woman sat on a bed next to a baby asleep beside her.



A behind the scenes shot shows a film lighting installation to illuminate the child. A massive undertaking for a single image.

The photograph as contemporary art - once upon a time

Philip-Lorca diCorcia's image of Eddie Anderson again jumps out of the page for me. The arrangement of the various items in the frame form interesting questions about the composition and the character of the Eddie. Although I think it probably says more about the photographer. I cant image for a moment that he gained enough insight about the subject to be able to arrange this tablue. Clearly the subject was chosen for a preconceived idea.

This notwithstanding, I'm struck by the colours in the image. The highlighted face contrasts strongly with background in much the same fashion as 'Heads'.

Michael Freeman - The Photographers Eye

I have been reading this excellent book and found that many of the images are used in the course material. This is because the course is following the structure of the book... so having completed the chapters up to those focused on colour, I'm going to suspend my reading until the course 'catches up'.

I can see that I'm going to have to invest in 'Mind' Vision' and 'Exposure' volumes as well.

Tutor comms

Hi Dave,

I have read carefully your feedback and provide my reflections on this below.

You are right about the mixed quality of the submission and about frustration with the exercises. That’s the reason I didn’t choose images already taken but thought it would be more interesting to do something from scratch. I believed it would be simple to find the Opposites I needed for the project but in the end I was struggling at Shine. Being a stubborn individual though, I persevered and came up with a couple of questionable opposites. I was conscious of this at the time but I liked some of the images so much that I compromised on the overall project. 1^st learning point – if it don’t work, don’t try to force a result.

Regarding the exposure, is it acceptable to manipulate images before submission, or are you looking for ‘right first time’ camera exposures?

Unfortunately I didn’t own a tripod when took these images. 2^nd learning point – buy the right equipment for the course. Done!

As I said in the submission I was conscious that the Blue and Green chairs might not be the best representation of light and dark. 3^rd learning point – if an issue is obvious at the time of printing, create new images rather than reflect on the shortcoming.

Unfortunately I can’t blame the book printing for the quality of the front cover image. I created the high contrast image myself. 4^th learning point – not everyone likes high contrast B/W and image quality shouldn’t be sacrificed. For the purposes of the course should I be aiming for something that pleases me, or for the most technically ‘correct’ images?

The book is something that I have been using for a few years now as I hate loose prints. I find they never get looked at. I also find that creating a book forces the selection of only the best images. I will of course not do this for future projects but print individual images and provide a CD ROM. To save the planet would you be happy to receive image files via Dropbox? I can easily create a shared folder into which I drop them. BTW, I have already created a book version of my second assessment but I’ll just hold onto this.

As I said on previous emails I have been reading more widely than it appears. 5^th learning point – use by blog for all learnings and not just recording and reflecting on my own images.

I haven’t made the time for visiting the Bradford galleries. 6^th learning point – do so!

Thanks for the constructive feedback Dave,

Mike

Tutor Comms

Hi Mike

Swift response to my suggestions. This is moving on now- well done.

Given that we now have millions of image makers who no longer have the challenge of correct exposure, what is the role of the photographer of the future? Who pays money for a photographs these days? More and more services don't pay for images as the public provides them for free- so what is the role for the professional who needs to make a living?

All images are constructed to a greater or lesser extent- some photographers (see Gregory Crewdson for instance) take it a bit further. You have set out some good questions here, and they need some careful consideration to help you see your way forward.

Regards

dave

Assessment 1 feedback

Hi Mike

Please find attached your feedback for assignment one. Please read through it all carefully as first impressions and speed reading usually means that you could miss something important.

I am looking forward to see ing new work and will be catching up on all the blogs this afternoon.

All the best

dave

PDF filed as Documents/Personal/OCA/mike_harris_Ass_1.pdf


Open College of the Arts
Tutor report

Student name Michael Keith Harris Student number 510286
Course/Module Photography 1: Art of Photography Assignment number one

Overall Comments

This submission reveals that you have gained proficiency in using your
camera to achieve what should be correct exposure to record imagery at a
quality level.

This first assignment is not assessed or graded. It is intended to give us
some idea of your acquisition of skills and how you are progressing
towards meeting the criteria for assessment. It will enable me to identify
your strengths and help you address any weaknesses.

The book was an interesting choice of media for presentation. It required
you to select images which display the contrasts on opposite pages without
the distraction of loose prints. This had both advantages and disadvantages
which I will comment on later.

You begin the book with an additional segment: then and now, where you
have carefully captured an image to mirror the period original almost exactly.
This reveals a meticulous edge to your practice that is also reflected in the
subject matter and style of the imagery. This also illustrates that you are
willing to take those extra steps to add “value” to your practice. All of these
are sound traits but you might find that this approach could be restrictive in
some projects and in developing your own creative style and identity, so do
be aware of this as you journey through the course.

Assessment potential (after Assignment 1)

You may want to get credit for your hard work and achievements with the
OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment at the end of the
module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong learning
seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely up to you.
We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or to gain
qualifications. Please consider whether you want to put your work forward for
assessment and let me know your decision when you submit Assignment 2. I
can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment
requirements."


Feedback on assignment (Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills, Quality of
Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity)
(Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills, Quality of
Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity)

You chose not to extract imagery from the exercises as the starting point for
the assignment and submitted imagery from a separate shoot to illustrate
the themes of the assignment (“contrasts”).

This has produced a range of content and perspectives on an interesting
building. You use photography to inform and record which provides purpose
and helps to validate the project.

Despite going out of your way to “add value” as I mentioned earlier, the
submission exhibits extremes-from considered capture (as in the front
cover) to what appears to be a little slapdash and less considered imagery,

e.g: “opaque” and “small” where correct exposure is questionable.
This first part of the course was about ensuring the crucial elements of
capture were forefront in the mind, so low light really demanded the use of a
tripod to allow for slower shutter speeds; there are-after all – no moving
elements in the imagery. Watch out for this in the future. In a highly volatile
situation “image quality” is of less importance, but not in this type of subject
matter. Where light was high in intensity as in the quirky “chair” images you
have good sharp capture and high fidelity colour and these simple
compositions are among the best in the submission for me. The light and
dark comparison however, is perhaps out of place here. If you half close
your eyes you will see that the tonality is roughly the same. You will explore
more about colour and tone later in the course. It is quite a fascinating
subject.

Overall of the images submitted demonstrate all of the criteria for technical
and visual skills, but some other criteria for assessment (see below) are
clearly less considered. You will need to find some consistency in your
submissions. Surprisingly, this is at odds with the quality of work exhibited
in your blog. This exhibits strong image composition and consistency in
quality (at least on screen).

The book is a growing media for the dissemination of imagery and a valued
resource (even investment) in photographic practice. I liked the fact that you
used this for the submission, but it doesn’t allow me to see the quality of the
imagery in both capture and output. Much of the poorer image quality in the
book could be down to reproduction so I have no concerns about this at the
moment. The front page image for instance is very high in contrast and
important highlight detail is bleached out. For the future, you would be best
to submit prints and original images on disc (with metadata) to enable me
to provide you with sound technical guidance. Book layout and design is
also critical to ensuring your work is seen at its best, but this is for the future
also. Look closely at some recent photography books to see how images
and text work together. Avoid templates if possible as these are usually
poorly contrived.


Overall I think this submission indicates some sound knowledge and skills
which go some way to meeting the assessment criteria for future
submissions. With careful consideration to all of the elements in all of the
images submitted you should be able to progress convincingly. I do think
this submission also reveals some frustration at having to undertake the
exercises, and this frustration manifests itself in a submission, which to me,
is well below your capabilities.
indicates some sound knowledge and skills
which go some way to meeting the assessment criteria for future
submissions. With careful consideration to all of the elements in all of the
images submitted you should be able to progress convincingly. I do think
this submission also reveals some frustration at having to undertake the
exercises, and this frustration manifests itself in a submission, which to me,
is well below your capabilities.

Sketchbooks Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome,
Demonstration of Creativity

Your blog as mentioned earlier, is very different in quality compared with this
submission. You might easily have sampled work from this as the starting
point for this assignment. So a little bit of poor judgement there perhaps.

What is missing at the moment (as far as I can determine from the blog) is
any notion of empirical research from reading and exhibition visits. This is
essential underpinning for degree study, which is your intention. This needs
to be the key aspect of your learning plan for the next stage of development.

Learning Logs/Critical essays Context

Use your blog to reflect on your intentions, successes and failures. If you
relate your experiences and reading to what you are achieving, or
developing new directions, you will begin to place your practice in a wider
context. It is time to move out of your safety zone.

Suggested reading/viewing Context

You live in Leeds so have easy access to The National Media Museum and
Impressions Gallery. In this respect you are most fortunate so do make
good use of these opportunities.

I think I mentioned already that you should have a look at Charlotte Cotton’s
book on the reading list as a starting point.

Pointers for the next assignment

There is much to commend in your practice evidenced on your blog, so I
have no real concerns about your ability to capture quality imagery, exhibiting
a strong personal style and quality. The assignment didn’t quite match this
potential on this occasion but doesn’t pose a threat to your progression.
Wider visual research through the literature and exhibition visits will help to
inform a creative mind which is stretching at the seams at the moment.

I would leave the book for submissions later in the course, which would
benefit most from the format. I hope that your next assignment will be as


visually exciting and consistent as the work I can see on the blog.

Tutor name: DAVID KINNEY
Date 9th June 2012
Next assignment
due
TBA

The photograph as contemporary art - If this is art

This first category of photographic expression couldn't be further from how I create my own images. Directing an event especially for the camera isn't something that I had considered. Having said that I absolutely love the technique when applied to candid photography.

The 'Heads' images of Philip-Lorca diCorcia are particularly interesting. Photographing people on the street without them being aware carries a great deal of impact.



This woman is clearly deep in thought but I find it hard to determine if she is unhappy or just absorbed in her thoughts or what she's looking at. Where are people's minds when they are on the street?

 

 

I was also fascinated by the activity of Sophie Calle. Following a random stranger through the streets of Venice to document his movements without his knowledge is such an interesting thing to do. Its a thing a woman could just about get away with. A man discovered following and photographing a woman or indeed a man, would get short shrift if discovered. Art or not....

Breadman and Oleg Kulik I'll have to come back to when I get better attuned to the Art world.

Signs that say what you want them to say.... is a most interesting idea that I intend to research more. Is this art or social study. What does the act of photographing these signs add to impact. Would the signs mean as much without an image of the author?



The couple who "want World Peace" add nothing, but we have a voyeuristic need to see the face of the man the says "I am mildly insane".



And who would not want to see the Down and Out who has "got nothing" despite signing on.



 Between the words and a life history, I guess the image creates a bridge.

It takes a great leap of imagination for me to see sexual connotations of 'Everything is Connected'. I don't have the space in my head to go looking for phallic symbols in everyday objects. A spout with 2 taps can look like a penis but tights as fallopian tubes? Strikes me the work will amuse pubescent boys.

I am starting to identify the images that I find moving and inspiring and those that don't. Currently I identify with People and Landscape. I have little time for clever Still Life.

I shall revisit my skeptical views as I progress through the course :o)