 |
Open
College of the Arts
|
|
Tutor
report
|
|
Student name
|
Student number
|
||
|
Course/Module
|
Assignment number
|
two
|
Overall Comments
This
is a significant improvement on the 1st assignment. There is a
uniformity of approach, exposure and subject matter; you haven’t been tempted
to go off in a tangent. There are some fine shots here and the project hangs
together well. Strong composition is a feature of many of the images and the
aims of the assignment are clearly met in most cases. Perhaps a weakness to the
submission is that some of the images seem to meet the criteria on reflection
and examination of the final results rather than at shooting stage (hence the
careful guidance you provide in the diagrams attached).
I
appreciate seeing prints this time as it is easier to lay out and see the
submission as a whole. It allows me to gauge almost instantly the quality and
relevance of the assignment and how you have responded. The size is a little small
for a submission though, (see my comments below).
Assessment
potential
I understand
your aim is to go for the Photography Degree and that you plan to submit your
work for assessment at the end of this course. From the work you have shown in
this assignment, providing you commit yourself to the course, I believe you
have the potential to succeed at assessment.
In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas
you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.
Feedback on
assignment (Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills,
Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity)
The
subject matter (cemetery) was a good choice for this assignment, helped by the
quality of light and how it plays on the elements of the image. You have
exploited this to great effect in many places, but have also missed some great
opportunities too (is this editing again?) You submit additional images on CD,
which might suggest this is the case. Editing skills come with time, and without
a defined narrative it is often difficult to undertake, so there is nothing to
be concerned about at this stage.
It is
important for your submission to be clear which images are part of the
portfolio. Number and Title the submission images and keep extraneous shots
within the supporting documentation or blog, possibly commenting on why they
were not part of the final cut. The assessor has to be clear which images
contribute to the assessment and shouldn’t have to try and work this out. Do
check Jose’s video on presentation methods for submission. You will find this
useful. The book could be useful as a quick reference here, (it was not in the
package which I received so I assume you still have it).
In
general terms you have to be very careful when the foreground is in the shade
and the background is lit strongly. This draws the eye away from the main
subject and attention of the viewer. Overall this creates an pleasant
“impression” but makes the eye float away from the important part of the image.
Compare the success of the ‘curves’ image with tree and headstone, which is an
excellent example of the advantage of exploiting the light in this fashion,
compared with the ‘curve’ image of the railing scroll and the ‘two kinds of implied triangle’. You can’t
move the sun at will, but you can change the time of day you take images to
create the best effect.
Elsewhere
(as in the more close up shots of the stones) the warm hues and the stronger
composition provides impact, and are for me the best images in the portfolio.
Overall
you have achieved the aims of the assignment, but I wonder if there are
stronger images which may have improved the submission overall. It is important
not to forget the lesson learned from the previous projects as you focus on new
visual challenges. There are 2 examples where this seems to be the case. The
scroll image is weekened as the subject is pushed to the extremes of the
composition losing its emphasis and powerful shape is diminished. A large are
of out of focus background dominates the image and suffers from the light dark
feature mentioned above.
The
gothic gravestone is begging for more space as it seems cropped in a
claustrophobic manner. Also, a slight position change would allow the truncated
pillar to be differentiated from the memorial in the background.
In
many of your submitted images you are pointing out the elements in the negative
spaces created by the subject/s and scene whereas the object of the assignment
is to use the subject/scene to create shape through position and framing.
Again, I think you are perhaps making things difficult for yourself by reading
too much into the assignment. As mentioned above, there are images, which
display all of the requirements of the assignment. SQ10 is a prime example of
triangle for instance whereas you label it as irregular shapes- again in the
negative spaces, which is less convincing.
For
submission for assessment, I suggest you re-visit this project after looking
again at the examples in the handbook and focus on the positive rather than
negative shapes during the editing process. I feel confident that the
assignment is within the project, but just needs some careful consideration and
care during the selection process.
Sketchbooks Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills,
Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
You don’t
seem to have a sketchbook at present. You might want to consider this. You can
jot down ideas and re-visit them at a later date. It works in a very different way to the blog and having
both methods for idea development and reflection can be beneficial.
Learning
Logs/Critical essays Context
You have
acted on my suggestion of making better use of the resources around you and
this is a positive start. You are commenting on what you have experienced, but
in a rather matter of fact manner. Comments sometimes have a feeling of a
report rather than expressing what you are seeing, feeling, reacting to. Don’t
be afraid to express your own thoughts and reactions.
This is
going in the right direction though and I think you will develop your own style
naturally over time.
Suggested
reading/viewing Context
You have
started reading Cotton’s book which is a good start. You have used this to
stimulate debate among colleagues but you don’t seem to wish to offer your own
views. Challenge yourself to think aloud. There are no wrong answers!
For
implied line and shape I always recommend looking at Degas work especially the
ballerinas paintings and the Photographer Andre Kertez.
Pointers
for the next assignment
So
key points to take forward
Create
the image in camera and not rely too much on post production editing.
Consider
presentation for assessment. You might check out inexpensive print boxes at
Seawhite of Brighton:
The
industry standard for viewing prints at a comfortable arms length is 8x10
inches or A4. This fills the field of view and reveals enough detail to appreciate
the quality and content of the imagery.
The
assignments have no hidden agendas; respond to them in a straightforward and
logical manner.
|
Tutor
name:
|
DAVID KINNEY
|
|
Date
|
12th July 2012
|
|
Next
assignment due
|
31 August 2012
|
No comments:
Post a Comment