In this week's workshop we looked at different photographers work in magazines/journals such as:
- The British Journal of Photography
- Aperture
- Photoworks
We did this to acquire more knowledge about contemporary photographer's with projects that resonated with our own project ideas/inspired by
- La Vie en Rose Richard Mosse
- Self-Portrait Jun Ahn
- Transition Lauren Marsolier
We also did some research into our project's theme which we would share with the class. Here are some of the results I got from hunting online in class:
- http://www.waterman.co.uk/artists/102-patrick-heron/works/399/
- Google: French Formal Gardens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_formal_garden
- Symmetry in London - Tobi Shonibare
http://henryaquino.com/photographer-documents-the-stunning-symmetry-of-londons-architecture/
https://www.instagram.com/tobishinobi/
- Creative Director Captures Stunning Reflection Photos Of Buildings And Landmarks - Daniel Evans
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
Saturday, 12 November 2016
Week 8 - Right Time, Right Place [BBC The Genius of Photography: Notes]
BBC's The Genius of Photography - Episode 3:Right Time, Right Place
Here are the notes I made whilst watching the third episode:
Decisive Moment
In 1933, Henri Cartier-Bresson took a photograph in Paris, which created the 'decisive moment' in photography.
The decisive moment and the historical moment would form a bond, creating iconic images for the new type of photographer - the photojournalist. But how much can we actually trust a photograph in terms of its content and what it portrays?
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson is the godfather of photojournalism. From the early 1930s, he would wander the streets, snapping moments. His decisive moments transformed the face of photography.
His pictures were about being in the right place and the right time. He could step into a space and see the theatrical probabilities. He understood there was life in all space if you waited for that perfect moment. He was almost a stalker.
Photographers pounce for the perfect moment because there is a capacity to interpret the flux of daily life, which contained elements of truth.
The interesting thing about photography is once you press that shutter, you will sense or have a visual orgasm if you know you've captured a perfect moment or not. The feeling you get when you look at a perfect moment, it almost looks surreal.
Bresson was a surrealist. The surrealist believes that there is a super-reality behind appearances, and occasionally it would reveal itself. All you had to do was wait for it to happen. With Bresson, when the action enters the space, he knows how to time it so it reaches its climax. That's the decisive moment.
Bresson was only able to capture such moments because of a revolutionary development in camera technology. The 'Leica' camera, launched in Germany in 1925 was compact, quiet and due to the advancements in lens technology it possessed, it gave to an all new style of instant photography.
According to Meyerowitz, the 'Leica' camera it allowed to you to be present in the moment and glide through the moment. This was due to the to the viewfinder being placed so far to the left side of the camera (unlike to traditional central position of SLR camera viewfinders) which allowed the other eye to be open, so you could observe the scene fully without you visioned being narrowed to just the viewfinder.
Robert Capa
Hungarian-born photojournalist, Robert Capa, also used the 'Leica' camera for decisive moment photography, just like Bresson.
The photo shows the death of a Spanish civil war soldier being shot down by a bullet.
When the world war started 3 years later, Capa's photography brought fame, heroism and charisma to war photography. Working for Life magazine, he maintained that the first rule of photojournalism was the get close, and the second rule, to get closer. It earned him the reputation of being the world's greatest war photographer and it's first real celebrity.
People believe pictures, and photography has always been best at capturing reality. For instance, you passport ID is a photograph, not a painting. George Bernard-Shaun said "I would trade every painting of Jesus for one snapshot".
Tony Vacarro
Tony Vacarro photographed moments of the war on a daily basis, but working as an ordinary G.I./photographer. The army issued speed-graphic cameras to certain soldiers during WWII to document moments, but these camera were very large and time-consuming when switching film which forced Vacarro to find a more practical camera for his photographs. Unlike Capa, he couldn't afford a 'Leica' and settle for the Ardus C3.
As a photojournalist, he couldn't help but be close to the actions of war. When a German tank was bombed right in front of his eyes, it was photography and not survival that he was thinking about.
On D-Day, the greatest military operation in history took place, involving over 1,000,000 men on the allied side alone. Robert Capa was the only photojournalist who went with the first wave of troops to Omaha beach to capture nothing less than the very face of history in the making. This is yet again how decisive moments in photography bond with historical moments of reality.
Tony Vacarro developed his photographs in the helmets of soldiers on the battlefield!
Henryk Ross
Immediately after WWII, photography's task became horribly simple; to provide undeniable historical proof of Nazi atrocities; documenting crime scenes of unimaginable proportions. However, the relationship between photography and historical truth would become apparent in the travesty of Holocaust with the photographs.
Poland was home to many Jewish ghettos created by the Nazis. It was at one of these ghettos where Henryk Ross along with 164,000 other Polish-Jews were incarcerated for four years, until the ghetto was liquidated. Ross was a photographer who kept a unique record about what happened in his ghetto.
Amongst his many duties as one of the ghettos official photographers, Ross had to document the production of goods too, making him a propaganda photographer. Although he was forced to collaborate with the Germans, he was a photojournalist before the war. He knew the life of the Jews was becoming much worse, and so decided to document it with his camera. He photographed marriages, anniversaries, birthdays and religious ceremonies that happened in his ghetto.
Before the liquidation of the ghetto, Ross buried all his negatives in a garden in hope that they would survive, even if he didn't. Amazingly, both he and the negatives did and in 1961, his most incriminating pictures helped hang war criminal, Adolph Akman.
In two of the most decisive moments in history, August 6th & 9th 1945, the American's dropped the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Two flashes killed over 200,000 Japanse people in an instant. The American's took photographs of the aftermath the bombs had on these places, but wanted to depict physical damage rather than the human suffering of the Holocaust photographs. It was 7 years after the event when the US were no longer occupying Japan that images of human suffering from the atomic bombs were published there.
W. Eugene SmithThe Family of Man was an exhibition that opened in New York 1955. It was comprised of over 500 images that 273 amateur and professional photographer took from a collection of millions of photographs. It became the most popular photographic show of all time making it a very poignant moment in photo history. It is still open now, 50 odd years later with the same prints still there.
In 1947, top photojournalist such as Bresson, Capa, George Roger and David Seymour had created the photo agency Magnum. Formed as a cooperative, it declared that its photographers would retain their negatives and copyrights of their pictures.
Photo: U.S. Steel, Rankin W. Eugene Smith 1955
Smith is a photographer who had nocturnal characteristics, working through the early hours of the morning due to his addiction to amphetamines. He worked for Magnum as a photographer and capture over 7,000 images of which 2,000 were used for his photo-essay about the city of Pittsburgh. It was a project that was almost unpublishable and would've been extremely hard to exhibit.
In 1933, Henri Cartier-Bresson took a photograph in Paris, which created the 'decisive moment' in photography.
The decisive moment and the historical moment would form a bond, creating iconic images for the new type of photographer - the photojournalist. But how much can we actually trust a photograph in terms of its content and what it portrays?
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson is the godfather of photojournalism. From the early 1930s, he would wander the streets, snapping moments. His decisive moments transformed the face of photography.
His pictures were about being in the right place and the right time. He could step into a space and see the theatrical probabilities. He understood there was life in all space if you waited for that perfect moment. He was almost a stalker.
 |
| Behind the Gare St. Lazare Henri Cartier-Bresson 1933 |
Photographers pounce for the perfect moment because there is a capacity to interpret the flux of daily life, which contained elements of truth.
The interesting thing about photography is once you press that shutter, you will sense or have a visual orgasm if you know you've captured a perfect moment or not. The feeling you get when you look at a perfect moment, it almost looks surreal.
Bresson was a surrealist. The surrealist believes that there is a super-reality behind appearances, and occasionally it would reveal itself. All you had to do was wait for it to happen. With Bresson, when the action enters the space, he knows how to time it so it reaches its climax. That's the decisive moment.
Bresson was only able to capture such moments because of a revolutionary development in camera technology. The 'Leica' camera, launched in Germany in 1925 was compact, quiet and due to the advancements in lens technology it possessed, it gave to an all new style of instant photography.
According to Meyerowitz, the 'Leica' camera it allowed to you to be present in the moment and glide through the moment. This was due to the to the viewfinder being placed so far to the left side of the camera (unlike to traditional central position of SLR camera viewfinders) which allowed the other eye to be open, so you could observe the scene fully without you visioned being narrowed to just the viewfinder.
 |
| Dying Loyalist Soldier Robert Capa 1936 |
Hungarian-born photojournalist, Robert Capa, also used the 'Leica' camera for decisive moment photography, just like Bresson.
The photo shows the death of a Spanish civil war soldier being shot down by a bullet.
When the world war started 3 years later, Capa's photography brought fame, heroism and charisma to war photography. Working for Life magazine, he maintained that the first rule of photojournalism was the get close, and the second rule, to get closer. It earned him the reputation of being the world's greatest war photographer and it's first real celebrity.
People believe pictures, and photography has always been best at capturing reality. For instance, you passport ID is a photograph, not a painting. George Bernard-Shaun said "I would trade every painting of Jesus for one snapshot".
Tony Vacarro
Tony Vacarro photographed moments of the war on a daily basis, but working as an ordinary G.I./photographer. The army issued speed-graphic cameras to certain soldiers during WWII to document moments, but these camera were very large and time-consuming when switching film which forced Vacarro to find a more practical camera for his photographs. Unlike Capa, he couldn't afford a 'Leica' and settle for the Ardus C3.
 |
| Gott mit uns...Hemmerden Tony Vacarro 1945 |
As a photojournalist, he couldn't help but be close to the actions of war. When a German tank was bombed right in front of his eyes, it was photography and not survival that he was thinking about.
On D-Day, the greatest military operation in history took place, involving over 1,000,000 men on the allied side alone. Robert Capa was the only photojournalist who went with the first wave of troops to Omaha beach to capture nothing less than the very face of history in the making. This is yet again how decisive moments in photography bond with historical moments of reality.
Tony Vacarro developed his photographs in the helmets of soldiers on the battlefield!
Henryk Ross
Immediately after WWII, photography's task became horribly simple; to provide undeniable historical proof of Nazi atrocities; documenting crime scenes of unimaginable proportions. However, the relationship between photography and historical truth would become apparent in the travesty of Holocaust with the photographs.
Poland was home to many Jewish ghettos created by the Nazis. It was at one of these ghettos where Henryk Ross along with 164,000 other Polish-Jews were incarcerated for four years, until the ghetto was liquidated. Ross was a photographer who kept a unique record about what happened in his ghetto.
Amongst his many duties as one of the ghettos official photographers, Ross had to document the production of goods too, making him a propaganda photographer. Although he was forced to collaborate with the Germans, he was a photojournalist before the war. He knew the life of the Jews was becoming much worse, and so decided to document it with his camera. He photographed marriages, anniversaries, birthdays and religious ceremonies that happened in his ghetto.
 |
| Playing as Ghetto Policeman Henryk Ross 1943 |
Before the liquidation of the ghetto, Ross buried all his negatives in a garden in hope that they would survive, even if he didn't. Amazingly, both he and the negatives did and in 1961, his most incriminating pictures helped hang war criminal, Adolph Akman.
In two of the most decisive moments in history, August 6th & 9th 1945, the American's dropped the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Two flashes killed over 200,000 Japanse people in an instant. The American's took photographs of the aftermath the bombs had on these places, but wanted to depict physical damage rather than the human suffering of the Holocaust photographs. It was 7 years after the event when the US were no longer occupying Japan that images of human suffering from the atomic bombs were published there.
W. Eugene SmithThe Family of Man was an exhibition that opened in New York 1955. It was comprised of over 500 images that 273 amateur and professional photographer took from a collection of millions of photographs. It became the most popular photographic show of all time making it a very poignant moment in photo history. It is still open now, 50 odd years later with the same prints still there.
In 1947, top photojournalist such as Bresson, Capa, George Roger and David Seymour had created the photo agency Magnum. Formed as a cooperative, it declared that its photographers would retain their negatives and copyrights of their pictures.
Photo: U.S. Steel, Rankin W. Eugene Smith 1955
Smith is a photographer who had nocturnal characteristics, working through the early hours of the morning due to his addiction to amphetamines. He worked for Magnum as a photographer and capture over 7,000 images of which 2,000 were used for his photo-essay about the city of Pittsburgh. It was a project that was almost unpublishable and would've been extremely hard to exhibit.
Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Week 8 - Photography, at the end of photography [Presentation Notes]
Photography, at the end of photographyPresentation by Micheál O’Connell
How do artists and critically engaged practitioners respond to ubiquity of tools, techniques, and media now available and a situation which is always in flux? Today's craft skills are out-dated tomorrow; interesting materials can be found rather than made, the range of specialisms is vast and variable. Does tradition have any relevance when you can invent your own craft?Micheál O'Connell (aka Mocksim) responds to these questions with reference to his work with reappropriated photographs (namely a series which was eventually nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012) and past usage of 3D modelling and simulation techniques.
Link: www.mocksim.org
Introductory Comments
-What is education for?
-Especially at a Masters level
-You are not me
"I'm unique, you're unique, we're all unique" - Life of Brian quote
Art may be the arena to concern yourself with
Skills
- Why laud them anyway
- 'Fun' yes perhaps, or for critique, but not to be take too seriously, except for maybe:
Skill-skill, meta-skill and acquiring skills.
Examples of Replacement
Painting and art have been taken over, eradicated and replaced by photography by appropriation in the contemporary digital era.
Diane Arbus - Identical Twins
Conceptual photography, almost philosophical in some sense.
Image of Illegally Parked Cars --> Contra-Intervention
CCTV and artificial intelligences show such an interest in our human activities. We are observed by machines that can be seen as amusing and obtrusive.
Parking issues and fine was a hot issue in Brighton which Micheál O’Connell produced.
He did this by using found/used photographs taken by traffic wardens of illegally parked cars in Brighton. The images have been blown up to their actual size but given a minimalist style when presented in a gallery.
I could've rented a car, parked it illegally, got a fine and then take a photo of the car with the fine but this would of been very time-consuming and not cost effective. If he had the numbers of the parking ticket fine, he could find the link online and download the images of the illegally parked cars. He found out that you could download such photos off the database by finding ripped up tickets on the floor around Brighton and researching the fine registration number.
- Caravaggio style photos with their dark, night time settings with extremes in contrasts.
- He took photos of traffic warden taking photos of cars, documenting and copying their actions.
- Wardens also take a form of 'selfies' when they take photos of illegally parked cars. These wardens take photos of their reflections in the window of the cars.
To advertise the show, he created flyers in the form of a parking ticket.
Search: Contra-Intervention
Photography
- Understanding relationships between aperture and shutter speed to acheive the best exposure, controlling the depth of field.
Craft Skills and Bodies of Knowledge for Contra-Intervention
- Realising that images might be accessible as machines and systems are impossible to design perfectly.
- Finding cars with tickets on them
- Using mobile devices
- Catalogue production
- Locating suitable printer
- Managing press
- Numbering the series for exhibition
Watch Louis Theroux's documentary on Scientology
Here the camera is a media that takes on the form of a weapon.
Week 8 - Project Proposal [Notes/Slide Script]
My Photography Project Proposal
Slide 1
- Introduce yourself and what you'll be presenting in your proposal presentation.
Slide 2
For my photography project's theme or idea regards symmetry in architecture. I decided on this idea by selecting a subject/theme that consistently occurred across the two-year collection of photos of my iPhone’s camera roll. The top two results were, ‘symmetry’ and ‘architecture’. I thought this would be the best way for me to conclude on an idea as it would be personally engaging, through an approach to photography that I already practiced naturally.
By exploring urban landscapes that are close to me (personally and literally), I hope to create photographs that combine visual pleasure through symmetrical compositions of exterior architectural structures. In my lifetime of using a camera, I have carried out a lot more creative projects with video production than I have with photography. In some way, I wanted to combine these two passions of mine by incorporating a practice to video production which I have always leaned towards, symmetrical compositions.
Slide 3
Inspired by the works of directors such as Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese, their films have symmetrical compositions through subject positioning and elements of the mise-en-scene which I find aesthetically pleasing and professional when watching and I try to implore this technique when I produced films.
I wanted to take this idea of symmetrical compositions to the subject of architecture because I've always found pleasure looking at architecture, but never really approached it or practiced it with an academic or professional photographic purpose. Whether it takes up the form of a postcard; a painting; an establishing shot in a film or TV show; or even a property magazine, I have always had a keen eye for architectural photography and the visual beauty it possesses in its design.
I hoped this idea would further develop my camera skills in terms of composition, construction, perspective, repetition and recognition, benefitting both my passions of film and photography.
Slide 5
Currently, I have carried out a lot more research regarding my project’s theme than I have practiced it with a camera. However, I feel I have a firmer grip on what it is I aim to capture and how to approach it so now I can go out and practice more with it.
So, in regards to research, I have used an array of mediums to stretch my knowledge in my photography project's themes, and photography more in-general such as; journals, online articles, books, TV shows, YouTube videos and vlogs, and other professional photographer's works in similar areas of my projects theme. I will briefly talk about the most useful resources I have found in my research so far
Slide 6
Of all the professional photographer's work I have researched, the most inspirational I have come across is the dutch photographer, Dirk Bakker. I really like to looks of his photographs and his approaches to photography. His images present the viewer with the beauty of our everyday surroundings, taking photos of various architectural subjects in his hometown of Amsterdam and cycling around other local cities finding interesting architectural patterns from an array of perspectives. His subjects could simply be beautiful pieces of pavement to mind-blowing staircases, from eye-pleasing facades to majestic bridges, by which he uses the power of repetition to create a rhythm pleasant to the eye.
SHOW EXAMPLES OF DIRK BAKKER IMAGES
Bakker’s pictures take more than just a unique eye for patterns, textures, and lines – they also take time and patience to find a perfect perspective, which leads into one of the most useful readings for my project about shooting techniques in architectural photography
Slide 7
I have learned a lot from reading sections of Adrian Shulz book on architectural photography. In regards to symmetrical compositions, it has taught me a lot about the importance of standpoint and perspectives when constructing your photographs; what equipment and settings are best to use for outdoor, exterior architecture shoots; the importance of daylight and ND filters, the list could go on.
From all the reading I have done into architectural photography, the most important thing aspect in approaching this type of photography is to spend a lot of time exploring your locations around your subject for the desired angles and perspectives you intend (almost similar to the 'beauty-spots' of landscape photography). If I wanted to create beautiful symmetrical compositions of the geometric shapes and repeated patterns within architectural structures to create visually pleasing images, finding the perfect standpoint, time of day and correct manipulation of equipment will all contribute to the success of my project and this book has really supported me on that front
Slide 9
When I had a more comfortable understanding of how to approach architectural photography, I went out on two separate practice shoots. One around Brighton with my iPhone, simply capturing shots of buildings and that I felt had elements or symmetry and repetition within their construction, and another around walking around central London for 6 hours, toying around with different lens and perspectives of buildings using a DSLR camera and tripod. At the time, I felt that both photoshoots weren't very successful in the content that I captured. But when I reflect on it, it has made me realize the strengths in my project and where to improve.
SHOW IMAGES OF SYMMETRY I HAVE CAPTURE SO FAR
As you can see, I have tried in a majority of my images to capture elements of symmetry in my compositions, but crossing been a full perspective and minimalist approach to the details/subject which I focus my images around. I still am not sure whether to focus on specific shapes and patterns of a building; whether to focus on a specific type or architecture; what connection to make between all the images or whether I capture the whole building or minimalist elements of it..
Slide 8
In regards to the technicalities behind my project, I want to carry out my project using a DSLR, shooting in RAW format to get a vast range of contrast as this is important when shooting architecture for when I want enhance some of the qualities of my photographs in post-production. However, I also recently received an SLR 35mm film camera for my birthday, which I would love to make use of and tie in with my project in some way.
Due to expenses, I want to find architectural structures in places that are close to me, personally and literally, using the same approach of Dirk Bakker by cycling around local cities for different beauty spots.
Slide 23
There are still areas I can consider to research and methods of practice I can carry out to further develop my project and resolve some of the issues attached to it.
- I still need to consider how I want to exhibit my project and whether to use digital, film, or both for my final images.
- I have had friends who are studying architecture related degrees who recommend I look at brutalist architecture in London to help develop my project further.
- I want to visit Kew Gardens and make comparisons between natural and man-made structures that possess symmetrical qualities and see if I still want to focus the theme of symmetry on architecture specifically, or whether to consider natural symmetry too.
- I will tend to always need to use a tripod for architectural shots due to the small aperture and long exposures needed for a crisp and wide depth of field. Therefore, this may limit me in terms of some of the locations I can shoot at as some places may require consent/permission to use a tripod
Slide 10
Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoyed my presentation, any questions on queries you may have about my project, please ask now.
Slide 6
Of all the professional photographer's work I have researched, the most inspirational I have come across is the dutch photographer, Dirk Bakker. I really like to looks of his photographs and his approaches to photography. His images present the viewer with the beauty of our everyday surroundings, taking photos of various architectural subjects in his hometown of Amsterdam and cycling around other local cities finding interesting architectural patterns from an array of perspectives. His subjects could simply be beautiful pieces of pavement to mind-blowing staircases, from eye-pleasing facades to majestic bridges, by which he uses the power of repetition to create a rhythm pleasant to the eye.
SHOW EXAMPLES OF DIRK BAKKER IMAGES
Bakker’s pictures take more than just a unique eye for patterns, textures, and lines – they also take time and patience to find a perfect perspective, which leads into one of the most useful readings for my project about shooting techniques in architectural photography
Slide 7
I have learned a lot from reading sections of Adrian Shulz book on architectural photography. In regards to symmetrical compositions, it has taught me a lot about the importance of standpoint and perspectives when constructing your photographs; what equipment and settings are best to use for outdoor, exterior architecture shoots; the importance of daylight and ND filters, the list could go on.
From all the reading I have done into architectural photography, the most important thing aspect in approaching this type of photography is to spend a lot of time exploring your locations around your subject for the desired angles and perspectives you intend (almost similar to the 'beauty-spots' of landscape photography). If I wanted to create beautiful symmetrical compositions of the geometric shapes and repeated patterns within architectural structures to create visually pleasing images, finding the perfect standpoint, time of day and correct manipulation of equipment will all contribute to the success of my project and this book has really supported me on that front
Slide 9
When I had a more comfortable understanding of how to approach architectural photography, I went out on two separate practice shoots. One around Brighton with my iPhone, simply capturing shots of buildings and that I felt had elements or symmetry and repetition within their construction, and another around walking around central London for 6 hours, toying around with different lens and perspectives of buildings using a DSLR camera and tripod. At the time, I felt that both photoshoots weren't very successful in the content that I captured. But when I reflect on it, it has made me realize the strengths in my project and where to improve.
SHOW IMAGES OF SYMMETRY I HAVE CAPTURE SO FAR
As you can see, I have tried in a majority of my images to capture elements of symmetry in my compositions, but crossing been a full perspective and minimalist approach to the details/subject which I focus my images around. I still am not sure whether to focus on specific shapes and patterns of a building; whether to focus on a specific type or architecture; what connection to make between all the images or whether I capture the whole building or minimalist elements of it..
Slide 8
In regards to the technicalities behind my project, I want to carry out my project using a DSLR, shooting in RAW format to get a vast range of contrast as this is important when shooting architecture for when I want enhance some of the qualities of my photographs in post-production. However, I also recently received an SLR 35mm film camera for my birthday, which I would love to make use of and tie in with my project in some way.
Due to expenses, I want to find architectural structures in places that are close to me, personally and literally, using the same approach of Dirk Bakker by cycling around local cities for different beauty spots.
Slide 23
There are still areas I can consider to research and methods of practice I can carry out to further develop my project and resolve some of the issues attached to it.
- I still need to consider how I want to exhibit my project and whether to use digital, film, or both for my final images.
- I have had friends who are studying architecture related degrees who recommend I look at brutalist architecture in London to help develop my project further.
- I want to visit Kew Gardens and make comparisons between natural and man-made structures that possess symmetrical qualities and see if I still want to focus the theme of symmetry on architecture specifically, or whether to consider natural symmetry too.
- I will tend to always need to use a tripod for architectural shots due to the small aperture and long exposures needed for a crisp and wide depth of field. Therefore, this may limit me in terms of some of the locations I can shoot at as some places may require consent/permission to use a tripod
Slide 10
Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoyed my presentation, any questions on queries you may have about my project, please ask now.
Week 8 - Project Proposal [Notes/Slide Script]
My Photography Project Proposal
Slide 1
- Introduce yourself and what you'll be presenting in your proposal presentation.
Slide 2
For my photography project's theme or idea regards symmetry in architecture. I decided on this idea by selecting a subject/theme that consistently occurred across the two-year collection of photos of my iPhone’s camera roll. The top two results were, ‘symmetry’ and ‘architecture’. I thought this would be the best way for me to conclude on an idea as it would be personally engaging, through an approach to photography that I already practiced naturally.
By exploring urban landscapes that are close to me (personally and literally), I hope to create photographs that combine visual pleasure through symmetrical compositions of exterior architectural structures. In my lifetime of using a camera, I have carried out a lot more creative projects with video production than I have with photography. In some way, I wanted to combine these two passions of mine by incorporating a practice to video production which I have always leaned towards, symmetrical compositions.
Slide 3
Inspired by the works of directors such as Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese, their films have symmetrical compositions through subject positioning and elements of the mise-en-scene which I find aesthetically pleasing and professional when watching and I try to implore this technique when I produced films.
I wanted to take this idea of symmetrical compositions to the subject of architecture because I've always found pleasure looking at architecture, but never really approached it or practiced it with an academic or professional photographic purpose. Whether it takes up the form of a postcard; a painting; an establishing shot in a film or TV show; or even a property magazine, I have always had a keen eye for architectural photography and the visual beauty it possesses in its design.
I hoped this idea would further develop my camera skills in terms of composition, construction, perspective, repetition and recognition, benefitting both my passions of film and photography.
Slide 5
Currently, I have carried out a lot more research regarding my project’s theme than I have practiced it with a camera. However, I feel I have a firmer grip on what it is I aim to capture and how to approach it so now I can go out and practice more with it.
So, in regards to research, I have used an array of mediums to stretch my knowledge in my photography project's themes, and photography more in-general such as; journals, online articles, books, TV shows, YouTube videos and vlogs, and other professional photographer's works in similar areas of my projects theme. I will briefly talk about the most useful resources I have found in my research so far
Slide 6
Of all the professional photographer's work I have researched, the most inspirational I have come across is the dutch photographer, Dirk Bakker. I really like to looks of his photographs and his approaches to photography. His images present the viewer with the beauty of our everyday surroundings, taking photos of various architectural subjects in his hometown of Amsterdam and cycling around other local cities finding interesting architectural patterns from an array of perspectives. His subjects could simply be beautiful pieces of pavement to mind-blowing staircases, from eye-pleasing facades to majestic bridges, by which he uses the power of repetition to create a rhythm pleasant to the eye.
SHOW EXAMPLES OF DIRK BAKKER IMAGES
Bakker’s pictures take more than just a unique eye for patterns, textures, and lines – they also take time and patience to find a perfect perspective, which leads into one of the most useful readings for my project about shooting techniques in architectural photography
Slide 7
I have learned a lot from reading sections of Adrian Shulz book on architectural photography. In regards to symmetrical compositions, it has taught me a lot about the importance of standpoint and perspectives when constructing your photographs; what equipment and settings are best to use for outdoor, exterior architecture shoots; the importance of daylight and ND filters, the list could go on.
From all the reading I have done into architectural photography, the most important thing aspect in approaching this type of photography is to spend a lot of time exploring your locations around your subject for the desired angles and perspectives you intend (almost similar to the 'beauty-spots' of landscape photography). If I wanted to create beautiful symmetrical compositions of the geometric shapes and repeated patterns within architectural structures to create visually pleasing images, finding the perfect standpoint, time of day and correct manipulation of equipment will all contribute to the success of my project and this book has really supported me on that front
Slide 9
When I had a more comfortable understanding of how to approach architectural photography, I went out on two separate practice shoots. One around Brighton with my iPhone, simply capturing shots of buildings and that I felt had elements or symmetry and repetition within their construction, and another around walking around central London for 6 hours, toying around with different lens and perspectives of buildings using a DSLR camera and tripod. At the time, I felt that both photoshoots weren't very successful in the content that I captured. But when I reflect on it, it has made me realize the strengths in my project and where to improve.
SHOW IMAGES OF SYMMETRY I HAVE CAPTURE SO FAR
As you can see, I have tried in a majority of my images to capture elements of symmetry in my compositions, but crossing been a full perspective and minimalist approach to the details/subject which I focus my images around. I still am not sure whether to focus on specific shapes and patterns of a building; whether to focus on a specific type or architecture; what connection to make between all the images or whether I capture the whole building or minimalist elements of it..
Slide 8
In regards to the technicalities behind my project, I want to carry out my project using a DSLR, shooting in RAW format to get a vast range of contrast as this is important when shooting architecture for when I want enhance some of the qualities of my photographs in post-production. However, I also recently received an SLR 35mm film camera for my birthday, which I would love to make use of and tie in with my project in some way.
Due to expenses, I want to find architectural structures in places that are close to me, personally and literally, using the same approach of Dirk Bakker by cycling around local cities for different beauty spots.
Slide 23
There are still areas I can consider to research and methods of practice I can carry out to further develop my project and resolve some of the issues attached to it.
- I still need to consider how I want to exhibit my project and whether to use digital, film, or both for my final images.
- I have had friends who are studying architecture related degrees who recommend I look at brutalist architecture in London to help develop my project further.
- I want to visit Kew Gardens and make comparisons between natural and man-made structures that possess symmetrical qualities and see if I still want to focus the theme of symmetry on architecture specifically, or whether to consider natural symmetry too.
- I will tend to always need to use a tripod for architectural shots due to the small aperture and long exposures needed for a crisp and wide depth of field. Therefore, this may limit me in terms of some of the locations I can shoot at as some places may require consent/permission to use a tripod
Slide 10
Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoyed my presentation, any questions on queries you may have about my project, please ask now.
Slide 6
Of all the professional photographer's work I have researched, the most inspirational I have come across is the dutch photographer, Dirk Bakker. I really like to looks of his photographs and his approaches to photography. His images present the viewer with the beauty of our everyday surroundings, taking photos of various architectural subjects in his hometown of Amsterdam and cycling around other local cities finding interesting architectural patterns from an array of perspectives. His subjects could simply be beautiful pieces of pavement to mind-blowing staircases, from eye-pleasing facades to majestic bridges, by which he uses the power of repetition to create a rhythm pleasant to the eye.
SHOW EXAMPLES OF DIRK BAKKER IMAGES
Bakker’s pictures take more than just a unique eye for patterns, textures, and lines – they also take time and patience to find a perfect perspective, which leads into one of the most useful readings for my project about shooting techniques in architectural photography
Slide 7
I have learned a lot from reading sections of Adrian Shulz book on architectural photography. In regards to symmetrical compositions, it has taught me a lot about the importance of standpoint and perspectives when constructing your photographs; what equipment and settings are best to use for outdoor, exterior architecture shoots; the importance of daylight and ND filters, the list could go on.
From all the reading I have done into architectural photography, the most important thing aspect in approaching this type of photography is to spend a lot of time exploring your locations around your subject for the desired angles and perspectives you intend (almost similar to the 'beauty-spots' of landscape photography). If I wanted to create beautiful symmetrical compositions of the geometric shapes and repeated patterns within architectural structures to create visually pleasing images, finding the perfect standpoint, time of day and correct manipulation of equipment will all contribute to the success of my project and this book has really supported me on that front
Slide 9
When I had a more comfortable understanding of how to approach architectural photography, I went out on two separate practice shoots. One around Brighton with my iPhone, simply capturing shots of buildings and that I felt had elements or symmetry and repetition within their construction, and another around walking around central London for 6 hours, toying around with different lens and perspectives of buildings using a DSLR camera and tripod. At the time, I felt that both photoshoots weren't very successful in the content that I captured. But when I reflect on it, it has made me realize the strengths in my project and where to improve.
SHOW IMAGES OF SYMMETRY I HAVE CAPTURE SO FAR
As you can see, I have tried in a majority of my images to capture elements of symmetry in my compositions, but crossing been a full perspective and minimalist approach to the details/subject which I focus my images around. I still am not sure whether to focus on specific shapes and patterns of a building; whether to focus on a specific type or architecture; what connection to make between all the images or whether I capture the whole building or minimalist elements of it..
Slide 8
In regards to the technicalities behind my project, I want to carry out my project using a DSLR, shooting in RAW format to get a vast range of contrast as this is important when shooting architecture for when I want enhance some of the qualities of my photographs in post-production. However, I also recently received an SLR 35mm film camera for my birthday, which I would love to make use of and tie in with my project in some way.
Due to expenses, I want to find architectural structures in places that are close to me, personally and literally, using the same approach of Dirk Bakker by cycling around local cities for different beauty spots.
Slide 23
There are still areas I can consider to research and methods of practice I can carry out to further develop my project and resolve some of the issues attached to it.
- I still need to consider how I want to exhibit my project and whether to use digital, film, or both for my final images.
- I have had friends who are studying architecture related degrees who recommend I look at brutalist architecture in London to help develop my project further.
- I want to visit Kew Gardens and make comparisons between natural and man-made structures that possess symmetrical qualities and see if I still want to focus the theme of symmetry on architecture specifically, or whether to consider natural symmetry too.
- I will tend to always need to use a tripod for architectural shots due to the small aperture and long exposures needed for a crisp and wide depth of field. Therefore, this may limit me in terms of some of the locations I can shoot at as some places may require consent/permission to use a tripod
Slide 10
Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoyed my presentation, any questions on queries you may have about my project, please ask now.
Week 8 - Project Development Notes*
Functional Architecture
In architecture, functionalism is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern architecture. Functionalism had the strongest influence in Germany, Czechoslovakia, the U.S.S.R., and the Netherlands.
The place of functionalism in a building can be said to have three classic goals of architecture. These are:
- 'Utilitas' Translated as commodity, convenience, or utility.
- 'Venustas' Translated as beauty.
- 'Firmitas' Translated as firmness.
Modernism
Popular notions of modern architecture are heavily influenced by the work of the Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier and the German architect Mies van der Rohe. Both were functionalists at least to the extent that their buildings were radical simplifications of previous styles. In 1923 Mies van der Rohe was working in Weimar Germany, and had begun his career of producing radically simplified, lovingly detailed structures that achieved Sullivan's goal of inherent architectural beauty. Le Corbusier famously said "a house is a machine for living in"; his 1923 book Vers une architecture was, and still is, very influential, and his early built work such as the Villa Savoye in Poissy, France, is thought of as prototypically function.
Le Corbusier
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Le-Corbusier
Locations/Recce Notes for Architectural/Symmetry Shoots
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/london-architectural-landmarks#22
Locations/Recce Notes for Architectural/Symmetry Shoots
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/london-architectural-landmarks#22
Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functionalism_(architecture)
2. Vers une Architecture and Villa Savoye: A Comparison of Treatise and Building - A multipart essay explaining the basics of Le Corbusier's theory and contrasting them with his built work.
Tuesday, 1 November 2016
Week 7 - Workshop Notes
Project Proposal in Week 8:
Prepare a presentation about your project so far for next week Thursday.
In next week Tuesday's session, we shall meet in Fulton to watch a presentation.
Presentation Brief:
You are required to give a 5-10 minute presentation outlining your initial project ideas, essentially an early proposal. It should include aspects of Theme, Research and Practice and could address some of these questions below:
Theme: What is it, and what is it about?
Research:
How have you developed initial ideas into this proposal? What have you learned from reading, looking and listening?
Practice: How could you communicate and visualize your ideas? What materials have you produced so far, and how have the processes and results informed you?
Written Work:
Please submit a short written digest of the presentation/proposal, incorporating some of the content above. (250 words)
You should also include a section that addresses perceived strengths and weaknesses of the proposed project in its present its present form. (250 words max)
We are fully expecting your ideas to develop and change after this point, but try to be as definite as possible at this stage; it will help you to focus and form the idea and allow us to provide more targeted feedback.
All of this work and detail should also be included, and expanded, in your journal.
Feedback From My Peers About My Project's Practice Shoots:
- Try cropping down you images, narrow your point of view.- Use a grid live-view when shooting but make sure the corners are perfectly aligned with the structures you are shooting.
- Maybe look into going more minimalist architecture structures such as the tops of buildings or just specific structures.
Other Journal Notes - What Else You Should Include:
Don't throw any work away, treat your journal like a scrap box. Throw everything in it and when it comes closer to the deadline, you can get rid of it then if it's useless.
Treat it as a tool that helps develop my project.
Do not forget to annotate!
Brainstorms, doddles, notes and links to anything you can think of.
Notebooks are a good resource to use, especially when out on shooting.
Lectures will all contribute in some form to your project. Make sure that you try and link it to your own project's development.
Let your other readings inspire you. Think like a detective, and find other readings that inspired the piece your reading so you go even deeper for your project's development.
Use a variety of mediums to learn from - Documentaries, YouTube clips, Social Media and current photographers work.
For myself, research symmetry, repetition, graphic and architectural design. You need to understand the full concept of your project's theme.
Go out to other photography exhibitions, just because the Brighton Biennal is over, do not limit yourself.
Talk to academics on campus! For me, go to the mathematics or architectural departments and go and see them in their office hour. There's no harm running past you project's idea to them and gaining their feedback.
Appendix for your project. You need to make a thorough schedule for your final project. Production timeline. Huge list of what needs to be done and then date it. Ensure it's for next term.
Research on printing, framing/mounting and exhibition.
Tray of water for reflections
____________________________________________________
In our practical session, we all spoke openly and informally about our ideas so far for each of our project's theme.
1. Burning Relationships
- You can experiment in many different ways when you're playing with fire.
- Look at other professionals work such as Rodchenko, who crossed and scribbled out people from his work during Soviet union
- Ethics, do you show the whole face or just part of it or even show them physically in the photographs at all?
- For found imagery, look at the works of Joachim Schmidt
2. Complications in Identity
- Playing with the idea of identity and going against the norms of society.
- Morphing of faces with software and glitch art
3. Mini-figure Models and Environmental Protection
- Make your environments more minimalist as to not distract away from the message you are trying to convey in your images.
- Reminds us of films such as Ant-Man and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
In our practical session, we all spoke openly and informally about our ideas so far for each of our project's theme.
1. Burning Relationships
- You can experiment in many different ways when you're playing with fire.
- Look at other professionals work such as Rodchenko, who crossed and scribbled out people from his work during Soviet union
- Ethics, do you show the whole face or just part of it or even show them physically in the photographs at all?
- For found imagery, look at the works of Joachim Schmidt
2. Complications in Identity
- Playing with the idea of identity and going against the norms of society.
- Morphing of faces with software and glitch art
3. Mini-figure Models and Environmental Protection
- Make your environments more minimalist as to not distract away from the message you are trying to convey in your images.
- Reminds us of films such as Ant-Man and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
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