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Contextual Study

CONTEXTUAL STUDY // ETHICS

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Q1: When technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?

Manipulation is accepted in many different forms and styles of photography. Changing the contrast and brightness are the very basics of manipulating photos, but Photoshop and other digital software there is no limit to what you’re able to achieve. Working with styles such as archival photography and landscape photography, need to either adjust the image is still going to be needed. But when working with the style of documentary photography which Steve McCurry shoots, the need for digital manipulation should not be over used and abused. As his work shows the beauty in Eastern countries, but many of his images is not a realist perspective on those countries. In recent months McCurry has been editing different elements such as a “sign post” in the images, and then wrongly adjusting the images which he has then worked hard to achieve. This one fault has then led to further investigation into Steve McCurry’s work. Yet as an audience we are unaware of the intentions of this sign post, McCurry may have been wanting to makes the yellow in the image brighter, as McCurry’s work has always shown and the need to keep his reputation of showing the Eastern countries and beautiful and rich in colour. But this is not the true, using documentary photography should mean you’re capturing events happening there and then, not having staged images, but the need for having perfect, colourful images highlights that appearance is prioritised over the ethics of the images. So manipulation is acceptable if doing certain images which need the digital manipulation due to the vision of that photographer. But the style of work Steve McCurry the least amount of digital manipulation should be used. As his images should reflect a real representation of the place of the image. Using Photoshop to gain that “perfect” and “aesthetically pleasing” images should come second because the photographer should be wanting to show the beauty of lifestyle, culture and lives of the people in these countries. 

 

Q2: With viewers more sophisticated and skeptical than ever before, how can photojournalists and documentary photographers preserve their integrity and maintain trust?

Now with the scandal of one of the best and well established photographers getting criticized for digitally manipulating recent images must have others on edge if they too have edited in such great ways, such as removing a child from and image. Maintaining their reputation, photojournalist and documentary photographers need to stay true to their morals and represent the real world and not a “perfect” world.  Shooting in the Eastern countries such as India, Bangladesh and Thailand all these countries are brutally struck with poverty yet many documentary photographers glamorize those countries which are rich in colour, culture and religion. So by staying true to what they are photographing what their eyes actually see. The risk also of their reputation being at stake can also be a major factor to the change in the way critiques see things. With the need to show genuine documentary images of countries which the Western world is not exposed too, photojournalism and documentary photography can all those to be transported into their world. Yet there is the risk of glamorization of their culture. So maintaining their status as a trusted photographer the ability to present the truth, yet their is always the desire to present this world in colourful light. But realistically it is a beautiful place with different people but their are the real issues which are facing different countries. 

Q3: Who sets the boundaries of what defines photojournalism or documentary ethics?

I think that the founders of documentary photography and photojournalism set the boundaries of what defines ethics or more importantly society and what we consider to be acceptable. i have this belief because they did not have the software that we have today when editing our images and did not have the ability to manipul. Originally if images did not come out perfect photographers would not have had the option to manipulateaspects in that image, due to the software not having the eraser or clone tool. The images were genuine and may of only had the basic adjustments to improve the lighting or to crop the image. Their images would of been able to express the true representation of what is going on in that current event. Documentary is needed to document a event either big or small, so the ability to capture it using the camera, there should be no need to digitally manipulate. 

Contextual Study, Essay writing, Written Task

CONTEXTUAL STUDY // REPRESENTATION

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How is McCurry’s images different compared to Singh in the way that they represent Indian culture? 

Representation is the way in which a particular person or thing is portrayed. therefore in photography the was something is presented is usually down to the artist an how the are capturing the image. Particular subject or focal points in photography are usually seen in different ways as every photographer has a different style and represents what they see it as in their minds eye. Different representations of a person for example can either show them in documentary form where they are being compleatly natural and themselves or can be  fashion photography and the individuals  purpose has now compleately changed as they are being represented in a different light.

India is rich with life, culture and colour. People often think of India as the colourful, scented land of beauty and and wonder and represent it in a positive light, however it can be a place which can be represented quite the opposite if you look past the obvious beauty. Poverty engulfs the country and the rich culture which it once possessed is fading in the fight for survival as the poverty situation does not get any better.  Nonetheless India is  a place of morals in a time of Westernization. A land where humanity presents itself in the most dizzying, creative burst of culture and religions, races and tongues. The oldest civilization, and yet the youngest. The epitome of wisdom and yet modest. A place impossible to not be astonished by. Photographers approaches to the indian culture have varied over the past century. Often showing either the ‘picture perfect’ image of indian vibrancey and traditional ways which make whats seems like the perfect vision or a more realistic style of photojournalism which documents the countries culture in the more naturalistic way. In my opinion there is right or wrong to represent the indian culture unless it is a lie because it depends on what the photographer intends to portray.

Local Indian Photograper Raghubir Singh captures Indian culture as a form of documentation. Singh belongs to a tradition of small-format street photography, pioneered by photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson he developed a certain sophistication to his work where he was able to represent his home land in its natural form. Through travelling around the world with various photographers spending most of his time capturing the indian culture  he built his own style and aesthetic imprint. His images neither sugarcoated the culture nor showed ever aspect of the reality of the culture. The thoughtful composition of his works create natural fluency throughout the images which make them asthetically pleasing however informative in showing the culture of india. In Raghubir Singh’s represents the culture in a realistic light showing the richness of the culture but not in a way that seem overly staged and dramatized. He seems to focus on the method of the decisive moment which was influenced by his time spent with Henri Cartier-Bresson. This is the moment which occurs when the visual and psychological elements of people in a real life scene spontaneously and briefly come together in perfect resonance to express the essence of that situation. This therefore emphasizes that Singh represents India as he sees it in that very moment, he captures the natural beauty of the community and doesn’t attempt to formalise the situation to be something that it is not.

I Raghubir Singh

Steve McCurry represents indian culture in a very different light. His modern and conceptual style of photography highlights the different representation that he shows the indian culture as. Similarly to Singh, he captures everyday moments of india and documents the essence of what makes the country so beautiful, however it can be considered that he over staged and falsifies his images into a way that they do not represent the truth of indian culture.

 

Steve McCurry

In the article “A Too Perfect Picture”  Teju Cole in reference to world known photographer steve McCurrys photographs in a negative light stating that, “The pictures are staged or shot to look as if they were. They are astonishingly boring.” This is a very strong personal opinion, which i myself disagree on, however McCurrys work has been widely criticised for being “too perfect”. Cole highlights that McCurrys iconic images represent Indian culture in a very specific, in almost an exaggerated and falsified manner. He uses bold, vibrant colours with “crisp composition”. Cole goes on to discuss why McCurrys photographs are so popular and he comes to the conclusion that it is due to the fact that his photographs “because they evoke an earlier time in Indian history, as well as old ideas of what photographs of Indians should look like, what the accouterments of their lives should be: umbrellas, looms, sewing machines; not laptops, wireless printers, escalators. ” Cole explores some interesting interpretations of McCurrys work and highlights that the way in which he captures photography may not capture the current culture in India but focus on the old ways of their culture as it produces near to perfect images as they are thoughtfully composed and contain a sense of beauty through the colour and use of wide eyes he captures in his image. His work has been criticized for not portraying the issues of India in the current world and lacking a sense of reality to his imagery.

Nonetheless other articles such as ‘In defense of Steve McCurry‘, argue in defense of his photography, ALLEN MURABAYASHI begins his article with dismissing the accusation that McCurry stages his photographs and goes on to state that he is a talented photography that possess incredible skill in the photographic world to create mesmerizing images which tell true stories. Cole seems to favour Sighn’s photography as he adopts a street photography style documenting everyday life on the street, which to many may seem more natural. However due to McCurrys clever composition and persistence to take around 250,000 images in the course of a 3- month assignment he is able to capture almost perfect images because he spends the time searching for individuals and situations that create beautiful story telling images.

“Cole’s point of view is also a bit of historical criticism with a contemporary lens. McCurry’s Afghan Girl is one of the most iconic and recognizable images of the 20th century. To suggest in the 21st century that it is somehow a vacuous, staged image is spurious. McCurry helped define a style of photojournalistic portraiture that Cole finds objectionable.”

The way a photography may represent a situation, culture, event, individual does not distinguish whether the image is real or has been subject to objectivity. All photographers are evident to some subjectivity as they are placing the camera in a certain position to capture the image they seen in their minds eye. This means that all photographers are going to see subjects in a different manner and therefore are likely to represent them in a different way depending on personal preference. McCurry and Sighn are just two examples of photojournalist who represent indian culture in different ways, neither necessarily fake or untrue but just adopting different styles of photography and exploring different aspects of indian culture.

 

 

Analysis, Essay writing, Reading, Research and analysis

REPRESENTATION, ETHICS AND STANDARDS

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How is McCurry’s images different compared to Singh in the way that they represent Indian culture?

I shall use the example of McCurry who is a documentary photographer but has been criticized for focusing on re-inforcing stereotypes on top of the reality to slant the accuracy of the representation of the photograph and Raghubir Singh who contrasts McCurry in the sense his images depict the realities of his environment.  However arguably both artists are realistic in terms of what they represent as particularly in India there are 2 sides to every coin and McCurry may be accurate in representing the beauty within India however Singha is perhaps more accurate in showing ht eeconomic and cultural hardships within India.

For McCurry

Image result for steve mccurry

Image result for steve mccurry

Steve McCurry (born April 23, 1950) is an American photographer. and has world-renowned success as a documentary photographer, who shoots in more deprived and less economically developed countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.  In doing this Steve McCurry has become very iconic in contemporary photography for more than thirty years, through magazines and books and many exhibitions .  Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; McCurry studied film at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper.  After working as a freelancer photographer, McCurry made his first trip to India.  Travelling with a few clothes and some film, he made his way exploring the country with his camera.  Since then he has worked in photojournalism and editorial and is famous for his 1984 photograph “Afghan Girl”, which originally appeared in National Geographic magazine which is shown below above.  Other examples of his images are included above:

Image result for steve mccurry

This image of an Afghan refugee was published in National Geographic in 1985. The image captured the hearts of many as it caught the the impact of the surrounding context of which many people suffered and struggled so effectively in the photograph which is why it was so heavily publicised.  The context was set around the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan with the subject’s  family being killed and she had to trek as a refugee to a refugee camp.

The girl is the main focal point of the picture.  This is supported by the rule of thirds which her eyes are framed very effectively which this and the fact that the girl’s eyes are so colourful strengthen how effectively the viewer connects the eyes.  The eyes are almost hypnotic and tell a realistic picture as to the struggles the girl has and continues to face up to this point.  The effect on the viewer is we feel sympathetic towards this girl and her struggles and so because we feel so strongly about putting the right into the wrong that is shown through the girl’s eyes, as the viewer we start to examine other details that suggests the girl’s story is not just intriguing from an individual level but on a social level, it reflects the international relations and this impact on the whole of society.  for example interestingly the fact the girl is positioned to the far left third of the photograph and the contrasting red/brown skin and clothe shades that stick out from the green rural environment she is hsot in also reflect the idea that this environment isn’t the natural girl’s and because of this she appears slightly uncomfortable and reflects the journey and trials refugees faced from this war.  Because of this, this suggests McCurray has staged these photographs and has drawn criticism for fabricating/exagerating the truth from how this girl may have been shot in an unstaged shot which would essentially reflect the true horrors that went on in this time period.  I agree that the photographic features limit the usefulness for us in terms of finding out what the struggles of this war was like.  However on the other hand, I believe McCurray despite this has made an effort to at least through the model communicate to us from a personal and opinionated expression of the girl expressing how she feels towards her struggles that exposes more truth than what critics may say.  Many of McCurry’s images also have gone under criticism for this, since the images appear staged and to some portray far from the truth.  However I believe that despite an image being staged, McCurray is skilled at capturing the reality in his staged photographs in that the subject’s facial expression primarily or other composition features often reflect the hardships of a context through subtle but yet powerful techniques.  Even if the image is staged, it represents an accurate truth of the surrounding context that may not be captured as succefully in an unstaged photograph.  this is because by staging a photograph it gives the photographer and subject more freedom and control to express their views on a particuler issue.

I believe similar can be said with McCurry’s image of the Indian train  too.  This is because it may show a romanticized touristic approach to the photograph with slight clues suggesting the photograph was staged.  However in doing this, I would argue that it is irrelevant whether McCurry’s photograph was staged or not because some such as the New York Times may argue this is a slant of the real living truth.  It’s impossible for one photograph to cover the whole spectrum of issues in one country and it is the job of the photographer to focus on one specific issue and communicate that reality as effectively as possible.  By taking an unstaged photograph this is waht your doing, by taking a staged photograph you have the freedom to attempt to include the relative features in order to communicate and express the photographer’s views and feelings.   I believe that likewise the photograph with the train, by staging it it allows McCurry to communicate not just the economic hardships within India, but also the growth in Indian industrial might but also allows us to see the culture that flourishes within India and in doing this, it displays truth not only from  the photographer’s viewpoint but also from a factual one too.  Evidence within the photograph to back this up includes the highly romanticized lighting which compliments not only the abundance and variety of culture within India, but also with the Taj Mahal in the background symbolizing the Country’s rich history which creates depth to the photograph as a basis for the rest of the features in the photograph.  The train storming through resembles the economic and industrial growing might of India that is overlooked when so many photographers focus on the singular issue of poverty and social issues within India.  I like the feature of the train and the Taj Mahal because it not only represents where India has come from, it also emphasizes the idea of where India is going as well.  Finally the idea of having 2 men at the front of the train could symbolize two things.  That India is at the forefrnt of growth in the world as a forward thinking nation, but also the struggles it is and has faced in order to get to where it is and both men represent the poverty that exists amidst India’s economic power house growth.  Therefore in defense of McMurray, I believe that it is unfair to criticism his photographs as they may appear staged, but they represent very strong heartfelt issues from he people’s and subject’s he’s shooting points of view.  Therefore we should take it in our strength as viewer’s to understand what the photographer’s aims are and compare them with our own knowledge to judge a photograph’s accuracy in terms of representation but finally I believe that a photograph can be truthful when staged or unstaged, it is just a matter of method to achieve a similar result.  Obviously staged photographs can be manipulated to convey wrong messages which should be cautioned when viewing these images however staged photographs can be very effective at describing one’s feelings or emotions where an unstaged photograph could easily be taken out of context and easily used for a different purpose that which wasn’t part of the actual reality of the situation.

For Singh

On the other hand, Raghubir Singh is an India photoghraper.  because he is Indian I believe this allows him to see his own country – India from the inside as well as from the outside in how a Westernized individual may see his country.  Singh worked from the late ’60s until his death in 1999, traveling all over India to create a series of powerful books about his homeland. His work shares formal content with McCurry’s: the subcontinental terrain, the eye-popping color, the human presence.  However where these two differ is Singh has what the New York times calls a “democratic eye” where he may take a range of photographs relating to a range of issues whereas McMurry takes a photograph with incluing as many features and messages as possible into a single image.  His images include cities, towns, villages, shops, rivers, worshipers, workers, construction sites, motorbikes, statues, modern furniture, balconies, suits, dresses and turbans/saris.  There is a sense of power in his images but also yet a sense of bluntness and honesty which may be hard to find in Mcmurray’s images which may be fabricated with the photographer’s viewpoint against the real living conditions from the perspective of the ordinary fellow.  Comparitively the image of the people and the road below is very similar to McMurry’s image of the train inthat boh communicate the rapid growth and expansion of India’s industry at the cost of the people on society.  However where McMnurray has focused on portraying these people as being at the forefront of this revolution, Singh has portrayed the people in his images as people who are suffering meanwhile in the background there is wealth which isn’t accessible to most people.  Interestingly McCurry’s image could be criticized for suggesting that the two men  at the front of the train who are also at the forefront of this revolution may suggest how this wealth is only accessible to a small few elite and that he doesn’t cover and ignores the whole spectrum of the cost on society in terms of how this industrial growth is actually damaging for the everyday citizen rather than improving their lives.

The image above is interesting because its bluntness with the broken door is quite intrusive in the sense it appears rather forceful as we feel sort of confined to where wer are and cannot explore much of the photgraph.  This not only represents the roughness and busyness of Indian culture for many which McMurray contrastingly expresses it as very delicate and intricate, but also again the poverty that people live with.  In the image, through the door there is an army commander presumably from the days of British colonial rule.  This image appears like a reference to that and how even today, despite the economic growth, life is still the same for the ordinary folk.  This is because of the forceful door intruding in our faces and hgow we feel confined, it almost symbolizes the idea of a prison and as we look out of the prison door we see a direct link to British colonialism.  What is interesting is Singh has put us Westerners into the seat from which most Indian people sit and view India from and therefore it appears that the purpose of this images is to explicitly convey the hardships and remove the stereotypes from westerners such as McCurry who’s hoping to re enhance these stereotypes through creating highly romanticized images.  By taking these photographs from ground level, we start to see the realities of everyday life for most people and this in turn represents Indian culture in a very different light to McCurry.  Singh is therefore effective at producing images that as ordinary people ourselves, we can relate to and because of this we emphasize and trust them more as truth.  However it can be argued that these images may like with McCurry easily bet taken as truth where actually it is still very possible to manipulate and influence the representation of a photograh that is unstaged.  For example in the image with the door, it could be potentially argued that the strong link back to British colonialism is a strong exaggeration ad that  the India today which is outward looking and prosperous is far better than those days and could be insulting to the people who fought for Indian independance.  Therefore likewise with McCurry, when we see an image it is best to evaluate how well it represents the truth from the fiction and not take an image at face value as gospel as this could potentially affect the accuracy of the representation that the photograph is trying to communicate.

In conclusion, I believe no photograoher is worng, both are choosing to focus on very different aspects of Indian culture which in itself is such as broad term as each individual’s culture is different to another.  Both convey truth in their images using very different techniques to focus on very different themes and therefore no one is correct.

Personal Study

Becoming a Critic

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In preparation for my Personal Study, I am analyzing by comparing and challenging the book productions of former students. The books generically contain photographs in relation to a particular theme which is organised by the school’s Photography Department, as well as entailing an essay based upon the comparison of two photographers and their methods. Key features that must be assessed within the student’s work is the concept, design and narrative of the book in order to comprehend the flow of a photography book, using the knowledge attained in order to understand in which direction I shall head toward.

The book was constructed two years ago by Jemma Hosegood with the title “The Memory Box”, although, this is not clear on the front of the book, a factor I discredit, however, this lack of immediate title does provide some level of ambiguity which is reflective of the discovery of her “Memory Box”. The first image within the book is of the memory box in question which is a colorful and childish object, with the same pattern that covers the outer layer of the book. The black lacquered image that forms the background of every page enhances and juxtaposes with the color on every page and giving more emphasis upon on the memories this photographer is attempting to share. As we move to the next page the image is on the right side of the double page spread and this time we see the contents of the book from an aerial position, like a bird’s eye view. By placing the image on the other side of the page, there is a degree of uncertainty which plays upon the unknown element of this box which pieces together and forms the basis of this project. The photographer reveals objects in the image which she further develops, for instance, the maternity image of the photographer as a baby. This innocence is contrasted with images which entail a more mature, adolescence insight into life as a teenager, for example the blurry photo of an empty bottle of alcohol at what is presumably a house party. The images are accompanied by colorful texts which gives the audience a sense of the photographer’s journey as she moves through her life’s development in a colorful array of images. There is a series of images on one particular double page spread which depict her time at a festival. Although the images are taken on what seems like a disposable camera which would compromise the quality of the image, the photographs are organised neatly despite their varied compositions. A common motif through this photographer’s book is the use of rhetorical questions which coincides with this sense of ambiguity, for example, on the double page spread full of her festival photographs, there is text stating “What have I forgotten?”. As we turn the page, we are reminded of the innocence of the child again which creates this sense of distortion in the photographer’s work, which accompanied with her hazy adolescent images gives me an impression of a confusion in identity. A crucial point to acknowledge is that the images of the baby orientated documents are carefully photographed in a clear manner which are juxtaposed with the blurred disposable camera images.

Overall, I believe this book is a photographic journey which the photographer hosts in order to depict how she started life as a clear and innocent character, however, as she has grown older and entered the adolescent stage of her life, she is struck by distortion whether this come through distortion is alcohol based or whether the photographer is revealing she is unaware of what direction she is now moving in other than the party/ festival scene which seems to unite her and friends rather than the maternal images which unify her and her mother.

The written element of the book is a comparative essay of the work of two photographers and how her work does and does not coincide with the formats discussed. The photographer discusses the work of the two photographers she is studying and suggests how their work is reflective of their own lives, creating this autobiographical sense which forms the basis of her own work. Jemma talks about how Phillip Toledano lost his sister at the very tender age of six and that after his parents had passed, he discovered a box full of images and belongings of his sister. From an outsider’s perspective, this photographers work is very similar to “The Memory Box” which would give Jemma a good platform to work off of as her project is based around the discovery of her own memory box.

 

Artists References, Personal Investigation

Linking Exhibition Finals To Artist Reference

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These are the photographs I chose to be put forward for the photography exhibition. For this part of my project I have used the title ‘Lost Souls’

For this specific group of images I took Liz Steketee as a huge inspiration when I was editing these photographs. Although she does not edit photographs digitally, she does tackle the theme of family and explores removing or blocking objects or people out of the photographs to portray a specific topic or story. This is what I tried to o in my photographs, sticking to the theme of absence and presence. Also looking at the theme of lose in particular, other artists have inspired me for other ideas for my project such as Phillip Toledano- Days with my father and Laia Abril- The Epilogue.

Comparison:

Both of these images include a person, which has been removed from the photograph by covering it in the artists image, it has been covered by white stitches- which almost makes the figure look ghost like, which could suggest the person underneath the stitches are dead or are dying. Similarly, my image uses a black colour overlay to remove my Granddad’s dad to show he is no longer there anymore- meaning he is not in my Granddad’s life. I decided to manipulate this digitally as I wanted it to give the effect of a silhouette to show although he is not here physically, he is still thought about and still remains as a memory in his life. The concept of each of the images, seem to be fairly similar. Both images are also archival images, which are manipulated. This is photographs from the past to show people how they were before- comparing this to how they are now. Liz using all archival images in her work and is known for manipulation.  This is where my initial inspiration came from to stem other ideas for my project work.

When it comes to other inspirations as I have stated before they are  Phillip Toledano- Days with my father and Laia Abril- The Epilogue.

Laia Abril

The Epilogue, follows an American family in the aftermath of losing their daughter to bulimia. She separates the work into sections allowing her to approach different aspects through different platforms, not only in the multiplicity of perspectives but also in a constantly evolving visual stimulation. The book itself is extremely inspirational for my project but in particular a technique she used throughout her project, which was interviewing and connecting this statement to the person in a picture format, which is something I will definitely explore in my project.

I really like this idea as she is voicing the opinions and thoughts of the loved ones, which were around her. This is similar to the idea I have for my photo book. I have conducted several phone interviews to get the thoughts of the people who are close to my granddad, which will be presented in a similar way to this. There will be an image of the person on the left hand side of the book and then a statement compiled from the interview. This is the way I would like it to be presented:

Laia also uses archival images in her project, which is what I will also be doing for my project. I will manipulate some on them, however not all. Laia did not manipulate any of her photographs, they were left how they were. I will include this in my own photo book as well as manipulated archival images to show the theme of loss. Laia too takes on an emotion theme of death and showing archival photographs allows the readers to compare old and new photographs to create an image of what she was like. This again is something I want to get across as I am exploring the theme of change.

Other images in her book are of objects, things that the lady would have used on a daily basis or things that are important to her. For my project I will be photographing objects which are a part of my Granddad daily routine to give people an insight to whats significant or important to my Granddad. This would be things such as his pills, magnifying glass, doctors notes, slippers, his glass eye and their old and new house. In this case she photographed weighing scales and pills etc.  These would have been objects in her life as she would have been obsessed with keeping her weight down. I feel this gives us more of an insight of her life, which I will be doing for my project also.

Phillip Toledano

The project- Days with my father was created after his mum died suddenly on the 4th of September 2006. After she died, Phillip realised how much his mother shielded him from his father’s mental state. He suffers with short-term memory and is ‘often lost.’

Phillip takes documentary photographs of his Dad, this is a photography technique I will be using in my project as I want to document my Granddad’s life, which is what Phillip did for his father. He also takes photographs of his fathers chair and objects, again this is something that he will be using daily. I like the fact the images are documentary, as it naturalistic and therefore it is real and true. I like the way he shows the different emotions of his father as it is raw and feels real, this is what I want my project to bring.

 

Personal Study, Planner & Tracking

Personal Study Planner

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Download Personal Study Planner 2018 and monitor and track on a weekly basis.

What is a Personal Study?

The aim of this unit is to critically investigate, question and challenge a particular style, area or work by artists/ photographer(s) which will inform and develop your own emerging practice as a student of photography. The unit is designed to be an extension of your practical work in your Personal Investigation module where the practical informs and develops the theoretical elements and vice versa of your ongoing project.

Your Personal Study is a written and illustrated dissertation, including a written essay (1000-3000 words) and a photographic body of work (250- 500 photos) with a number of final outcomes produced from your Personal Investigation unit.

This year you have to make a photo book, either online using Blurb or by hand using traditional book binding techniques, which you design to include both your essay and a final selection and sequence of your photographs produced as a response to your chosen theme(s) of FAMILY or ENVIRONMENT

In addition, we are also expecting that those of you who want to go above and beyond to achieve top grades will produce a mini film/ pod cast with sound and images based on the same narrative as above

All your usual research, analysis, planning, recording, experimentation and evaluation will be posted onto your BLOG

What it says in the syllabus (Edexcel)

  • Essential that students build on their prior knowledge and experience developed during the course.
  • Select artists work, methods and art movements appropriate to your previous coursework work as a suitable basis for your study.
  • Investigate a wide range of work and sources.
  • Develop your written dissertation in the light of your chosen focus from the practical part of previous coursework and projects.
  • Establish coherent and sustainable links between your own practical work with that of historical and contemporary reference.
  • Be aware of some of the methods employed by critics and historians within the history of art and photography.
  • Demonstrate a sound understanding of your chosen area of study with appropriate use of critical vocabulary.
  • Show evidence for an ongoing critical and analytical review of your investigation – both your written essay and own practical work in response to research and analysis.
  • Develop a personal and critical enquiry.
  • Culminate in an illustrated written presentation.

How to get started: Link your chosen area of study to your previous work, knowledge and understanding based upon your chosen theme(s) of FAMILY or ENVIRONMENT.

It is expected that you will continue to explore an idea or a project that you have already started in your Personal Investigation module. You have 7 weeks in lessons and over 2 weeks at Christmas to complete your Personal Study including all relevant blog posts and a photo book with your illustrated essay. There is still time for you to make new images and we expect you to complete at least 4-5 new shoots in the next 4-5 weeks.

For further inspirations and starting points see blog post Past Personal Studies from previous students,, including links to photo books and essays.

Here is a link to a range of photo essays by MA Photography students featuring on the BBC Website currently…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-38142496

All other resources, PPTs, Essay tools etc go to:
M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Resources\Personal Study

Week 12: 27 Nov  – 3 Dec

Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus

  • Essential that students build on their prior knowledge and experience developed during the course.

Lesson task: Choose one Personal Study from past students, either from blog post above or photobooks in class. Look through sequence of images carefully and read the essay. Present the study in class and comment on the book’s, concept, design and narrative. Review the essay and comment on its use of critical/ contextual/ historical references, use of direct quotes to form an argument and specialist vocabulary relating to art and photography. Make an assessment using the mark sheet and calculate a grade.

Blog: Produce a number of posts that show evidence of the following:

  1. Review and reflect on your Personal Investigation and write an overview of what you learned and how you intend to develop your Personal Study project. Describe which themes, artists, approaches, skills and photographic processes inspired you the most and why. Include examples of previous work to illustrate your thinking.

Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus

  • Select artists work, methods and art movements appropriate to your previous coursework work as a suitable basis for your study.
  • Investigate a wide range of work and sources.
  1. Artists References: Research artist/photographers, methods and  art movements appropriate to your Personal Study.
  2.  Find at least 3-5 sources (articles, books, blog, website, films etc) about your artists and contextual studies.

Homework – Independent Study:
Begin to read, make notes, identity quotes and comment to construct an argument for/against. Review and reflect on how you intend to respond to their work.

Week 2: 4th – 10th Dec

Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus

  • Establish coherent and sustainable links between your own practical work with that of historical and contemporary reference.
  • Develop your written dissertation in the light of your chosen focus from the practical part of previous coursework and projects.

Blog: Produce a number of posts that show evidence of the following.

  1. Think of a hypothesis and list possible questions.

Here is a list of  possible questions to investigate that may help you.

2. Essay Plan: make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure.

  • Essay question:
  • Opening quote
  • Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
  • Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian. Link to powerpoints about isms andmovements M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Resources\Personal Study
  • Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
  • Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
  • Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
  • Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

3.  Academic sources and use of Quotation and Referencing.

  • Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, video (Youtube).
  • Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
  • It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
  • Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages
  • Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography
  • Use quotes to support or disprove your argument
  • Use quotes to show evidence of reading
  • Use Harvard System of Referencing…see Powerpoint: harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.

Homework – Independent Study:
Complete first shoot during next week!

Week 14, 15 & Christmas Break: 11th Dec – 8th Jan

Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus

  • Show evidence for an on-going critical and analytical review of your investigation – both your written essay and own practical work in response to research and analysis.

Blog: Produce a number of posts that show evidence of the following:

  1. Finish a draft version of your introduction (500 words) and publish on blog by no later than Wed 3 January. Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can use an opening quote that sets the scene. You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study e.g. what and who are you going to investigate. How does this area/ work interest you? What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument? Include 1 or 2 quotes for or against. What links are there with your previous studies? What have you explored so far in your Personal Investigation, or what are you going to photograph? How did or will your work develop. What camera skills, techniques or digital processes in Photoshop have or are you going to experiment with?

2 . Produce a detailed plan of  at least 3-4 photo-shoot for the following month, including Christmas holidays. Produce a photographic response to your investigation in Personal Study.  For example, explore your ideas, plans, narrative and experiment with story-telling approaches, subject-matter, style, form (lighting, composition) or specific skills, techniques, methods influenced by artist-references.

Homework – Independent Study:
 You must conclude at least 2-3 different shoots over Christmas!

 

 

 

 
Analysis, Artists References

mock// Display format

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ARTIST STATEMENT

ESCAPE

The reality of life is that there’s always a time when we distant ourselves from the world. Especially as a child, we try to distort the truth to create a perceived form of what is real. My project ‘Escape’ is based on what reality was like as a child. I decided to take certain aspects of my own childhood to create this collaboration of images. One of the factors that I decided to focus on was the book Alice in Wonderland. The story was told regularly to me, and eventually became burned into my memory. As a child, I always perceived the book as nothing more than a fairy tale, with the character Alice going on Adventures in Wonderland. However, many people started creating their own interpretation on the story, including some aspects of sex and love. What I perceive the story to be about now, is the Character Alice running away from the world. Although Wonderland is part of Alice’s imagination, she sees it to be a physical place where she can escape from reality. As a child, I too often wanted to escape, or disappear. I have focused on this feeling of escaping, and have used the character the Mad Hatter from the Alice in Wonderland book to convey what I wanted to symbolize through the shoot.

EVALUATION

The main aim for the exhibition on Monday 27th November is to  choose a selection of images from the personal project that we are doing at the moment. The project that I am doing is based on the theme of body image. However, I decided to choose a set of images that I had collected from a childhood memory theme. I did this because I hadn’t yet achieved a wide range of images that I would be happy to display to represent my project so far. I was very happy with the collection of images from my childhood memory shoot though, and was happy with the representation that they displayed.

The images that I have chosen for the exhibition are from a project based on Childhood memory. The shoot was inspired by a book that I had read as a child called Alice in Wonderland. The way the images represented the book, and childhood memories worked really well. The images themselves were inspired by tableaux and fashion photography, which I believe can be clearly seen through the set of images. The atmosphere and the hidden story line behind the images create a sense of mystery which is what I wanted to convey. I love the tones and colors clearly shown through the set of images, with the constant theme of wonder and mystery. I am very happy with the way the images are going to be displayed because they flow well together. I have also chosen a wide variation of images, some close up and some full of the wild environment. There is also a wide variation of poses and angles that help to tell the story that I aimed to convey.

The images are set in a distorted form of reality because the main theme for the project is escaping. I am very happy with the outcome of my display for the exhibition because I believe it conveys my idea really well.

Experimentation

mock// experiment

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Once I had edited and decided on the images that I wanted to use to display in the exhibition, I needed to choose a way to display them. I’ve chosen Severn images from a series to show as a collection. I printed the images out in the certain size that I wanted them to be represented in. I then experimented in different formations the images could be displayed in. I had to think about certain aspects that would effect how I would be able ti display my images. Each student has a certain amount if space, so I needed to think about collecting my images together so that they take up the least amount of space. I am happy with each of my outcomes because they all work well in terms of space, and which images work best together.In terms of shaping and angles, I decided that the best way to display the images would be the third one because it looks professional and pleasing to the eye.

The image below is the final chosen layout.

Personal Investigation

Interviews

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I conducted phone interviews with various family members, we discussed my granddad’s physical and mental state, this is to get other peoples point of view of his current situation and how this has affected them personally. I also discussed with them the change in my granddad and what they feel has significantly changed and also their favorite memory of my granddad before the stroke. I had  compiled several structured questions before conducting the interviews , which I asked all family members as well as asking questions in response to their answers to my original questions. His first stroke was in December 2006 and his second stroke was in January in 2008.

I also interviewed my granddad about how he felt about his current situation and how he himself feels it has changed his life. What he felt was the hardest part of his illness and how he feels about having to adapt his life.

These were the results of my interviews, I interviewed 5 people including my Granddad himself.  Of course I asked if this was okay and if they were happy to talk about this with me to then use this for my photography project and all agreed they were happy for me to do so.

My original questions were:

How do you feel the strokes have affected granddad, both physically and mentally?

What are your thoughts on his current situation?

How has this affected you personally?

What was your favourite memory of Granddad and how would you describe him before his strokes?

If you could have summed him up in one word what would it have been?

Results:

MY MUM- Elaine Sutcliffe (his daughter)

How do you feel the strokes have affected granddad, both physically and mentally?

Well, physically he is unable to drive anymore, he doesn’t read as much because of his poor eye sight and although mentally he is still sharp, he struggles with his speech.

What are your thoughts on his current situation?

I feel sorry for him, as he doesn’t live the life he used to. He used to enjoy walking the dog for miles every day and also enjoyed cooking. But can’t do any of these now.

How has this affected you personally?

It has affected me personally in that dad and I had to help financially to buy a bungalow as he couldn’t cope with stairs anymore. However, this was something I was more than happy to do as I knew this would help him and my mum.

What was your favourite memory of Granddad and how would you describe him before his strokes?

Christmas morning- making christmas special even as a  teenager and adult. Getting everyone to wait upstairs to wait to make sure santa had been and gone.

If you could have summed him up in one word what would it have been?

Hero

"HERO"

Physically he is unable to drive anymore, he doesn't read as much because of his poor eye sight and although mentally he is still sharp, he struggles with his speech. I feel sorry for him, as he doesn't live the life he used to. He used to enjoy walking the dog for miles every day and also enjoyed cooking. But can't do any of these now. 

It has affected me personally in that my husband and I had to help financially to buy a bungalow as he couldn't cope with stairs anymore. However, this was something I was more than happy to do as I knew this would help him and my mum.

I can always remember him making christmas mornings so special even as a  teenager and adult. Getting everyone to wait upstairs to wait to make sure santa had been and gone. That is one of my favourite memories.

(Small photo of Christmas)

MY UNCLE– Scott Jackson (his son)

How do you feel the strokes have affected granddad, both physically and mentally?

He struggles to walk long distances and is always in fear of falling, which makes him grip tightly onto banisters. Mentally, he is not as happy as he once was as he had to give up things he used to love.

What are your thoughts on his current situation?

I mean he would never moan about a thing but his current situation is upsetting to see as he is not the person he once was. He used to be the life and soul of the party.

How has this affected you personally?

I used to have a strong bond with my dad, all three of us did. He would always be laughing and joking, messing around. So I guess what I am trying to say is our relationship is a lot more serious and calm, the laughter is what I miss.

What was your favourite memory of Granddad and how would you describe him before his strokes?

My dad used to help run my junior football team, it was something I looked forward to every week and I enjoyed my dad supporting me as well as showing us new skills to use in the football game. He was always so active with all of us, we used to play in the snow in the winter and build snowmen, this is what comes to mind when I think of my childhood.

If you could have summed him up in one word what would it have been?

Legend

"LEGEND"

My dad struggles to walk long distances and is always in fear of falling, which makes him grip tightly onto banisters. Mentally, he is not as happy as he once was as he had to give up things he used to love. I mean he would never moan about a thing but his current situation is upsetting to see as he is not the person he once was. He used to be the life and soul of the party.

I used to have a strong bond with my dad, all three of us did. He would always be laughing and joking, messing around. So I guess our relationship is a lot more serious now after his strokes, the laughter is what I miss.

My dad used to help run my junior football team, it was something I looked forward to every week and I enjoyed my dad supporting me as well as showing us new skills to use in the football game. He was always so active with all of us, we used to play in the snow in the winter and build snowmen, this is what comes to mind when I think of my childhood.

(Small photo of him in the snow)

MY UNCLE- Graeme Jackson (his son)

How do you feel the strokes have affected granddad, both physically and mentally?

Mentally, he has given up. He does make me laugh because he’s been saying for years that he hasn’t got long left but will have reached 80 in a few weeks.

What are your thoughts on his current situation?

As I said before he’s given up, he is ready to go now even though everyone around him doesn’t want to let him go, he doesn’t want to be here anymore. I know he feels all my mum does is care for him and feels that has become her life.

How has this affected you personally?

I mean, its heartbreaking seeing him living the way he is, he can’t do anything he used to love doing and its devastating watching him deteriorate.

What was your favourite memory of Granddad and how would you describe him before his strokes?

My Favourite memory of my dad has got to be when he brought our childhood dog home, Bess. We begged for a dog for so long and this one day he came home with a dog, Bess was a huge part of his life and she brought the family a lot of happiness.

If you could have summed him up in one word what would it have been?

Brave

"BRAVE"

Mentally, he has given up. He does make me laugh because he's been saying for years that he hasn't got long left but will have reached eighty in a few weeks. But, he is ready to go now even though everyone around him doesn't want to let him go, he doesn't want to be here anymore. I know he feels all my mum does is care for him and feels that has become her life.

Its heartbreaking seeing him living the way he is, he can't do anything he used to love doing and its devastating watching him deteriorate.

My Favourite memory of my dad has got to be when he brought our childhood dog home, Bess. We begged for a dog for so long and this one day he came home with a dog, Bess was a huge part of his life and she brought the family a lot of happiness. 

(Small photo of him and bess)

MY GRAN- Andreina  Jackson (his wife)

How do you feel the strokes have affected granddad, both physically and mentally?

Oh gosh, it’s changed him dramatically! Physically he can hardly move or do anything for himself anymore, which is painful to witness as he used to be so independent. Mentally, he gets confused often and forgets a lot, which is something he would never have done before.

What are your thoughts on his current situation?

It’s hard to watch him fade away, I find it hard to talk to him about the past as I feel it upsets him to think about how he used to be and comparing it to how he is now. This shouldn’t have happened to my Jim, he is too good.

How has this affected you personally?

Personally, I have to care for him now, almost acting like his nurse and have been for almost 12 years. I don’t mind looking after him, but I feel like I have lost my freedom to do things for myself, without worrying about Jim.

What was your favourite memory of Granddad and how would you describe him before his strokes?

My favourite memory, umm there is so many! But it has to be our wedding definitely. Seeing my husband to be look at me with pure love, he looked gorgeous I can’t explain how excited I was to spend the rest of my life with this man. I was and still am in love with this man.

If you could have summed him up in one word what would it have been?

Precious

"PRECIOUS"

It's changed him dramatically! Physically he can hardly move or do anything for himself anymore, which is painful to witness as he used to be so independent. Mentally, he gets confused often and forgets a lot, which is something he would never have done before.It's hard to watch him fade away, I find it hard to talk to him about the past as I feel it upsets him to think about how he used to be and comparing it to how he is now. This shouldn't have happened to my Jim, he is too good. 

Personally, I have to care for him now, almost acting like his nurse and have been for almost 12 years. I don't mind looking after him, but I feel like I have lost my freedom to do things for myself, without worrying about Jim. 

My favourite memory, there is so many! But it has to be our wedding definitely. Seeing my husband to be look at me with pure love, he looked gorgeous I can't explain how excited I was to spend the rest of my life with this man. I was and still am in love with this man.

MY GRANDDAD- Jimmy Jackson

How do you feel the strokes have affected you, both physically and mentally?

Honestly, I can hardly move. I’m in so much pain all the time and this drains me mentally. I have my low days, where I wish it would all just go away but I’ve lived a great life and I can never forget that.

What would you say the hardest part of all of this has been?

The hardest part for me, would have to be losing my eye. It was taken out as I had lost sight in it and I had regular pain behind my eye socket. This was supposed to stop the pain but it didn’t… now I get infections in my eye, which is extremely painful. Not being able to see is sometimes terrifying.

I understand you have lost some aspects of your left, What do you miss the most?

I miss being independent, I used to do everything for myself and my family. This was when I was at my happiest. I miss being capable to do things for myself, now I don’t feel I am living, depending on Andreina, which is something I never really used to do.

What gets you through the hard times?

The fact I have a good life before all of this is what gets me through my hard times, having all the family support is overwhelming.

What made you so determined to walk, talk and feel again as you lost all of these after your second stroke?

I was determined to learn to walk,talk and feel again because I couldn’t live my life in a wheelchair. I was too independent to have all of that taken away from me. I am blessed to have been able to learn to do these basic things again as many give up and don’t have the motivation to do so. This motivation came from my family.

How do you feel about getting to 80?

I should have died a long time ago, the fact I have got to eighty is mind blowing but i’m ready to go now, I feel it is my time to go.

"I should have died a long time ago, the fact I have got to eighty is mind blowing but i'm ready to go now, I feel it is my time to go."

I can hardly move. I'm in so much pain all the time and this drains me mentally. I have my low days, where I wish it would all just go away but I've lived a great life and I can never forget that.

The hardest part for me, would have to be losing my eye. It was taken out as I had lost sight in it and I had regular pain behind my eye socket. This was supposed to stop the pain but it didn't... now I get infections in my eye, which is extremely painful. Not being able to see is sometimes terrifying. 

I miss being independent, I used to do everything for myself and my family. This was when I was at my happiest. I miss being capable to do things for myself, now I don't feel I am living, depending on Andreina, which is something I never really used to do. But, the fact I have a good life before all of this is what gets me through my hard times, having all the family support is overwhelming.

I was determined to learn to walk,talk and feel again when I lost the ability to do so because I couldn't live my life in a wheelchair. I was too independent to have all of that taken away from me. I am blessed to have been able to learn to do these basic things again as many give up and don't have the motivation to do so. This motivation came from my family.

These are to go along side a portrait of each of these family members to express what they think and feel about his illness. This will be presented in my final book. I also interviewed some of my cousins but they did not take the topic seriously and therefore, I did not use it. For these portraits, I will take them on a plain background- Making them all the same. A studio-based portrait is what I will be going for. They will be framed the same, just photographing the head and shoulders, keeping this consistent throughout each shoot. I will be exploring different angles of the subjects face to see what works and is successful in each portrait.