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Analysis, Artists References, Instruction, Personal Investigation, Personal Study, Recording, Written Task

Review and Reflection (Moving Forward and my Intentions)

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Now fully underway with my personal investigation, I feel much more secure and comfortable at the position I am at the moment because I have has the chance to fully plan what it is I actually want to do and what it is I want to pursue and how I am actually going to do this. Although photography does till hold elements of spontaneity in that nothing is ever set in stone and happy accidents are very common when creating and editing imagery, I feel as though I can move forward confidently in my processes to gradually become closer and closer tot he point at which I feel comfortable to take my photobook. This is not for another few months however so I feel like I can use my remaining time wisely to create something visually captivating, poetically presented and something that will also challenge my comforts. Over the next month or so I will be pushing myself more and more as I progress sin order for me to benefit form these risks I plan to take. The more I reach outside of comfort bubble, I will be increasing my chances of satisfaction when something pays off and it will open new doors to me when experimenting with new styles of work. I hope to include myself much more in my images because I believe self-portraits can be and are very effective because using yourself, although difficult can be a great way of expressing yourself an telling a narrative. I will be taking inspiration from artist such as Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier for this. As well, I feel that so far in my project looking at the concept of relationships within my family and how attachment and detachment is a paramount reality within my own family, I have mostly, if not solely been photographing what an object is and what it looks like at face value and have not been exploring how something may make me feel and then responding to this in my photographs. Therefore over the next few weeks, when producing images, I will be forcing myself to visually show, for the viewers of my images, what an image is and what it looks like but more importantly, exploring deeper into this and attempting to show a less literal interpretation of this.

I believe that the exhibition, for me personally was a break and a temporary halt in proceedings to allow me stop and think what I now want to do moving forward with my project but because I did not use any imagery from my current work for my personal investigation, I was working  on this in the background. I haven’t really has the chance yet to look at all my images, although from my shoots, I have chosen my final and edited these as I wish, I haven’t been able to thoroughly self-asses my own work because of my focus on getting images ready for the exhibition. Therefore, I will look over my images and try to make observations of what it is I want to do in my current state – I feel like I am temporarily a little lost and need to find my feet again in terms of what to do to progress bit I am happy with what I am doing thus far as it has set me up for the remainder. However, I feel like I can easily set myself too much to do because of al the ideas that are constantly running through my head and must not let this overrun me so it is important that I take a step at a time whilst still challenging myself in my creative processes.

(collection of images already produced)

Lucy cutting Mum’s hair
Hair on the floor

I intend to look at my inspirations closely in order to benefit my own outcomes and will analyse their skills in composing their own images for me to get an idea of how this can be interpreted into my work. Looking at these photographers I have previously analysed will better my understanding of ways I can become more creative and in-turn better my work. The themes of my inspirations work are also similar to mine and so I can derive meanings out of their work to also hopefully give me some ideas on what I can do. For example, I hope to produce a similar family-tree-like presentation of my own family as Rita Puig Serra Costa does at the beginning of her book looking at the loss of her mother. Using thumbnail portraits of my own family members at beginning of my book set-out like a family tree will be perfect to show the idea relationships and connections and the familial bubble/circle. Also, I intend to become more poetic and metaphorical in my work through looking at that of Matt Eich’s project ‘I Love You I’m Leaving’ which also explores how a divorce can be tragic but how you’ve got to stride forward and continue, with your own loved ones, to create your own memories. It also underpins the idea of making you as the photographer the centre point and telling the story from your perspective, which I hope to do more of.

The themes I want to delve deeper into are that of attachment and detachment and the idea of losing an identity, as well as memories of my mum and dad from when I was younger and the fragility of love and growing up which will be explored through my relationships with my girlfriend and my sister.

(collection of images already produced)

Goal at Millbrook Park where Dad and I used to play football on Saturday mornings
Car under its cover

My aim is to also produce imagery that will in-turn eventually work together as whole and as a collective which tells a visual story because this is what I am wary of at the moment and what I am cautious of because my photobook needs to be a story and a journey of how my parents divorce when I was so young has now influenced my upbringing and how I live my onw life in relations to what my mum and dad are now doing with their own lives. I am going to aim to produce images to work as a collective and not in isolation of each other. I will collaborating with my subjects and it is a project that will be something for them to also look back on and appreciate so I want to do this project justice. It encapsulates a subject that is often seen as a taboo – divorce. People feel very wary and awkward to bring this up and talk about it because it involves heartbreak and often hatred for the other half if it was a painful break-up. I want to show it in a more positive light and present myself as the centre of this divorce – not a cause but somebody who has been impacted by this but have not let it affect my life in a way that I have found myself in a position of loneliness and instead, I am surrounded by a more cohesive family. I will also be contrasting events – I will be attempting to show how my mum and ads relationships is similar and different to that of mine and Lucy’s relationships because my mum fell in love at 16 also. As well, I will comparing and contrasting the life of myself at 4 when my parents split to tat of Minnie’s life now – she was also 4 when her mum and dad split, however, for this to be clear, it will be up to the audience’s interpretation of what I show. I will provide the ingredients and it is the viewers choice on how to decode this – an aspect that I enjoy because I do not wish to show direct meanings and present a full dimensional outlook – it will partly fragmented and it is up to the viewer to put it together.

(collection of images already produced)

Mum’s old jewellery (represents herself and my dad)
Tattoo of the same piece of jewellery on my Mum’s ankle
Analysis

Review and Reflect // Body image

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The initial starting focus for my project was to look at certain features of the body that make us who we are, such as our eyes and scars, things that make us unique. I used the photographer Lauren Marek as inspiration for the shoot because I liked her detailed images and the way that she presented them. For the first part of my project on body image I wanted to experiment with different aspects and focus points. I wanted to follow different routes to see which one was the best to focus on for the majority of my project. After experimenting with shoots and edits I wanted to start focusing more on my project to come out with a  final theme.

The idea of the body being “inside out”, is what I plan to try and represent within the shoot.  I also want to experiment with different movements and shapes that we can create with the body. This ideas could represent crumbling, or the exhaustion of the human form. Representing hidden emotions in a physical way is the main aspect of my project, and I plan to research more, and experiment more with this theme.

At some point within my project, I also plan to experiment with the idea of neutrality. I plan to do this by simply painting someone white to symbolize the way some people can feel, invisible and worthless. I want to be creative with my shoots and experiment by using paint too see what images I can capture.

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!