Imaginary Landscape in Photoshop

In order to get this image i used some tools in Photoshop. I thought that photograph can be more eye-catching if i create contrast by adding more warm tints to sky as ground is an example of cold shades. Naturally, i found how to modify certain parts of digital-capture on University Website. Although there were more tutorials about combinations of some objects from different pictures in generation of new one when i tried, it did not work well as one imaginary landscape. So i stopped at image shown below where i selected sky and modified its color. 

Reference:

https://studydirect.sussex.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=21542&topic=7 (Accessed: 3 April 2015)

Project Development: Mind Map/ Research on the theme and Conceptual Exploration

 Mind Map

Research on the theme and Conceptual Exploration

‘I attempt, through much of my work, to animate all things - even so-called 'inanimate' objects - with the spirit of man. I have come, by degrees, to realize that this extremely animistic projection rises, ultimately, from my profound fear and disquiet over the accelerating mechanization of man's life. The creative photographer imparts humanity to the inhuman world around him’ (Clarence John Laughlin, cited in Tudge, 1999, p. 162). 

I like this citation because it totally reflects on what i attempt to achieve in my project. I want nature, particularly trees, will be seen as something alive that has its strong power to resist destruction, which is so common in our world. 

As a matter of fact, photographers seek out landscapes in which human activities are devoted to technological development and Industrial Capitalism (Deriu et all, 2014). Because of this, as a part of my research i intend to go to the building work to observe how things are going on there and what i can depict for the project.

Reference:

Deriu, D., Kamvasinou, K. and Shinkle, E. (2014). Emerging Landscapes. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

Tudge, C. (1999) 'Planet (Photography, ecology, world culture)', Index on Censorship, 28 (6), pp. 162-181. [online] Available at: http://ioc.sagepub.com/content/28/6/162

Presentation 4: Circulation and Authorship of the photo-image/ Analog to digital: The Indexical Function of Photographic Images

Well, today i presented on the topic of image circulation. The main difficulty which i found in generation this presentation was that all discussed photographers have absolutely different style and were hardly connected with each other, despite the fact overall it was all about pop culture. Then, the biggest concern the class had and asked was if it is right to take somebody's work and by adding new elements presented as own production. Naturally, my opinion is that it is important to mention and reference artists that aspire you and whose masterpieces you take as a basis.  

Project Development: Experimental exploration and Test shoots

Currently i start researching for my final project. The topic that was selected by me touches the environmental problems. In particular, how nature can resist to modern development of the city. For example, many roads require repair for many times per year. When i was in Brighton i could find constructions where a great variety of builders work. Specifically, there was a road that was extremely destroyed. And the cause for that is the strength of nature, its eternity, which cannot be compared with objects of contemporary world that are not everlasting and demand regular maintenance.

I think the image below can be more strong if there are no transports, in particular bus and car, because they distract attention and do not give viewers to continue invisible line in the form of road.

As for these 3 photographs, they in depth reflect on the theme i would like to develop but they are too static and more likely to give background of the place rather than attract spectators and make them question resistance of the nature.

Contact sheet of all images:

Presentation 5: Ubiquitous photography and WEB 2.0 platform/ Dijck: The Culture of Connectivity (Annotation)

Without no doubt, digital age has changed and transformed the way how individuals use media. Due to such social networks as Flickr, Instagram and so on, perspectives of diverse people can be easily accessed by everyone. So the world is seen differently and many-sided. The point which was underlined by Dijck in the 'Culture of Connectivity' is that digital age has made possible and desirable construction of memories, which break boundaries between past and present as well as between members of various societies. Besides, digital gadgets/platforms help to express creativity and develop own aesthetics by using found materials on the Internet as a basis. 'Suns from flickr' which was produced By Umbrico in fact combines the points that i discussed as she used around 6,ooo photographs of sunsets, which were taken by random humans and published in Flickr. The author combined the images of similar natural scenes to make them look like pixels (her way of seeing is generated despite the fact other digital-captures were chosen for-granted) and show 1 picture (look like painting). Such method of works let ordinary person to show its personality by being special and creative.Moreover, connection with others is built as search in Flick was applied.

Penelope Umbrico, Suns from Flickr, 2009

Reference:

Dijck, J. (2010). Flickr and the culture of connectivity: SHARING views, experiences, memories. Memory Studies, 4(4), pp.401-415.

Experiments with Detabending and glitches

In today's class we practiced a little with digital application. These examples that were created in different programs. In fact, it was complicated to understand how to deal with effects and with which formats to work and how upload the photograph. But due to class, i got some awareness in which way programs function and next time it will be easily to modify if it is necessary. Indeed, i found that images can be changed in a more creative way and meaning, which i would like to emphasize, can be brought without difficulties to spectators. 

Presentations 2 :Gender, Gaze, Otherness

To start with, on this week such topics as 'otherness' and 'cultural imaginaries&landscape photography' were discussed. Indeed, both these themes are highly crucial in terms of tendencies of today's world. Like, the issue of otherness is important to consider and represent since there are people, who feel that they are like freaks and hardly can be a part of community. As a matter of fact, society must care about each member (not push individuals off if they have special peculiarities). There are great number of photographers, who would like to touch the problem. I found really inspirational images that were produced by Diana Arbus since social meaning of her digital-captures to depict marginalized people as normal. And i think if there are more artists who want to portray individuals, who are different like they are ordinary, the problem will being gradually solved.

Experiments with flash

In today's class i was practicing with use of flash. The one thing, which i found right away, is that flash equipment makes camera extremely heavy and without tripod it is complicated to focus on object especially while produce vertical images(portraits).So if i decide to create set of pictures with flash i should bring additional outfit as well. In fact, what i noticed definitely useful, is that even in a dark room without any light photos look clear. Therefore as a photographer i can benefit from using supplementary illumination in case of shooting at night, for example.

There are some digital-captures, which were generated with flash and selected as the best because of the quality, lighting,composition and contact with photographer.

Contact sheet of all images: