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: 

Basics Photography : Light & Burgin: Thinking Photography (Annotation)

This week key reading(Basics Photography : Light & Thinking Photography, Photography, Phantasy, Function ) touches a range of important issues related to photography, precisely point of view, lighting and ,certainly, how images can create narrative and representation.

'In photography there are old points-of-view, the point of view of a person who stands on the earth and looks straight ahead ,or, as I call it, the 'navel photo', with the camera resting on the stomach. I am fighting against this point-of-view and will carry on fighting for photography from all positions other than the 'navel position', so long as they remain unrecognized. The most interesting angles at present are those from 'top to bottom' and 'from bottom to top' and there is much work to be done in this field.' (Rodchenko, 1928, cited in Burgin, 1982, p. 177) This quotation directs me on thought to produce some images for project with low-angle perspective to show predominance of nature.

'Society is ordered on the basis of what it holds to be true; truth does not stand outside discourse, waiting to be 'expressed' by it; truth is produced by material forms of discourse inscribed in concrete practices.’ (Burgin, 1982, p.214). So the point is that representational practices, including photography, form an integrated specular regime. It influences on how people behave. Therefore, the aim of photographer to make people think about concerns and things that they have a little thought before. In other words,image has to tell a story if it works as art. 

Lastly,  as it was mentioned in first posts photography means play with light. The reading (Basics Photography : Light) was focused on work with flash. 'The most natural light, free of harsh shadows and unpleasant hotspots or highlights, is flash that is both bounced and diffused' (p.96). However, i think i should be extremely careful with exposure as it works correctly just for certain distance. Anyway, i am going to experiment a lot with with flash lighting to find suitable balance.

Reference:

Burgin, V. (1982). Thinking photography. London: Macmillan.

Prakel, D. (2007). Lighting. Lausanne: AVA Academia.

Shop task

For this task with my group mate i was supposed to produce photographs inside shop and choose 5 of them that i consider successful. The first thing, which i would like to mention, is that this exercise was quite complicated to do as it was necessary to communicate with strangers and ask their permission to make images. More than that, i need try to make these people relax and just enjoy the moment in order to reach wanted result. In the end of the shooting, i was so proud of myself that i could overcome all fears and find a contact with the models. This task helped me to develop my camera skills and confidence in interaction with others.

The most amazing thing about these pictures is that a woman smiles and looks directly in the camera. So eye connection with photographer is found and it makes spectator feel joy and calmness of the model. Then, i edited lighting a little (add some warm colors) in both digital captures to emphasize cosiness and uniqueness of the cafe.

As for these images, they were made in Bramber House. If take 3 of them together, they create narrative of a place and representation of relationship between people. On the first one, different kinds of containers with food were shown (like establishing shot). On second one, interaction of customers can be seen (both of them want to help consumer). And on the last one, there is a girl who has just performed her job successfully. She smiles and looks really natural. There is a feeling that she enjoys her life and is ready to treat positively and politely all customers.Indeed, i need to use such strategy in my project. To put it differently, there should be connection between all photos so as to viewers can get desired meaning. Also, 2 last photos have clear focus of interest (customers) and blurred environment. That was applied in Photoshop to underline what is really important in the image and what is not.

Stanmer Park + contact sheet

To start with, several weeks ago with group i went to take images of landscapes in Stanmer Park. The task was seemed to be quite important for me as the theme of the project i am going to do is related to environmental issues. Few images that can be used for realization of my future ideas and demonstration of my improved camera skills were selected.

The pictures below show the beauty, strength and freedom of nature. Although it is not strongly visible but in the composition some buildings (sport complex on first one and church on the second one) were framed. The meaning is that even in a quite rural areas full of pictorial panoramas there are constructions that destroyed environment, thereby impair ecological conditions.

As for this digital capture, i really enjoy composition that locate clock proportionally in the middle. As well, i found light colors are really nice.

The reason why i chose these 2 photos is that such green colors of grass seem really saturated. That attracts  attention of audiece and make them explore image in details. Moreover, on first picture meandering branches draw a road for spectators and influence on their imagination. As for second one, i like blurred background and clear focus of interest. 

Contact sheet of all images