Sunday 30 November 2014
Sunday walk photographing
Despite the tricky weather today, I went out with my camera in search of some beauty. I found trees...
Saturday 29 November 2014
"REELY AND TRULY" by Tyron Lebon
Interesting watch here: "REELY AND TRULY" - A SHORT FILM ON PHOTOGRAPHY
Research Point - socially committed B&W photographers
Do you own research into the work of the socially committed B&W photographers discussed so far.
UK:
1. Exit photography group
The prime project of the group was the previously analysed 'Survival Programmes: In Britain’s Inner Cities' (1982). Nicholas Battye, Paul Trevor and Chris Steele-Perkins focused their interests on such social issues like poverty, unemployment and racism between 1974 and 1979 in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Glasgow and Belfast.
The group was created in 1973 and the same year saw them published 'Down Wapping'. All photographers in the group were interested in social issues in UK, to the extent that the final four photographers decided to attempt the 'Survival Programmes...' with no financial backing, feeling that living on the edge of the poverty would actually provide the most honest account on the social issues they were interested in.
2. Chris Killip
Chris Killip's work focuses on the working class. His images are not only meant to bring attention to the poverty affected areas and the struggling communities, but also to preserve the bit of the old, i.e. his fantastic project 'Skinningrove' (an article and a short movie on this here). He has therefore, except the first years in his carrier working as an assistant to the advertising photographer Adrian Flowers, spent his life on photographing the social issues he felt strong about.
3. Nick Danzinger
His work is mostly based on people living in difficult conditions, often showcasing the most deprived and disadvantaged areas of the world. With 'Danziger’s Britain' he comments on social and political state of Britain, in 'Danziger’s Travels' and 'Danziger’s Adventures' he focuses on places and people in distress around the world.
4. Bill Brandt
Lastly, the very different UK photographer from the artists described above. Brandt was a fantastic surrealist artist (whose work I personally adore), having worked as an assistant for Man Ray in 1920s Paris, but he also created a great body of journalist work in his lifetime. Having started his street photography in Paris, based on his fascination with the work of Eugène Atget, it is his english documents produced later in life that are of a real importance. The English at Home produced in 1936 focuses on the extreme social contrasts prior to the Second World War, 'A Night in London' (1938) "tells the story of a London night, moving between different social classes [http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/bill-brandt-biography/], 'North' focuses on the deteriorating conditions of the north east following the Depression and the closure of ship-building yards.
US:
1. Jacob Riss
Riss was a very dedicated social reformer and social documentary photographer. 'How the Other Half Lives' published in 1890 is considered one of the best works in American photojournalism, the book promoted the positive changes to the social climate on the turn of the century. Jacob Riss was heavily engaged with the social reform all throughout his life, spending twelve years as a police reporter on Manhattan's Lower East Side as well as writing and lecturing on the subject of poverty in the New York.
2. Lewis Hine
One of the most successful photographers in the American history, his photos exposed the child labour scandal and greatly contributed towards the reform movement. He was also interested in the subject of immigration, attempting to portray the dignity of the newcomers. After completing his graduate sociology study he was asked to provide pictures for the Pittsburgh Survey, a six-volume sociological study of conditions in the urban industrial city. Unlike Riss, who portrayed his subjects as helpless victims, Hine wanted to present them with dignity and pride. He carried his child labour focused projects throughout Europe until the 1920. He eventually moved onto capturing more uplifting subjects, concentration on portraying and honouring the American workers, with the most known example documenting the construction of the Empire State Building.
UK:
1. Exit photography group
The prime project of the group was the previously analysed 'Survival Programmes: In Britain’s Inner Cities' (1982). Nicholas Battye, Paul Trevor and Chris Steele-Perkins focused their interests on such social issues like poverty, unemployment and racism between 1974 and 1979 in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Glasgow and Belfast.
The group was created in 1973 and the same year saw them published 'Down Wapping'. All photographers in the group were interested in social issues in UK, to the extent that the final four photographers decided to attempt the 'Survival Programmes...' with no financial backing, feeling that living on the edge of the poverty would actually provide the most honest account on the social issues they were interested in.
2. Chris Killip
Chris Killip's work focuses on the working class. His images are not only meant to bring attention to the poverty affected areas and the struggling communities, but also to preserve the bit of the old, i.e. his fantastic project 'Skinningrove' (an article and a short movie on this here). He has therefore, except the first years in his carrier working as an assistant to the advertising photographer Adrian Flowers, spent his life on photographing the social issues he felt strong about.
3. Nick Danzinger
His work is mostly based on people living in difficult conditions, often showcasing the most deprived and disadvantaged areas of the world. With 'Danziger’s Britain' he comments on social and political state of Britain, in 'Danziger’s Travels' and 'Danziger’s Adventures' he focuses on places and people in distress around the world.
4. Bill Brandt
Lastly, the very different UK photographer from the artists described above. Brandt was a fantastic surrealist artist (whose work I personally adore), having worked as an assistant for Man Ray in 1920s Paris, but he also created a great body of journalist work in his lifetime. Having started his street photography in Paris, based on his fascination with the work of Eugène Atget, it is his english documents produced later in life that are of a real importance. The English at Home produced in 1936 focuses on the extreme social contrasts prior to the Second World War, 'A Night in London' (1938) "tells the story of a London night, moving between different social classes [http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/bill-brandt-biography/], 'North' focuses on the deteriorating conditions of the north east following the Depression and the closure of ship-building yards.
US:
1. Jacob Riss
Riss was a very dedicated social reformer and social documentary photographer. 'How the Other Half Lives' published in 1890 is considered one of the best works in American photojournalism, the book promoted the positive changes to the social climate on the turn of the century. Jacob Riss was heavily engaged with the social reform all throughout his life, spending twelve years as a police reporter on Manhattan's Lower East Side as well as writing and lecturing on the subject of poverty in the New York.
2. Lewis Hine
One of the most successful photographers in the American history, his photos exposed the child labour scandal and greatly contributed towards the reform movement. He was also interested in the subject of immigration, attempting to portray the dignity of the newcomers. After completing his graduate sociology study he was asked to provide pictures for the Pittsburgh Survey, a six-volume sociological study of conditions in the urban industrial city. Unlike Riss, who portrayed his subjects as helpless victims, Hine wanted to present them with dignity and pride. He carried his child labour focused projects throughout Europe until the 1920. He eventually moved onto capturing more uplifting subjects, concentration on portraying and honouring the American workers, with the most known example documenting the construction of the Empire State Building.
Exercise 'Discussing documentary' Maartje van den Heuvel
Author of the essay questions documentary in an art context, she also discusses its origins and its place in todays visual culture.
The essay begins by underling the current climate influencing the development of the documentary form. We are reminded that with the very dominating and influential presence of the still and moving lens based images, documentary today often concentrates on commenting on 'the way that images are dealt with in the media', rather than the reality, like originally set to do.
The classical documentary began its life at around 1900, with such photographers as Jacob Riss and Lewis Hine, who where determined to reform the lives of the lower classes by informing the rest of the world with their images. The FSA project soon followed with a similar desire to comment and promote changes. With such origins documentary photograph carried on in its tradition throughout the most of the century. Fifties and Sixties saw the documentary photographs published in such magazines as Life, Picture Post, Vu, De Spiegel.
Further important influence on the documentary tradition had countries like Russia and Germany and their political reforms. Both, Socialism and Communism saw the photography as a new and pure form, rejecting the traditional medium of painting. Camera was used as a tool supporting the revolution. Photographs were showing the everyday man at work as well as his heroic steps in the name of the revolution. Germany on the other hand saw the use of the camera as a tool of resistance to the occupation, it was also widely used in documenting the country post war.
The documentary photography soon took a very specific shape of a grainy 35mm high contrast b&w image, whilst colour and perfection were reserved for the advertising. First attempts to reveal the manipulative effects of media were seen in the 1970s, when the TV became the important part of an everyday life, with that the colour was also introduced.
The modern developments opened up a new path for documentary photography, which no longer centres itself on showcasing the reality and attempting to promote the changes. Its does also concentrate on such things as advertising and fiction and questions the veracity of the modern world. Such path often allows the documentary photograph an easy access to the art galleries and to the more creative surroundings.
The essay begins by underling the current climate influencing the development of the documentary form. We are reminded that with the very dominating and influential presence of the still and moving lens based images, documentary today often concentrates on commenting on 'the way that images are dealt with in the media', rather than the reality, like originally set to do.
The classical documentary began its life at around 1900, with such photographers as Jacob Riss and Lewis Hine, who where determined to reform the lives of the lower classes by informing the rest of the world with their images. The FSA project soon followed with a similar desire to comment and promote changes. With such origins documentary photograph carried on in its tradition throughout the most of the century. Fifties and Sixties saw the documentary photographs published in such magazines as Life, Picture Post, Vu, De Spiegel.
Further important influence on the documentary tradition had countries like Russia and Germany and their political reforms. Both, Socialism and Communism saw the photography as a new and pure form, rejecting the traditional medium of painting. Camera was used as a tool supporting the revolution. Photographs were showing the everyday man at work as well as his heroic steps in the name of the revolution. Germany on the other hand saw the use of the camera as a tool of resistance to the occupation, it was also widely used in documenting the country post war.
The documentary photography soon took a very specific shape of a grainy 35mm high contrast b&w image, whilst colour and perfection were reserved for the advertising. First attempts to reveal the manipulative effects of media were seen in the 1970s, when the TV became the important part of an everyday life, with that the colour was also introduced.
The modern developments opened up a new path for documentary photography, which no longer centres itself on showcasing the reality and attempting to promote the changes. Its does also concentrate on such things as advertising and fiction and questions the veracity of the modern world. Such path often allows the documentary photograph an easy access to the art galleries and to the more creative surroundings.
Sunday 23 November 2014
Assignment 1 Tutor feedback
Feedback arrived last week, a lot to think about and certainly the comments provided by the tutor will serve as a great push to take the documentary approach more seriously. Unfortunately I feel I must agree with the negative comments. Perhaps my slapdash approach was a result of slightly misunderstanding the topic? I feel like I was unable to produce the honest account of my involvement (or the lack of it) with the local community and therefore I ended up generalising the whole experience. I hope that I may be able to re-select the photographs with this new understanding brought on by the comments, but should this not be a possible I will reshoot this project at a later date concentrating this time on day-to-day activities of Animal Welfare Society.
Just to clarify a couple things:
1. My initial description of the sale stating that people fight for second hand bargains during the Jumble was only meant to describe my previous experience with the sale, this particular Saturday involved my deeper involvement with the event and therefore I wanted to capture this very different, more inside experience.
2. I have a habit of including the logo and my signature on the blog, as the photographs can be simply downloaded off the blog page. I would have obviously submitted the photographs to the tutor without such protection and I shall do that with all future assignments.
3. As per Robert’s comments, I was originally considering to picture the journey of the cake all throughout the day. It seems that perhaps I do have the right ideas, but dismiss them at the last minute.
4. There were no animals present at the Jumble Sale. Animal Welfare Society is an organization concentrating on domestic animals and involves mainly the services of the vet and the kennels, it is run from the town centre and the event of the Jumble Sale is meant to assist in raising funds for them.
It seems that I still have a very graphic approach to taking photographs, perhaps I haven’t yet adjusted myself to thinking in documentary terms. I shall now focus on narrowing my ideas and concentrating on more specific concepts. I am very grateful for this feedback, this is perhaps what I needed to get myself to focus a little more.
Just to clarify a couple things:
1. My initial description of the sale stating that people fight for second hand bargains during the Jumble was only meant to describe my previous experience with the sale, this particular Saturday involved my deeper involvement with the event and therefore I wanted to capture this very different, more inside experience.
2. I have a habit of including the logo and my signature on the blog, as the photographs can be simply downloaded off the blog page. I would have obviously submitted the photographs to the tutor without such protection and I shall do that with all future assignments.
3. As per Robert’s comments, I was originally considering to picture the journey of the cake all throughout the day. It seems that perhaps I do have the right ideas, but dismiss them at the last minute.
4. There were no animals present at the Jumble Sale. Animal Welfare Society is an organization concentrating on domestic animals and involves mainly the services of the vet and the kennels, it is run from the town centre and the event of the Jumble Sale is meant to assist in raising funds for them.
It seems that I still have a very graphic approach to taking photographs, perhaps I haven’t yet adjusted myself to thinking in documentary terms. I shall now focus on narrowing my ideas and concentrating on more specific concepts. I am very grateful for this feedback, this is perhaps what I needed to get myself to focus a little more.
Saturday 22 November 2014
Ashkan Honarvar & Magdalena Franczuk
Beautiful collaboration between polish photographer Magdalena Franczuk and my beloved Ashkan Honarvar.
'Georgia O'Keeffe painting sets auction record for female artist' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30142581)
Isn't this something, last Thursday a floral painting by the late Georgia O'Keeffe sold for $44.4m, setting a new record for the most expensive artwork by a female artist. Full article here.
Wednesday 19 November 2014
Exercise - Survival Programmes
'Exit Photography Group' was created by three British photographers Nicholas Battye, Chris Steele-Perkins and Paul Trevor. Their collaborative photographs from period between 1974 and 1979 were later published in 1982 under the title 'Survival Programmes in Britain's Inner Cities'. Eight magazine published an article based on this work marking its 25th anniversary and uplifting the question on the timeless quality of the issues raised by the photographers.
On the closer analysis of the photographs and the interviews accompanying the photo story, it is sad to say that there has not been many improvements on the social situation of the lower class, often immigrants living in the UK. It seems the only obvious change are the different countries of origins where people came from to Britain. The trend had moved from the Jamaican pickpocketers to Eastern Europeans bag snatchers. I suppose there are not as many riots today as there where in the 70s/80s and there is a visible improvement on general living conditions, but with daily news on the migration increase and benefit cuts are we heading back to a similar climate?
Tuesday 18 November 2014
Exercise - 'Documentary Photography' by Elizabeth McCausland
'Write a short bullet list of McCausland's main points in your learning log. Explain in your own words, in a single paragraph, why this article is relevant to this part of the course.'
- McCausland underlines the different genres of photography - the new world: the documentary photography; and everything before that, the traditional, expressionist photography: surrealism, photo secession and pictorialism. The latter group unfortunately in her opinion utterly useless in the assistance towards any social or economic improvements.
- The old photography is compared to a pretty, subtle country side whilst the new wave of documentary photography is described as a medium that pictures life and excitement, in its pure state, without the need of retouching it.
- The main purpose of the document is to create the awareness, a concern, whilst the photographer task is to use his skills and imagination to 'find the significant truth and give the significant form'.
- The always present question of photography if the medium can be called art is also raised in the article. The writer argues that photography's main task is to be a recording tool, again criticising the turn of the century creative photographers, who were aiming at achieving impressionistic results.
- Should the photography be seen as art, it has the responsibility of having a meaning, it must be able to communicate and speak to the viewer. The lack of communication and understanding seems it is long gone out of fashion.
- The photograph is no longer meant to beautify, it's not meant to improve on reality, it is in fact its responsibility to show the most horror of all truths.
- Lastly, the photographers themselves must have a clear purpose, they must be able to produce work that informs of social issues and makes us aware of the 'civilisation we live in'. Such work presents an actual reason, unlike the work based purely on personal expression.
McCausland in her 1939 article clearly emphases on the importance of a social document. The so called new wave of photographers working with realism covers the decades of a very difficult financial and social climate: 1st World War, Great Depression, the approach of the Second World War. With such photographers as Lewis Hine covering the subject of child labour and programs as Farm Security Administration tackling the issue of poverty during the great depression (with photographers like Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange), camera quickly became the tool of change. The b&w photography became the symbol of an ability to demand an improvement, to open the eyes and request a change to the difficult circumstances. The relevance of this article to this part of the course is therefore based on the emphasis of the importance of documentary photography, which in 1939 was only practiced in b&w (although the experimentation with colour film started years before).
Saturday 8 November 2014
Tuesday 4 November 2014
Embedding a PDF
A helpful tutorial on how to embed PDF files to your Blogger blog using Google My Drive https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/#my-drive
http://www.benschersten.com/blog/2014/04/embedding-a-pdf-from-drive-into-a-blog/
http://www.benschersten.com/blog/2014/04/embedding-a-pdf-from-drive-into-a-blog/
Assignment 1
I have finalised the set of 10 photographs, but still awaiting the delivery of the ink supply. I have also decided to buy more suitable paper, Pictorico Pro is just beautiful, but it does not do the justice to b&w. I have managed to successfully remove the reddish cast from my printed photos and have decided to print from Lightroom, which actually seems to give me enough control over the printing. I have given up Photoshop printing ages ago, as it never really made much sense with my setup, taking into account that I cannot use custom ICC profiles with my printer.
Urszula Jakubowicz
Documentary Photography
Student Number 501113
Assignment One – Local Communities
Produce a small photo essay of 10 images that
demonstrates your engagement with the lives, experiences and histories of your
local community and its people.
To meet the brief of this assignment I
decided to photograph the Alderney Animal Welfare Society Jumble Sale, which aims at raising
funds for this charity based organisation. Although I usually do not get myself
heavily involved with the lives and events of the Island, this subject was the
nearest to my heart and certainly it is the most honest account of my
involvement with the community.
The local
Jumble Sale in itself is quite an exotic event, it is the most bizarre 30
minutes one can experience, usually involving people fighting for second hand
bargains. The event attracts all ages, all classes, people in need of something
to wear, something to read or simply something to do on a Saturday afternoon.
With this set of the photographs I wanted to showcase more than I ever
experienced before during the Jumble Sale, my personal involvement (i.e. providing
a cake for the cake sale), the preparations, the people helping to run the day,
the gossiping, the variety of the characters the event seems to attract and the
general atmosphere of the day. My day started at 10 am and finished at 16 pm,
meaning that I was able to get to know the people involved with the event and
therefore the process of the photographing was a pleasant experience for both,
myself and my subjects.
For the
project I used 23mm f1.4 Fujinon lens on my Fuji X Pro 1 and on camera bounced
Nikon flash to just slightly lift the darker scenes. I chose to use higher ISO
ranging between 1250 and 2500, as the lighting was tricky inside the very
large room. I wanted to keep a larger depth of field and freeze the scenes with
minimal blurring. I aimed to keep my aperture at no larger than f5, f5.6. The
final b&w format was chosen in order to create more cohesive set, allowing
the photographs to flow better.
Sunday 2 November 2014
Halloween
I am not a fan of Halloween, but this scary witch I met today at a friends house had to be acknowledged with a couple of photos! [*cute]
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