Jon Baldessari is an American conceptual artist who is known for covering people's faces on his photographs. He has also done work on 'found photography' and appropriated images but he was originally a painter so he merged his photography and painting in his work. He is also interested in language based art which is evident in his projects and I find that the use of language and text in his photography intruiging as not many photographers do that. One of his particular interests is the concept of instructions in photos and he has displayed this through his work as he used specific instructions to produce photos. Like Baldessari, we wrote five instructions to take pictures and then gave them to each other. This challenged each of us by limiting and yet being very specific about what we had to take photos of. Some of Baldessari's most famous pieces are known for him juxtaposing text and the photo by taking the photo out of its context whilst only keeping some letters/words.
His work gives each viewer a different perception and encourages us to look at different elements in his photographs.
His work gives each viewer a different perception and encourages us to look at different elements in his photographs.
Instructions
- Photograph a trail of ants on the pavement
- Photograph a ready salted crisp packet under a tree
- Photograph a train coming into the station while raining
- Photograph a white pigeon in the air
- Photograph a pile of dirty clothes in an unusual place
Evaluation: Today we each wrote down five instructions and then gave the to people. The list that I got is above and felt quite limited as I was following somebody else's instructions to take photos so I had to stick to the instructions. I thought that the first image was hard to find because ants in a trail isn't something that we randomly see all the time. The photos were very specific and I found them quite easy to find and photograph. The photographs came out quite focused but the tree and crisps was hard to photograph as the packet is very small and I couldn’t zoom in otherwise the subjects wouldn’t be seen. If I did these again then I would take the photos in angles that would make them look more ‘aesthetically pleasing’.
Once everybody had taken their instructions photos, we all placed them together in a grid like collage in order to make a photobook of everybody's photos. We had randomly positioned the images together into this grid below:
This is the final collage of our images. We tried to make each photo relevant to the previous one to add a connection between images so they have an 'order'. Everybody collectively agreed on these as the final images. We couldn't keep all so we had to decide on which to keep and so we started to compare similar images and then reduce the amount from there. This part of our collaboration was the best part as we had to agree/disagree on which photos we did(not) want and why. This encouraged me to think more about my decisions and arguments whilst also helping us understand each others reasonings and what images people like/dislike. I was quite happy with our final result because they all have something in common, theres a sequence and all link together. The sequence begins with stairs and finishes with a bird flying in the sky. All of the photos are all linked yet contrasting which is something I really loved about our class collaboration but I would of preferred if there were more images that showcased more of a variety of colours.
Alfred Steiglitz and Georgia O'Keefe
Alfred Steiglitz and Georgia O'Keefe's collaboration lasted over 20 years and they produced over 300 photographs together and they both heavily influenced each others work. In their photos, O'Keefe
Hicham Benohoud
Benohound's famous performance for the camera series: 'La salle de classe' was inspired by his career being an art teacher in a Marrakech school and his approach was based on the idea of staging. He used objects from his classroom to create the performance composition. These images were taken from 1994-2000 and are black and white gelatin photographs. They were evoking the idea of child psychology and creating tension between childish games and symbolic violence which contrast each other. In some images the children act as 'surreal puppets' all in order to be transformed into 'living sculptures'.
In these images, Benohoud refers to confinement and pantomime which are depicted by the bodies of the students appearing 'shackled' and 'bound' and by the absence of windows that can be like a prison. This makes the use of light fundamental in the photos. These images represent the cultural and religious taboos in the Moroccan society which constrain individual behaviour further enforcing the ideas and connotations of prison. Below are some of my favourite photos in his series.
In these images, Benohoud refers to confinement and pantomime which are depicted by the bodies of the students appearing 'shackled' and 'bound' and by the absence of windows that can be like a prison. This makes the use of light fundamental in the photos. These images represent the cultural and religious taboos in the Moroccan society which constrain individual behaviour further enforcing the ideas and connotations of prison. Below are some of my favourite photos in his series.
Performance photos in response to Hicham Benohoud
In response to Hicham Benohoud , we took some performance images of our own, we worked in small groups and used props and different backgrounds to take photos in the style of Benohoud. What I really liked about his work is how he staged it but the lack of facial expressions shown by the students in the photographs made it hard to interpret emotion and made me perceive the meaning of the photos differently to how others perceived it. In my photos, we tried to not show a lot of facial expressions and we did this by either keeping a straight face or using the props to cover our faces.
Our focus for the photoshoot was to create images that had a clear subject which is why we used plain backgrounds and a background that was a contrasting colour to the colour of clothes that we were wearing. We used a variety of different props such as a dome shaped magnifying glass and a perfume bottle.
WWW: The photos of Alice and Maryam that I took came out really well because of the positioning of them and the the movements of the background elements and lighting.
EBI: We took more images in different coloured backgrounds.
EBI: We took more images in different coloured backgrounds.
Broomberg and Chanarin.
Broomberg and Chanarin are two artists who work and live together in London who are most known for their photographic, moving image and performance works that clash with the themes of warfare, surveillance, historical truths and challenging levels of authority. They have had several international exhibitions together which were represented in major private and public collections.
Their project ‘Scarti’ is a photo book of a series of portraits which document twelve gated communities. It took three years to make before it was available in print. It was photographed entirely on 'large format colour negative'. The word 'Scarti' is Italian for scraps and during the production of the book, the scarti were saved and stored by the publisher until his passing in December 2012, which was when the photos were re-discovered. The process of making the final product reflects the infinite repetition possibility of accidental and yet mysterious images.
Their project ‘Scarti’ is a photo book of a series of portraits which document twelve gated communities. It took three years to make before it was available in print. It was photographed entirely on 'large format colour negative'. The word 'Scarti' is Italian for scraps and during the production of the book, the scarti were saved and stored by the publisher until his passing in December 2012, which was when the photos were re-discovered. The process of making the final product reflects the infinite repetition possibility of accidental and yet mysterious images.
The list
- The camera is blind and doesn’t understand the mood. Make an image with your camera of a mood
- Make a portrait of something you love
- Make a portrait of something you hate
- Recreate a dream or a thought in a series of 10 images.
- Create an image you don’t understand and create an image that asks questions
- Make images where the subject is on the edge of the frame and then make images where the subject is outside of the frame
Fictional Character Photographs
Today, we each created a fictional character and wrote about who they are, their age, interests, what genre of photography they do and we wrote a little summary about them . When we were creating our fictional characters, I found it a mix of difficulty and easy because although we had basically no limits on who they could be, but then this was an advantage because it enabled me to think about what genre of photography they specialised in. The profiles then got mixed together and we all got a random fictional character. After, we had to take some images in the style of our given fictional character and took into consideration the aspects of their persona. Here is the 'person' that I got and after are the images I took whilst trying to take on the mentality of the fictional character in order to take photographs relative to who they are and what they do. Even though I took these images, they are the fictional characters photographs and the fictional character is below:
Evaluation: I was really happy with the photographs that I took in relation to my fictional character as I captured a lot of nature which is what the photographer took photos of. I liked the different angles I took photos from and the colours captured. If I did this again, I would take more photos of the wildlife side of nature and take them in different weathers as well as include more of a variety of colours. I felt like the genre of nature was a bit broad so the images I took look quite limited in the aspect of what they are. But I did enjoy this task and I’m happy with the outcome of the photos that I've taken.
Reflecting our mood through photographs
Today we wrote a paragraph about how we were feeling and then had to take photos of our feelings. Mine were rain on surfaces, cold, home, weird, Alice not sitting where she usually does. The task was fairly difficult because its quite challenging to take photographs of moods but once I started taking photos, it was easy to take more . I felt like the rain reflected my mood today so taking the images were slightly easier as I could use the rain in my images to project my moods and feelings. Whilst I was taking the photos, I felt like they did reflect my mood and my feelings. If I was to do it again I would take the images in slightly darker settings to show more negative feelings and use the rain more to my advantage or edit the photos to be monochrome to further express thoughts. I would also take photos in different settings - outside of school so I could use a variety of locations to show my mood. What I like about my photos are how the ones reflecting a more negative mood are more abstract and have less elements in them.
Dream Sequence
I tend to find that I don't usually remember my dreams or I just recall small parts of it which don;t make sense so I found this task quite challenging for me. I decided to recreate my dreams using the small snippets I remember and see if they can merge together to make it one. I took my photos in the style and in response to Gregory Halpern's Confederate Moons which was taken in North and South Carolina during 2017. This series of photos have a dream like atmosphere which made me feel unsure as if I was dreaming - 'dropping the viewers into a kind of hypnagogic consciousness'. Halpern said that his project was based on focusing on the things that 'bind and separate us' and concentrated on the fact that the whole world looks at the sun so his work reflects people and places that are out of sight, that the whole world doesn't look at a lot.
The images give the viewer a sense of confusion if you don't know what they are about as you aren't sure as to what the individuals in the photos are looking at which creates mystery. This is an element that I wanted my series of photos to have - to evoke the people who look at them to feel.
The images give the viewer a sense of confusion if you don't know what they are about as you aren't sure as to what the individuals in the photos are looking at which creates mystery. This is an element that I wanted my series of photos to have - to evoke the people who look at them to feel.
Vadim Levin, Roman Zemlyachev, Igor Smolnikov :
A glance from above, below, inside...
This photobook is a series of photographs taken from three perspectives of the city: above, below and inside of Saint Petersburg which all together make up a ‘3D image of the city life’ including its history though the images of old buildings, courtyards monuments and backstreets of the city. The three parts were released at three different times as they were all part of the same project. The first ‘A glance from above’ was exhibited in the summer of 2016, and the final being released in 2019. The photobook is evidence of the collaboration between three photographers : Vadim Levin, Roman Zemlyachev and Igor Smolnikov.
The courtyards of the city in particular is what symbolises the city in a hidden and informal manner as opposed to the official sightseeing monuments . The above part of the project contains images from the roofs , below is the courtyards and front stairs/backstreets are inside. The distinctive view of the city from the rooftops give those who look at it a panoramic view which I really loved and made me interested in this particular series of photos. Whilst researching, I are across a phrase about this book which can be applicable to any city -‘buildings personify a city’. This is shown in ‘A glance from Above, Below and Inside through the different elements in each photograph of the book. I found that the absence of people in the images made me view the city as deserted and isolated, the clouds hanging above showed the contrast in emotion giving it a slightly gloomy setting. Where the clouds lie changes what parts are emphasised and what are hidden by shadows. What I really liked about these photos is how the light showcases the buildings and brings out the corners, lines on the roofs.
I find that the composition of the photos are very similar because they’re all in monochrome and include similar/familiar elements. The buildings and images are dominated by churches, cathedrals, courtyards which after seeing them numerous times I think the book create a sense if familiarity of the city and made me notice the background components of each image e,g the pipes, windows, buildings that were in construction and this helped me to create an understanding to this photo series.
During my research I was looking at how these photos in a way question the coming times of the city and how this is mirrored in the dynamic composition of the photos -the light laying on specific items, how the angle highlights the individual features of the city which all mesh together.
I chose this photobook because as soon as I started looking through it, the angles the photos are taken from, the skyline photo style really captured my attention and how the windows present in throughout the book are photographed symmetrically and have a mirrored effect when I look at them. These photographs taken show what the city looked like quite a while ago and the city has changed alot since then so the photos from the book can be seen as a contrast to what the city looks like currently. The photos of buildings show so much about the architecture of the city e.g a building which was made that covered as much surface area as possible without obstructing the light or access which I found really intriguing . I hope to develop photos in this style when I take mine.
The courtyards of the city in particular is what symbolises the city in a hidden and informal manner as opposed to the official sightseeing monuments . The above part of the project contains images from the roofs , below is the courtyards and front stairs/backstreets are inside. The distinctive view of the city from the rooftops give those who look at it a panoramic view which I really loved and made me interested in this particular series of photos. Whilst researching, I are across a phrase about this book which can be applicable to any city -‘buildings personify a city’. This is shown in ‘A glance from Above, Below and Inside through the different elements in each photograph of the book. I found that the absence of people in the images made me view the city as deserted and isolated, the clouds hanging above showed the contrast in emotion giving it a slightly gloomy setting. Where the clouds lie changes what parts are emphasised and what are hidden by shadows. What I really liked about these photos is how the light showcases the buildings and brings out the corners, lines on the roofs.
I find that the composition of the photos are very similar because they’re all in monochrome and include similar/familiar elements. The buildings and images are dominated by churches, cathedrals, courtyards which after seeing them numerous times I think the book create a sense if familiarity of the city and made me notice the background components of each image e,g the pipes, windows, buildings that were in construction and this helped me to create an understanding to this photo series.
During my research I was looking at how these photos in a way question the coming times of the city and how this is mirrored in the dynamic composition of the photos -the light laying on specific items, how the angle highlights the individual features of the city which all mesh together.
I chose this photobook because as soon as I started looking through it, the angles the photos are taken from, the skyline photo style really captured my attention and how the windows present in throughout the book are photographed symmetrically and have a mirrored effect when I look at them. These photographs taken show what the city looked like quite a while ago and the city has changed alot since then so the photos from the book can be seen as a contrast to what the city looks like currently. The photos of buildings show so much about the architecture of the city e.g a building which was made that covered as much surface area as possible without obstructing the light or access which I found really intriguing . I hope to develop photos in this style when I take mine.
This is one of my favourite photos from the series because of the shape of the stairs and how it is captured from the bottom of the stairwell. The image is is black and white which makes me question if this stairwell or any of the photos in the book look the same now as they did when the photos were taken. The settings and elements in the images have probably changed which makes me feel nostalgic when looking at these photos - looking at something that used to look like this but probably doesn’t anymore. I really like how the photo captures the pattern of the stair railings and how I can see when they change patter going up the stairs
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Below are some of the first photos that I’ve taken in response to A glance from above,below, inside where I have taken photos of buildings in my community from different angles - looking at them from high up, beside them, inside them and overall I am quite happy with the turnout of the angles and outcome of my photos but as I continue to take photos inspired by Vadim Levin’s work, I will try to use a variety of buildings, maybe landmarks in London and take more photos inside buildings. The images inside the photo book are monochromatic and my photos are in colour so I’ve edited them as well to see how they would look in a black and white format which are under the photos below:
The monochrome version of the photos I've taken have made them look to be more isolated and desolate whereas the originals look have a more warm-tone to them and look more 'alive'. I chose to take my first set of photos in school because there is a lot of stairs, tall buildings to take photos from which I used and took images from different heights. As I continue to take photos in response to Vadim Levin, I will take more photos in different settings, heights, and take them in a more urban setting where you can see the background skyscrapers, buildings, office blocks, so I will go to central London to get the more urban city landscape. Also , I'd like to take my photos at different times - really early when the sky is very bright or very late when the sky is pitch black so the backgrounds of my photos can be varied.
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After experimenting with taking photographs from different heights, I found that I like to take photos from a vantage point - looking down from a height and being able to capture everything below and around. I'm interested in doing this because I'm taking the photos from a different perspective which will allow me to hopefully express how 'buildings personify a city' and looking at a large amount in one photo can show the personality of the city and how people see it - from different perspectives.
Paul Graham
This article relates to me in the way that photography is easy, its all around me all the time and because its everywhere I look it makes me think about what would be a valued photo or which one would matter. This article really relates to me because I tend to overthink a lot, especially when it comes to taking my photographs and choosing which ones I document on my website. I think about which ones I really love and try to makes all my other photographs like that and so I have the same reaction to them. When I overthink, I tend to look back at what I didn't take a photo of and regret not taking it and its all because I overthink and feel like some pictures aren't good enough which results in me not taking as much photographs as I can and should. This is what makes photography difficult for me despite the fact that there are photo opportunities 'everywhere, in every place, all the time' I am always thinking maybe this one isn't worth it.
I can improve my practice by not thinking too much about is this photo going to be worth it and just take a photo if I see an opportunity because I can always not use it in my final piece/set of photographs rather than regretting a good photo opportunity.
I can improve my practice by not thinking too much about is this photo going to be worth it and just take a photo if I see an opportunity because I can always not use it in my final piece/set of photographs rather than regretting a good photo opportunity.
Photo Emulsion workshop
Continuing my project…..
WWW: I am really pleased with my latest set of photos because I took a larger amount than last time and I was also in a place which had a range of heights and levels that I could take my images from. This is reflected in the varying vantage points and shapes in my photos that can be seen through the stairwells. Additionally I like the different tones and colours of the stairs and surroundings which make the photos look 'aesthetically clean' . I achieved the most part of what I aimed to do in this photoshoot which was the height element and shapes in the stairwells. Whilst they are mostly of stairs I am happy with the composition of the photos.
EBI: In my next photoshoot, I would like to take my photos in different settings and with more of a variety of colour which contrasts the 'looking from above, below, inside' photobook. I also need to use my next photoshoot to improve the quality of my images.
EBI: In my next photoshoot, I would like to take my photos in different settings and with more of a variety of colour which contrasts the 'looking from above, below, inside' photobook. I also need to use my next photoshoot to improve the quality of my images.
In this set of photos I've taken this week, I went to the sky garden and I managed to take some really good shots from the heights that I was at. I especially like the ones from below looking up at buildings surrounding me because they add dimension to my images as they are so tall and unique. The view from the sky garden was very impressive and spectacular due to the scape of how much I could see. From 35 floors up, London looked very small and distant and I could see the variety of shapes the buildings had which I found really interesting. In order to refine and make my photos better I need to zoom in a bit more to capture more details from the different vantage points that I am at and this will help my photos look more interesting and intriguing to an audience. Overall, I am really happy with these photographs as I managed to capture a different perspective of my project, one that a lot of people everyday don't really pay attention to or notice. As I have been developing my project I have been thinking about Paul Graham's 'photography is easy, photography is difficult ' and I've noticed that I haven't been overthinking about if this image is worth it or is up to my standards, I have just been taking photos when I get the opportunity and have in the process taken a lot more than when I overthought and my photos have improved due to a slight change to my thought process.
Keld Helmer Petersen
Keld Helmer Peterson is a Danish photographer who received worldwide recognition during the 1940s and 50s following his abstract colour photographs
my response:
Using my photoshopped images, I printed a handful out and then tore/cut pieces of them to make a collage and then scanned them to make a collage and I was really happy with the outcome. I loved how the photos had merged and the torn pieces of paper gave the collage more dimension and added more depth to the images.