Experiment 1: Instructions for photographing a photograph
Today we were looking at the photobook called 'Evidence' by Mike Mandel and Larry Sultan. Their book was first published in 1977. The slim photobook is a highly influential book in the photography industry. Their images were part of a three year search and experiment when which they looked at files, archives, government agencies, educational institutions and corporations which were at a crossroad of art and photography that were struggling to find mainstream acceptance in the 1970s. They found original photos of which were made as documents, objective records of activities that would evoke confusion and thought to a viewers mind. Because the images in the book were taken out of context, they seem quite enigmatic to the eye and the juxtapositions make the book so much more challenging, frustrating yet fascinating to look at. We had instructions to take photos of some of the images inside the book in different contexts:
- Photograph the photograph so that light is reflected on its surface, partly obscuring the subjectPhotograph the photograph with someone else’s hand (holding, pointing, obscuring etc.)
- Photograph the photograph in an unusual place
- Photograph the photograph inside a book. Consider the relationship between the photograph and the adjacent text/image(s)
- Photocopy the photograph. You may do this in any way you like. Photograph the photocopy.
- Damage/disrupt the photograph in some way. You may use simple tools to help you. Photograph the damaged/disrupted photograph.
- Evidence has many connotations and can be used in various contexts such as in courts, passports, but can also cause false information to be spread by using tools such as photoshop to alter images.
- A photo can be evidence to prove a fact/statement but can also be used to document a process or experiment .
Experiment 2: Sequencing photographs
Today we got into groups of three and the photos we took above were mixed up and we were each given some to arrange . Then we had to merge them together to create a mini photobook. of the selection of photos we were given. We paired the photos up as it would normally be in a photobook and the first image of the next pair had to somehow relate so we were able to get rid of some images if they didn't 'go' with the theme or aesthetic of the previous or following images. In my group, we paired and selected the images based on similar shapes, compositions and objects.
- story being told visually
- context is the most important in photohraphy
- photographs don't always tell the truth, can give false information
Creating a fictional photo story:
Maryam and I created a fictional story about a girl who gets bullied at school which takes a toll on her mental health in quite a big way which makes her try to jump off a building but when she jumps she realises she can fly. In the story photos we found it quite challenging to get a perfect photo of me ‘flying’ and I think if we did this again we would take the photos from different angles that make the storyline clearer to an audience. I found this to be slightly difficult as the fictional story could be about anything. The broadness of the subject meant that I could take photos of anything - it could be about anything which made the task have a level of difficulty.
Homework: Create a story
For our homework we had to make a fictional photo story and document it. I worked with Maryam on Friday afternoon and we came up with the story about a girl meeting a boy and they fall in love but she doesn’t realise the boy is actually her friend's boyfriend. The photo sequence looks more like a film than a photo story but I am still happy with how it turned out.
Behind the curtain…
In todays lesson, we were given these twelve images and I had to create a story using them. I found this a bit challenging at first because I had no idea how to arrange these images to make a story but after a while of rearranging the photos I came up with a story .
A man is on holiday and the snowy road resembles the way to get to his holiday home, he ends up going the wrong way so a man tells him where he has to go. Once he gets to the hotel, it’s quite desolate and empty, not many people are there. Once he gets into his room, there’s not much to it so he walks through and there’s a large curtain covering a doorway. This is when the images change from monotone to coloured. This symbolises a portal like journey/doorway into another city. Once the man goes through the curtain he finds another. house which he goes in due to his curiosity. When inside he sees a man sitting at a desk who is an artist and offers to draw a portrait of the tourist which can be turned into a 3D model of the face. The 3D model is made but to get it, the man has to go down to the basement which is where he gets his 3D portrait.
A man is on holiday and the snowy road resembles the way to get to his holiday home, he ends up going the wrong way so a man tells him where he has to go. Once he gets to the hotel, it’s quite desolate and empty, not many people are there. Once he gets into his room, there’s not much to it so he walks through and there’s a large curtain covering a doorway. This is when the images change from monotone to coloured. This symbolises a portal like journey/doorway into another city. Once the man goes through the curtain he finds another. house which he goes in due to his curiosity. When inside he sees a man sitting at a desk who is an artist and offers to draw a portrait of the tourist which can be turned into a 3D model of the face. The 3D model is made but to get it, the man has to go down to the basement which is where he gets his 3D portrait.
Homework: Woman kills her friend and body is dumped in the woods
The story that I saw on the news was about a woman who killed her friend, beheaded her and then threw the headless corpse into the woods. in my photo story you can see two women arguing and it escalating into one beheading the other. The bowl at the end represents the women throwing away the head of her former friend.
Today we were given this image to annotate with our thoughts and ideas about it. I didn’t know anything about this image so everything I wrote was based on what I saw in the photo. We had prompt questions to help us develop ideas about the image and what it could be about, the purpose of the image. We found lots of connections and elements to the photo which helped me to grasp a slight understanding of the photo.
Jack Latham: Parliament of Owls
The parliament of owls is an investigation into an elite private men’s club “Bohemian Grove” founded in 1972, consisting of elite politicians and businessmen, where the members meet for two weeks every summer and burn a sculpture of a human under a statue of an owl. Jack Latham explores the effects that a vacuum of information can lead to. The appearance of this club has been the topic of numerous conspiracy theories as the participants have been very secretive over what actually goes on in the club. Their symbol of an owl is thought to represent wisdom which is something I like about the project as mnkj. Latham explored how this club has been the cause of so many rumours and theories.
Further, the series follow both people and locations in the area that have either 'fed into 'the rumours or protested it. Jack allows us as the viewer of the photo to come up with our own understanding of the images . I think that the presence of an 'elite' club where only selected people are allowed in amongst them holding power and secrecy about what goes on will encourage people to become curious and want to find out more about the club, the owls and what the elements symbolise. I think that the effect of the photos being monochrome adds a sense a sense of nostalgia even though the images were taken in the late 2010s which was quite recently but the monochrome effect is what drew me to this project. Jack said that he wanted to do something 'visually different' to his previous projects which are in colour and he used the flash when photographing his series to create a project which is cinematic and timeless which in my view only emphasises the nostalgia and gives the idea that there is a hidden meaning to the photos -more than what meets the eye and initial thoughts that come up when first looking at the images.
Here are some of my favourite photos from the series;
Further, the series follow both people and locations in the area that have either 'fed into 'the rumours or protested it. Jack allows us as the viewer of the photo to come up with our own understanding of the images . I think that the presence of an 'elite' club where only selected people are allowed in amongst them holding power and secrecy about what goes on will encourage people to become curious and want to find out more about the club, the owls and what the elements symbolise. I think that the effect of the photos being monochrome adds a sense a sense of nostalgia even though the images were taken in the late 2010s which was quite recently but the monochrome effect is what drew me to this project. Jack said that he wanted to do something 'visually different' to his previous projects which are in colour and he used the flash when photographing his series to create a project which is cinematic and timeless which in my view only emphasises the nostalgia and gives the idea that there is a hidden meaning to the photos -more than what meets the eye and initial thoughts that come up when first looking at the images.
Here are some of my favourite photos from the series;
This photograph is my favourite because these dummies/models are examples of what the club burnt under an owl. I think that the word 'freedom' on one of the figurines maybe means that that's what these men want - that this club they have is a way of releasing their stress and to be in a club with other men who are in the same position helps them to cope and have time away from their everyday life. I also think that the burning of effigy's under an owl is quite confusing but intriguing and I don't really have a clear view as to why and owl is used and the symbolism of it.
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My response to Jack Latham's Parliament of Owls:
In response to Jack Latham’s parliament of owls series, I used something that I have a lot of and a variety of - books , and used them to take photos of like the owls and figures seen in Lathams photos. I used books to take photos of not simply just because I have a large amount of them but because like the owls and burning the effigy’s under the owls symbolises freedom, books in a sense help you escape from reality and diverge into a fictional world - it gives a break from everything happening in your life at that time and distracts me giving a sense of escapism from reality and the stress of everyday life. Books also help widen knowledge of topical issues, language , etc and can be a source of wisdom like the owls presented in the series.
After I took these images, I edited them to be in black and white to imitate Jack Latham and also see what kind of effect it gave the photos. I wanted to see if this colour change gave the photos a different meaning and give them a bit of nostalgia and looked as if it were of the past and has changed today. |
Clocks for seeing:
Anthony Hernandez
Anthony Hernandez's book: 'Forever' is about surviving on the streets in downtown in Los Angeles struggling, homelessness and the difficulty of this. His project showcases homelessness in downtown Los Angeles and his photos are taken in the perspective pf somebody walking past, a street view. This book draws attention to homelessness which has only increased since then all around the world and Hernandez's work brings awareness to this which is ever growing. The photos in this book are all in a square format and the same size making them look uniform and help the photos connect to each other. I find it interesting how the images in his book are zoomed in and I want to zoom into my photos more and have them in the same format so they will look better and the subject will be able to stand out more.
The book is difficult to predict what will be inside. The word ‘forever’ mostly has positive connotations of lasting endlessly but when I opened the book I was surprised that it wasn’t at all what I had thought it would’ve been about. It opened my eyes to struggles that people go through and is a reality for some. Hernandez gives visibility to this component of society and takes his photos from a ‘typical perspective’ and shows more of an overlooked, ‘ordinary’ and deprived life in Los Angeles
The book is difficult to predict what will be inside. The word ‘forever’ mostly has positive connotations of lasting endlessly but when I opened the book I was surprised that it wasn’t at all what I had thought it would’ve been about. It opened my eyes to struggles that people go through and is a reality for some. Hernandez gives visibility to this component of society and takes his photos from a ‘typical perspective’ and shows more of an overlooked, ‘ordinary’ and deprived life in Los Angeles
Photozines
Using the photos I've been taking for my project - taking photos which relate to me, my personality, what I like without lots of images of myself to try and show me and my personality without showing myself. For my project I am taking photos of things that explain the personality of my family, what they like, things they have in their home that communicates to an audience what they are like all without actually showing their faces. This is similar to what Anthony Hernandez did as he documented his life with not many photos of people but it still showcased his life and the struggles he faced daily. In my photos I have tried to capture my personality and that of different members of my family by showing things we have in our houses that showcase what we like which can be an insight of the kind of personalities.