The Prompts - Responding to and writing about images "Socio-economics".

This is one of the more complex aspects of photographs that you should aim to address when making sense of them and being that bit more complex increases the chances of you attaining higher grades.

Ways to address this are numerous...

One of the first things you should look at is the relationship between the photographer and the people/situation that they are photographing. Look at all of the clues you have and make a judgement on what you know of the photographer about their socio-economic status or background. Then look at who is being photographed and again make a judgement of their socio-economic status and then look to see if there is a difference and ask yourself if this is relevant or significant?

It may be useful to identify and compare your own socio-economic status and make connections with either the subject or the photographer themselves?

As an example if you look at the work of Joni Sternbach here think about what you know of Surfing already and look at the visual clues in the images.

Think about your own ideas and own life experiences, living conditions and financial status. Are the people in the images the same or similar to you - what things do you share with the people? The very basic questions you should look at, might include questions such as...

Are the people Western or Non-Western?
Are they poor?
Are they comfortable (Financially)?
Are they wealthy?
Are they working class, under-class, middle class or upper-class?

Whatever assumptions you make, you then need to discuss in your work what leads you to believe these assumptions - the visual clues?

Then ask yourself does the photographer share the same lifestyle or values as the people in the images and does this then affect your feelings towards the photographers work or not - does it matter?

In many instances, photography because of the nature of it ... cost/access to equipment and resources is conducted by people that are predominantly middle-class. One of the defining features of being middle class is to be in control of your life to some extent, having excess capital (money) that allows you to be involved in activities such as photography and travel. You might want to discuss how photographers interact and relate to different people from differing socio-economic backgrounds? Looking at the image/s your writing about - how are they are shot and used, are there any observations you can make with regards to whether you feel the subjects in the images are being exploited? Or does the photographer go about their work with a sense of empathy, making the images in such a way that they imbue their subjects with dignity?

Returning to the Joni Sternbach images, with only a few minutes of researching on-line we can establish a number of facts about Sternbach's work ...

1. She is a white middle class American. Things that connote that she is so include the fact that she has a degree and an MA, she makes a comfortable living through making art photographs, which allows her to travel all around the world pursuing this career.

2. The people she photographs for the most part are similarly white middle-class Americans, Australians and English. How do we know they're middle class even though they're almost without clothes on the edge of a beach? Surfing is for the most part a middle-class past time, the surfboards for instance are expensive luxury goods. All of the people in the images look fit and healthy and they live near the beach and again that is a reasonably good indication of wealth combined with all of the other factors.

You therefore have to look at the images used in your research and ask these types of questions and offer responses to them by way of trying to establish what the images are really about. You only need a few lines (As above in italics) or a paragraph that demonstrates that you've considered this aspect of the images in your image analysis.

If that doesn't make sense - what about this...

One way of approaching it is to look at who is being photographed and who the photographer is. Look at the subjects and ascertain what their socio-economic background/status is… Are they from a certain background e.g. Under-class, working class, middle class, upper-middle class or upper-class? Look at the visual clues that might suggest the people’s status. Read the articles that you’ve researched and get some sense if this is an important aspect of the images. Explain how you might have arrived at this assumption or fact.

Then ascertain the photographers background and status, does he/she share their status in anyway, historically did the photographer come from a similar background? Are they the same nationality or ethnicity? Do you think this matters or through your research can you ascertain whether this does matter?

The relationship between the photographer and their subject potentially matters a lot as it may mean the images are shot with a bias? Are the images supportive, derogatory, neutral or condescending explain how and why?

Is it possible for a rich western, middle class white photographers to take images of ethnic, third world, indigenous people and do so in a neutral non-colonial manner? Similar issues can be discussed in terms of men taking pictures of Women, Women taking pictures of men. ­

The Prompts - Responding to and writing about images "Colour".

You have a been issued throughout the year a number of prompt sheets in conjunction with your work. One of the key things you need to do is learn about the work of other photographers through your research. One of the main things you have to do is make sense of the images... analyse and deconstruct them as a part of this process.

Colour

Much of the photography you look at will be designed e.g. the photographer will make conscious decisions about the colour, whether they want the colour to be muted or vibrant, obvious or subtle. In other situations they may not have a great deal of say in the colours that appear in the image whether in foreground or in the background, but colour has the ability to ruin and image or make the image, so is a very important aspect of the image.

When you're looking at the photography that you're researching one of the easier things to discuss in your work and make sense of and critique is the colour. It helps if you have some background knowledge of how colour is used in Art generally and if you're looking at attain high grades it may be worthwhile doing some re-capping on basic principles in painting and colour psychology. Look to at how colour is perceived in other cultures and the significance of colour in other cultures.

Some of the questions you address in your analysis of the images you research might include the following...

If the image is a colour image - consider whether it would be improved by making it black and white? Think about what B&W images convey to the audience - why do people make black and white images or convert colour images to B&W sometimes? This has been discussed earlier in the year during your early visual language lessons.


Double Click this image to watch a short video about the basic principles.

Discuss the colours used in terms of whether they are warm or cold? Is there a reason for using one of the other? Think too about the use of light - has this an overall affect on the colours in the images. Remember light is described in terms of being cold or warm - has the approach the photographer has used included making the images in a certain light in order to create an overall sense that the images are warm or cold - if so why? You could ask 'What if'? Type questions around this aspect of the images in order to take your up a level to include analysis. Looking at the images you're researching if warm or cold light/colour was applied how would this impact on the images?

Remember when you're looking at and discussing these aspects - write about them in terms of what if I applied this or a similar approach to my own work - how would it impact on my work?

Look at your research images and consider whether the photographer has used colour contrast in the images e.g. colours on the opposite sides of the colour wheel together to create an image that has dramatic use of colour that potentially works because of the stark contrast.

Look at the use of colour discord. This is the use of colours that don't work with each other and look wrong in the image. This may be a considered tactic used within the image to draw attention to something or add to the negative feel of the image.

Does the image use colour harmony - a series of colours that are of a similar grouping that work together and are visually pleasing. One of the most frequent used images that exemplifies this is autumnal leaves - combining oranges, reds, browns and yellows.

Look at images and say whether you think the photographer has chosen to saturate the colours if it's significant. Has the saturation been achieved - is it artificially done using post production methods (Photoshop or similar) or has the saturation occurred through the choice of light? 

It may be that when you look at the images, there's little to say about the colours in which case explain why the significance of the colour is limited and move on to the next prompt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFKvdidTVLc


Colour is such an important aspect of images, you do need to consider it's use carefully and the more you discuss it with a sense of real knowledge, the higher grade is likely to be.

Check out this website here and the links at the bottom relating to the connotations of colour http://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-black/.

How to use your research material and write up a response to it.

When you read a Journal/book as part of your research what is it that you should be looking for?

1. The name of a photographer that produces images that interest you for some reason or is directly linked to the theme you're working with or, uses Materials, techniques, processes and equipment in a way that you're interested in.

2. Once you've found something that is interesting (Images) you then have to find out the following by researching...

Watching videos or reading articles.

From this process you need to be looking for information about...

1. Why the images were made 'The basic theme'?
2. How is visual language used - construction of the image?
3. How colour is used?
4. How they're composed?
5. How the light is used?
6. What Materials, techniques, processes & equipment were used?
7. What are the pictures for - where might they appear, how will they be used and what context have they been produced for?
8. What or who are they influenced by?
9. What do they mean - what is it about?

For instance... reading the BJP you might have stumbled upon this article and it may have caught your eye for a number of reasons...

So for instance 1. Basic theme. If we read the first paragraph this information is there... (Under-lined in red here below).

You can't simply copy this as that would be plagiarism, what you have to do is re-write it in your own words, you can reduce the amount of writing or you can add to it, that's up to you. For instance...

Once I’d read the article it became apparent that the images are of small birds that were placed in a pond in his garden. Sira was looking for a ‘personal project’ to work on to develop his photography. He started to shoot the images systematically over a long period of time at different times of the day over periods as long as 10 months.

2. How is visual language used - construction of the image? For this section you have to have read all of the article. You would have also had a go at this in the initial response part of the research process where you'd written about your own understanding of the image - deconstructing it and analysing it before reading about it see here. If you read the whole article the visual language aspect is alluded to towards the end of the interview here...

Again - don't copy this, convert into your own language..

He photographed the birds from above ensuring that they looked small in comparison with the space around them…

 

“I photographed the majority of the birds from above and tried to make the objects appear small in wide surroundings”. Einar Sira; BJP, Issue 2546, Nov 2011, page 65.

 He says that he’s tried to capture the beauty of the subjects and the process of decay in the images. Looking at the images as a collection, there’s definitely to some extent a feeling of continuity and cohesion, the images work as a set, the colours are all very similar as are the compositions and the size of the birds in the frame.

When you use quotes make sure that you highlight the fact that you're quoting. Indent the text and put it in inverted commas and perhaps even use a different colour pen. Also reference the quote (Small text).

3. How is colour used? You would have answered this at the earlier stage when analysing one of the images as a part of your initial response to the images. If you read through the text there is no reference to the use of colour, neither the photographer or the interviewer Gemma Padley make reference to it, but when looking at a the images as a collective as opposed to a single image you might want to add more.

In my initial response I wrote about the fact that the images were dark, cold and blue. With the theme appearing to be something along the line of death, this cold and dark approach potentially suits the theme. Now we see that all of the images are of the same palette and that they harmonise, this helps with the theme and this reinforced by the fact that theme is consistent – small birds decaying. The photographer discusses the light and it appears that he uses daylight predominantly…

 

We can also see in one of the images the reflection of the sky with blue areas and white clouds (Bottom right images). This use of daylight seems to be planned (cold blue light) and the use of the sliver reflector ensures that the colour of the light reflected back into the subject is neutral.

4. How are the images composed
Composition and the way that the subjects are arranged are mentioned in some detail, but it required further research beyond the obvious. A camera is mentioned and it would be useful from a students point of view to look at this camera and understand how it use might affect the image. A search on Google images gives you some indication of what the camera is like and if you were to combine the use of the Google search and then explore the camera in more depth you'll start to understand why the images are square.

The text in the BJP article along with the mention of the camera also features these points...

Your response then might be along the lines of...

A search on Google images using the mention of the camera (Hasselblad HD4 – 50) allows us to see the equipment that Sira has used for this work. Asking the lecturers and seeing the images that accompany the images of the camera on Google, it seems that this camera captures square images and therefore explains the format of the images. This square format allows Sinar to balance the subject in the centre with equal amounts of space around it. He also talks about the separation of the birds from the background, saying in some instances the birds were laid on top of glass above the water and this explains the odd looking image top right. Similarly the bird bottom right appears to have been composed in the same way. All of the images were shot from above, which seems obvious if they’re laid in water, but I guess they may have been composited together digitally, but instead as indicated earlier these were all shot in situ in his garden.

5 How the light is used?
As it should be, there's lots of references to the light for you to refer to and learn from in the article. Any mention of light in such articles is valuable as light is the very essence of photography, so if it is mentioned use it in your research. Write about it in your own terms and see if what you wrote about in your initial response is correct.

With regards the light Sira discusses it in some depth. The project has been shot over a long period of time and he says that the light in Norway is inconsistent and he’s used it in many wqys. He also says that he’s used artificial lighting – torches and diving lights to light some of the features under the water. This isn’t that apparent as all of the images have a similar hue and you would imagine with the use of artificial light especially torches the light temperature would differ from the ambient light created by the daylight, torch-light and most other similar lights having a warm colour cast. Perhaps, the light was filtered to balance with the cold blue Nordic light? Or maybe we’re only presented with images here that were lit by daylight?

 Unusually he also says that he shot a lot of the images at night, possibly because he’s in Norway where over the winter there’s very little daylight. That then reinforces the fact that it could be that he did use a torch with warm light and simply used the correct white balance and made further corrections using Photoshop or similar?

6. What Materials, techniques, processes & equipment were used.
As mentioned earlier, there is some detail about what equipment has been used and as a part of your work you could add images of the equipment and look into some basic details about the equipment. But also write about techniques, processes and materials, you could even draw/sketch an approximation of what you think he may have done using his explanations?

 

Simple ten minute digital project - 3D - David Hockney based project

Joiner Ideas, guidance and links for 'David Hockney 3D Project'.

Within the first year one of the units is around exploring the idea of three dimensional work using photography. At the start of this unit we look at David Hockney. Watch the video below, make notes and focus on what he says about the ideas relating to the 3D aspects of this approach. Use the HTML link from the video and this blog now because you've used it as part of your research.

Also look in your text books I'm pretty certain there's a page in the book Photography the Whole Story.

You will be told to use different types of film as part of the current units you're working on. One of them is ILFORD XP2 which you may be able to buy locally at Boots or Snappy Snaps near the college. Don't leave it though till the last minute start looking now. *Note, XP2 will have to be processed at Snappy Snaps or Boots not here at college. Look at the link above and there's some information you can include in your book along with a lot more detail in the product information link.

The other film you must use is Ilford FP4 + This is a film you can buy in college and will have to process yourself. The processing for this film using Rodinal will be 9 minutes. Ask if you're in doubt.

With one of these film you're strongly advised to shoot a contact sheet joiner...
 
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b8/47/ab/b847abb293b867817fd754b78c24cc99.jpg

I would advise to shoot it in a sequence where you shoot 5 frames per line not six as in this image. Practice it first using your digital camera first...

Again shoot left to right 5 frames at a time gradually working down your subject. You'll need 6 or 7 rows. Then in windows on a PC adjust the view so that it cramps the images so that they line up in rows of 5 and then capture it using print screen and paste into MS Paint to create your digital file.

With all of these tests and trials - write up a plan for the work before you do it and record what materials you're using.

Very Basic stuff in Photoshop

(1). Open Photoshop, go up to the top left hand side and click file - open file - and search for the drive/folder where your images are kept.

(2). One thing that is really important is that you need to keep your original file, so my advice is that if you're playing with Photoshop copy the files that you're going to use and manipulate and put the copies in a new folder.

(3). Having copied the files over to a new folder now click on the file you want to play around with and open it.

(4). Along the top bar on the top left hand side now click 'Image'. A drop-down box appears and about the 2nd option down is the option for 'Adjustments'.

(5). Click on 'Adjustments' and another box appears with several options that you need to explore.



(6). Have a look at the following adjustment tools...

(a). Levels
(b). Curves
(c). Color Balance
(d). Brightness/Contrast
(e). Hue/Saturation
(f). Desaturate

All of these tools affect the colour and the tonality of the images. In some instances where your images are either too dark or too light Levels, curves and brightness/contrast may help to make the images more acceptable.

Color balance and Hue/Saturation all affect the colours in your images and can be used to either dramatically change the colours or correct the colours if they're wrong in some way (Colour cast).

(7). If you like the affect that you're getting with any of these tools, you can save the result once you're happy with it. You should make a note of what it is you've done and how you've done or better still make screen grabs and paste these into a Word File with an explanation of how you've done it and what tools you've used. If you really like the affect that you have used (You should do this for several) go up to the top left hand corner again and click on 'File'.

(8). Select 'Save As' and give the file a new name otherwise you'll 'Over-write' the original file and have to re-copy it from your original file. You could name it using the technique that you've used.

Example of sketchbook work.

Here's an example of how you might choose to put your work together. At our college we suggest either using the traditional sketchbooks or this method using A3 display folders. The current course leader advocates the use of the traditional hard-back A4 sketchbooks.

The next question we're confronted with is "What the hell do I write and what do I put in it"? Another thing that seems to be lost on students is the work rate and how organised you have to be to get the work completed and in your books.

Question... What the hell do I put in my sketchbook?

There's a number of answers to this - one is everything, the other is the stuff you need to meet the assessment criteria. The bottom line is what-ever you do put in your books, whether it be a minimal approach or an everything approach it does have to meet the assessment criteria.

To this end, it is essential that you engage with this aspect of your work and you make sure you know what it is you've got to do - ask the question "What criteria do I have to meet - what exactly do I have to do"? This information will be on your assignment/brief sheet under the section titled "Assessment Criteria". It tends to be a bit 'wordy' so if you don't understand it, ask someone to explain it to you in terms of what you have to do. If in doubt ask.

Work Rate... Fast and efficient, do it as it happens. Use college time to write stuff up, print things off, read the BJP's, stick your work in your book. Do it there an then!
When you're working in the darkroom where you have to wait for things to happen, don't wait around, use this 'dead time' to write up records and explanations of what you're doing.
Do you travel to college by train? Work on the train?
Set aside time to do the work and do it as it happens.
Diary Style. Work on your book as though it's a diary, do a bit every day, write it as a diary.

Page 1. Always ensure that you have a page that identifies your work with contact details for the college in the event that you lose the work. If it gets left on the train or somewhere the chances are someone will return it. Without this page, you may never see the work again and we cannot assess work that we have never seen.

For our current students, the next page may include the work that was produced prior to joining the course - research work using the British Journal of Photography (Images and you're analysis of the work and the accompanying text).

 

The first lesson was the Visual Language work where we explored and shot images of mugshots over two stages. Simply record what you did, what you were thinking and what you understood of the task at that stage using both images and written work. You could include technical details, but the most important aspects are the visual language aspects - the conventions that relate to creating images that look like a classic police mug-shot discussing the complexities involved in making the image.

 




 Once you'd shot the first series the results and conventions were discussed and you went out again and we developed the work further aiming to make the work a more convincing version of the classic mug-shot...

As much as you can you're advised to include sketches and drawings. UAL love sketches and drawings and the more you do the less you'll have to write. There's a balance to be had between how much writing you do and how much you illustrate your learning through the use of images (photography or sketches). Potentially you can write a lot less than the example here, but you then need to use images and sketches far more in the process of evidencing your learning and analysis (See the example at the bottom of this post). 

Listen for suggestions in lessons, if an idea or experiment is suggested, you should grab the opportunity and try it out. In the lesson the lecturer discussed the one-eyed aspects of using lenses at different focal lengths. That was a prompt for you to do additional work that would help you attain the higher grades...

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Research is essential and as you go through this course you'll be directed as to how to go about your research at this stage you need to have completed research in conjunction with your practical work you need to do outside of college. (See your brief 'Sinister'). The research at this stage is being directed in that we're pointing you towards specific artists and resources. In response to the artists you're being directed to look at you need to include images and then start the written content offering your initial response to the work prior to reading and learning about it. Once you've offered your opinion and analysis of the work, you then need to read the accompanying text and then write up a summary of the important aspects that relate to your task. This might look like this...

 



 

 

There are loads of examples of how sketchbooks can be put together and a particularly good resources for exploring how others do it is here

On this website you'll find links to videos such as these and you may find them helpful...