25.8.13 - Reading for Assignment 5: Narrative and Illustration
There is a section in the chapter 'Surveyors and Surveyed' in 'Photography: A critical introduction' in which, under the title 'The real and the digital', pp 73 - 75, there is discussion about how images can be manipulated. An article in the 'Telegraph Magazine', 17.8.13., pp 24- 33, entitled 'A life in conflict', about the work of Don McCullin, covers the same issue of photographic manipulation. Referring to a photograph subtitled 'a dead North Vietnamese soldier, Tet Offensive, February 1968, it says:
McCullin doesn't exploit people, and he doesn't manipulate things to create images. Except once. In 1968 he came across a dead Vietnamese soldier. He says:
"I saw his body being looted, picked over by these Americans, who called him a gook, and when they kicked his stuff away and left, I thought, no, this not right, I'm going to say something. I'm going to speak for this dead soldier... these Vietnamese boys came all the way from Hanoi wearing shoes made from rubber tyres and carrying small sacks of rice and pathetic little pictures of their wives and families. You have to respect them.
McCullin arranged the soldier's possessions next to his corpse and shot the picture.
As I read these lines, I wonder why they resonate so. I guess it's connected to a desire to try and take a reasonable photograph from the outset and not have to rely on masses of digital enhancements. My biggest indulgence, at the moment, is cropping. I want to really learn step by step how to use the features of an editing suite in a calm and measured way.
16.8.13 - Reading for Assignment 5: Narrative and Illustration
I have just been looking through Reuters 'Our World Now', Thames and Hudson, 2013. I do this to see examples of 'narrative and illustration' in the context of documentary photography. It's like being hit with a photographic baseball bat...
I have also started reading Here I Am: The story of Tim Hetherington, war photographer by Huffman, Alan (2 May 2013). This is to enter the world of a photojournalist. Out of respect to the subject of this book I should purchase a copy of his Long Story Bit by Bit - Liberia Retold by Tim Hetherington (14 May 2009)
15.8.13 - Reading for Assignment 5: Narrative and Illustration
There is a section in the chapter 'Surveyors and Surveyed' in 'Photography: A critical introduction' in which, under the title 'The real and the digital', pp 73 - 75, there is discussion about how images can be manipulated. An article in the 'Telegraph Magazine', 17.8.13., pp 24- 33, entitled 'A life in conflict', about the work of Don McCullin, covers the same issue of photographic manipulation. Referring to a photograph subtitled 'a dead North Vietnamese soldier, Tet Offensive, February 1968, it says:
McCullin doesn't exploit people, and he doesn't manipulate things to create images. Except once. In 1968 he came across a dead Vietnamese soldier. He says:
"I saw his body being looted, picked over by these Americans, who called him a gook, and when they kicked his stuff away and left, I thought, no, this not right, I'm going to say something. I'm going to speak for this dead soldier... these Vietnamese boys came all the way from Hanoi wearing shoes made from rubber tyres and carrying small sacks of rice and pathetic little pictures of their wives and families. You have to respect them.
McCullin arranged the soldier's possessions next to his corpse and shot the picture.
As I read these lines, I wonder why they resonate so. I guess it's connected to a desire to try and take a reasonable photograph from the outset and not have to rely on masses of digital enhancements. My biggest indulgence, at the moment, is cropping. I want to really learn step by step how to use the features of an editing suite in a calm and measured way.
16.8.13 - Reading for Assignment 5: Narrative and Illustration
I have just been looking through Reuters 'Our World Now', Thames and Hudson, 2013. I do this to see examples of 'narrative and illustration' in the context of documentary photography. It's like being hit with a photographic baseball bat...
I have also started reading Here I Am: The story of Tim Hetherington, war photographer by Huffman, Alan (2 May 2013). This is to enter the world of a photojournalist. Out of respect to the subject of this book I should purchase a copy of his Long Story Bit by Bit - Liberia Retold by Tim Hetherington (14 May 2009)
15.8.13 - Reading for Assignment 5: Narrative and Illustration
Throughout all the areas of study within 'The Art of Photography 1' I have tended to read the course manual, but not much else. As my tutor has pointed out, on more than once occasion, my study and understanding of photography would be vastly improved if I were to break this habit and allow what I discovered to influence, inspire and guide the photographic projects that are assigned to us.
'Photography - A Critical Introduction'
Liz Wells
Routledge 2009
As part of the above statement of intent, I am reading chapter 2: 'Surveyors and surveyed - photography out and about'.
Photojournalism: This chapter, written by Derrick Price, gives an account of the rise and almost-decline of photojournalism, from the 1830s to the the present day. As he charts its history so far, he mentions the titles of several publications along the way. Among them are 'The Illustrated London News' and 'Life'. I remember the former because a school I attended in the 1960s had back copies of this magazine. I used to pore over these with intense fascination. The second, 'Life', was the medium, through which and also in the 60s, I experienced the race to the moon and the event that was 'Woodstock'. I still remember thinking, with this last one, 'I wish I was there...!'
Documentary and authenticity: Here Price discusses the issue of authenticity. Is what we are seeing in a photograph the truth or has the image been manipulated by the photographer to create a specific reaction in the viewer? This reminds me of the many images, used to illustrate certain issues, that carry a subtitle explaining that the photograph has been 'posed by model'. There is a recent advertisement for a homeless charity that uses close-up portraits of young people living on the streets. The image is linked with a rhetorical questions along the lines of 'did you see this person or have you just walked past them?'. It's interesting that here, as opposed to the case of Dr Barnado using child models in his mission's 1876 publicity material and resulting in a court hearing, that it doesn't seem to matter whether the young people, shown to be apparently living on the streets, are models or not.
Price discusses how the documentary photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, would wait for the right moment of when what he could see in front of him became an image he judged to be both productive of visual information and aesthetically pleasing. (Price 2009 : 73).
This process reminds me of recording events photographically at the school where I work. I now realise that all such work falls into the category of 'documentary photography'. It may be a concert, a drama production, a sporting occasion or individual or groups of students at their studies, but it is always an attempt to tell a story. It is always a narrative. The link with the approach of Cartier-Bresson and what I try and do at my school is the process of waiting for 'the right moment'. I can remember how, when photographing a dance concert, thinking 'wait, wait - now!' as I followed the action in front of me. Admittedly, during a photo-shoot of a group of Parkour free-runners, I used the multi-exposure 'sports' setting, as the action was too fast for me to see the 'right moment' and then capture it.
July 2013 - What is on my bookshelf...
'Photography - A Critical Introduction'
Liz Wells
Routledge 2009
As part of the above statement of intent, I am reading chapter 2: 'Surveyors and surveyed - photography out and about'.
Photojournalism: This chapter, written by Derrick Price, gives an account of the rise and almost-decline of photojournalism, from the 1830s to the the present day. As he charts its history so far, he mentions the titles of several publications along the way. Among them are 'The Illustrated London News' and 'Life'. I remember the former because a school I attended in the 1960s had back copies of this magazine. I used to pore over these with intense fascination. The second, 'Life', was the medium, through which and also in the 60s, I experienced the race to the moon and the event that was 'Woodstock'. I still remember thinking, with this last one, 'I wish I was there...!'
Documentary and authenticity: Here Price discusses the issue of authenticity. Is what we are seeing in a photograph the truth or has the image been manipulated by the photographer to create a specific reaction in the viewer? This reminds me of the many images, used to illustrate certain issues, that carry a subtitle explaining that the photograph has been 'posed by model'. There is a recent advertisement for a homeless charity that uses close-up portraits of young people living on the streets. The image is linked with a rhetorical questions along the lines of 'did you see this person or have you just walked past them?'. It's interesting that here, as opposed to the case of Dr Barnado using child models in his mission's 1876 publicity material and resulting in a court hearing, that it doesn't seem to matter whether the young people, shown to be apparently living on the streets, are models or not.
Price discusses how the documentary photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, would wait for the right moment of when what he could see in front of him became an image he judged to be both productive of visual information and aesthetically pleasing. (Price 2009 : 73).
This process reminds me of recording events photographically at the school where I work. I now realise that all such work falls into the category of 'documentary photography'. It may be a concert, a drama production, a sporting occasion or individual or groups of students at their studies, but it is always an attempt to tell a story. It is always a narrative. The link with the approach of Cartier-Bresson and what I try and do at my school is the process of waiting for 'the right moment'. I can remember how, when photographing a dance concert, thinking 'wait, wait - now!' as I followed the action in front of me. Admittedly, during a photo-shoot of a group of Parkour free-runners, I used the multi-exposure 'sports' setting, as the action was too fast for me to see the 'right moment' and then capture it.
July 2013 - What is on my bookshelf...
It suddenly occurred to me that some of my photography books were all about 'narrative and illustration'. I took them off the shelf and took some shots of their covers and selected photos within, using my iPhone as an easy alternative to scanning.
Everyone of these books I found in one charity shop or another. They appeared like gems in the dark. Others, bought from similar outlets, are based around the work of particular photographers or subjects. But the ones shown here all tell some form of story...
'The Italians - Face of a Nation'
John Phillips
McGraw-Hill Book Compan
1965
John Phillips has been described as the "grand-godfather of photo-journalism, a master of lenses and multiple languages; elegant, exuberant and chrome-steel effectual, who has recorded in his own peripatetic way some of the freshest footprints of history."
Wikipedia
I must have bought this from Oxfam over thirty years ago. It has almost fallen to bits but it still tells the story of a vast range of Italians of all dispositions and situations. They go far beyond the usual stereotypes, even though a pizza-maker and an opera singer are included! This character was to be found working around Rome, selling anything you wanted, as long as you didn't want the original..
'Vision Quest: Men, women and sacred sites of the Sioux Nation'
Don Doll, S.J.
Crown Publishers
1994
'Don Doll, S.J. is a Jesuit priest and well-known photographer. He was introduced to both photography and to the Lakota people when he was assigned to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota as a young Jesuit.
http://jmac.creighton.edu/?page_id=213
'Heart of the Circle'
Edward S. Curtis
Pomegranate Artbooks
1997
'Born in 1868 near Whitewater, Wisconsin, Edward Sheriff
Curtis became one of America's finest photographers and
ethnologists. When the Curtis family moved to Port Orchard,
Washington in 1887, Edward's gift for photography led him to an
investigation of the Indians living on the Seattle waterfront.'
http://www.edwardscurtis.com/curtisbio.html
These two volumes cover the same subject: First Nations peoples of North America. The first one is the work of a Jesuit priest who lives on a reservation and is an accomplished photographer. His portraits cover a whole series of First Nation individuals who have had influence on their people.
The second is as its title says - 'photographs of Native American women'. From the 19th to the 20th century, each image tells a story.
'Remains of Elmet'
'Remains of Elmet'
Ted Hughes and Fay Godwin
Faber and Faber Limited
1979
'Fat Godwin photographed Ted Hughes in 1971, setting the shot of him in the Calder Valley, and later collaborated with him on a book of poems by Hughes and photographs by Godwin set in Yorkshire, entitled The Remains of Elmet. Clearly this was a genre that worked well for Godwin, the marriage of poetry with photographs'.
(http://www.annedarlingphotography.com/fay-godwin.html)
'Flamenco'
Alberto Schommer
La General
Caja de Granada
I was simply shocked by this book: the subject, the power, the spectrum of characters of every age. You can hear the music and feel the rhythms of the dances and the voice of the 'cante'.
6 May 2013
Reading for Assignment 4: Light
I have a book entitled 'Digital Landscape Photography: in the footsteps of Ansel Adams and the great master', by Michael Frye. (Focal press - 2010)
In the chapter entitled 'Light' there is a quote:
"It cannot be too strongly emphasised that reflected light is the photographer's subject matter. Whether you photograph shoes, ships or sealing wax, it is the light reflected from your subject that forms your image".
- Edward Weston
He sets out the discussion on light with an exploration of the four basic kinds of light: soft light; front light; sidelight; backlight. Each section is illustrated with examples of his own work and that of Adams. He deepens the exploration with thoughts on contrast; front lit silhouettes; texture and form; translucence; lens flare. he extends the subject with ideas about reflections; chiaroscuro; colour temperature; bounce light.
The effect of sitting in the sunshine and reading this book, in my garden, was like sliding slowly into a deep pool. For once, the rush of trying to get all the exercises in the assignment was stilled. For once, I was slowly absorbing the thoughts of someone else on this whole subject.
It was also good to see an echo of everything that I have been reading in Assignment 4. When I reflect on the experience of carrying out the various exercises I shall be taking small steps toward a better understanding of the subject of light. I imagine that the actual assignment will bring all the learning together.
In the chapter entitled 'Light' there is a quote:
"It cannot be too strongly emphasised that reflected light is the photographer's subject matter. Whether you photograph shoes, ships or sealing wax, it is the light reflected from your subject that forms your image".
- Edward Weston
He sets out the discussion on light with an exploration of the four basic kinds of light: soft light; front light; sidelight; backlight. Each section is illustrated with examples of his own work and that of Adams. He deepens the exploration with thoughts on contrast; front lit silhouettes; texture and form; translucence; lens flare. he extends the subject with ideas about reflections; chiaroscuro; colour temperature; bounce light.
The effect of sitting in the sunshine and reading this book, in my garden, was like sliding slowly into a deep pool. For once, the rush of trying to get all the exercises in the assignment was stilled. For once, I was slowly absorbing the thoughts of someone else on this whole subject.
It was also good to see an echo of everything that I have been reading in Assignment 4. When I reflect on the experience of carrying out the various exercises I shall be taking small steps toward a better understanding of the subject of light. I imagine that the actual assignment will bring all the learning together.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Reading Bruce Barnbaum's: ‘The Art of Photography’
Exercises in learning to see light more accurately (Paraphrased)
- ‘Quickly frame a scene and determine the brightest and darkest spot within the frame.
- As you continue with this simple exercise, you sharpen your seeing immensely. You then realise you are seeing every aspect of a scene much more intensely.
- Next you can speculate what would happen under different lighting conditions. As you peruse the scene for the answer, you start to envision it under alternate conditions. You begin to understand how different lighting would affect the scene.
Light Determines Form
- Look carefully to see how light affects lines, forms, and the relationship between objects in a scene. You’ll see that light is the determining factor.
- As you grow to notice the visual changes objects assume under varied lighting conditions, you will become aware of how each type of light affects your feelings about an object. It is surprising how much more deeply you will understand the essence of things by studying the light that falls upon each one. You will discover changes of meaning with every change in lighting. This will reveal ways to interpret those objects most appropriately for the message you wish to convey.’
Bruce Barnbaum
‘The Art of Photography’ 2010 pp 70 – 74
I guess this is the first time I have read ‘deep down’ and been really affected by what is being spoken of. The above-quoted exercise came to mind in the last few days and is already changing the way I look at scenes. I suppose this is an example of how reading can develop the way we do photography (‘Writing with light’) for the better…
Sunday, 3 February 2013 - What is on my reading list at the moment?
- Three short guides:Mastering shutter speed / aperture / exposure
- The Photographer's Manifesto: Bill Hitz
- 70 Photography Lessons: Eric Dahlin
- A Lesser Photographer: CJ Chivers
- Notes on Photography: Jim Dollar
- History and Practice of the Art of Photography: Henry H Snelling
- Photography - A Very Short Introduction: Steve Edwards
- On Being a Photographer: Bill Jay and David Hurn
- 25 Lessons I've Learned about Photography...Life: Lorenzo
The above are all on my Kindle - my newly-acquired addiction! What I shall purchase in the forthcoming weeks will David Freeman's guide to the digital SLR and - more importantly - my tutor's recommendation: Art Theory - 1900 to 2000 and something.
20.1.13 - 'The 35mm Handbook: Michael Freeman'
One thing I have always tried to avoid is the reading for this course. This response is connected to my life-long habit of not going deep enough, but always skipping on to the next interest or enthusiasm. So, guilt, or a desire for redemption and a new beginning before it is too late, is starting to make an impact on my studies.
I had noticed how every time I was in a charity book store I would randomly buy photography books. I did the same with our friend Amazon - just check out my wish list! With Kindle I was no different...
I firstly grabbed any number of 'how to' titles but then I began searching for specific photographers. In all of this acquisition I never thought to check out the useful information in our TAOP file! I think my wish list has to change after having finally read the list of publications here.
Interestingly, one book I had and then moved back to a charity book shop was 'The 35mm Handbook'. I had originally loved the way it was all set out, with so much information and such clear explanatory diagrams. I was in the shop I had taken it to the other day and saw it still on the shelves. I couldn't resist picking it up, leafing through the pages and reading what it said about light, exposure and apertures. I re-bought it there and then - and was so glad to have done so. And yes - you guessed it - I finally had my 'lightbulb moment' when I realised it was written by our course author and guide Michael Freeman! I may be slow but I sometimes get there in the end...!
This beautiful book, even though written before the digital age, has come to symbolise my new approach to study: taking the time to go right back to basics and 'do it properly'. At last!
24.7.12
It has finally begun... I have avoided it for long enough: reading! My daughter bought me a beautify book for Father's Day, entitled - appropriately enough - the Art of Photography. I have dived into the chapter on 'colour' and immediately feel both an inspiration and a challenge. The inspiring bit is actually being party to the author's thoughts and the challenge is being able to start glimpsing the vastness that is photography.
My tutor, in his feedback for Assignment 2, mentioned the lack of any evidence of reading in my work so far. I had stuck solely to taking photographs. I also need to record the experience and process around each exposure that I make.
The obsession with photography continues, however. It almost fills the thought-stream of my waking hours...
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