Research – OCA LEARNING BLOG

Apr 03

by andyof in Assignment 5, Research 0 comments

Photographs and Context

The meanings of photographs rely on and are influenced by context. The meanings are not contained solely within the photographs themselves and a combination of factors including the viewer’s world view, knowledge and understanding, and the context in which the image is seen. context noun the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning. meaning noun what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action In his article ‘Photographs and Context’ Terry Barret explores the impact context has on how we read, see or interpret a photograph. He discusses the example Robert Doseneau’s photograph of a man and women in a Paris bar to demonstrate how a photograph is highly dependent on the context in which it appears. The same photograph appeared in 3 publications- as part of a photo essay on Paris cafes in a popular magazine, Le Point, in a brochure by a temperance league, and (without Doisneau’s consent), a French scandal paper with the caption “Prostitution in the ChampsElysees.” All three presentations […]

Feb 21

by andyof in Blog 0 comments

Photographs make their own way in the world

‘Human subjects, occupying different roles in the event of photography, do play one or another part in it, but the encounter between them is never entirely in the sole control of any one of them: no one is the sole signatory to the event of photography.’ When I first read the above quote I almost dismissed it thinking the photographer is in charge, in full control-he, she, control the intent ergo the event. Then I came across a book ‘To make their own way in the world The Enduring Legacy of the Zealy Daguerreotypes’ the book is about 15 daguerreotypes taken in 1850 of Alfred, Delia, Drana, Fassena, Jack, Jem and Renty, men and women of descent enslaved in South Carolina. The images were taken by Joseph T Zealy for Harvard professor Louis Agassiz to support his warped theories about race and the superiority of white over black. The photographs were discovered in 1976 in Harvard’s Peabody Museum and since then have caused considerable debate. The pictures themselves are taken in a detached style, the subjects had no choice, and their intent was to support theories that were scientifically bankrupt and morally repulsive. Looking at the images 170 years […]

Dec 31

by andyof in Research 0 comments tags: Atget, light, Michael Schmidt

Light

‘Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography’ George Eastmann ‘John Loengard, the picture editor at Life, always used to tell me, ”If you want something to look interesting, don’t light all of it.’ Joe McNally ‘I prefer to work with neutral diffused light, i.e. to produce an image without noticeable shadows. The viewer must allow the objects portrayed in the photograph to take their effect upon him without being distracted by shadows or other mood effects’. Michael Schmidt The qualities of light Light can completely alter how an image is perceived. The colour and quality of light can change over the course of a day (and seasons), whether it’s the warm light of dusk on a summers evening or darkened light of a storm approaching, it can define a photograph and add emotion. The quality of light adds to the creative pallet of the photographer and includes: Direction (impacts shadows and texture) Reflection –anything we see is a result of light bouncing off an object. Refraction – Light can pass through some objects and be redirected. Put […]

Dec 28

by andyof in Blog, Research 0 comments

Decisive Moment

Write up your research on the decisive moment in your learning log taking care to give a proper account of the three differing views offered above, and any further research you’ve undertaken independently. What do you feel personally about the decisive moment as a visual strategy, or just as a way to take pictures? Conclude your post with your own perspective on the debate at this point in time. Lamour de court Watching the L’amour du court I was struck by the way the different artists-photographers, painter, musician, expressed their approach to their art (and the artistic gaze) and how all expressed, albeit in different ways, a higher level of awareness that transcends the ordinary to make something unique, and an aspiration to do so. For Cartier-Bresson, it was the confluence of recognition, geometry, form, and even luck; for Aviigdor Arikha it was the losing of learned recognition and stripping things down to their barest form to allow pure perception to take over, while the musician Paulo Beschi accepts the uniqueness of very performance and accepts rather than be terrorized by it. Cartier-Bresson When talking about taking photos (or making images) he says “ the basis is geometry..I go for […]

Aug 30

by andyof in Uncategorized 0 comments

Portaits

For assignment 2 I decided to do ‘Heads’ and conducted research into portraiture to get an understanding of the history and practice. I discovered that there is almost constant reworking of concepts behind (traditional) portraiture, challenging, and inspiring in equal measure. I found an interesting article in the New York Times There’s Less to Portraits Than Meets the Eye, and More (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/magazine/theres-less-to-portraits-than-meets-the-eye-and-more.html) and it makes some very interesting points about the interpretation of portraits and the often held beliefs of people viewing them, their preconceptions and the and ambition of photographers “We tend to interpret portraits as though we were reading something inherent in the person portrayed. We talk about strength and uncertainty; we praise people for their strong jaws and pity them their weak chins. High foreheads are deemed intelligent. We easily link the people’s facial features to the content of their character. This is odd. After all, we no longer believe you can determine someone’s personality by measuring their skull with a pair of calipers. Phrenology has rightly been consigned to the dustbin of history. But physiognomy, the idea that faces carry meanings, still haunts the interpretation of portraiture…The reason for the temptation is obvious: Faces are malleable. […]

Jul 12

by andyof in Uncategorized 0 comments

Gestalt

Gestalt theory in photography The human brain works in exciting ways to understand reality and perceive the world around it. Armed with a good understanding of Gestalt theories, you can improve your compositional ideas and create more powerful images that effectively intrigue your audiences and draw them into your world. Key concepts Gestalt: the idea that the whole is different than the sum of its parts. Figure-Ground: we will always tend to differentiate a form from it’s surroundings. The shape or form that serves as the focus of an image is the figure, and the surroundings or negative space is known as the ground Continuation: The law of continuity posits that the human eye will follow the smoothest path when viewing lines, regardless of how the lines were actually drawn. Proximity: Elements that are placed close to each other will often be perceived as one group. The close proximity unifies them together and will help to form a figure within an image. Similarity & Proximity Two important gestalt principles are similarity and proximity. Visual elements that are near each other will be seen as belonging and grouped; those that are similar will also be seen as belonging together. The […]

May 17

by andyof in Blog 0 comments tags: photgrpaphy

Thoughts on course motivations and goals

I’ve wanted to do a photography degree for a while now. I’ve been taking photos for years – my camera comes everywhere-, but I’ve come to a point where there are some fundamental questions I’d like to be able to answer with more confidence. For example, what makes a great photograph? Is it in the eye of the beholder? Is it because someone of note gave it a good review? or is there something more fundamental going on? What do you need to consider when putting a series of photos together? What style or genre of photography do I really want to pursue? How do I develop my style? How do I put aside my prejudices and nurture objectivity? Intent? Today, I was reading one of the course books, The Photograph-Graham Clarke-which I’m enjoying very much, but in one section he talks about a photo by Diane Erbus – Identical Twins 1967- he uses it to discuss (very well) the complexity of reading a photo. While he described the photo, it struck me that he talked a lot about Arbus’s intent-now for one photo there was a hell of a lot of intent! Now, I don’t know if Diane Erbus […]

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