Assignment 2 - A Journey
I've detailed my Tutors comments in RED and my response to his comments in GREEN
Overall
Comments
Thanks. Yes, its consistency going forwards and this will be a big but an exciting challenge.
The Assignment challenge states "Produce a series of approximately 12 photographs that are made on, or explore the idea of, a journey. The journey that you document may be as long or as short as you like. You may choose to re-examine a familiar route, such as a commute to work or another routine activity, or it may be a journey into unfamiliar territory. You may travel by any means available."
Project 2 The Road introduced a few films including Cormac McCarthy's "The Road". I haven't read the book but I found the film quite distressing and thought provoking. It described a father and son journey across an apocalyptic landscape, almost a search for a safe haven but its a journey undertaken in the main walking on roads.
Whilst we never understand the reason for the event or exactly what it is the change to what can be regarded as normal life is very significant.
When there was discussion about the earth being at risk of being hit by a large space objects it inspired a number of films around the subject. However most of these films were about the build up to the event and the actual event it self rather than life after the event itself. These films included Armageddon, Deep Impact, Meteor etc. These films do have a resonance as they seem feasible and indeed NASA admit on occasion of near misses, in space terms, of objects they did not detect until they had flown by.
However the events in the film The Road perhaps are the scariest; how would people survive after say an apocalyptic event where the things we take for granted in everyday life are suddenly gone, basic instincts for survival must come to the fore else the result could be death. How would one protect them self, their partners their families. These instincts for survival would likely result in the strong stealing from the weak, or indeed perhaps people might group together for mutual protection.
There have been several films where the director using either special effects, special film processing or filters altered the appearance, perhaps more the colour of the landscape to help increase the feeling he wants to give to the viewer. Steven Spielberg used a bleach bypass effect which seemed to add a gritty feel to the film "Saving Private Ryan" which is also a journey / search
One of the actors in this film, Vin Diesel, was the main character in the film Pitch Black. Whilst not an apocalyptic event nor on planet earth the bright and harsh light effect on the planet and its inhabitants created by special effects team Double Negative that one could imagine.
Films such as 2012 and The Day after Tomorrow both describe a journey of some distance as part of earth and life changing events. The Mad Max series of films also describe life and survival following catastrophic events but again its the colouring effect of the film The Book of Eli showing the journey of a nomad in a post apocalyptic future and this colouring of the film appears to add a greater sense of feeling of a world almost destroyed and barren.
Photographer Lori Nix has created a set of urban post apocalyptic images where she imagines what a post human future may look like. Interestingly some of the images bear a strong resemblance to scenes with the Fallout games series where the player is able to roam across a post apocalyptic wasteland that includes ventures into buildings perhaps similarly described:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/photos/photographer-creates-post-apocalyptic-urban-landscapes-22668145/image-22668805
Games Creator Naughty Dog using images taken from around the world of key landmarks have created a view of what these landmarks could look like following a post apocalyptic event or perhaps even following a terrorist act:
http://blazepress.com/2014/07/photographs-reveal-world-might-look-post-apocalypse/
The digital artwork by Steve McGhee contains his imaginative designs for end of the world scenes. Some of the images contain a striking resemblance to elements within the flms 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3372059/Who-says-work-s-disaster-Artist-creates-incredible-images-world-end.html
Undertaking Exercise 2.2 Explore a Road allowed me an opportunity to experiment by colouring my images to help create a stark, remote possibly apocalyptic feel to my images and also to help creative exploration as I neared Assignment 2
http://warrenjonesphotographylandscape.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/part-2-landscape-as-journey-exercise-22.html
The way Donavon Wylie created a starkness within his set of Maze images and created a feeling of being there and of the despair that someone might have making the journey along the same route as Wylie's camera.
I think in modern times the risk of an atomic war perhaps started by one of the middle eastern countries becomes a strong possibility. Certainly the imagination does not need to be stretched to far to imagine an escalation in the type of terrorist events we are seeing even only recently.
Its with these thoughts, the influences of the films and artists I've mentioned and of using elements of Wylie's approach to his images I've created a set of images that detail a journey.
- What would happen in the event a serious incident, a terrorist act, a bomb or series of atomic bombs in some way began the destruction of life, the landscape etc as we know it?
- What would happen if you found yourself away from your family, small children or even the comfort of perceived safety associated with your home?
- What if you had to undertake this journey, perhaps with a friend, partner, husband or wife?
- What if the companion undertaking this journey was injured, ill and was unable to keep up completely and unlikely to complete the journey with you
- What if you were the injured person would you want your partner to continue that journey without you, could you be selfless enough to encourage them to continue without you?
- What if you were the uninjured and currently healthy person, could you continue your journey, not looking back for fear you would stop and return to the injured person or would you continue your journey?
However of course for many people unless prompted they would not imagine the scene portrayed to be a rendition of an apocalyptic journey. However I feel there is sufficient information within the images as a set to reflect it as journey with the camera acting as the second person, perhaps following, perhaps even voyeuristic but I want the viewer to be question what is the purpose of the journey, where are they going, why are they walking this route. I'm trying to have the viewers eyes confined within the burnt edges of the frame, exploring the texture of the trees, the undergrowth, the path within the image and examining the shadows which lean and guide the eyes toward the main subject. Is the tree blocking the path, how will it be navigated, why can't the follower overcome the obstacle
These are the questions I'd like the viewers of my images to consider and to discover what emotions these may bring. This is the punctum within my images I'd like the viewers to discover.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7
Image 8
Image 9
Image 10
Image 11
Image 12
Evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of my work in response to the brief
The images in my opinion come across initially simple but perhaps like Edouard Manet’s "A Bar at the Folies-Bergère" there is some depth to the images. I've tried to develop a story within the set of images depicting a journey. The story can be itself simple or complicated subject to the viewers train of thought and interpretation of the images. The subject remains obvious throughout the set of images but there is also other elements for eyes to discover such as light, contrast and texture.
I had weeks in advance planned out what I wanted to do but the difficulty was creating images that were similar but different, conveyed a feeling of movement and a journey that the viewer could follow.
Should I have exposed each image the same, was a right in metering each separately. The timing of the images has been purposefully selected to make use of low light and long shadows and the direction of the camera selected so that the shadows appear to match the direction of movement of the subject and camera as rather than be opposed to the shadows and possibly cancelling out any implied movement.
There is significant contrast within the images, have I time the shoot correctly, should it have been earlier, have a created the right level of contrast have been able to successfully create implied movement within the images to assist the conveyance to the viewer of a feeling their are also on a journey as well as the subject and the camera. I say camera but have been successful in making the viewer feel the camera is a companion to the subject or an observer.
I'm not sure how successful I have been in my selection of processing by toning the images and burning the edges. I've attempted to use elements of the influences I mentioned earlier and I've remained true to my original goal of attempting to create a post apocalyptic journey and its this element where I thing I have not been as successful. Perhaps as a film director or a photographer with investment I could have include additional props such as destroyed vehicles, perhaps even simulated corpses, broken and dying trees.
I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to continue to take images with the camera positioned at the tree and allow the subject to continue walking and fade in the distance. However until this point I had kept the camera moving along with the subject and undertaking the same journey. I felt the moment the camera stopped moving then the viewers journey also stopped and this created a kind of tension that I didn't want to fade like the subject would have
In email exchange with my tutor I confirmed reflecting on the assignment and his feedback:
‘there is an interesting journey I'm starting to undertake and a balance between risk, creativeness, intention and final result’
My Tutor responded:
"Yes that’s now being evidenced in the work and this is the type of reflection that’s important to have on the blog to demonstrate to assessors the growing conceptual sophistication of your ideas about photography and the contextualisation of your work with in it."
Technical choices I made to help me communicate my ideas, and also
references relevant artists and photographers who have influenced the creative direction of my project.
Perhaps like some of the film directors for the films I mentioned prior to the images I've used a tone colouring technique, in my case using the Silver Effex Pro photoshop plug-in and a copper colour and also used the tool to burn the edges to help create images that one would not normally expect to see but perhaps could be linked through watching some of the films in the past to generate a similar feel and theme by association i.e. post apocalyptic. I wonder how much the toning affects the images; in a set of 12 after looking at the first few images does the colour become less influential and instead add to the story I want to convey rather than to distract and detract.
Specifically films such as
- The Road
- Saving Private Ryan
- 2012
- Pitch Black
- Mad Max series
- The Day After Tomorrow
- The Book of Eli
have influenced my ideas including a decision to colour my images.
Donavon Wylie's approach to the Maze helped keep a focus on a simple and uncomplicated set of images that when combined create an overall emotion where as an individual image would perhaps not create the same feeling.
Photographer Lori Nix has produced very interesting and thought provoking images which are interesting could allow me to progress my own take of the style of images taken post apocalypse. Her images a very much static and allow the eyes to wander through out the image. This I think is in opposition to Steve McGhee's work
Digital artist Steve McGhee has almost created a mini film and story within in each individual image, each has a lot going on inside and contain much energy
Game Creators Naughty Dog in taken famous landmarks and recreating them in broken, run down, partly destroyed ways allow the mind to conjure up what the surroundings local to these landmarks would also look like without the viewer having to see them
My reasons for selecting particular views, and arriving at certain visual outcomes
I mentioned above Wylie's simple clean and perhaps clinical approach and it was this simplistic approach which I wanted to be a key theme. A pathway with woods either side enabled me to keep this base element within my images.
By moving along the pathway I feel I created images that then became slightly different, varying the distance between subject and camera would cause the viewer to ask questions of the images and perhaps discover my story or create their own. to discover mine I think I would need to introduce with words sufficient clues to lead them to it.
Using low afternoon light I've enable shadows to be captured and to help the image become more 3D than 2D. The colour toning has been a gamble and I'm not entirely sure how successful its been but I have remained consistent with the look I wanted to create and how I would approach it. I suspect this is an area I need to explore more and discover how its best used, perhaps more subtle use.
The first image in this set allows the viewer to see the subjects journey as it just starts, the tree across the pathway can not at this point be seen but as the journey progresses its there to be found until the point it becomes obvious. The subject is seen to be able to easily navigate over it but in the final few images for the follower it becomes an obstacle and the camera position remains at the tree whilst the subject continues.
Like Wylie's work my story needed to be told over multiple images rather than a single one
Feedback on assignment
When one is used to receiving responses to this
assignment that involve long or complex journeys the immediate impression on
the first scroll through is that it’s rather perfunctory. Then one reads about your research and what
you’re attempting and one is impressed by your ambition in interpreting the
brief and how your intent and understanding of what photography can be has
developed.
I think that's always the fear when trying something different and "pushing the envelope" is that it wont be received in the positive and unique what it was intended. However that said why should my work be any different from any other artist creating and publishing their works. This has given me confidence to continue in this way
While I don’t personally read everything you’re
intending/reading in to the work on my next pass I’m thinking of progressive
frames and jump cuts from French New Wave cinema of the late 50s early 60s,
when they used to shoot a lot in the countryside around Paris because it was
close and free.
She’s one of those headstrong free spirited French
girls striding out, confident but also a bit of a pain at times.
But the next pass begins to suggest the voyeurism
that you flagged up. The camera isn’t a neutral observer, it’s someone looking
and following. Is she aware? Is she getting further and further away because
she’s walking faster to get away?
Finally the fallen trunk brings the surveillance to an end. That casts
doubt on the determination of the follower and their intent. But there’s the
foreboding of the zebra striped sunlight through the trees; Laurence Olivier
driving Joan Fontaine down to Manderley for the first time, in Hitchcock’s
Rebecca.
More recently there’s Antonioni’s Blow Up; searching
for a threat in the trees. A must see for any photographer.
With Vanessa Redgrave, I've now ordered the film and the book. For any observers of my blog the book is 1/3 cheaper than that on Amazon
In an email exchange following receipt of my Tutor Feedback I offered the following when reflecting on the feedback comments:
"Perhaps the key is apparent simplicity but also having "to
be" discovered complexity;..’
and my Tutor replied:
"I think that’s an excellent insight. The complexity should be in
how the image can be read rather than the floridity of its style. Which is one
of the reasons I caution against the use of effects."
Yes, all in all a fine response but now you’ve got
to maintain that creative innovation through the rest of the assignments, which
could take you up to a whole other level in assessment.
This is quite exciting and a bit scary but its needed if I am to progress and develop and I truly look forward to exploring and progressing my creative side and challenge my perceived view of my photographic skills as an art form
The prints are a fair representation of the files,
although some exhibit focussing problems, you’ll see how when you receive them.
As a set they could have benefited from some fine tuning to tonally equalise
them across the set and some refinement in creating a more consistent rendering
of the figure.
For my taste the borders could have been more
generous. In fact given your idea about using the borders to constrain it would
have been effective to print them A4 in the middle of A3. On this occasion,
with my reading, I think the filter works but in general overt effects should
be used very sparingly, only when appropriate to meaning because they carry a
lot of associative baggage which can overwhelm the original intent of the
image.
Coursework
The coursework is going along fine.
Thank you. Whilst I wont rest on my laurels I needed to know if I was on the right course and this is re-assuring
Research
The research is appropriate and I think there’s a
good balance between information and opinion.
Also often students become more comfortable with
writing about photography than making work, which conceptually lags behind
their writings. Here I think there’s an equilibrium between the depth of the
writing and now the depth of the imagery.
I did wonder what was the correct balance and I'm pleased that I am finding the correct balance. I do enjoy reading the blogs, discoveries and write-ups on other student blogs and of course we all interpret things differently and no doubt desire some different elements from this learning and development challenge
Learning Log
As you can see there’s a new layout template for
reports. On the whole I think above and below deal with the learning log. As
for its structure it’s not irksome to navigate.
Suggested reading/viewing
Your writing on Camera Lucida is a good model for
the approach you should take; apply the same to more works from the reading
list.
Pointers for the next assignment / assessment
Read the brief through carefully a few times and on
different occasions so you can meditate on what you may do and give ideas a
chance to develop.
Our idea of a place is hardly connected to the
space it inhabits, defined by its co-ordinates. Place is a big rag bag of
connotations generated by the knowledge and idea of that space. Place is
defined by the mental images the space evokes. The actual location, the space,
becomes a metaphor for the place. So for example when we think of Oxford we
think of something concrete like the architecture, or the Mini car, but we also
think of characters, Inspector Morse we also think of something as abstract as
privilege.
There’s this whole melange of ideas and feelings
which stand behind the word and the location, Oxford.
Thank you for your feedback and insight. I do find this very helpful and very much appreciate this response and the email exchange which is helping me
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