Assessments - The gathering of information, ideas and scattered instructions

After hours in the LRC, sieving through online documents and journals, and intense listening throughout seminars and lectures, I feel I am finally coming to terms with what is expected from the assessments.

To the right, is the beginning to a section from my iMap. Having never done an iMap before, this little book came in handy.

It almost acted as a comfort blanket, as it seemed to have the answers to nearly all the questions and anxieties I had.

Anyway, I am finally understanding and piecing together what is actually asked of me.

Photography as communication

This explains how we communicate through photography, why we want to communicate, and what we want to communicate. A photographer will take a photograph in a particular way or of a particular subject, in order to convey a certain message through organised codes or signs. The viewer will perceive and respond to these in their own individual way.

Structuralism and binary oppositions and divides show how certain characteristics can be put together in an image to form a reaction. For example, black vs. white, old vs. new, nature vs. culture.   

One of my favourite artists, and an example of this is Eikoh Hosoe.(Images below)

 

Reading the signs

The Photographers Eye and John Szarkowski

I was quite overwhelmed during this lecture, and experienced an information overload. As I am aware, John Szarkowski divided his theory into five different sections.

1) The thing itself

What is actually contained within the image. Can you touch it?

2) The detail

A subject or object within the image may tell a story or be a key turning point or influence within the image. Detail requires attention.

3) The frame

This involves what is inside and outside of the frame.

4) Time

The time that the photograph was taken is crucial towards the message conveyed to the viewer. This can include, time of the year or time of day.

5) Vantage point

However the camera is positioned, reflects on the position of the viewer.

The theory of signs and semiotics was also touched upon, but will be explained in more depth during the next lecture.

I intend to look into Szarkowski's theory in some more depth and read up on signs and semiotics before the next lecture, so hopefully I am able to understand and follow along more easily and comfortably. 

In the beginning...

The first photography project was set, around the theme of family/relationships. A clear message was put foward to "think outside the box", which obviously meant NOT to document the typical nuclear family.

Documentary photography will be the first genre focused on, using the first project as a tool into personal research, experimentation and representation of this type.