Assignment 5

Assignment 5

Contents of assignment 5:

Tutor feedback
Brief outline of assignment
First thoughts and ideas
What the photos are about (about 300 words)
The photos x 10 ‘House’
Contact sheets

Analysis of my photos (found in log page: http://wp.me/p7xP3C-qu)

Link to exercise 5.2: https://createatocalevel1photograph.wordpress.com/?p=1706&preview=true

1. Tutor feedback

“Many thanks for the final assignment and well done on completing the course. I hope you have enjoyed it and it has been a pleasure to see your photography progress over the past few months.”

Thanks, I appreciate your input during the last year, has been very clear and helpful

“In addition, prints were sent by post.”

“I understand that you are submitting for assignment so do contact OCA Head Office for details of how send in your work and the requirements.”

“When you receive the feedback from assessment, use the assessor comments to move your work forward.”

“Wishing you every success with your future photography.”

Feedback on assignment

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

“With this set of images you have again produced a distinct series of work. The influence of Sophie Calle is evident but you are showing that your visual style is emerging. The next courses at Level 1 will allow you to try different approaches and working methods, some of which you will enjoy and others may be more challenging!”

Student name	Steven Young	Student number	513886
Course/Unit	Expressing Your Vision	Assignment number	5
Type of tutorial	Written / Audio-Visual		Written

“Technically some of the flat lays don’t seem to be completely flat and shot form a slight angle – this may be something to look at.
The low angle view on the living room space works particularly well with the shaft of light. In comparison the bathroom shot is more awkward – which you write about in your review. The 35mm lens here may be simply too wide for such an enclosed space.”

I’m aware of this. I struggled a bit with the angle of view. I needed a lot of height to take the images from and to avoid putting the legs of the tripod in the frame I had to do some strange maneuverers.

“The strength of the assignment is the consistency in style and approach. This is a working method that will stand you in good stead as you progress to future courses.”

“The print quality and presentation is good. The white border sets the images on the page and is an appropriate size. Do take care with the use of key lines as sometimes prints do not need them.”

Coursework

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity

“The coursework exercises are completed with good detail. The choice of Serrano is interesting and challenging – at the time the image created enormous controversy. Do you think the art world is shying away from such subjects now? Has the shock value of art pieces been lost in the online digital age?”

I think that the art world has lost something of that ‘punctum’ and strength of expression that we were seeing at that stage. Responses to definite issues that are unambiguous and direct are difficult to come by. I find that photography has more of a chance of being an effective voice but there is something lacking. Maybe its the pressure to conform or to get work recognised it has to be of a certain correctness.

Research

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

“It was good to read your post on Bill Viola and David LaChapelle. I too saw the Viola exhibition at the National Gallery and the pieces of work have stayed with me and he is an artist I often return to time and again.”

This was one of the first pieces of visual art that really made me stop and think. I found it really strong at the time. It was like I’d discovered something looking at those faces and emotions, about myself.

“For reference – can your correct your post on Sindy Sherman to Cindy Sherman. At times there are some small typos in your work and if you have sometime that can look for these as you progress through the courses this would be good.”

“We discussed on the phone, having an ongoing reference post where you summarise sources as you use them. This is much easier to do in real time – so if an approach to adopt on your next course.”

Got that one, thanks for the advice.

Learning Log

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

“The log has been easy to navigate this is a structure and it is clear that you are using the blog to record your work and reflect on your progress.”

Been getting better I hope, over the course.

“The reflection on your work in the post here:”

https://createatocalevel1photograph.wordpress.com/2017/04/10/log-notes-part-5/

“Is going in exactly the right direction.

It is good to see updated comments and reflection and reading how your response to Calle’s work has changed over time. I think many students have similar responses to photographers as they pursue their studies.”

Yes its strange how that can change. I’ve used her at least twice as a basis for assignments and yet initially I had a sense of aversion to her photos. It helps to look more closely at the artist and understand where they are coming from. In the end I am a bit of fan of Calle.

“This post also demonstrates that you are engaging with the theoretical aspect of the course. This engagement is becoming a dialogue between yourself and the various sources and is again something to continue.”

“Many thanks for the reference to the Bajac interview – I hadn’t read it before and it has plenty of food for thought.”

Yes I found it really useful for understanding a bit more the current photography world

Suggested reading/viewing

Context

“For complete contrast to the work you have produced and that of Sophie Calle. Do look at Nick Waplington – The Living Room and Richard Billingham – Ray’s A Laugh. Both are documentary books which feature domestic spaces. The images are much more cluttered and seemingly random in approach.”

Pointers for the next assignment /• “Ensure all prints are labelled with name, student number, course and assignment for assessment.”

2.Brief:

To produce 10 images each giving a different view of the same subject. Pay attention to the order of the sequence and how that unfolds.

3.First thoughts and ideas

I take the word ‘view’ from the initial introduction to the the assignment to mean point of view as in my particular take or way of showing something (my perspective) or viewing point in terms of the physical placement of the camera in time and space. I have chosen the theme ‘house’. This could mean the physical location whereby one washes, dresses eats and sleeps, or it could be something more symbolic such as a psychological base of security and a ‘safe place’ from the world. It could be portrayed in many ways. To this end I need to give some thought to how I will present the theme.

For me personally the house is an important place, but not the only space that I occupy in the world. However psychologically it has importance as it represents the base from which my other activities in life are launched from as well as being the centre where I perform many of life’s daily routine activities.

Sophie Calle’s work [1] Hotel, room 47 (1981) has been the vision underlying this assignment of which I say more about in the research section. The idea is to portray something of my own identity through showing things that I do and the places that I do them.

4.’What is it about’? (300 words)

I have not chosen a complex theme for the ultimate assignment. In this sequence of 10 photos, you’ll see where I live and the components of that life that make up a large part of my yearly routine as a photography student and also the other things that I do. Some of these activities are perfunctory tasks and they are necessary to daily existence. I show the photos in the order that I typically do these particular things in any one day. I show both the things that I use, which are part of the ‘living’ process of what I do and I show the places where I do them. In a sense that is it! Within that I have attempted to show the context of my life (not all but a lot) and use the occasion of the assignment to practice elements of photography such as working with light, composition and creating a set of ‘visual ideas’ in the form of photos. I have tried to use the natural light in the different parts of the house to show the mood of that space.

A large part of my weekly activity involves the use of these items and that made me reflect on appendages that we have in our lives that maybe we take for granted. Things that actually make up an essential part of our life activities that perhaps we never give a second thought to. Photographing them in this way, brings out the essential nature of the item to the task, I believe.

Having said that the theme is not a complicated one. From the inspiration of Sophie Calle, there is a context of identity happening. This I would say is most strongly present in the “external context” Barett (2010) in that the ‘home’ provides the container for the images and is the setting for the images. Whilst my own identity is not exclusively tied up with the items or the places in the photos, there is a strong proportion of it in these things and activities.

5.The photos