Final Evaluation -

Overall Evaluation Unit One - 

 The artist research that I have conducted has greatly inspired me in the formation of my own portfolio work. Some of the largest inspirations to me include: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Vivian Maier and Aaron Siskind. Bresson’s impact can best be seen in my documentary response series; the decisive moment, a term often employed by Bresson, allowed me to precisely capture images which accurately depicted the action of the moment within an individual frame. Additionally, the nature of the temporal context when Bresson was prevalent meant that his images were black and white which well linked to my theme of documenting the happy and more difficult times in family life. Bresson was a photographer who often depicted societal issues in his work whereas I chose to depict the more intimate issues of family life. Another influential photographer to me was Vivian Maier. Maier became well known, after her death, for documentary photography often depicting working class America but also for her intriguing deadpan self-portraits that were an exploration into a conflicted self-identity. Maier allowed me to experiment with portraiture in intriguing ways that challenged stereotypical pieces. I was able to take self-portraits in the style of Maier by using techniques such as shadow portraits, reflections and other such techniques. Siskind served as an extremely large inspiration in this process due to his abstract images of urban landscapes. Whilst photographing the formal elements Siskind’s work gave me the opportunity to practice with surreal ideas and close-up photographs of the modern landscape that was available to me.

Some of the technical skills that I have developed over the process are within the fields of camera, studio and editing. To begin with, I learnt the functionality of aperture, ISO and shutter speed and how they all work together in unison. I also learnt how to use my DSLR cameras settings. For instance, I learnt how to shoot in different settings so that in the printing process the quality would not be compromised. In relation to studio work I have learnt how to set up soft box lighting, backdrops and how to fire the lights using different channels. For example, the soft box lighting had to be given the correct settings, changed to the right channel to match the firing tool and I also had to calibrate it with my camera which was a new concept. Furthermore, I began using the software Photoshop CC 2014 for the first time at the start of this project. I learnt new techniques from simple tools such as ‘Spot Healing Brush’ to the more difficult ‘Levels’ tool.

Retrospectively looking back at my work I can see the development from an amateur, other than as a hobby, to someone with knowledge in the construction of a photograph. Originally, my knowledge in producing photographs was limited to fully manual settings and a simple understanding of composition such as the grid method.

I have experimented with a variety of techniques during the process of unit one including technical experiments, created using Photoshop, and physical manipulation inspired by photographers such as Dryden Goodwin. These extremes of manipulating photographs allowed me to develop my later photoshoots with more implicit similar techniques. A variety of techniques that I employed included using scissors to cut into images, liquify tools and selective colourisation.

I have discovered that the largest direction that my work has taken, or that I would further like to develop upon, is documentary photography. During the Christmas holiday period I carried a camera around with me at all times, much like Bresson and Maier, to capture the tribulations and ecstasies of everyday life. I use similar ideas as depicted by the two prior mentioned photographers in a modern way to create a timeless nature to the institute of the family. However, I would also like to practice using film cameras and developing my own film in a dark room to further understand the sub-category of documentary photography.

In my opinion, I believe that my most successful areas include documentary, studio portraiture and one of the formal elements of pattern. Documentary in the private sphere of family felt natural to me to depict the working class people in a relatable manner although it would be more difficult to capture strangers who fit into societal sub-categories to display personal opinions due to pragmatics understood by most people. On the other hand, my least successful areas included some of the earliest formal elements such as line and form. Now, after completing the unit one portfolio I believe that my understanding of the formal elements could improve the outcomes currently depicted. Overall, I believe that my project was mainly successful with a few areas for improvement.

Electronic Portfolio -

Portfolio - 

Research Notes: Irving Penn -

Photographer Research -

Irving Penn -

Born: June 16th 1917
Died: October 7th 2009
Place of Birth: Plainfield, New Jersey
Occupation: Photographer

• Penn attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art where he studied drawing, painting and graphics.
• He was then offered a position as an associate in Vogue.
• Penn founded his own studio in New York where he began doing advertising photography.
• Penn was well known in photography for his work in fields such as portraits of creative greats, modern still life, photojournalism travel essays and ethnographic images.
• Penn experimented printing his works on various backgrounds such as aluminium.
• Penn is probably best known for his black and white highly contrasted tonal images.

Irving Penn Examples:

This picture is of the great jazz musician Miles Davis. The facial expression implies the creative process that the musician goes through. The stark contrast between tonal areas of negative space.

This photograph is of Pablo Picasso and the mysterious nature links to the mystery around the creative mind. The line cutting across the face gives the impression of shape geometry and cubism linked to the artists own style in Penn's portrait.

This picture of Kennedy shows the president in an atmosphere that is more relaxed and intimate than the formal portraits often commissioned. This picture is very remiscent of the Churchill portrait as photographed by Yousuf Karsh although this particular image is more happy than the serious nature of Churchill.

Research Notes: Annie Leibovitz -

Photographer Research -

Annie Leibovitz -

Born: October 2nd 1949
Died: N/A
Place of Birth: Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Occupation: Portrait photography
Groups: Portraiture

• Leibovitz is a is a third-generation American whose heritage is that of Romanian Jews.
• She began her photographic journey whilst in Vietnam due to her father being posted there.
• When returning to America in 1970 she worked as a photographer for Rolling Stone magazine.
• The documentary photographers Robert Frank and Henri Cartier-Bresson served as big inspirations for Leibovitz.

Annie Leibovitz Examples:

This picture depicts Meryl Streep who is an actor and thus the painted mask symbolises the many malleable faces that she employs.

This picture is powerful and moody depicting our long reigning monarch. The subject is composed to conform to the grid method. The photograph is reminiscent of the powerful art portraits of monarch's featured in The National Portrait Gallery.

This final picture is part of the celebrity and Disney crossover series in which Leibovitz depicts celebrities as heroes and villains from famous Disney films.

Research Notes: Alec Soth -

Photographer Research -

Alec Soth -

Born: 1969
Died: N/A
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Occupation: Photographer
Group: Magnum Photos

• Soth's work had been referred to as cinematographic and almost like a fantasy.
• He is a member of Magnum Photos.
• His work features the ordinary people and everyday objects.
• Soth has said that he wants his work to display a "narrative arc and storytelling".
• Soth has photographed for many publications within the field of newspapers and magazines.
• Soth founded the publishing company 'Little Brown Mushroom' where he published people who work in a similar narrative way to himself.

Alec Soth Examples:

This image is part of the series "Sleeping by the Mississippi" with the subject of the image being an apt fan of aviation. The muted colours are like that of a polaroid picture which are often associated with intimacy between friends and family photography. Soth, therefore, creates an individual narrative and shares intimate nature with his subjects.

This photograph depicts convicts completing rehabilitation and work in Kentucky. The parallelism between the convicts and the holy cross could be considered a juxtaposition as often crimes are considered sins. The image also depicts a repentant nature implicitly. The narrative is open and could unravel in many ways and therefore keeps the audience intrigued.

This final image is variant from the other two. This photograph is from the series "Songbook" which is a black and white series. The work features stark contrasts between youth and aged and their cultures in my opinion.

Research Notes: Jeff Koons -

Photographer Research -

Jeff Koons -

Born: January 21st 1955
Died: N/A
Place of Birth: York, Pennsylvania, USA
Occupation: Artist

• Koons is an artist known for his work in the popular culture theme.
• He was born to an interior decorator and a seamstress who inspired his work in banal objects becoming contemporary art.
• He was a huge fan of Salvador Dali.
• Koons became well known in the 1980s after setting up a Soho-like studio in New York.
• Since 1979 Koons produced the series "The Pre-New, The New and The Equlibrium" series involving ordinary objects.
• Other series were titled "Statuary", "Luxury and Degradation", "Banality"  and "Celebration".

Jeff Koons Examples:

This first image is from the series "Luxury and Degradation" and depicts a decanter made from a metal either steel or silver. Metal is well known for being retrieved by working class manual labourers in mines which shows the journey from degradation to luxury.

This photograph is taken at the exhibition of "Celebration" which depicts average objects developed in a surreal manner. Koons was often inspired by Dali and therefore employed surreal techniques. Surrealism is known for changing the size, shape, context, and or texture of work etc.

This final picture is from the series "Equilibrium" which was inspired by a Nobel-prize winning physicist.

Research Notes: Richard Avedon -

Photographer Research -

Richard Avedon -

Born: May 15th 1923
Died: October 1st 2004
Place of Birth: San Antonio, Texas, USA
Occupation: Fashion and portrait photographer
Groups: Portraiture
Camera Used: Kodak Box Brownie, later large format 8x10

• Avedon was born to a Jewish Russian father and a mother who together owned a retail and dress-manufacturing company.
• Avedon's interest in photography began at an early age of 12 when he joined a Young Men's Hebrew Association Camera Club.
• His first works were focused on his sister who served as his muse. She was distanced from reality due to her schizophrenia which significantly influenced Avedon to depict tragic beauty in most of his later works.
• In 1944 Avedon worked as an advertising photographer for a department store.
• In 1946 set up his own studio and began using his work in cohesion with Vogue and Life.
• Avedon was breaking from the mould of fashion photographers and pioneered work full of emotions and began shooting outdoors.
• In the 1960s Avedon broke into new fields of photography and began photographing public sector workers and then patients in mental hospitals.
• Avedon was commissioned by Mitchell A. Wilder to photograph people out in the west for a Texan museum; this was the 'In The American West' project.

Richard Avedon Examples:

This image is a striking stereotype of Vogue as photographer by Avedon. The outdoors photoshoot was pioneered by Avedon and dramatic poses were often the significant subject of the image. The depth of field draws focus directly onto the subject and the clothing. The stark black and white tonal differences also establish the significance of the clothing.

This image, within the series of 'In The American West' is, to me, a study of masculinity. The clothing resembles a manual labourer of the temporal time period and the spatial context of America specifically in the west. The father appears in a masculine stance but the child s completely trusting the father. The border on the image given the impression of a polaroid which therefore gives the impression of intimacy which is directly contrasted to the deadpan facial expression.

This photograph depicts the stereotypes and archetypes of western America. The laws support the handling of guns and therefore accurately depicts Texas which conforms to the idea that it was a commission.

Research Notes: David Hockney -

Photographer Research -

David Hockney -

Born: July 9th 1937
Died: N/A
Place of Birth: Bradford, UK
Occupation: Artist
Groups: Pop Art
Camera Used: Polaroid

• Hockney was born in 1937 as the son of a conscientious objector in world war 2.
• Hockney was the fourth of five children.
• At the Royal College of Art Hockney took part in an exhibition with other young contemporaries that sparked the beginning of pop art.
• Hockney refused to write a final essay whilst at university to receive his diploma and the school changed their policies so he could graduate based solely on his work.
• Hockney was an openly gay artist who often studies this subject in his work.
• Hockney was known for paintings, prints and stage designs.
• In the early 1980s Hockney began experimenting with 'Joiners' after an accidental piece of work.
• Whilst photographing his apartment in individual polaroid and placing them together to later paint them he discover that his photo-collage created a narrative and a journey for the viewer to experience.
• 'Joiners' are often likened to that of cubism and Hockney himself said that one of his greatest aspirations for the photographic series was to discuss the way in which human vision works.
• Hockney soon returned to paint after he became frustrated with the "one-eyed" approach of photography.

Joiners:

Photo joiners are collages of photographs to create an abstract interpretation of what can be seen. The images begin to give more than one perspective and thus create a narrative which takes the audience on a journey.

David Hockney Examples:

This first image is a series of photographs which combine to create a cubism style portrait. Just as the subject is looking in various direction the audience too is given many perspectives and can follow many paths to different meanings. The prominence of some pictures over others creates a carefully constructed chaos and gives the impression of either a many faced god or the fluctuating emotions or personalities within the mind of the subject at that point.

This second photographic series is less chaotic than the first and the individual polaroid's all combine to create a grid. The lone swimmer is seen in many of the frames and this image displays the passing of time. The spontaneous and sporadic spacing of the swimmer allows the viewers eye to dart all over the image before taking more careful consideration into the implicit meanings.

This final example is different to the others in that it is a landscape. The joiner landscape, to me, gives the impression of individual bricks and how society is constantly being built upon. Also, the individual frames could also represent the people who share the context of this image, those who have memories of this pace have all become bricks that build society. Landscapes are shaped by those who surround them.

Research Notes: Vivian Maier -

Photographer Research -

Vivian Maier -

Born: February 1st 1926
Died: April 21st 2009
Place of Birth: New York City, USA
Occupation: Nanny, Photographer
Groups: Street Documentary Photography
Camera Used: Kodak Box Brownie, 8mm films

• Maier was born to a French mother and an Austrian father in 1926.
• She moved a lot at a young age between France and America.
• Her father left the family for a short time and in a census the head of the house was Jeanne Bertrand who was a successful photographer.
• Maier was originally a nanny who only pursued photography in her spare time.
• During her lifetime her work was unknown and unpublished with many of her negative never developed until after her death.
• Maier, according to those who knew her, was a very private person with lacking pragmatic and social skills.
• I believe Maier was often unsure in her own identity due to a confusing childhood and thus often took self-portraits as an exploration into the art of her own self-identity.

Vivian Maier Examples:

This self-portrait of Maier depicts her in a reflection that implicitly looks like a rabbit-hole to another world as though she is isolated from the rest of society. The leaning position almost shows her world as upside down and supports ideas of a confused self-identity.

In the period when Maier was prevalent race was still a significant political and social issue. Different races and ethnicities were often segregated and those other than the 'white norm' were wrongly perceived as lesser. The subject of this portrait is extremely glamourous and would have been a great advocate for race equality through photojournalism and documentary. Additionally, whilst the monotone black and white colour is technically due to the availability and advancement of cameras at the time the colour could also be implicitly stating that when all variants of tone, implicitly those with different skin tones, join together we can create something beautiful within society.

This final photograph is wonderful in depicting the resourcefulness of childhood and the way in which society was at the particular point in America. Children had a idealistic freedom but were far too often caught in a capitalist society that did not allow for materialistic freedom and advancing in the classes system. These children are an example of class establishment within the institute of society even in childhood.

Research Notes: Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photographer Research -

Henri Cartier-Bresson -

Born: August 22nd 1908

Died: August 3rd 2004

Place of Birth: Chanteloupe-en-Brie, France

Occupation: Photographer and painter

Groups: Documentary, Decisive Moment
Camera Used: Kodak Box Brownie, 35mm Camera

• Bresson was born to a wealth mother and father who raised him in a bourgeoisie neighbourhood.
• Bresson originally was a painter who was taught by his uncle until he died in the war.
• He later attended a private school, the Lhote, where he studied art.
• Bresson called the art institute his teacher of "Photography without a camera".
• In 1929 Bresson received his first camera from his army friend Harry Crosby.
• After the war, the suicide of Crosby and his break from Corsby's wife, Bresson escaped to Africa.
• Whilst in Africa Bresson survived by hunting and selling it to locals; in this hunting Bresson crafted his photographic ideas of 'The Decisive Moment'.
• Bresson later returned to France where he photographed three boys by a lake and thought is displayed the spontaneity and joy of life. At this point he started photography seriously.
• In 1937 Bresson's first photojournalist works were published; the images were those of the coronation of King George IV and Queen Elizabeth.
• In 1947 Bresson teamed up with other photojournalists and formed 'Magnum Photos' where work was equally distributed between them.
• Bresson received high recognition for his coverage of Ghandi's funeral in 1948 and the last stage of the Chinese civil war in 1949.
• In 1952 Bresson published his book 'The Decisive Moment'.

Magnum Photos:

• Cartier-Bresson
• Robert Capa
• David Seymour
• William Vandivert
• George Rodger

Decisive Moment:

The Decisive Moment is a particular point where the photographer captures an image that directly surmises the events at the point in existence that could not be replicated ever again.  Or in Bresson's own words: "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression."

Henri Cartier-Bresson Examples:

This picture is an apt subject for exemplifying 'The Decisive Moment' as the subject of the image is framed just perfectly within the negative space of the landscape and also sits exactly at the cross-section of grid composition method. The golden ratio also applies to this image. Also, the black and white nature of the photograph, due to the time period, evokes nostalgia and history. The audience are intrigued by the subject's story which is displayed so concisely within an individual frame.

This image is significant due to the subject matter. The two become almost like figureheads for a  political and social campaign. The homosexual nature of the photograph would most likely have been disapproved on by the public yet Bresson chose to capture this to encourage a change within society.

This image depicts the resourcefulness of children in events of social inequality such as social class and disaster. The image is framed beautifully in reference to composition with the subjects almost displayed as separate from the rest of society and from the viewer. Bresson may have been challenging audiences to relate themselves to the youth displayed in this picture.

Research Notes: Simon Roberts -

Photographer Research - 


Simon Roberts-

Born: February 5th 1974
Died: N/A
Place of Birth: Croydon, UK
Occupation: Photographer
Camera Used: Large Format Camera

• Roberts studied a BA Hons in Human Geography. 
• From 2004 to 2005 Roberts travelled throughout Russia taking photographs of 'The Motherland'.
• From 2007 to 2008 travelled throughout England in a motor home photographing the leisure of the British. 
• Roberts was commissioned by the UK parliament as the Official Election Artist to document the campaigning activity around the country in the run-up to the 2010 elections. 
• Roberts has won several awards for his work including the Royal Photographic Society's Vic Odden Award (2007), Ian Parry Scholarship (1998) and The Observer Critics' Review (2011). 

Simon Roberts 'We English':  

• Roberts created a series titled 'We English' which documented the leisure lifestyle of the British people throughout the country. The series death with themes of identity, nostalgia and belonging. 

Simon Roberts Examples:

This photograph was taken at Ladies' Day at Aintree racing tracks. The glamour of the outfits compared to the litter on the ground and the monotone colour of the landscape all combine to create an intriguing documentary photo of the British public. The muted colours create an almost nostalgic atmosphere as though the image was taken on a polaroid camera.

This photograph was captured at Blackpool beach as is evidenced by the tower in the back. The grid method composition places the iconic British holiday destination, the Blackpool tower, at a cross-section and the lady in a colourful saree. This image shows the English public at play enjoying the stereotypical summer activities of going to the beach with the lightest warm weather. Again, nostalgia is evoked for most audiences as the subject is reminiscent of childhood and this is supported by the use of a muted colour filter that appears like a developing polaroid.

The final picture is taken at Devon, again a popular holiday destination for the British. The diagonal line cutting through the picture and separating the football match from the fun fair again develops ideas of youth. This particular series 'We English' transcend most age categories as most audiences could relate to the subject matter either as grandparents, parents and or children.

Research Notes: Ansel Adams -

Photographer Research -

Ansel Adams -

Born: February 20th 1902
Died: April 22nd 1984
Place of Birth: San Francisco, USA
Occupation: Naturalist Photographer, Environmental Activist
Notable Places Featured in his Photography: Yosemite National Park
Groups: f/64

• Ansel Adams was the son of a Lumber Business owner which eventually Adams was to inherit until he became an environmental activist.
• In 1916 Adams began developing his passion for photography following a trip to Yosemite National Park.
• Adams learnt darkroom techniques, read magazines and attended a photography club in his early years as a photographer.
• Ansel Adams sold his early works in "Best's Studio".
• Adams later married the daughter of the owner of "Best's Studio" and inherited the business following his father-in-laws death in 1935. The business is continued today under the name of the "Ansel Adams Gallery".
• Adams first professional breakthrough followed the publication of "Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras" which lead to multiple other commercial assignments.
• Adams joined other photographers who were using their work to affects social and political change and became an environmentalist photographer.
• Adams died in 1984, aged 82, after a heart attack. 

The f/64 Group:

Ansel Adams founded the f/64 group which consisted of 7 San Francisco photographers. The higher the f/ value the wider the depth of field meaning more of the image is in focus. These photographers ensure that they have all of their image in focus with extreme detail so that when it comes to the zone system more tone and depth can be created.

1. Ansel Adams
2. Imogen Cunningham
3. John Paul Edwards
4. Sonya Noskowiak
5. Henry Swift
6. Willard Van Dyke
7. Edward Weston

The Zone System:




Translation of The Zone System to Modern Day:
In modern photography the zone system would be most relevant in the editing process f images for example in Photoshop. To achieve the effect of Adams a modern photographer could use histograms to change the tonal contrast of the image to create depth, add drama and improve the subject landscape of the photograph.


Pre-visualisation:
Pre-visualisation refers to picturing how the image will appear as a finished product before it is captured and developed.

Whilst, it can be argued that the concept of pre-visualisation is archaic now due to the use of DSLR cameras rather than film it can still be applied to modern photography. A photographer should pre-visualise how the image will appear after being edited, for example into black and white and through the use of histograms for tonal contrast, and assume how they can best take the photograph.

Ansel Adams Examples:

This image is extremely intense through its use of contrast and tone. The shape of the subject of the image is dramatic and the implementation of the zonal system provides a variation of tonal areas from near black to slight tone. The composition is also well thought through as it complies to the three-part grid system which takes the viewers eye throughout the entirety of the image due to the various focal points. 

This image is also dramatic due to the use of highly contrasted areas. Whilst some may argue that the image does not feature that interesting a subject landscape the zone system and development process feature significantly in this photograph. The leading line of the sand dune draws the eye along and through the image giving it depth whilst the lines on the dune are exaggerated through near black zones and what appears to be pure white zones. 

Finally, this image like the others taken by Ansel Adams, is intense and brooding. The leading line of the meandering river takes the viewer through the image as if they are participating in the taking of the image like Adams himself; the use of the leading line adds depth to the image. The near black zones of the trees cast silhouettes that create an eerie yet beautiful atmosphere within the image whilst the pure white zones on the snow-capped mountains add a sense of conflict between light and dark.