Final conclusion and feed back

The Art of photography.  http://www.photographergarybridger.com

My Conclusion:

 I had just started to get into the swing of this course. The path to learning methods and the way a photograph reads, has certainly been an experience. 

How I feel about my accomplishments is open to thought. I feel that my approach given time , could have had a more simple artistic out come.   

Other than what I have produced for the exercises: The main assignments  are showing work that I have taken during my journey in the art of photography, Building on what I have been learning.  I have gathered so many photographs that I would like to show to the world.  

So many I am spoilt for choice to select from the fast amount.

In reading the book Oxford History of art. by Graham Clarke The photograph.

I was surprised what is referred to as art. 

With set backs of my job here in Sabah, and the effecting reality to what effects us in the world today. I have sacrificed much time to improving my skills and to gain expression.

Reading the book on the Oxford history of ART,  I found my self slowly unfolding what photography is really about.  Looking through his web site, I changed my views on the way I see the world, and the elements that are the make up the world we live in.
 As before, My approach to photography was more,get in close! make impact!  All very well to impress those who just snapped with a pocket range finder camera. 

Much has changed now. Digital is in full swing, especially now and the last past 2 years Cameras have leapt forward. What cannot be done through the lens can be in the digitally. 

Nevertheless, making that statement, I did find, that what Graham Clark has researched, opened my mind. I must say, the use of creative words had me struggle, keeping up with the book. A Note book and Dictionary helped me to understand the concept to what Graham Clark is telling us.  I went over page after page, to understand what exactly was to be portrayed. 
I am still reading this book now. Going over, to in bed, what truly is missing in to days photography, that we have lost.  

Mush of the photography to day, is a make up of what sells. Or is examined to be the goal of the avid photographer.
Other books I find easier to read, like Tom Ang. The Complete Photographer. These book teach you how, but not how to look for that magic that brings all what this course has to offer.
 However. Still missing is the individuality. The DNA, that marks ones work, as the imprint that I have taken the photograph. Am I looking to far? Or is my refection fooling me? Stile is hard to find now. with so many photographers trying to prove them selves. 

Taking photographs is to day a past time for everyone. Here in Asia I see so many people with SLR cameras. Some of such high specification, Most just like to say “ I own top gear” But do they know how to use that tool. 

Photography in the commercial world, also has to make a statement. Wether it has been taken with a large format for vogue, Time, or even, travel photography, with National Geographic.  Even those photographs are not Technically perfect. But are for good reason sound images that speak for them selves. They can be blurred or unsharp. there is a reason or something seen it the image, that makes the image say something. 

How many times have you been given photographs to look at. And with lack of interest, gone through them, like a pack of cards. 

When I am given photos,   Those family, or holiday snaps. I go through them looking to see how I would take or what may come from them if I had the camera in my hands.  To often one gets involved to capture what they sees. I still have to think, when looking through the lens, to focus on more than just the subject. This is when I found looking back on my photography. Many times I wish I took more thought to just move the camera to one side. 

One can eat  food and look for more. You can you understand the reason to why you like that food so much? And what went into it to impress you. Like listening to music. Amongst all the clutter, the classical mess that music has become. One out of so many  songs, tunes, will make you want to hear that one, thats so unique  again and again. And it will become famous. 

Photography is much the same.
 I wanted to express and be more creative.  In what I have undergone here, is much to what I, as a photographer have avoided, 

Let me explain:  

When I was in full time photography, I felt trapped to explore what I wanted to photograph, and how a photograph inspires my self and others. 

Although this course pushed me to explore and discover my approach. I still feel something lacking. 

That special something. 

 As Graham Clark emphasises: A picture just on its own, like the twins, Cuts off much to what the mind can wonder. One just sees two girls side by side. Its not until you look closer, do you find something els. 

A photograph may have a key to unlock the imagination. Also, other photographs put together, can unlock the story that the photographer wants to portray. How much do you need to place or crate to express what you want to say?

Sadly most have become lured into the digital perfection.  Looking for the sharpest detail in the image, like modern life.
We lose who we are, and lose culture. The very reason photography is meant to record, what may not be here tomorrow. 

Many photographers have forgotten to capture what is meant to be told, and focus on what geeks would look at to accept as a technically good photographs. 

Grain and Noise, so what if it captured the moment and paints the mood? Art is meant to be admired from a far. And not examined under a magnifying glass. It’s what the image tells the person. 

Today' I wonder with HD TV now 3D and 3D cameras, how much can the eyes take to the brain to analyse.
What do we honestly relate to in quality. An image may be perfectly sharp, and focussed, well exposed. If the image lacks to say something, then its just an image. And nothing more. 

Moving pictures are of short term impact. The mind soon learns to filter out what it does not need to see. Where a still photograph imprints itself or dismisses its self from the on looker. 

Therefore, the main image content, like a famous painting, will pull you in.
To stop the passers by, of those who appreciate the life that surrounds them. 

Those who appreciate art, photography, and the makeup of the world around them.
They most certainly will have life meaning. 

Observation is the key word here. Without it we are just snappers. Observation, creativity. What is there? and the reason for being? Like life it self. 

Relating to this:  I have taken a closer look at photography to day. What sells and  what does not.
I feel more like a learner still. Looking at some of the work on Getty images, and I stock photo. We find a jungle of standards, Styles yet to be explored.
Standards are high. Yes! some of the advertising photos can be so simple, yet they have a statement. I have giving this a try with photostockplus.com 

Still I have not found that something in my work. That I can hang and say" I am content." What is it I am looking for? 

I feel that some how digital photography and the instant play back of images has stolen that glory. 

I have so many photographs now. Perhaps 30,000 or so. Yet so few have I had in print. They seem meaningless. 

Before digital: That carful exposure with the light metre; Setting up: loading the film. The shoot and the magic of the waiting: That wait gave time to contemplate on the moment, to take in the set: the scene. When the prints came back, and an enlargement made. That moment all came back. Somehow digital makes it all to easy. Yet harder to impress! And time lost in processing. 

Finally I ask my self.
When will that moment become evident.  To crate a photograph is much like a chef cooking a meal. To cook it your self , you soon lose your appetite. Especially when you have to cook when not inspired. 

I am still waiting for the moment when everything comes together. When I can sit back and say." I love this photograph." As when I did back in the 80s. Although I have shown and learnt how to put together pictures. I am still yet to crate the master piece of fine art.

Finally for this part of my journey in discovering my self in the world of photography.

I at this time would like to ad, that not just still, movie also, I see more then just the film. I have done this for a long time, Films stimulate me as so does the still photograph. Like a good film. If it captures something that gives me good reason to watch or look at it, time and time again, Then its got that something special.
Sorry to many,words  to whom may find this statement conceited, To this I am saying that I do find emotional feeling when I relate to art. film , News, If I was asked what film I would reflect on as a work of art. I have to say the french Movie (Emalie) And if it were to be a photograph, Then , I have yet to find that photograph. One thing I find missing in my life, And this is where I wish I could attend collage or University in person, Is the lack of reaction to share comment, and stimulation in conversation about what we see and do with others.

So many to day, seem locked up in the jail of the rat race, of modern life, Or lack the awareness to appreciate the world around them. And the things that are left behind.
This is why I love photography so much. Its my escape! 

Assignment Narritive 5

Applying the techniques of illustration and narrative :

To produce an Article, using photographs that tell a story for a magazine. Linking up two or three photographs that relate to each other, using the previous skills on a page, plus others that bring together the story visually .

Story:  BORNEO 

My story is about life in Borneo. Relating to the City Kotakinabalu.  The Jungle. With its indigenous people.
I would  have liked to have added more on the wild life. Like the Proboscis monkeys, The diverse mixture of culture. This is more focused on the people. Not being the modern rat race its become.
 The National Flower, Hibiscus is the top picture.

Covering page.  This is Borneo .

COVER

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Exercise: Rain

This is the last of my work in this section. The art of photography. I feel i could have been more creative and arty if time allowed.

Rain :
 Something we get allot of now, here in Sabah , After my escape from the weather in the UK , I am followed by weather that is wet.

Armed with my camera , To dare the elements of a tropical storm. Or make up a set up replicating rain. Ideas again avoiding the cliche of this subject. An open street: I will focus on colour, umbrellas and rain drenched people, or animals. May be as simple as a puddle.
Action shots of people running for shelter. Flooding.

Rain dripping from petals , drenched girl. Make up running from being wet through. just some thoughts on the subject.  So many I can think off.  Ideas to explore. But the subject is not How, who, or what is rained on ? Its Rain.

Still looking for something more appropriate. After a number of photographs taken, I chose this one. It's not as artistic as I wanted , But its statement is quite clear.

Rain.  the problem with a front page picture is ( people and model release).

Exercise: Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition:?

1 photograph showing two linking objects in a photograph:
 Something interesting, and has good moody lighting. Two or three objects can be used in still life. Or using a person with  a linked subject, job or hobby .

Looking at other photographs:
 http://www.google.com.my/images?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&q=juxtaposition+front+page+photos&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&sa=X&ei=axx_TfaoE4m3rAfEwLy1Bw&ved=0CCUQsAQ&biw=1108&bih=745
 Some confusing photos have been produced including the girl titled 'definition of juxtaposition" bazar not to say the least .

1 photograph To be used on a cover of a book. This one I took relating the fish munger in Sabah, relating his catch to the back ground. Fish for sale.

Exercise: Symbols

Symbols:

Listing items that can be used to show the following, as you would in advertising :

• Growth
• Excess
• Crime
• Silence and
• poverty.

Starting with Growth.   Money used, small change, and then big notes. A seed to a flower.

Or seedling pushing up through the soil. A Child and Adult, stood side by side. Bricks, building a sky scraper. 9 toys side by side .

Excess:
  Over flowing mug. A  jar with to much in, with the a hand trying to push the lid down.  Bath tub over flow, a basket of oranges over flowing, with two or three captured as they fall , blurring the falling one to show movement, . A Over loaded toy car. Money pot over filled. A woman with to much make up, or over dressed. A persons mouth with to much in it. list can go on!

Crime :
A smashed window, a crow bar in a gap of a door or car. Hands round some ones neck.
A knife with blood on it,  A hooded person.  Smoking gun. Hand cuffs . A Justice hammer. Jail bars. Hans holding the bars.  Money and a shot gun opened with spent cartridges, A syringe and burnt sugar on a spoon representing drug taking.

Silence:
As a still life, this one is difficult . Easy to go out and capture Poverty, As its every where.
To show in Illustration as a still life a little harder .  Silence?
Eg
Ear Plugs. A  mouth gagged . A candle resting, burning incense. A Broken deff aid, broken loud speaker. A boot in a loud speaker. Person with finger over lips. Hammer through a radio.
Hands over ears. Volume control set to zero.

Ok Poverty ?
Cupped hand holding rice , Cliche I hate that word, but so true , and so hard to avoid.
Empty wallet , Crumbs and empty cupboard. Cockroach on a plate . Or a rat .

Ol come back to this page later with some photos when I have time.

Exercise: Evidence of Action.

One Photograph showing Evidence of Action: 

Photograph the rubbish thats left on the beaches. Pollution !Then I thought ? "Not interesting, or artistic enough.  Wow! silly me. Ive done this already and have the perfect picture.

 How and what does it say. Abandonment ! Take it Home! (c)

(C)  

Exercise: A Narrative Picture Essay

A Narrative Picture Essay.
 Assignment 5

This is when I  had to think hard, to put together a story that gave interest. Humour about an everyday event . I decided on many things. Trying to to work out what would be interesting .

Then it came to mind, A cup of coffee. But how to make that into a story?

As every story has a start, a middle, and an end.

So I stared from the mug. The keys, cleaning my teeth, going out, locking the door. In the car. at the cafe. The coffee being made and a Indian Rotti for breakfast.

To make the images have action and movement , I used a low ISO and slow shutter. As the Caffe did not render much colour.  Some of the images converted  to black and white. This way I can ad contrast.

As I looked at the empty mug. Tipping it , looking into the bottom,  A the story unfolded.

I have to produce 5 to 15 photographs small and large :

An Empty mug.

 An empty coffee jar too!

Off to the shops to get some coffee.

Umm may take breakfast out instead.

 Clean my teeth!

Lock the door. And off I go. 

 Always a jam and red traffic lights to hold you back. So slow.

At the Cafe they are happy to serve , 

Coppy Panas means hot coffee, Sweet and strong.

Made with an art in its own.

Pored from here pored from there. 

High

And Low 

Served with Roti, Its an indian pancake .

Needed And flipped high 

 And flipped low

All to getter its a little show. 

 At last My Coffee . Looks a work of art , Don't you think so?

 Stirred blending both parts.

 So sweet strong and Drink!

And no washing up at the sink. 

The End. 

If you look at the photos. You can see how I thought them through. From the first two: Round and Straight.

The keys, a slight slope ( right to left and left to right.)

The tooth paste. Something out and the locking of the door, something in or release, and closed.

Look at the arm on the traffic lights, and the the left arm on the man, How the link and frame in some way relate. A definite connection yet so far apart.

The next two are focussed on the two cups, and the second in these two photos shows again, two cups.

High and low: Although one photo is similar. I used a vertical frame on both a large photo for the high, and smaller, for the low.

Ending with the Roti, and the making of the Roti.  Movement,  to flipping and tossing the Roti.

Then I brought in the coffee, with colour. Bringing in Colour to my life, as I refreshed, drinking the coffee, and satisfied with the Rote .

The End.

Assignment 4, Applying lighting technique.

Assignment 4,   Applying lighting technique.

• Shape
• Form 
• Colour
• Texture

To Photograph any subject, to show Shape, Form, Texture, and colour using all the skills I have learnt . Any subject that can be moved for photographing in different lighting conditions . 

Here I have chosen a wooden carved Buffalo. A symbol of Malaysia Borneo.

Photographing the subject as written :  8 photographs :

Shape: 

Taken on a table top, lit from window light behind. Stopping down by 1 stop, to rim light the subject, and darkening any detail., As the light dims in my apartment. Shadows and colours change. Capturing what you see, and want to portray in a photograph, takes quick thinking of adjustment of the camera. Nature will not wait. 

In this subject I wanted to  separate the back ground , so I focused on the rim lit area 2.8 making the out line more pronounced . 

Shape

Low silhouette taken in very low dark light as in subdued lighting. Showing shape, this picture was darker. So to enhance the back lit wall from the low lighting. I brightened and aded a hint of warmth.That would have been noticeable at the time . I like this very much, as the direction and positioning ads to composition. I think enlargement  on a wall would give a much calming feeling.  

Form 

Texture and colour making form:

 Lit from the setting sun, shining through the window.   Front lit on a tripod. I had to work fast to set this up. The light was dropping fast. As It does here in Borneo. As sun light lowered, I watched  the casting light  from the window move along the wall. Inspired by this beautiful light , I moved quick to grab my carving . Setting up on a chair , At first, to much wobble needed some  card board laid across to make a small table top. My black cloth thrown over the back of the chair to make a backing.                           

The camera needed to be on the try pod. As exposures were long. and I required depth . As you can see from the camera setting below.

This orange light I found acts like an orange filter in Black and white film, bringing out the grain of wood,  showing of this carving in its true form. 

Form  re done from fist submission:

This photograph was taken on location . 

The day was early, and overcast. Some Mosquito repellent and set to the task. My tutor on my first set said what I had taken was  good. Just seemed to point that the images were to much the same. So this one , I took laying on the floor. Then over head. on top of the car. But to much clutter in the back drop .Trees and wires . So I tried the table. 

Just did not seem right. I could not get low unless the window of the house came into frame. 

I looked at the bank wall. with the shoe stand. Moved the shoe stand away from the wall  to give some separation . Made some space . The wide angle lens I use allot when doing culture photography. A feel it gives that national Geographic look. the hardest part as viewing and positioning to frame the carving just right. 

Taken with a 10 to 22 mm WA to fill the frame showing a different perspective of form . Stopped down to get maximum depth. Lit by day light, out side on a cloudy day. 

I like this picture, from the rest as it fills the frame . Showing all elements . 

Colour :

Again making some changes from my previous picture . As my tutor comments were that I had to many the same angle . The above, and this one I took later in day light . This gives a definite example of the colour of the wood. At the same time showing good detail of the back view of the carving. 

Colour 

Side shot lit from window light on a cloudy day from the right side . Giving a softer light,  thrown over the subject, surrounded by the white wall, and slight fill in from the back. Right side. I had attempted to lighten the image . in doing so would have lost this richness and nice Bronze look

 

 the  colour showing the bronze richness of the wood.

Texture: 

Lit from low darker light, on a very dark cloudy day in my apartment on the table . Window light can make some interesting lighting, if you watch it .To take this I wanted to bring out the texture. Instead of taking the hole subject into the frame, I moved in close. Paying attention to detail and composition.  Allowing the back ground to drop off. By positioning both the camera and subject, so the back drop faded away into the darker part of the room. I could have used the back drop again. But one more moment and the light would have been lost. 

Texture 

Texture at a different angle, in low dark side lighting. 

Again working, thinking fast. How to make this different.?

I first took this, on just the table. With its glass top and under lace pattern , The hole image looked ammeter  and snappy. Iv shown the texture of the wood on the little man. Now to show off the Texture and detail in the carving. Grabbing my green T shirt , spreading it over the table. To show of the wood more. I gave my self another problem. 

Framing. And angle , Not to include the edges of the shirt,  so it was not obvious the back drop was an old T shirt. 

Turning the carving and taking 3 or 4 shots. I finally got this pleasing image showing texture. 

I feel that there may be a lot of shadow here , but using the fill card would have softened the carving making the shadows in each carved knife cut less effective. 

8 photographs were asked for , I have taken others I would have liked to have shown taken with flash.  The ones above using available light show a much more dramatic, and in some cases less artificial image .

Shiny Surfaces

The goal is to photograph a very shiny reflective object like a chrome or highly polished steel pot . Pot to big?

In still life and catalogue photography , many Items my be just like the above and demand a great challenge to Eliminate all most if not all refections.

Some use a large light tent where others use big studios with fish flood lighting from the sides through large diffusers. And some adjustment in photoshop.
For this exercise Im using just what is asked, A sheet of tracing or grease proof paper made into  cone .

A week later and I am still waiting for low sun to do the other project.
 Searching for a shiny object. Frustrating to find tracing paper in malaysia , as no one new what I was on about.  Until I found an Art shop that had large sheets.

Now to find that pot or something 18th jan . Alloy yes. Old steel pots yes! new ones . cutlery or thing in the kitchen , all to dull.

20th jan still no shiny objects that I can use. Shiny Idea, looking at the taps. I found a new water tap in my tool box. Just the right size. And a nice shape.  Umm by gone the old days when making witches hats. Fumbling with the tracing paper. i wonder , Am I getting old as this used to be fun and not so much of a challenge . After some effort to get the large tracing paper to a cone. And tape in in a way it would not collapse. I managed to to get the job done using a 60 mm macro lens cutting the narrow end to fit. I used the flash on the camera , and then covering the flash as I did on the previous exercise, used off flash at different angles.

Results Much brighter and no refections only the tracing paper giving over all shade.

Moving the flash did not make that much change , Only when placing it at the base of the cone level with the TAP.

With out diffused 

First mistake. But what a picture! , The inside flap of the paper cone got in the way. 

An idea for special effects.!

 Lit with the camera flash from above.

 Lit with the camera flash from above. 

moving the subject :

 lit mid way to one side 

 Side lit

 Lit from one side and mid way up the cone . 

 Side lighting gives a nice effect The flash was place level with the subject on the floor.
I remember an advert shot just like this of a beer .  Also still life of perfumes .