Personal Study
Documentary Photography
"I used to try to figure out precisely what I was seeing all the time, until I discovered I didn't need to. If the thing is there, why, there it is.'' - Walker Evans
Masters of Style - Exhibition 1, Somerset House
The Masters of Style exhibition was held in Somerset House and consisted of photography of models in collections of some of Italy's masters in fashion, celebrating the stories behind Italian fashion. Some of the designers featured were Dolce & Gabana, Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Prada amongst many others. All of the photos displayed in the exhibition were very much editorial, serious and dark. With many photos in black and white and alot of shadow play every photo could represent it's own campaign bringing across a strong, fearless message through beauty and surealism.
My favourite photograpgh from the exhibition is the one above taken by Glen Luchford in 1998 as the model peeps through the eye hole of the door as she awaits for someone. I love how the garment is glistening and reveals much of her back. The colour scheme is very neutral as the green from the dress is repeated in the fine texture detail of the door and her golden hair again repeated in the gold peep hole. It seems as though the situation she is in is more important that the model and dress as the shadows are cast over her face and onto the door you are almost more drawn to what she can see than the garment being displayed.
After visiting this exhibition it kind of drew me away from studio shots and artificial lighting. The shots in this exhibition are very staged and composed which helps them tell a story however i feel there is no true life in them. They are mere stick figures told to wear a dress and pose a certain way, although they do their job I feel it's all a bit too surreal and to good to be true.
My favourite photograpgh from the exhibition is the one above taken by Glen Luchford in 1998 as the model peeps through the eye hole of the door as she awaits for someone. I love how the garment is glistening and reveals much of her back. The colour scheme is very neutral as the green from the dress is repeated in the fine texture detail of the door and her golden hair again repeated in the gold peep hole. It seems as though the situation she is in is more important that the model and dress as the shadows are cast over her face and onto the door you are almost more drawn to what she can see than the garment being displayed.
After visiting this exhibition it kind of drew me away from studio shots and artificial lighting. The shots in this exhibition are very staged and composed which helps them tell a story however i feel there is no true life in them. They are mere stick figures told to wear a dress and pose a certain way, although they do their job I feel it's all a bit too surreal and to good to be true.
Documenting The People - Exhibition 2
Exh 2 New Documentry forms
Guy Tillim - series Congo Democratic documents the 2006 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, capturing a complex period of social and politicl change.
Guy Tillim - series Congo Democratic documents the 2006 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, capturing a complex period of social and politicl change.
Documenting People and Space - Exhibitions 2 & 3, Tate Modern
Exh 2 New Documentary Forms
Luc Delahaye - produces large-format photographs which explore new ways of representing social and political events. He focusses onspecific incidents from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the long-running situation in Palestine. I like Delahaye's work as it not only focusses on the person or people but also takes in to account their surroundings too.
Luc Delahaye - produces large-format photographs which explore new ways of representing social and political events. He focusses onspecific incidents from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the long-running situation in Palestine. I like Delahaye's work as it not only focusses on the person or people but also takes in to account their surroundings too.
Exh 3 Contested Terrains
Sammy Balogi - Sammy Baloji uses photography to explore the histories, present-day realities and contradictions inherent in the formation of his homeland. I found Balogi's photos very unique as he has documented the past and the present in the same picture through colour still making the focus the people and their surroundings they are in due to the situations that they are in aswell.
Sammy Balogi - Sammy Baloji uses photography to explore the histories, present-day realities and contradictions inherent in the formation of his homeland. I found Balogi's photos very unique as he has documented the past and the present in the same picture through colour still making the focus the people and their surroundings they are in due to the situations that they are in aswell.
Documenting the Absent - Exhibition 2
Exh 2 New Documentary Forms
Akram Zaatari - Zaatari takes the entire archive of studio Shehrazade (Saida Lebanon) as study material to understand the complex relationship, which ties a studio photographer to his working space, his equipments and tools, economy, and aesthetics, and further explore his ties to clients, society, and the city in general.
Akram Zaatari - Zaatari takes the entire archive of studio Shehrazade (Saida Lebanon) as study material to understand the complex relationship, which ties a studio photographer to his working space, his equipments and tools, economy, and aesthetics, and further explore his ties to clients, society, and the city in general.
Rationale
I have always loved bringing my camera along to gigs, festivals, holidays and family gatherings and capturing true shots of the atmosphere and feelings that one had at the moment in time. Photographing younger siblings, cousins and friends just being themselves and looking back on them a year later is one of my favourite things to do. When documenting an event whether it be a day trip or a weeks holiday in Spain I find it so much easier just to spontaneously shoot whatever comes my way. Of course there is always some sort composition when taking a photograph but with documentary I feel so much more at ease not having to set up a studio or play with lighting or organise objects. However saying this, documentary is still very challenging and it is important as you have to be at or wait for the right moment and time as you are unable to control all the variables mentioned previously. The form of photography used is candid photography where spontaneity is used mostly to capture shots. You have to organise your framing, angle and position very carefully and most importantly timing which some say is all down to luck. Documenting through photography carries themes and emotions and almost tells a story which I find so interesting as each set is different and captures images which are not set up and trying to be something they're not, you capture the true nature of people in their real environment. Perspective also plays a big part and can result in a totally different look on something.
I am going to cover and compare three different areas of documentary where I think some are more representational when it comes to 'Documentary photography' than others where people, personality and emotion are visually seen such as, at festivals, groups of friends and in cities unlike other enclosed areas where you can still capture the true nature of people in their real environment without them being there such as in a bedroom. The photographers from the three different areas will include Luc Delahaye and Sammy Balogi in the first, Guy Tillim in the second and Akraam Zaartari in the third.
Documentary photographers:
“Each offer alternative ways of seeing, recording and understanding the events and situations that shape the world in which we live.”
Simon Baker and Shoair Mavlian, Tate Modern, 2011.
I am going to cover and compare three different areas of documentary where I think some are more representational when it comes to 'Documentary photography' than others where people, personality and emotion are visually seen such as, at festivals, groups of friends and in cities unlike other enclosed areas where you can still capture the true nature of people in their real environment without them being there such as in a bedroom. The photographers from the three different areas will include Luc Delahaye and Sammy Balogi in the first, Guy Tillim in the second and Akraam Zaartari in the third.
Documentary photographers:
“Each offer alternative ways of seeing, recording and understanding the events and situations that shape the world in which we live.”
Simon Baker and Shoair Mavlian, Tate Modern, 2011.
Research Documentary and Photo Journalism
Simon Wheatley Inner-City Youth, London - Magnum photography
When looking for documentary photography I wanted to find photos of something I could familiarise with unlike scenes of war or religious gatherings that i have tended to research in the past. I came across a website called Magnum photos which was very interesting to me as it held man different photographers who would document events through their own style of photography whether it be black and white, moving shots or stills. Searching for something new, Inner-City Youth, London really caught my eye as the photos were captured in the city I live in and of people my age. It was very intriguing as the photographer Simon Wheatley had not only made them into a slide show but he spoke over each photo as they were displayed revealing the story of each subject and his own story of how he interacted with them. He speaks about how he was accepted enabling him to capture the true picture and how he found walking amongst them . I really like each photo he has taken and the wa he has used natural lighting and superior angles from such spontaneous shots. http://todayspictures.slate.com/inmotion/simon
When looking for documentary photography I wanted to find photos of something I could familiarise with unlike scenes of war or religious gatherings that i have tended to research in the past. I came across a website called Magnum photos which was very interesting to me as it held man different photographers who would document events through their own style of photography whether it be black and white, moving shots or stills. Searching for something new, Inner-City Youth, London really caught my eye as the photos were captured in the city I live in and of people my age. It was very intriguing as the photographer Simon Wheatley had not only made them into a slide show but he spoke over each photo as they were displayed revealing the story of each subject and his own story of how he interacted with them. He speaks about how he was accepted enabling him to capture the true picture and how he found walking amongst them . I really like each photo he has taken and the wa he has used natural lighting and superior angles from such spontaneous shots. http://todayspictures.slate.com/inmotion/simon
Analysis - London 2002
Form: This photograph was taken in 2002 on the top level of a double decker bus in London. Sitting at the back of the bus Simon Wheatly captured a candid shot of a bunch of teenagers all mucking around and getting up to the usual at the back of the bus. The shot leans more to the right side of the bus with a women not looking too impressed in the out of focus foreground. Behind sits seven teens or more all grinning, presumably shouting and laughing amongst one another as they fill up the space at the back of the deck. Two boys become more corrupt as they pull against each other with one standing whilst the other laughs along with everyone else. It's dark outside but the light is yellow and dingy against their faces.
Process: Wheatly would have got on the bus with the group of boys and sat away from them but near enough to capture the teens in action. He would have used a fast shutter speed as they are moving around quite a a lot and even though it was dark outside he took advantage of the harsh lighting so there was no need for a flash. In terms of depth of field the F stop would have been rather small as the focal range is not so big as the lady sitting towards the front of the image is quite blured, still able to be seen but not as in focus as the boys a the back of the bus.
Content: Through this set of photos Wheatly tried to capture the youths in a real moment expressing truly who they are and an aspect of what they're about. It captures them as a group and the image reveals they're friendship and humour which hey bond through. The photo also reveals other people's views on the teens. The woman in the foreground is turned away and looks nervous or even scared showing the cautioness she has for the boys. The fact that she is a bit blurred and also turned away represents the fact that maybe she is not relevent and is a no body to the group, the only thing that matters and what they care about is themselves, not taking others around them into consideration.
Process: Wheatly would have got on the bus with the group of boys and sat away from them but near enough to capture the teens in action. He would have used a fast shutter speed as they are moving around quite a a lot and even though it was dark outside he took advantage of the harsh lighting so there was no need for a flash. In terms of depth of field the F stop would have been rather small as the focal range is not so big as the lady sitting towards the front of the image is quite blured, still able to be seen but not as in focus as the boys a the back of the bus.
Content: Through this set of photos Wheatly tried to capture the youths in a real moment expressing truly who they are and an aspect of what they're about. It captures them as a group and the image reveals they're friendship and humour which hey bond through. The photo also reveals other people's views on the teens. The woman in the foreground is turned away and looks nervous or even scared showing the cautioness she has for the boys. The fact that she is a bit blurred and also turned away represents the fact that maybe she is not relevent and is a no body to the group, the only thing that matters and what they care about is themselves, not taking others around them into consideration.
Martin ParrMartin Parr is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take a critical look at aspects of modern life, in particular provincial and suburban life in England.
He is also a member of Magnum Photos, a huge library of professional documentary photographers. Parr's approach to documentary photography is intimate, anthropological and ironic. He uses Macro lenses, ring flash, high-saturation colour film, and since, digital photography, all allow him to put his subjects "under the microscope" in their own environment, giving them space to expose their lives and values in ways that often involve unintentional humour. |