Learning Highlights: My personality shows up in my images – who’d have known!

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I completed one of the exercises in part 3 of Identity and Place, which involved going through my archives and looking for images that could be categorised as Mirrors or Windows. In a later exercise in part 3 I had to write down some of my personality traits that make me unique and then think about images i could create to represent some of them. It was at this point that I realised that all through my photographic history I had been taking photographs that could be seen to represent parts of my personality. I really was quite shocked! I did know, for example, that liked taking images of building s and shapes that had strong vertical and horizontal lines. But when I started to really look at the images I have been taking there is a very strong element of a need for order coming across. There were wide skies and seas and wide open flat countryside all of the things that make me feel able to breath and not under pressure. There were also lone figures often placed at the bottom or to the side in the early photos but not so much in the later ones. Could this be a sign of a rise in confidence as I am getting older?

Reducing pressure to get the shots!

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One thing I have found is the the pressure on me to take shots for assignments and exercises has increased as I move through the units. This may be down to my own expectations and the fact that I should be getting better at this the more I do it and the images should be getting “better”. I don’t feel pressure as such from the OCA or tutors so it has to be self induced.

Something I have discovered that has really helped to reduce this pressure is the way in which I try to organise my time around taking the images. I try to take images with my phone, which I know are not going to be used for the course except as perhaps pre shot examples. I have a small camera that I keep in my bag so once I have taken some shots with my phone, if I’m not ready for the real shoot, then I might go out with this camera and take some more. Some of these may end up as the final images, but that is not my aim, so again the pressure is off. This of course is quite a time consuming method but really works for me when I am able.

Identity and Place – Part Two: Assignment Two – Planning

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I am decided to start the planning process for the assignment before completing all the exercises. I am very surprised that I enjoyed certain aspects of this unit in light of the fact that the subject matter (portraits) is my least favourite!

I enjoyed the covert work. I guess partly because I was able to observe people without them knowing they were being observed. I also didn’t have to interact with them and risk getting a negative response. The experience of asking people if I could take their photo and then getting them to pose was far far harder and uncomfortable. I have not decided yet if I will take covert images for the assignment but it is certainly a possibility. I also wonder if there is a half way point between posed, acceptance and covert, where people are not sure if their photo is being taken or not? This thought came from an image taken by Vivian Maier (Fig.1)

Fig. 1

The woman in the foreground doesn’t look like she is posing as such . I think she knows the camera is there but is not sure if a photo is being taken. This type of shot is definitely a potential for the assignment.

It turned out to be quite tricky! If I was too clever and people were not aware of the camera, they didn’t look so I had to make them think I might be taking a photo of them! The easiest way to do this was to stand in the middle of a fairly narrow but busy street and let people come towards me. I was trying to look like I was taking a picture of the street itself or perhaps something behind them. I managed to get a few shots where the people did look at the camera, (see below) but there were far more shots where they were not looking at all.

In amongst all this I did get a shot of a lady and her bike which really appealed to me. I like how beautifully dressed she is. I noticed that she was in front of a very expensive clothes shop too which made it quite poignant. (Img.1) The dapples light on the buildings also helps to make it an appealing image.

Image 1

Another shot at taking images covertly whilst away in March (Below). The bright sunshine making it quite tricky! and lots of out of focus images assigned to the bin!

Whilst out and about I came across these painted large glass doors. (Fig 2-7) They made me wonder if I could replicate them in some way using real people? Or place some real people in the image? I will come back to it if I can find a way of taking it forward.

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

I looked at a few photographers whilst undertaking this unit and an image of the artist Agnes Martin by Annie Leibovitz (Fig.2) really truck a cord with me how I struggle to find inspiration leading up to an assignment

“I asked her what she did at the studio when she came in in the morning, and she said, Well, I sit here and wait to be inspired” (Leibovitz,2018)

Leibovitz wanted to take shots of her “at work” and this image, is of course, just that! Most people would expect images of her with paint brushes and a canvas but what she is doing is as much part of her process of creating a piece of art as everything else.

Fig. 2

I realised, looking at this and other shots by Annie Leibovitz that I had not taken any photos inside. I think this is likely to be addressed in one of the exercises that I haven’t completed yet.

As I was completing the exercises and working through my planning(LINK) for this assignment I realised that there seemed to be several distinct ways of creating a portrait. There may be more but I have highlighted four that seem to cover most situations. I have included examples of my own and other photographers for each one.

Posed – Subject is directed and knows the shots are being taken (Fig. 3) (Img. 3)
Covert – Subject is not aware that a shot(s) has been taken.(Fig. 4) (Img. 4)
Semi covert – the subject may be aware that they are in the frame and look at the camera or photographer but believe they are not the focus of the shot. (Fig. 1) (Img. 5)
Accepting – The subjects may or may not be happy about having their photo taken, but they are participating in an activity, where it is deemed acceptable for a photograph to be taken. (Fig. 6) (Img. 6)

Fig 3

Img. 3

Fig. 4

Img. 4

Fig. 1

Img. 5

Fig. 6

Img. 6

I decided to go with the semi covert. They fascinate me they seem to be not one thing or the other. The subjects are not posing, they are not completely unaware but stuck somewhere in between for a split second. I had already taken some during the planning process but needed to take some more. I also realised during the planning process that although a big zoom is great for the covert images, it would not help me for the semi covert ones. The subjects needed to be near enough to be aware there was a camera but not always looking at the camera. I just needed to know that they know the camera is there and that they might be in the shot. For all these images the subjects were aware I was there pointing the camera in their direction even though most of them are no longer looking at me or the camera.

More trips out and more shots assigned to the bin. A few interesting ones as well so not a complete waste of time.

Contact Sheet

This time I was quite surprised how close people got to me whilst being aware of the camera. I think I must be getting better at pretending Im taking pictures of buildings!

Whilst looking at them on screen for the first time, one image stood out from the rest (Img. 7)

Img. 7

I noticed the group of teenagers as they were approaching and the one on the far left who glanced at the camera. What I hadn’t noticed the smaller one at the back who is looking directly at the camera. He is not looking too happy and I really wanted to know what he was thinking.
I had a similar feeling about another image (Img. 8)

Img. 8

Bibliography

Figure 1. Maier. V
At: https://www.dichroma-photography.com/exhibitions
[Accessed 02/02/2022]

Figure 2. Leibovitz. A
At: https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/720646377846431803/
[Accessed 24/02/22]

Leibovitz, A., 2018. Annie Leibovitz at Work. Phaidon Inc Ltd, p.164.

Figure 4,6
At http://www.vivianmaier.com/gallery/street-1
[Accessed 07/03/2020]

Identity and Place – Part Two Exercise 4: Same background, different model

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Brief

This exercise is essentially the same as the previous one, but instead of taking photographs of the same person, here you must make portraits of three different subjects, but keep the background to the image consistent (see Irving Penn and Clare Strand, above). There are many ways of exploring this exercise. You could either select an interesting backdrop to use inside (studio) or perhaps select an interesting backdrop on location (street). Whichever you choose, try to be as creative as you can and be prepared to justify your decisions through your supporting notes.

Again, present all three images together as a series and, in around 500 words, reflect upon how successful this exercise was in your learning log or blog.

As I was wandering around small village in France, looking for inspiration for the course, I cam across a church and churchyard. As I was looking at it I realised I had a whole bunch of different subjects, all in the same location. I really wasn’t sure of the etiquette when it comes to taking photographs in churchyards but I went ahead and came up with an alternative 3 images for this part of the course. I’m sure this wasn’t what the course notes were alluding too but I thought I would include it anyway.

I believe these might be the markers for young children who passed away and I have to say I find them quite moving and beautiful.

Alternative final 3

Img.5

Img.6

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Final 3

I liked the light, colours and shape of the kitchen in the evenings, so decided to see how it looked at the backdrop for a few shots. I asked each subject to stand with their hands either side of the hob and not smile. When I looked at the results on my screen I seemed to have produced stills from a cookery programme! Completely unintentional but rather pleasing just the same. I wonder if asking them to stand in that particular way was somehow subconscious, and the kitchen itself had already influenced my decision. They looked like they were chefs from specific countries (Figs 1-3). Fig 3. is actually a French Chef! I was not expecting the others to look so much like chefs when they were placed in the kitchen.

Img. 1 Italian

Img. 2 British

Img. 3 French

In addition to the final 3 images I had a favourite “breakfast” image (Img. 4) Which I have now entitled “Cereal and Tea” It is so “normal” nothing posed, drip down the mug, muted colours with bland wall and t-shirt. It is just “breakfast”. For most of us breakfast is the most mundane meal of the day and I think the shot captures this pretty well.

Img.4 “Cereal and Tea”

Before I got to the idea for the final three, I took a few pictures of them individually at breakfast on a few days to start getting them used to it. (below)

I was surprised at how different each shot looked. Some people looking more comfortable than others and how quickly it brought to mind a cooking programme and each person seemingly giving a different view on the food they were about to cook if they were indeed in a cooking programme.

I found it difficult to have an intent for this exercise. Really wanted to try and create something unique and interesting. It was for me but I’m not sure it would be for anyone else!
Being away from home was both an advantage and a disadvantage, in that I had subjects to had (family members) but of course they are trying too enjoy their holiday and I didn’t want to keep making them pose or be jumping out at them with my camera.

I noted that all but one person wanted to see the photos I had taken of them. I didn’t offer this to any of the subjects and let them ask. I and didn’t feel comfortable asking the person why they didn’t want to see them. I can only assume it is a lack of confidence in how they look.

Identity and Place – Part Two Exercise 2: Covert

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Brief
Approach this exercise with care and a diligent awareness of health and safety both for yourself and others.
Closely consider the work of the practitioners discussed above, then try to shoot a series of five portraits of subjects who are unaware of the fact they are being photographed. As you’ve seen, there are many ways in which you can go about this, but we can’t stress enough that the objective here is not to offend your subjects or deliberately invade anyone’s privacy. If you don’t have permission to shoot in a privately-owned space, then you should only attempt this work in a public space, where permission to shoot is not necessarily required.
This is a very interesting challenge, which some students will find incredibly difficult. Remember that the creative outcome of the practitioners discussed above has come about through a sustained approach, which is then heavily edited for presentation. You’ll need to shoot many images in order to be able to present five final images that work together as a set.
Think everything through carefully before attempting this exercise as the responsibility for the outcome of the portraits rests entirely with you. If during the course of this exercise you are challenged in any way, be prepared to delete what you have shot. If you can see that you are annoying someone, or making them feel uncomfortable, stop shooting immediately. You’ll be required to operate with a degree of common sense here and not take unnecessary risks. There are ways of completing this exercise without incurring risk, such as shooting the work at a party you’ve been invited to, where all the guests have been invited for a particular celebration.
The reflection about your methodology (your approach to how you have achieved the images in relation to why you chose what you have chosen), will be as important as the final five images, so be prepared to write about how you found the experience (around 500 words) and present your findings via your learning log or blog.

One of the first things I did for this exercise was to download an app for my phone that I could use to control my camera settings and shutter. I had already used one some time ago but went for one called CCC Pro which seemed to have more than enough functionality and was pretty cheep at £10.99
While testing the connection between my camera and my phone, I took this shot (Img.1) which i think could be seen as a “conceptual” self portrait! (still not sure what that means!)

Img.1

I decided to go out and shoot initially without any particular ideas in mind. I wanted to see how the connection between the camera and my phone would work away from home, give myself an idea of what might be possible using normal zoom, phone controlled and live view on the movable screen. All of them worked really well and allowed me to get some close shots of people without them really being aware. (Contact sheet 001)

ContactSheet-001

It seems there is a bit of an unwritten rule when taking photos of strangers that I became aware of when taking images 2417 and 2423 above. I felt quite at ease taking these photos without worrying if the subjects were aware or not. They seemed aware and accepting. This was the case with all the shots I took of people in punts on the river. I doubt this would have been the case with all the other subjects, such as the people having drinks outside the pub. (2413,24140) I assume that this difference is because the people in the punts were putting themselves in a position to be watched, by doing something interesting and something that people tend to want to do and to photograph. Punting on the river here in the city is a tourist attraction and therefore by its very nature is in the firing line, photographically speaking.

I decided to experiment and take a different approach. I am a fan of the photographer Vivian Maier and wondered if I could position my camera to get a similar viewpoint . In many of her street shots she uses a Rollieflex camera (Fig.1). This meant looking down into the viewfinder and taking shots from a very different perspective. She would often have to tilt the camera up to get shots of peoples faces, which produced some great portraits (Fig.2-4)

Fig.1

Fig.2

Fig.3

Fig.4

I enjoyed this exercise and learned a great deal about the limitations of having a camera round my neck on auto whilst triggering the shutter with my phone. Many of the shots were very blurred due to either mine or subjects movement or both, especially if I was walking past someone who was also on the move. I also had a few problems with exposure due to the contrast between the subject and the sky. I fixed some of this in photoshop and cropped those images where i wanted the subject to take up more room in the frame but couldn’t get any closer when taking the shot.

I decided to try this again but with a 35mm lens and square format (Vivian Maier style). I’m not sure what difference the square format will make but I get the feeling that it might focus the subject in the frame a bit more. It certainly seems to be doing that in some of Vivian Maier’s shots and something I haven’t tried00 before.

I had problems with contrast due to the angle and the sky and some problems with focusing due to the speed at which I had to take the shot. There was also a delay in the shot being taken when using my phone, so it might take a bit more work for me to get it right. On the whole I was quite pleased with the results. It was so surprising to me that people really didn’t realise that I was taking shots of them!

I liked the square format, and I do think it focuses the eye on the subject. There is a tendency for the eye to stay in the centre of the frame.

Final five

: Img.2

: Img.3

: Img.4

: Img.5

: Img.6

Img.2

Img.3

Img.4

Img.5

Img.6

I chose these particular five images because out of all of them these ones seemed to have captured something about the subject that I very much doubt would have been captured if I had asked them if I could take their photo.

Bibliography

Figure 1. Maier. V Self Portrait (1954)
At: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/arts/design/a-legal-battle-over-vivian-maiers-work.html
[Accessed 02/02/2022]

Figure 2. Maier. V
At: https://www.donttakepictures.com/dtp-blog/2018/1/10/vivian-maier-a-photographers-life-and-afterlife
[Accessed 02/02/2022]

Figure 3. Maier. V
At: https://www.dichroma-photography.com/exhibitions
[Accessed 02/02/2022]

Figure 4. Maier. V
At: https://loeildelaphotographie.com/en/rencontres-photographiques-du-10e-vivian-maier-dv/
[Accessed 02/02/2022]

Identity and Place – Part Two Exercise 3: Same model, different background

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Brief

Consider the work of both Callahan and Germain, then select a subject for a series of five portraits, varying the locations and backgrounds. The one consistent picture element must be the subject you have chosen, who must appear in all five images. Think carefully about where you choose to photograph them, either using a pose that offers a returned gaze to the camera, or simply captures them going about their daily business. The objective once again is to visually link the images together in some way.
You may choose a family member as a subject, like Callahan, or agree to photograph a colleague or friend, or even a willing participant who is either known or previously unknown to you, like Germain’s story about Charles Snelling.
Present your five images as a series and write around 500 words reflecting on the decisions you made. Include both of these in your learning log or blog.

Found this the hardest exercise because people kept letting me down (all for very good reasons I have to add) I ended up using my partner at the last minute with no choice and he dutifully agreed to ignore me while I took shots of him getting on with his day. ( I’m not sure ignoring me was such a big task for him!!)

He has many strings to his bow and started as an engineer in his fathers firm. This means he is great at making things and loves nothing more than a project involving his hands. He is also a physicist so can turn his hands to many other different kinds of projects. With a very advanced knowledge of IT as well, it means he can be programming a piece of software one minute and making a Japanese shoji screen the next. I wanted to try and get this idea across.

I literally just followed him around at different times over 2 days and took lots of shots. I asked him to try and ignore me. He was bit self conscious at first but got used to me and the camera pretty quickly. I was able to judge when he had actually forgotten I was there.
I cut down the original images (Contact sheet 1) from which I was hoping to select the final five.

Contact Sheet 1

I didn’t find selection of the final five particularly difficult, however explaining why I selected them is almost impossible (as usual) I look at the images and know the ones I like, bit very rarely do I know why? I took myself back to what I was trying to say with the five images and changed my selection! I am becoming aware of the fact that when I set out to take images that are meant to say something then just because I like an image doesn’t mean it it saying what I set out to say!

Final Five

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Img.8

I believe that the final five images give an idea of the different things that make up my partners day. Obviously there is often a lot more or sometime (not often) less. it was not my intention to replicate a day but just to get across his varied interests, mixed with the normal. I do think I have done this.

I did become aware however that because he is someone that I know very well it is hard for me to look at the images from an outsiders point of view. I realise that the relationship between the sitter/subject and the photographer will always have a bearing on what the creator thinks and what the viewers think. I may think I see him and his varied interests, I may think I have succeeded. I may be completely wrong and without some feedback from people who don’t know him or what I was trying to say, it is not possible to judge.

Massive learning curve whilst completing this exercise, particularly in respect of the relationship between the sitter and the creator and how it can change what the creator believes they have created. It would have been good ti do this exercise with a complete stranger and in fact one of the subjects I had asked to participate and who was unable to at the last minute was someone I didn’t know.

Discovering Bernd and Hilla Becher: Landscape/Typology

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Whilst undertaking research for part one of Identity and Place I came across an exhibition by the German conceptual artists and photographers, Bernd and Hilla Becher.

They took a large number if photographs of industrial buildings which they organised into grids. They had observed that structures such as cooling towers, grain elevators and oil refineries, to name a few, had similarities, including the design detail. Although they always shot from a variety of angles their aim was to be objective. Shooting on overcast days allowed them to ensure that there were no deep shadows or highlights.

I find these images and the way they are presented absolutely stunning. I really like architectural photography, clean lines, balance and clarity, Bernd and Hilla seem to have captured all of that in abundance. They are beautiful to look at, even though the buildings themselves probably don’t fall into what most people would think of as beautiful. I am aware that the way in which an image or series is presented can make a huge difference but here the presentation forms part of the series itself.

Fig. 1 Water Towers 1972-2009 Bernd Becher and Hilla Becher

Fig. 2 Gas Tanks 1965-2009 Bernd Becher and Hilla Becher

Bibliography

Figure 1
Becher, B. and Becher, H., 1972-2009. Water Towers. [image]
Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bernd-becher-and-hilla-becher-water-towers-p81238>
[Accessed 15 November 2021].

Figure 2
Becher, B. and Becher, H., 1965-2009. Gas Tanks. [image]
Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/bernd-becher-and-hilla-becher-gas-tanks-p81238>
[Accessed 15 November 2021].

Identity and Place – Part One: Assignment One – Research: Deadpan photography

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Once I started trying to discover exactly what deadpan photography was, I started seeing deadpan portraits everywhere! I hadn’t realised how many famous portraits included subjects with deadpan expressions. Or maybe I hadn’t questioned the fact that they did, or wondered how different an image would be viewed if the expressions were something other than deadpan.

Grant Woods American Gothic (Fig. 1) is a great example. If the farmer and his daughter were laughing or smiling, if their expressions were that of joy, I doubt that the painting would have been described as “the expression of the determined will to survive on the part of many hard-hit rural communities” (Stauble, 2015) during the great depression.

Fig 1 Grant Woods, American Gothic 1930

I was also completely unaware that “deadpan” referred to more than just peoples expressions and can also be attributed to landscapes and other images that do not include people (Fig.2). I love this image!. I am a great fan of straight lines and clean neat images and this just ticks all those boxes. There is nothing to distract from this and is very much the sort of image I would see and want to capture. I did not realise this could be classed as “deadpan”

Fig.2 Gursky, A. Rhein11 (1999)Once I started looking at the idea of “deadpan” I realised that it was being used everywhere without me really being aware of it. I attended a rugby match at Twickenham stadium and noticed that in the official match photographs of the players both on the large screens and in the ? all the expressions were deadpan. When I got home I went to the official site of the England rugby team. For the mens squad of 31 images only 8 of them were smiling. However for the women’s squad of 22 images, all of them were smiling. Certainly the deadpan portraits of each player gives the squad a stronger look overall. One or two of the players have slightly aggressive expressions which I would not put into the deadpan category.
I am unsure if the men were specifically asked not to smile, in order to give them a stronger look or if they chose not to smile themselves. The women look like they were asked to smile but this is only a guess!

I also noticed a large amount of deadpan expressions on TV and in particular some adverts. (Fig 3-4). Many of them followed the rules often used in deadpan of placing the figure in the centre of the frame, above the horizon.

Fig 3

Fig. 4

I really had no idea how much “deadpan” i was being subjected to and I wonder if this means its working! It is obvious I’m not noticing the deadpan expressions or images so I must be getting something else (which is the point – I think)

Bibliography

Stauble, C., 2015. The Paintings That Revolutionized Art (Revised). Prestel Publishing, p.251.

Figure 1
Woods, G., 1930. American Gothic. [image]
Available at: <https://www.pinterest.com/pin/469429961155193015/>
[Accessed 15 November 2021].

Figure 2Gursky, A., 1999. Rhein 2. [image]
Available at: <https://blog.depositphotos.com/exploring-trends-deadpan-photography-in-2018.html>
[Accessed 7 December 2021].

Identity and Place – Part One: Assignment One

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Brief

Your first assignment is to make five portraits of five different people from your local area who were previously unknown to you.

You will almost certainly find it challenging to take photographs of people you don’t know; it’s often much easier to photograph somebody you’re already familiar with. This could be referred to as the ‘comfort zone’ – and for the purposes of this assignment you will be specifically required to leave it! Leaving technical photographic considerations aside, there are a whole range of issues to deal with in making a portrait of somebody you don’t know. This additional skill set should arguably be in every photographer’s kitbag, regardless of what genre of photography they end up working in. The ability to concentrate on technical and aesthetic considerations whilst engaging with a complete stranger brings a plethora of difficulties. Added to the fact that most people aren’t that comfortable with having their photograph taken anyway, then you can see why this could become a minefield! Just as you learn the techniques behind how your photographic equipment works, there are techniques you can learn about how to photograph people you’ve never met before. Many historical and contemporary portrait photographers have written about this and one piece of advice stands out:

Tip: If it is at all possible, spend time with your subject, getting to know them and triggering a dialogue with them, prior to even showing them your camera.

I ventured into the realms of photographing people I didn’t know in a previous unit and although it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought, it was still pretty tricky!. I’m not looking forward to doing it again!

I live near to the centre of an historical university town which is full of tourists, students, workers and shoppers. It would seem sensible to think of these categories as possible “victims” for my five images. It would also fit with the theme of portraiture typology that we covered in exercise 3. I think I am going to look at taking the images outside, as photographing anything indoors in a city can be very problematic and I don’t want to add a layer of difficulty to an already tricky subject.

There are quite a few people working in the city who’s jobs require them to be outside. There are stewards outside some of the more well known University buildings, giving people information, checking tickets for tourists and passes for students. There are the people who sell and take people punting on the river. There is also a market in the centre of the city and several food vans dotted around the river and city centre selling anything from hot dogs to french crepes. I am definitely going to be out of my comfort zone for this assignment but perhaps selecting people who are outside selling something and are used to talking to “strangers” themselves might just make it a little less daunting.

One thing I hadn’t thought about was that these people were generaly not be able to chat very much prior to me asking if I could take some shots of them. They were of course, working. Despite this, people were friendly and were happy to pose for as long as they did not have any customers. I even found a camera enthusiast who showed me a photo of his collection of cameras!!! Quite staggering.

I tried to make sure that whatever was in the frame helped to give an idea of the person role or personality.

I tried to get an idea of the people themselves, particularly after my research into the project “Decoy” where different photographers took completely different photos of the same person after being given different information about them. I watched them for a while before approaching them and chatted with them for as long as I felt I could, in light of the fact that they were working.

I was also unsure what I was going to ask them to do and after my research into “Deadpan” I was hoping I would be able to ask them not to smile without it sounding strange

The person in image 1 and 2 was quite chilled out but also aware he was working so he was keeping an eye out for any potential customers. Leaning on the bench gives an idea of him being quite a chilled out personable person but the signs in front of him and the one he is holding also point to someone who is not going to miss an opportunity. I prefer Img.1 because it is looks less staged and more natural.

Images 3, 4 and 5 worked really well. I do think that the subject was very photogenic and really did not mind me taking his photo at all. His relaxed attitude really shows through in the images. I prefer image 7 because I like the way the bread leads to the person and not the other way round.

I very much wanted to get an idea of formality for image 6 but I think it turned out like a passport photo! It has a formal look about it but not what I was hoping for!

The person in image 10 really was this smiley! I had been watching on an off for quite a while and that smile never left her face even though it was a very cold day.

I managed to have a bit of a chat with there person in image 9. He really loves what her does and i wanted to try and show him looking content whilst working.

The subject in image 1 and 2 really wanted to smile and I found it very tricky asking him not to! It’s a bit of a strange thing to ask I guess. I think prefer image 2 because there is so much more information in the frame. It tells us more about him and what he sells. Both these images were slightly out of focus which i didn’t realise until I got home.

Looking at the images of August Sander in his series “Face of Our Time” I challenged myself to try and guess as much about each image before reading the titles or captions. I was stunned at how much information I was able to glean, even for the more subtle images. For example, the image entitled The Tenor L.A (Fig. 1) I guessed as a professional opera singer. The pose and the way his hand is held made me think of the stage and perhaps acting. The fur scarf and the way he is protecting his neck made me think his voice is important and therefore perhaps a singer.

Fig 1. Sander, A. The Tenor L.A (1930)

One of his images, The Doctor.Prof.S., Berlin (Fig.2) surprised me because although I guessed he was a doctor I couldn’t really work out why I had guessed that particular profession. I think it might be because of the rather white and sterile background with what could be medical type equipment. I also suspect I have seen other images of doctors from this time wearing similar clothes.

Fig 2. Sander, A. The Doctor. Prof. S Berlin (1928)

Final Images

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Img.4

Img.10

Img.9

Img.2

Img.8

Bibliography

Sander, A., 1930. The Tenor L.A. [image]
Available at: <https://ocula.com/art-galleries/hauser-wirth/artworks/august-sander/der-tenor-leonardo-aramescothe-tenor-leonardo/>
[Accessed 6 December 2021].

Sander, A., 1928. The Doctor. Prof. S., Berlin. [image]
Available at: <https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artwork/53441/August-Sander-The-doctor-Carl-Robert-Schlayer-1929>
[Accessed 6 December 2021].

Identity and Place – Part One: Exercise 4 Archival intervention

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Brief

“Memories evoked by a photograph do not simply spring out of the image itself, but are generated in a network, an intertext, of discourses that shift between past and present, spectator and image, and between all these and cultural contexts, historical moments”

Kuhn, A. Family Secrets: Acts of Memory and Imagination (2002) London: Verso. Pg 09.

Look through your own family archive and try to discover a series of portraits (four or five) that have existed within this archive, but have never been placed together before. The portraits can contain individuals or even couples; they may span generations, or just be of the same person throughout the years (chronotype). Whichever way you wish to tackle this exercise, there must be a reason or justification for your choices. What message are you trying to get across about these portraits?

Through doing this exercise, you are physically bringing together portraits that have never been viewed as a series prior to your intervention. Therefore, you need to think really clearly about what your choices are and who you decide to select.

You can either make physical copies of the originals and work with these in your learning log, or re-photograph them digitally (or scan) and post them on your blog. Either way, your thoughts about these portraits will be the key to this exercise. Try to articulate what is happening when you bring these images together for the first time. Apart from the obvious – the subject, perhaps – is there anything else that links the imagery together? The location? Dates? Activities?

Luckily In the last six months I have been clearing and sorting a great deal of family items that have been in storage for a long time. This includes a vast number of family photographs, going back to my grandparents and great grandparents. The fact that I have already spent time doing some sorting is going to make selecting the images for this exercise a bit easier than it might have been. The process of going through and sorting these photos was , at times, quite difficult and I found myself getting quite emotional due to the fact that I hadn’t seen them for a while. They did evoke many memories, good and bad and I am looking forward to going through them again with less of an emotional head on.

Being adopted at six months old but subsequently meeting my birth mother at around 30, I have always had a bit of an odd perspective on the idea of “family history. I have a full family history with my mum, dad and brother, none of whom are related to me my blood, and a bit of a split history with my natural mother and her family.

I decided not to make any decision about which photos or which family I would use for this exercise but just start looking through the older photos and see if anything comes to mind. After looking through quite a few old photos I realised that I had picked out several images of my mum and dad before they met, before they adopted their first child in 1958 and before they adopted me in 1961. I think most children find it hard to imagine their parents before they were parents. In fact I think it’s hard sometimes to believe they even existed before they had children (them and any siblings). I also realised that there is only one image of my mum as a child (Img.1). I think I know the reason for this but being aware of it now has made this photo very precious.

I really wasn’t sure what message I wanted to get across but became very aware of the fact that she did exist before me and had a life that I was never part of.

Img.1 Circa 1930

Img.2 Circa 1940

Img.3 May 1945

Img.4 Circa 1950

Img.5 Circa 1950

Because these photos were taken before I was born I have no memory of my mum looking like she does in any of the photos or memories of the places or the time when they were taken. In my memory my mum always had grey hair and my dad always had dark hair. I do however have memories of the photos themselves and in particular my parents wedding photos. The memories these evoke is not the event itself but the viewing of the photographs on a rainy Sunday with my parents as they tell the stories behind the images coming from their memories. It is strange how these old photos mean so much now that the people in them have passed away, and even though I was not around when they were taken, the people in them are just as familiar to me as they were days or weeks before they died.

The photo of my mum below (Img. 6) was taken at the end of 1998, a week or so before she died. This image used to invoke very emotional upsetting memories for me and and I used to find it very hard to look at. I now look at it with sadness but now see something different. I no longer see a very poorly mum but a mum who has accepted her life is at it’s end and is at peace. This photo, has without doubt helped me to grieve over the years and finally come to terms with this loss.

Img.6 December 1998

“In Camera Lucida Roland Barthes tells a story about finding , soon after her death, a photograph of his mother as a child. It seems he has never seen this photograph before; and yet it feels familiar. He senses that in the portrait of a little girls he perceives sheathing about his mother that he dozes not see in other photographs, ones taken after his birth” (Kuhn,2002)

Bibliography

Kuhn, A., 2002. Family secrets. London: Verso, p.128.