Tag: focus

Identity: Responding

Posted on by Josh

ARTIST

The artist I chose to analyze is Irving Penn. He is an American-born photographer known as one of the twentieth century’s great photographers.

Penn mostly created photographs for fashion magazines such as Vogue. The intent of his photographs is to capture the key characteristics of the subject to present a certain style.

Irving Penn is accustomed to focusing on the face of the subject. He also likes to incorporate the gestures of the subject. In many of his photographs, the subject is either holding an object or touching their face. Most of his portraits are in black in white. He does this to capture the features of the subject. 

I selected Irving Penn as my artist of inspiration because his images are naturally stunning because of their simplicity. They consist of only the subjects and do not rely on too many props and a flashy background. Also, they seem unedited. The photographs capture beauty in their simplicity. 

All of the photos have the subject touching their faces with their hands. They are black and white. The expressions of the faces are distinct because the geometrical features of the subjects’ faces are effectively captured. Irving Penn accomplishes this by using the formal elements of shape and tone in these photographs. 

CONTENT

The subject of the photograph seems to be a middle-aged man.  

There is only one person in this photograph. He is the subject of the photograph. He looks like a middle-aged man. He has long and curly hair that looks combed back so that his forehead is showing. If the photograph wasn’t black and white, the man would have several white hairs. The features of his body are strongly highlighted. For example, his strange chin and wrinkles on his hands are very noticeable. The man covers one of his eyes with one of his hands. His body seems to be tilted, so one side of his face shows more than the other. His uncovered eye looks directly at the viewer. 

PHOTOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES

Irving Penn would have seen the entire subject instead of just his upper body. He would also be able to see the subject in colour instead of black and white. 

When looking at this photo, the attention of the viewer is directed to the eye of the subject. The focus of the photograph is the eye of the subject because it is at the center. Naturally, the audience will look at the center of the photograph. 

Lines highlight the textures in this photograph. Textures range from the hair of the subject to the shirt and jumper that he’s wearing. Moreover, the dark shades contrast the light shades of this photograph and make lighter portions stand out more. The surrounding areas in the photo are mostly dark shades, and the light shades are mostly in the center. Then, in the middle of the light shades, there suddenly appears to be a black eye staring at the viewer. It stands out. As a result, the use of lighting further draws the attention of the audience to the center. 

STYLE & GENRE

If I could describe the style of the photograph using one adjective, it would be “intimidating.” This is because I feel taken aback every time I look at the photo. 

MEANING /INTENT

Mood: This picture intimidates me because the lighting and focus force my attention to a certain part of the photograph. It’s like I have no control over what I’m focusing on in the photograph. 

Intention: This photo was most likely used in a fashion magazine, so the intention of Irving Penn was to make it capture the attention of the audience. I could use the same intention in my photographs to capture the attention of the audience. 

 

Identity: Connecting

Posted on by Josh

The focus of my project

I would like to focus on the identity concept of “self-image” vs. “self-esteem.” Self-image is an identity concept that is basically the version of yourself that is given to you by others. Self-esteem is totally internal within yourself and isn’t reliant on any outside forces. 

Inspiring Artists and Genres

Some inspiring artists include Matt Stuart, Alex Webb, Elliot Erwitt, Gary Winogrand, Diane Arbus, and Eric Kim. Inspiring genres for this project include street photography, portraits, black and white, symbolism, and surrealism. I chose these artists and genres because they are effective in showing the concept of identity through a graphical representation. 

Statement of intent

The title of this project is “Inter-scope,” with the focus on exploring the identity concepts of “self-image” and “self-esteem. I decided that “Inter-scope” is a good title for this project because it reflects the action of looking inside oneself, which is the basis of identity. In my photographs, I will try to simplify the complex aspects of identity so the audience can understand it in a more direct way. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs that portray self-identity and the way that one person categorizes themselves within a group of people.

Abstraction: Final Evaluation

Posted on by Josh

PDF LINK: Final Triptych

Which artists have inspired your project and how?

Ernst Haas inspired my project because his style encouraged me to take colored photographs of urban areas. He also inspired me to use the formal element of focus because he used this formal element in many of his photos in “New York in Color, 1952-1962,” which had stunning effects. 

How do your images link to your inspirational images?

My images link to Ernst Haas’s images because they are vividly colored photographs that consist of multiple focal points. Furthermore, they are taken in the bustling places of urban areas. 

What have you experimented further with to help you develop your ideas for the project?

I experimented with different saturation levels to see which lighting best enhances my photos. 

How have you built on what you have done before?

I built upon my skills with snapshots. During the first time in photography class, I learned how to use sport mode to capture objects in motion. The first two photos in my triptych have distinct moving objects. The moving objects are slightly blurred because it wanted to create more contrast with the focal points in the photo. In addition, it also gives the photo a surreal vibe. 

What is the idea behind your final series of images and how does it bring together the best parts of your previous projects?

The main idea in my final series of images is the transition from day to night and the transition from suburban to urban. Starting from the photo on the left of the triptych was taken in the afternoon at around 4-5 pm from the inside of a car. I was entering the city at that point, and the sky was still blue, and the sun was visible. Then, the middle photo was taken around 7-8pm in the middle of a crosswalk in downtown Beijing. Lastly, the photo on the right was taken at about 9-10 pm in a populated commercial area. Overall, my final series of images illustrates the transition from day to night because of the chronological order in which the photos were taken; the transition from suburban to urban because of the change in location of where the photo was taken. To answer the second part of the question, my final series of images brings together the best parts of my previous projects because it was the outcome of learning and improving from set 1 and interpreting the style of a new photographer. All in all, my final series of images demonstrates the best of my photography for now. 

How did you create your final series of images?   

First of all, I was quite puzzled about which photos to choose for my final series. Since I was interpreting the style of Ernst Haas, all of my ‘good’ photos had a variety of main focuses. There were some photos that contained the same objects; however, they were not the best photos to display the influences of Ernst Haas. After finishing my red selection, I looked at the photos to see if there were any connections. After rearranging the photos to see if there was a pattern, I noticed that there was a common idea of transitions in three of my photos. Essentially, that’s how I came up with my final series of images. 

What are the overall strengths of your project and why?

The main idea is quite intriguing because it makes the audience interpret a relationship between three seemingly unrelated photos. 

What are your areas for development – what do you need to work on in future projects?

I would need to learn more on how to use aperture and exposure, so I can use them right in the moment of taking the photo. This way, I can take quality photos that are more specific to my statement of intent. Also, I might focus on taking more photos of a single scene or object, so I have more to choose from in the end. 

 

Full Contact Sheet+Yellow Selection+Green Selection+Red Selection

Posted on by Josh

The Full Contact Sheet:

The full contact sheet consists of 32 photos in total. I took the photos in various places, so the scenery in the photos can appear quite diverse. All of the photos are colored and mostly abstract. Most of the photos target the formal element of focus through optical effects.

The Yellow Selection:

For the yellow selection, I discarded 12 photos of the 32 photos from my full contact sheet. They were discarded because they didn’t align with my vision or because they didn’t fully incorporate the formal element of focus. For this selection, I chose 20 photos.

The Green Selection:

In this selection, I chose 10 photos that really demonstrate my vision. In these photos, the use of the formal element of focus is demonstrated by diverting the viewer’s attention to a certain part of the photo. For example, in the 10th photo with the cello bow and notes, the viewer is intended to on focus the elements of the photo separately. They either see the bow first or the notes first. At least, that is my interpretation. Different people might see the photo in a variety of ways.

The Red Selection:

  1. The photo is in the top left corner. I chose this photo to include in my red selection because it relates to my vision and uses the formal element of focus uniquely. At first glance, you might not recognize that the photo depicts a night sky. The photo consists of one very bright red light and another very bright yellow light; they greatly contrast the whitish light near the middle of the photograph (the moon). These are the most appealing elements within the photograph. They catch my attention almost immediately when I look at the photo. I tend to ignore the clutter of buildings, cables, and clouds in the background and only focus on the lights. Realistically, the viewer’s eyes should focus on the lights first, but again, the photo is abstract and is open to interpretation. I would call this photo: ” Vision.”
  2. The photo is in the top right corner. I chose this photo because it highlights the formal element of focus very abstractly. The photo does not focus on any element, as it’s an array of transparent spaces in a commercial building. Thus, the viewer must use their interpretation and focus on an element that holds their attention. It is similar to choosing an item from a store in the mall. Instead of selecting items, you will have to choose what to focus on in this photo. Due to the fact, there is a huge number of possible interpretations for focus, this photo is abstract and aligns with my vision. Because of the above, I would call this photo: “Selection.”
  3. The photo is in the bottom left corner. I selected this photo for the red selection because the elements in this photo because it consists of a variety of lines and shapes that split the photo into different sections. The focus on the different sections is part of my vision statement. I took these photos at the gym in the corner between two mirrors; the objects in the mirror are actually in the opposite position in real life. The large brown portion in the middle of the photograph looks as if it split the photograph into two pieces. A muscular man is walking on the right side of the photo; he looks as if he walked through the large brown portion in the middle. All the possible interactions between the man, room, and large brown portion make this photo abstract. I would call this photo: “The Barrier.”
  4. The photo is in the bottom right corner. This photo is special because it appears to be an ordinary picture of a horizon but has extra elements that hook the viewer’s attention. First, the photograph aligns with my vision because it is abstract and focuses on many elements. The different elements include the sky, the buildings, the trees, the river, the bridge, the motorcyclist, and the finger. Each unique element is made imperfect because another element is interfering with it. For example, the buildings block the view of the sky, and the finger blocks the view of the bridge and the river. The fact that you can’t focus on one element without focusing on another makes this photograph abstract. I would call this photo: “Cohesion.” The reason behind this name is up to the viewers. 

The Red Selection

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These are the photos I chose for the red selection. They are photos that best represent my statement of intent. They represent my statement of intent because they are black and white and show strong contrast to bring out the subject. Negative space is present in all photos, emphasizing sharp lines and shapes. They somewhat relate to the style of chosen photographer Albert Renger-Patzsch. However, the fact that the photos had to be abstract made me focus on abstraction rather than straight photography.

The first photo is a close-up of the side of a train. It contains a variety of complex machinery and mechanical contraptions. The shapes and features of the machinery are brought out through the shadows from things behind. The white negative space gives the shadows a variety of shapes. The main focus would be the large wheel that takes the center of the photograph. I could improve this photograph by making its shapes and features more abstract. If I were to give this photograph a name, it would be called “Space mechanics.” The reason for this name is open to interpretation.

The second photo is taken by leaning back with the camera. It contains two triangular edges of buildings and a large complex industrial funnel that emerges in between them. The triangles’ simplicity really brings out the middle funnel’s complexity. There is nothing in the background except for negative white space. This makes the focus of the photograph extremely obvious. However, there are still areas for improvement. It would have been better if the triangles at the bottom of the picture were symmetrical, so the formal element of the repetition would be more clear. Also, there seem to be small things that distract the viewer from the main focus. For example, there is a thin line at the top of the triangle to the left and a small block beside the triangle to the right. One of the edges of the triangle to the right doesn’t seem smooth. It makes the shape imperfect. If I were to give this photograph a name, it would be “The Junk King.” The reason behind the name is up to the viewer because it is an abstract photograph.

The third photo shows electricity lines. This photo mostly focuses on the formal elements of shape, line, and repetition. There is a thick black vertical line towards the slightly right of the middle of the photograph. It contrasts the mass repetition of thin black horizontal lines. In addition, there are two circles that have a cross in the middle. They are virtually identical in shape. Therefore, they emphasize the formal element of repetition. The white background and negative space bring out the shapes of the main subjects. To be honest, there are not that many areas of improvement for this photograph because the features are already oversimplified. All in all, this photograph is pretty simple in nature and requires the viewer’s interpretation. I would call this photograph “Lines and Circles.”

 

The Yellow Selection

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I selected the above photos because they have a potential to appeal in black and white. They are not necessarily abstract photos, but they are in focus and have a clear subject. Later, I will narrow down the selection to about 10 photos. Those photos would be mostly abstract; I will make them black and white.

 

Elements of Photography

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The formal elements in photography are elements that can exemplify a photograph. They are characteristics that make a photograph unique.  

 

Line: 

Line is the presence of a long or narrow mark or band. Objects can also act as lines. They can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. They can also show movement and energy, for example, a vector. 

Shape: 

Everything object has a shape. The shape could represent relationships between things or act as a symbol.  

Repetition/ Pattern:  

A certain shape, line, or object repeats itself throughout the photograph. A repeat could include the presence of echoes or reflections. 

Texture: 

The texture of a surface applies a particular effect on your eyes to make you feel as if you are touching it in person. Texture can often emphasize a certain mood in the context of the photograph.

Value/Tone:

Essentially, value or tone is the range of lightning in the photograph. It can highlight a specific part of the photograph or make other things more vague and obscure. 

Focus: 

Similar to value/tone, the focus is the element of photography which brings out a particular part of the photograph. Instead of lightning, the focus is emphasized through resolution.

Can an image show just one element at a time? Justify your answer. 

An image can show more than one element at a time because multiple elements can make photography more interesting or defined. With more than one element, photographs will feel more dimensional.