Tag: statement of intent

Reflections: SET 2 Red photo analysis

Posted on by Josh

*Note: Couldn’t provide link to original PDF as it was too large to upload.

The above photos are the ones I selected to be a part of the red selection for set 2. As mentioned in a previous post, these photos were selected based on their correlation to my statement of intent and their overall aesthetic appeal. They are all taken in Shanghai.

Firstly, photos 1,2, and 3 focus on buildings at the banks of the rivers during nighttime. In these photos, most of the light is concentrated in the middle of the photo. This is where an imaginary line splits the water and sky. The tone of these photos is mostly dark in the surrounding perimeters, while there is a strong contrast between these dark parts and colored lights, causing a large tonal range. The range of view of these photos varies as some are taken in portrait, and some are taken in landscape. In general, photos 1,2 and 3 illustrate the reflections of light on water. It shows how modern technology can impact the beauty of nature.On the contrary, photo 4 focuses on the reflection of a shoe on the metallic side of a boat. The photo’s focal point is the light that shines on a white shoe. Apart from the focal point, the rest of the elements in the photo are not centered seemed positioned randomly. The tone and colors of the photo vary greatly, with no apparent pattern. I think this photo reflects the need to focus on one’s own identity and footprints in a society where everyone is reliant on technology and innovations. Next, photos 6,7, and 9 focus on the vast interiors of the Jin Mao Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Shanghai’s Pudong business district. The reflections in these photos mostly involve glass and light. Distinct geometrical shapes are defined in the architectural design of the building. These shapes are emphasized by the white line of light circulating around each layer. Photo 6 mostly displays the horizontal view of the Hyatt Hotel lobby. Lights from the interior and exterior of the building reflect on the spacious glass windows, creating abstract patterns and distortions. Photos 7 and 9 show the vertical layers of the building’s many stories. With a low ISO, even the uppermost layers of visible floors are distinct. The white line of light from each layer reflects off of the glass elevator shaft, creating a mesmerizing reflection. Overall, photos 6,7 and 9 display the beauty that can be found in the manmade structures. Next, photos 5, 8, and 12 show reflections of colored lights in different parts of the city. Photo 5 shows the reflections created by a purple structure by the sidewalk. The structure itself is clearly defined as a combination of 3-dimensional shapes by the purple light. In the dark lighting of the night, the purple light from the structure is reflected on surrounding objects, creating a completely purple biome for people walking by. Photo 8 is similar to Photo 5, but it displays subjects on a much larger scale. At a high elevation, I was able to capture a wide range of buildings. Using a low exposure, lights from the buildings were not overwhelming for the eyes and could be distinctly seen. Buildings reflected their light off of one another, but the most intriguing aspect of this photo is the subtle rainbow aura in the sky, created by the reflection of light on the air particles. This effect is created by using a narrow aperture, as all elements of the photo are in focus. In addition, photo 12 uses traffic lights and car lights to create an atmosphere of red. This effect is achieved by using extremely high exposure. In the foreground, a white car is captured at full speed, reflecting bright light off of its side and wheels, slightly blurry. This motion blur was achieved through a slow shutter speed. Overall, this photo shows the rapid bustle in the city. Altogether, photos 5,8,12 show reflections of light amidst different parts of the city and can be related to the photos of Craig Whitehead, my artist of inspiration. Lastly, there are photos 10 and 11. These photos depict reflections in areas that are less developed but still affected by modern infrastructure development. For example, Photo 10 shows the aerial view of a section of a hotel. Through a glass window, we can see a large green clover and the repetition of small wooden boards that form a section of the roof. Near the top of the photo, there are distinct rectangular shapes representing solar panels or small facility buildings. Above all, an unidentifiable object is reflected at the top left of the photo, making the seemingly normal aerial view feel surreal and uncanny. Photo 12 is also unique as it gives another perspective on the city’s suburban areas. The photo features a glimpse of an unclean back alley of a restaurant. However, filling up the entire space of the window is a reflection of the restaurant’s interiors. Reflections of perpendicular Chinese architectural designs can be seen along with a reflection of a silhouette. Combined with these reflections, the shadows of the spiraling stairs give an abstract feeling. Overall, the entirety of set 2 reflects the idea of how humans are influenced by modern innovations and carry-over techniques used by Craig Whitehead.

Reflections: SET 2 Contact Sheet

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This is my contact sheet for my set 2 on reflections. In this set, there is a total of 47 photos. Some of these photos were inspired by the photos of Craig Whitehead. Similarly to set 1, I have decided to categorize photos based on how much they relate to my statement of intent and their aesthetic appeal. Photos might be very related to my statement of intent, but if their aesthetic appeal isn’t the best, it wouldn’t be considered a red photo. For the set as a whole, a portion of the photos was taken at ISB, a portion was taken at home, and a large portion was taken in Shanghai. At ISB, the photos were mostly of mundane objects that emitted light or had a glassy surface since they were capable of reflection. The photos taken at home are similar to the ones taken at ISB. The best quality photos were taken in the Pudong business district in Shanghai. They consist of reflections on modern architecture, which are made of glass and have LED lights, making them a great source of reflections when the lighting is dark (night hours). In this set, the categories of yellow, green, and red still apply. The yellow selection consists of photos that have little relation to my statement of intent and do not show interesting reflections. There might be some photos that show reflection, but they lack quality in other aspects, such as focus, angle, or clarity. There are 19 yellow photos in total. The green selection consists of solid photos related to my statement of intent. Some photos might qualify for the red selection but might not be that interesting to the audience. There are 16 green photos in total. Finally, the red selection consists of photos that fit my statement of intent and have excellent aesthetic appeal. These photos were all taken in Shanghai. We can see the majority of the photos in the red selection have a dark backdrop, as they were taken at night. There are 12 red photos in total. I will analyze these photos in a subsequent post.

Reflections: Statement of Intent

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Branching off of the ideas from my mind map, I decided that I would focus on reflections on non-flat metallic objects. However, I realized that the idea of non-flat metallic objects might be too vague and distant from our lives to make an impact on the audience. So, I changed my focus to reflections on the metallic surfaces of technology. It is still related to the initial idea of metallic objects but it has become more related to our personal lives since technology is an essential part of our lives. Technology can include: electronics devices, vehicles, appliances, etc.

Statement of Intent: The title of my project is Steel Visage. The intended feeling felt by the audience is confusion and mesmerization. This project relates to the idea of how we heavily rely on technology in our lives. This idea might be seldom recognized in reality so in my photos I am going to bring attention to it. Therefore, the audience should feel confused and mesmerized when they come across these photos. 

I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs by Erwin Blumenfeld that use innovative techniques to show the frontal and side views of the subject. This type of inspiration will be especially useful for my project because it would be difficult to capture reflections on the metallic surfaces of technology. In addition, I will explore the eerie psychological portraits by Blumenfeld to find out some ways that I could make my photos have an emotional impact on the audience. 

erwin blumenfeld

The photo above by Blumenfeld has a very profound impact on me because it depicts a women’s separated reflection in countless layers of mirrors. Compared to a photo with a reflection in only one mirror, this photo has more distortion and abstraction, giving the photo a more mysterious feeling. It makes the audience question the actual appearance of the woman, piquing their curiosity. I will incorporate this idea in my photos to have a more profound impact on the audience.

Identity: Connecting

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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.

Artist Analysis: Ernst Haas

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A list of 5 typical things that are present in the above photos:

-All photos vividly portray some sort of color scheme

-Repetition of elements

-A unique level of focus in the camera.

– Different textures.

-Multiple parts, not just one main subject.

The photos of different types of architecture have a mesmerizing feel to them. The elements within the photographs look similar, but they have unique details upon closer inspection.

Other photographers whose photos reference these characteristics are Michelle Palazzo, Steve Deer, and Masayuki Yamashita.

Statement of Intent: I will take photos of imagery in ordinary public areas to show the different perspectives that can be found there. The audience should be able to notice the beauty of perspectives that they didn’t know existed.

I chose Ernst Haas because he was one of the most celebrated photojournalists and photographers of the 20th century. He was a pioneer of color photography and had coverage in major events around the globe. In his experiments with Kodachrome color film in the 1950s, he photographed large color photo collections in New York City, which were published by the LIFE magazine.

Ernst Haas relates to my statement of intent because his photographs depict beauty and introspection in ordinary landscapes. He captures the beauty in the ordinary and shows the audience perspectives that they didn’t know existed. 

A quote by Ernst Haas is:

“A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?”

I chose this quote because it reflects how photography is something more internal and less surface-level than one might think. Haas implies that photography expresses someone’s impression of something, making it more personal than a visual record of an event. Then he says the beauty of a photograph is also internal because if it weren’t for the recognition of the photographer, it wouldn’t even exist as a photograph. 

 Analysis of Ernst Haas’s work:

This photo is for Ernst Haas’s New York in color. I chose this photograph in particular because it’s interesting in the fact that it is an effective combination of multiple elements. I found this photograph particularly unusual because you tend to pay more attention to the things that appear further away from the camera. When I first saw this photograph, my attention was not focused on the curvy white object in the bottom center of the photograph. For some reason, I was rather focused on the tops of the people’s heads. I think there might be some option illusion that diverts the viewer’s attention in this photograph. Due to the above reasons, I think the most crucial formal element in this photo is the focus. Focus is important in photographs because it puts the viewer’s attention on something particular in the photograph. Sometimes, the focus is related to the resolution of the photo, but other times the focus is achieved through optical effects or angles that direct the viewer’s attention. For example, the photo that I chose has a resolution that is pretty much consistent, but the focus is achieved through the angle/optical effects. This photo is abstract because there is no defined subject present in the photograph. The viewer must look for it themselves and discover what they think is the subject. Stylistically, I like this photo because it seems to split into two by the grey line in the middle where people are standing. It looks as if it was edited using digital software. But again, I don’t think digital editing software was a thing back then. The slightly uncanny feeling I get when I look at the photograph is quite intriguing. I will adapt this particular style of Ernst Haas into my photography by making my photos look like they consist of multiple parts to make the photos more unclear and create a more abstract effect. I will experiment with multiple angles and levels of focus to enhance my photographs and make them look more convincing. 

Revised Statement of Intent: I will take photos of imagery in ordinary public areas to show the different perspectives that can be found there. I will refer to the photographer Ernst Haas and use option effects and different angles to accomplish this. My photographs will shock the audience with unique perspectives that they didn’t know existed. 

 

 

 

Statement of Intent

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Unforgotten  

The message of this triptych is that aged objects can still have beauty. Old factories, trains, and chimneys can appeal to the eye. This triptych’s purpose is to make the audience aware of the message and relax at the same time. When seeing the photographed objects in black and white, the audience can see the negative space created by the contrast between the background and the object. They can also see the various lines and patterns in the object’s structure. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking at photographs that show lines and patterns in black and white, specifically focusing on industrial objects. Aside from appraising the looks of brand-new objects, we must also be aware of the beauty of aged objects.   

Mind-map: Mind-map