The work of the photographers Lee Friedlander, Naoya Hatakeyama, Lisette Model, and Robert Holden revolves around the theme of Reflection.

Lee Friedlander

Lee Friedlander is an “American photographer known for his asymmetrical black-and-white pictures of the American “social landscape.”

In his photography, the majority of his works are based on black, white, and shades of gray, capturing subjects or people in this monochrome style. When portraying people in his photographs, they are either facing the camera or holding an object towards the lens. Utilizing the effects of a black and white camera, the use of lighting in his photography is exquisite. As everyone knows, objects have their inherent colors, and although the photos are in black and white, we can still discern the layers of color arrangement within them. Moreover, the way of Friedlander’s photo is displayed through many different perspectives. His representative style involves the creative use of reflections, shadows, and textural elements.

Naoya Hatakeyama

Naoya Hatakeyama is a “renowned Japanese photographer whose work examines the life of cities and the built environment. ” (all-about-photo)

His photography largely captures the essence of light. When viewing his photos, there is an indescribable sense of haziness, yet this haziness is comforting and grounding. It does not evoke fear because the hazy feeling is associated with familiar subjects such as cities and landscapes. Furthermore, his photography often features leading lines, with large curves coming from all directions, some guiding the eye towards a specific point, while others seem to encircle the sky without a clear purpose. Hatakeyama employs a rich palette of colors and high saturation to express his photographic techniques.

Lisette Model

In the photographic works of Lisette Model, her expressive technique also employs shades of black and white. She focuses solely on capturing the dynamism of people in various environments. When viewing her works, the most impactful aspect for me is the interaction between the subjects, their expressions, and how people were positioned in the photograph along with their movement. Each of Lisette Model’s works appears to be filled with stories and emotions. Perhaps due to the monochrome tones, the vintage photographs often evoke more resonance and imagination.

Robert Holden

Holden’s work is fulled with imagination. He has a well-known photographic series titled “The Burning House Project.” The concept is to ask what items you would take if your house were on fire. Each object carries memories, those books that may seem insignificant to us but are incredibly precious to others. I believe Holden wants to convey through his photographs that every individual is unique, with their own irreplaceable memories, and the objects that hold those memories might be unexpected. Each person is unique, rich, and full of stories.

Comparing Photographers

Lee Friedlander & Lisette Model

Against the backdrop of society and history, Friedlander’s work reflects the alienation of modern cities in society and the isolation of individuals within social groups. Model’s photography, on the other hand, explores more the living conditions of marginalized individuals in comparison to their environment. Friedlander often uses windows, streetlights, porches, and the like to construct his images. His photographic style has been influenced by Robert Frank and Walker Evans. The scenes he captures are often of modern urban and chaotic settings, using these to reflect the streets of post-war American cities. Teaching for over 35 years, Model inspired and influenced a generation of photographers, such as Diane Arbus, Larry Fink, and Fox Solomon, but she is not widely known in the general publishing field. (Britannica) Model’s photographic works offer profound insights into social class and an individual’s place within society.

 Lee Friedlander & Robert Holden

Frieldlander’s work connects with visual arts. Focusing on artistic products that stand on their own, while Holden’s work is more focused on the individual’s journey and transformation.

Lee Friedlander & Naoya Hatakeyama

Hatakeyama loves to take black-and-white photographs, but unlike Friedlander, his photos feature a strong key light. For example, in this photograph,

Although the expression is monochromatic, there is a very strong light source and a clear position of the light. In Friedlander’s work, some of the lighting is reflected through the gradation of colors, with more diffuse light or not-so-intense light sources. In contrast, in Hatakeyama’s photographic works, the focal point of the light is quite evident.

Lisette Model & Naoya Hatakeyama

Lisette Model’s photographic work typically focuses on people, showcasing her profound insight into human nature. Her work not only documents individuals but also captures the appearance of society at the time, serving as a microcosm of an era. In contrast, Naoya Hatakeyama’s photography is filled with the conflict between gravity and energy. His work concentrates on the appearance of cities, not on individuals but on the collective whole. His photographs capture time and moments. Model’s work is more about interaction with people, while Hatakeyama focuses on nature and urban landscapes. Model employs techniques to capture her subjects, whereas Hatakeyama utilizes large-format cameras and long exposure times to create his images. The different historical contexts have also contributed to the distinct photographic effects of the two artists.

Lisette Model & Robert Holden

Model’s photographic works are all about the relationships of black, white, and shades of gray, without color. This is actually quite complex when viewed from different perspectives, because sometimes black-and-white photography, if not richly expressed, can lead to viewers not understanding the content of the photo or experiencing the emotions. However, in Model’s work, she enhances the visual effect and the emotions within the photo by using black-and-white cameras and shooting angles. Holden, on the other hand, takes color pictures. He does not focus on humans but rather on people’s inner selves, creating a more interactive piece of work.

Robert Holden & Naoya Hatakeyama

Their styles are distinctly different. Hatakeyama prefers to express photography through light and landscapes, while Holden enjoys capturing physical objects. Hatakeyama’s work invites associations through the images he captures, whereas Holden’s series titles are very captivating, prompting viewers to engage in thought and imagination.

Citation

All-About-Photo.com. “Lee Friedlander.” All About Photo, 31 Aug. 2024, www.all-about-photo.com/photographers/photographer/10/lee-friedlander.

“Lee Friedlander.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 10 July 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Lee-Friedlander.

Sienna Wong (2006, Hong Kong, China)  specialize in photography, mixed media, and art. She is currently living in Beijing, China. Her artistic practice is a confluence of nature, daily necessities, personal life, animal encounters, and lived experiences. These elements serve as the bedrock of her creative explorations, where she seek to evoke atmospheres that invite profound contemplation. Her work is deeply informed by the interplay of light and shadow, a technique she employ to reveal the unseen textures of everyday life. Through her lens, she strive to capture perspectives that challenge conventional viewpoints, encouraging viewers to engage in an intimate dialogue with the familiar yet often overlooked aspects of their surroundings.

Creativity in photography is not merely an aesthetic pursuit for her; it is a means of pushing boundaries and exploring the depths of human experience. Each photograph is a testament to her commitment to capturing the essence of fleeting moments, transforming them into enduring visual narratives. In her photographic works, there are numerous depictions of the natural environment. This is likely due to the fact that her family often took her on trips from a young age, visiting countries rich in natural landscapes. She enjoys taking photographs that are more abstract, or those that convey a sense of emotion and atmosphere. Her photographs possess a sense of depth and visual guidance that allows viewers to immerse themselves more fully in the images, allowing the atmosphere to permeate.

In essence, her art is a journey through the layers of existence, a reflection of the world through my eyes. She invites you to immerse yourself in the worlds that she creates, to experience the beauty in the mundane, and to find your own stories within the light and shadows of her work.

Sienna Wong is currently studying photography and attending school in Beijing.

Brainstorming – Theme: Reflection

• Reflection of water: Human reflection
• Reflection from the mirror
• Reflection as in symbolism. Creating a series of photograph that doesn’t have orders. Like puzzles, the photograph can be positioned any angle and can be linked to the rest of the series. Some ideas can be: taking pictures of animal and human (any angle) and putting it together. The photograph series is flexible, anyone can arrange them to any places. Using animal as a symbol too.
• Using the photography technique of negative space, creating in depth photo. Showing depth and space.
• Taking pictures that are grey and black, but adding only one object (any) that is red in the picture. Creating contrast. This will be more abstract, since, the atmosphere resulted from the picture may vary between people when seeing it.
• Rain drops, water drops reflection. Zoom in version.
• Reflection on any liquid, any scene. Different perspective, zoom in, zoom out.
• Eye reflection
• Objects that can reflect. Same as the third idea, having a series of photo shots. But this time not animal, only human. Reflection from daily objects of people doing average things. Like,  reflection of a metal bowl of someone cooking.
• Reflection of building, day & night.

Questions:

1. Would you like to go outside more often when the pavilion is being built?
2. Are there any suggestions/advice for the pavilion?
3. Etc.. (Other feedback?)

Feedback:

Q1) Truman: Yes.

Q3) Truman’s advice: Add another bench so that more people can go inside.

Q1) Emily: Yes

Q2) Emily: Maybe add more seating so that more people can sit inside the pavilion because I would go and sit in the pavilion with my friends and it doesn’t seem like there’s enough space for everyone to fit comfortably inside the pavilion.

– Success criteria –

What could a pavilion achieve?

• A pavilion should achieve or meet the goals of being attractive or useful.
• It is made for open spaces (different aged people are all allowed inside).
• It is open area.
• In my opinion, a pavilion should be environmentally friendly.

– Plan –

Idea/model 1 & 2:
One                                                                                                                                                                                Two

Idea/model: 3

– Decision making/choosing the final pavilion –

For the final pavilion, I would choose idea/model one. I think idea one meets all the pavilion requirements. I think in the process of perfecting it I will have more ideas than the other two pavilions. In the process of making three models, I found that I made one better than the other. The pavilion one I want to choose is actually the last model I made. At that time, I was not sure whether I could perfect it, because before that, my top choice had always been the Chinese courtyard.  I’ve done a lot of research on the Internet, and I’ve found that there are actually many pavilions that are beautiful but have obvious shortcomings. My goal is to do a pavilion for the school, so everything I do revolves around the school. Idea one achieves this perfectly, it is not only environmentally friendly but also provides a place to rest for people of any age. I feel like the most interesting part is that it can provide you private spaces, since it is placed individually. Also, I really like how the pavilion is designed. Not only it is a convenient pavilion, it also provides you a shelter. In conclusion, I feel confident that idea one has the best potential.

 – Detailed drawings and specific elements of my chosen design – 

Different views (side, top, perspective):

Scale:

3D form:

Main materials:

• Solar panel
• Pressure-treated woods
• Rustic cedar
• Paints

Site location (Context):

(Located where the outside pitch were – the benches)

–  Eight Criteria of success  –

Is it practical to build (can it be build in school)?

Does it have a purpose?

Will people want to go in it?

Does it hold 4-6 people?

Is it safe?

Is it environmental friendly?

Does it attract people?

Does it have a roof?

– Mind map & visualization sketches –

Mind Map (general):

Visualization Sketches:

– Modelling –

Idea one & two:

Idea three:

-Conclusion – 

Based on the eight criteria of success, it would be most likely for me choose the first design (idea). This is because it fits perfectly into the different categories I listed, also it’s one of my favorite ideas/designs of all three.

Task Overview:

In this assignment we focused on making ideas on variety of different companies, what their purpose was and how it benefits human. Later, we’ve plan out the problems that we’ve might face or problems that others might be troubled with.  Then we connected the two ‘buckets’ together and made a solution to it. Furthermore, each of us chose three concept/ideas and made it more detailed. At last, we chose one of the three concept and created a simple-1 slide ‘pitch’ and a basic description of why my idea could work.

Bucket 1:

Bucket 2:

/design/DAFL_-hvyMw/view?utm_content=DAFL_-hvyMw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=embeds&utm_source=link” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Design by Sienna

3 selected concepts:

Design by Sienna

Design concept:

Colorful Blob Organic and Handcrafted Classroom Health and Safety High School Back to School Poster by Sienna