Mind Map (from set 1)

Vision

Through my street photography in color(not sure yet), reflections of windows, and the motion of people, my message is to explore the urban environment, capture the bustling city life, and the unnoticed in our daily lives. I will convey my message by reflecting the blurry image in windows.  I will use long-exposure, inspired by Alexey Titarenko, and the vibrant colors reflected on windows, inspired by Saul Leiter. I will also try close-up shots and wide-angle views to see which one can evoke a stronger feeling and capture the essence of bustling streets, showcasing the city’s diversity, energy, and everyday life. By showing a different perspective, I want my audience to feel a sense of timelessness, and fascination. I will try both monochrome and color to see which one works better. Monochrome filters will add a timeless and dramatic quality to the images, emphasizing the contrast and textures of the urban environment. However, color can show the diversity and bustling of a city. Moreover, windows will help to frame my composition, inviting the audience to another perspective and angle of their daily lives. The fuzzy and blurry images can create a sense of curiosity and interest in the audience, which can have different interpretations and connections. Therefore, this set will be the “build-up” from set 1, exploring reflections of windows, long exposure, and color.

Statement of Intent

The working title of this set is “Rhythm of the City.” I want my audience to feel a sense of curiosity and connection. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs by Alexey Titarenko that showcase the dynamic movement and energy of urban environments through long exposure techniques. I will also get inspiration from the work of Saul Leiter, particularly his use of color and the visual interplay between windows and the surrounding environment. By combining the long exposure techniques of Titarenko and the colorful windows of Leiter, I aim to invite the audience to pause and think about the bustling, diversified city they live in.

Mood Board

• motion
• people
• windows
• color/monochrome
• photographer: Alexey Titarenko, Saul Leiter

All Photos:

Blue Selection:

I eliminated photos that were too blurry, wrong exposure, or didn’t match the style of Saul Leiter. These photos in the blue selection have relatively interesting compositions and the use of color.

Green Selection:

In this stage, I deleted photos that were”boring,” and had normal compositions. I also considered that the final photos should be a set, and should be somewhat connected. So, I eliminated photos that couldn’t connect with the other photos. For example, the reflection of the old man through a motorcycle mirror; is the only photo that has a reflection through a vehicle mirror.

Red Selection:

These are my FINAL photos for set 1. In this set of photos, I got inspiration from the photographer Saul Leiter, who plays with reflection, color, and street photography.  Similarly, I took photos of the streets through the reflections on the windows. From the photos I picked, the viewer can feel a sense of urban life and everyday moments. These photos are taken outside coffee, bakery, phone, and clothes shops. By taking photos of places in daily life and intimate to the viewer, they can feel connected. With different compositions and perspectives than normal, I can create curiosity and intrigue the audience. The photos are all somehow “abstract” because of their reflections, which leave room for interpretation and personal connections of the viewer. Moreover, with the use of different colors, the photos can communicate the diversity and energy of the bustling city. Connecting back to my inspiration photographer, Saul Leiter, I used similar techniques and composition. For example, the use of windows to frame the image, the use of color, and the placement of people walking by. I used a large aperture, so the images have a wider depth of field. Although my photos are not 100% a copy of Saul Leiter’s style, it’s a combination of inspiration from him and my own ideas. Overall, I think these photos are my best ones for set 1, which show a strong connection to my inspiration photographer, and best communicate my vision—realism, diversity, and moments in the city.

Artist: Saul Leiter

Saul Leiter (December 3, 1923 – November 26, 2013) was an American photographer and painter whose early work in the 1940s and 1950s was an important contribution to what came to be recognized as the New York school of photography (Wikipedia).

Societal Context:
Saul Leiter’s work reflects the social context of the mid-20th century in New York City. He captured the urban environment and its inhabitants, showcasing the bustling streets, the diversity of the city, and the everyday moments of its people. Leiter’s photographs often depicted scenes with reflections, offering a different perspective on the city and its inhabitants. The societal context of his work encompassed the cultural, social, and economic dynamics of post-war America.

Historical Context:
Leiter’s work was influenced by the historical context of his time. He started his career in the 1940s and continued through the 1950s and beyond. This period marked significant shifts in society and photography. In terms of photography, it transitioned from black and white to color photography more widely accessible. Leiter’s photograph captured the essence of New York City during this era, showcasing the changing landscapes, architectural developments, and the impact of modernization on urban life.

Biographical Context:
Saul Leiter’s biographical context played a role in shaping his artistic vision. Born in 1923, he was exposed to various influences throughout his life. He had a background in painting and studied under the renowned abstract expressionist teacher Hans Hofmann. This background likely influenced his approach to composition, color, and abstraction in his photographs. Leiter was also known to be a private and introspective individual, and his introspective nature may have influenced the contemplative and reflective quality of his work.

Psychological Context:
When looking at Saul Leiter’s photographs, viewers may experience a range of emotions and states of mind. The use of reflections adds layers of complexity and intrigue to the photographs, creating a dreamlike quality that can evoke a sense of wonder or thought. The interplay of light, color, and composition in Leiter’s work can also evoke a sense of serenity and tranquility,  depending on the individual viewer’s interpretation.

This photo connects to the societal and historical change in New York, the variety of color shows the clear evolution of color photography. The shift into an urban city is also shown in this photo; for example the street lights, the shops behind the people, and the clothing of the people.

Visual

This is a photo in Saul Leiter’s “Reflections, New York” series. The focus of this photo is on the reflections of the two walking by. The lights on top are very bright, and the reflection is very soft. The white part in the distance is the light part of this composition. The plant inside the window created interesting shapes and patterns, creating another layer beyond the reflections. The black part around is the negative shape, creating a frame and contrasting with the main subject.  This image created a “soft and smooth” texture because the reflections and the shapes shown are not sharp, making the image harmonic and balanced. The tone is relatively dark, the light and white shops behind are the lighter areas. Although this photo is dark, there are a variety of colors. The person wearing orange created contrast with the darkish-blue tone, which emphasized the person walking by. Moreover, this photo follows the composition of the rule of thirds, putting the people in the left-center.

Technical

The lights used in this photo are daylight and street lights. The focal point is focused on the plant, blurring the people walking. The people are relatively clear, so the shutter speed should be fast. Also, the photo is soft, dark, and not as pixelated, so we can guess that the ISO is kind of low. The temperature of the background is a bit cold, but there are many orange/warm-colored objects.

How Does the image inspire?

This image inspired me by showing how reflection is incorporated into street photography. I like the use of color in this photo, the composition, and how he chose the surroundings. It also inspired me as it shows how to create frames of the window, changing different perspectives.

Initial Thoughts

I want to take photos of reflections of people in mirrors, water, and windows. I will do street photography in this unit, where I stay motionless next to a reflected wall, like a window, glass, or mirror,  and capture people who come by.

Researching the Starting Point

Compare and Contrast Photographers

Four photographers have made notable contributions to the world of photography: Lee Friedlander, Robert Hilden, Lisette Model, and Naoya Hatakeyama. To portray the spirit of city life, Friedlander uses innovative techniques like reflection and framing in his work, which focuses on the urban social landscape. On the other hand, Hatakeyama uses photography to investigate the interaction between nature and the urban lifestyle. He investigates the relationship between people and the built environment, especially in Tokyo. Model actively participates in social change through her work and frequently captures candid moments in her street photography, demonstrating a frank humanism. Conversely, Hilden’s focus on photography shifted from documentarian tasks to one that is more subjective and narratively driven, emphasizing the human experience and personal narratives. Both Lisette Model and Lee Friedlander employ monochrome in their image when capturing photographs. While the central theme of “reflection” encompassed all four series, each photographer approached and expressed it in unique and individual ways.

Lisette Model

Lisette Model (born Elise Amelie Felicie Stern; November 10, 1901 – March 30, 1983) was an Austrian-born American photographer primarily known for the frank humanism of her street photography (Wikipedia). Model immigrated to the United States from Vienna in 1938. She participated actively in the Photo League in New York, which functioned as a platform for progressive documentary photography and a society of photographers committed to promoting social change via artistic photography. Model used various styles common to American and European photography in Window Reflections, ranging from examining urban life to experimental graphic and spatial play. Her subject’s features have disappeared into his shadowy body, and the city’s clamorous signs reflect against his silhouette, leaving the observer to wonder what he might be thinking (Moma).

Social Context: The Lisette Model was developed during the mid-20th century, primarily in New York City. The societal context of her work was influenced by the cultural and social dynamics of the time. Model actively participated in the Photo League, which suggests that she was engaged with the pressing social issues of her era and used photography to express her perspectives on society. Her street photography reflects her observations of everyday life and the diverse individuals she encountered in the urban environment.

Historical Context: The mid-20th century was a period that witnessed significant events such as World War II and its aftermath, as well as the rise of post-war American society.

Biographical Context: The biographical context of Lisette Model played a role in shaping her artistic vision and approach. While specific influences on her work are not explicitly mentioned, her experiences as an Austrian immigrant who moved to the United States in 1938 likely impacted her worldview.

Psychological – Theory of Mind: Model’s street photography often captures candid and unposed moments, portraying the diversity of human experience in the urban environment. Some of her images may evoke a sense of curiosity, empathy, or contemplation. By containing reflections in her pictures, Model adds an element of ambiguity and mystery, encouraging viewers to question and interpret the images in their own unique ways.

Lee Friedlander

Lee Friedlander is an American photographer and artist born July 14, 1934. Friedlander created a significant and frequently replicated visual language of the urban “social landscape” in the 1960s and 1970s. Several of his images have pieces of storefront reflections, buildings framed by fences, posters, and street signs. His creative use of framing and reflection—often utilizing the natural world or architectural details to frame his subjects—makes his work stand out (Wikipedia).

Naoya Hatakeyama

Naoya Hatakeyama is a Japanese photographer who was born in 1958. His work explores human intervention with the landscape and natural materials, including the life of cities and the built environment. Hatakeyama has been based in Tokyo, a city that has served as a model from which he has developed a body of work concerned mainly with the relationship between nature, the city, and photography (Takaishii Gallery).

Robert Hilden

Robert Holden is a photographer, journeyer, and environmentalist. His work revolves around the humanistic idea of travel. The journey and the encounter are his main themes. His photographic approach is subjective and emotional. His projects are based on reality but often combine a personal narrative. Since 2007, Robert Holden’s style has evolved from documenting specific editorial assignments to photographing his travel experience through an intuitive, non-descriptive, and narrative style (Wikipedia).

Mind Map

Vision

Through my street photography in color, reflections on windows, and capturing the motion of people, my message is to evoke a sense of realism, urban life, and everyday moments. I want the audience to feel connected to the fleeting moments and diverse narratives unfolding in the streets. To convey this message, I will capture candid moments of people in motion, showing the lives of an urban city. The colored use in my photos can show the diversity and variety living in the city, Moreover, windows will help to frame my composition. I aim to create a sense of curiosity and intrigue for the audience, leaving room for interpretation and personal connection. I also want to evoke emotions of curiosity, connection, and diversity in everyday urban landscape moments. Furthermore, I will experiment with different angles, perspectives, and compositions to provide diverse visual experiences. I will try close-up shots and wide-angle views to see which one can evoke a stronger feeling and capture the essence of bustling streets, showcasing the city’s diversity, energy, and everyday life.

Statement of Intent

The working title of my project is “Through Glasses,” Because I think this title captures the different perspectives and lenses through which I will explore the streets and the people. I want my audience to feel a sense of intimacy with the urban environment and aim to evoke curiosity, empathy, and a connection to the stories and emotions that unfold within the frames of my photographs. To inspire and develop my ideas, I will look for photos by Saul Leiter, a well-known street photographer whose work resonates with my vision. I will study his compositions and his use of light and shadow. Leiter’s photographs show a unique understanding of the complexity and diversity of urban life (Wikipedia), and I aim to incorporate her concepts into my work.

Mood Board

• Street Photography
• Color?
• Windows
• People
• Photographers: Saul Leiter, Lisette Model, Ernst Haas

Reflecting on the “Connecting” Stage

In this stage, I learned the word “reflection” contains many different contexts and can be interpreted in various ways. Through my research on the starting point and the work of photographers such as Lisette Model, Lee Friedlander, Naoya Hatakeyama, Saul Leiter, and Robert Hilden, I have gained valuable insights into my project’s techniques, compositions, subjects, mood/atmosphere, and lighting. I learned about different perspectives of reflection, framing, and capturing moments in street photography. Combined with diverse angles, perspectives, and compositions, these techniques can add depth and narrative to my work. The focus on urban life, everyday moments, and the diversity of individuals in the city has inspired me to capture the nature of city life and connect with my audience. Moreover, studying the monochrome aesthetics, use of windows, and creative lighting in the photographers’ work has expanded my understanding of creating mood and atmosphere in my photographs. Saul Leiter, in particular, has influenced my vision with his candid approach and exploration of reflection.