Formal Elements:
Photographer: Aaron Siskind
I think Aaron Siskind might be interested in capturing texture, tone, and shapes in this picture. I will call this “Pilling Down” because I think this is like the dried acrylic paint pilling off, or the old building walls that’s breaking. Aaron Siskind focused on the texture on the surface, and he edited the photo to black and white to show the tone and emphasize on the texture.
The Pictorialism movement happened between 1885 and 1915. Before the movement, photography was nothing more than a simple record of reality and daily life. However, during the movement, people began claiming that photography should be understood as something that can show personal expression and should have the same role as other arts. The pictorialists defined themselves as real photography amateurs who truly pursued art out of photography. Furthermore, in order to prove photography can be a new form of art and let more people accept photography, photographers took pictures of romantic or idealized imagery over the documentation of modern life. The movement flourished for decades, influenced many photographers, and produced many unique art and techniques.
When photos looks like paintings– Waterloo Place by Leonard Misonne
Straight photography is the complete opposite of pictorialism. The straight photography movement started in 1904 and continued until the early 1930s. Straight photographers focused on techniques of creating highly detailed and technical images to highlight real-world images that exemplify form, life, and aesthetics. It was popular and also important because straight photography emphasizes and engages with the camera’s own technical capability to produce images that are sharp in focus and rich in detail.
Berlin Radio Tower by László Moholy-Nagy
Albert Renger-Patzsch was a German photographer, he was born in Wurzburg on June 22, 1897, and passed away on September 27, 1966. His best-known book was published in 1928, named The World is Beautiful. It is a collection of one hundred of his photographs in which natural forms, industrial subjects, and mass-produced objects are presented with the clarity of scientific illustrations.
Edward Weston was a 20th-century American photographer. He was born in Highland Park on March 24, 1886, and died on New Year’s Day on January 1, 1958. He has been called “one of the most innovative and influential American photographers” and “one of the masters of 20th-century photography.” Over his 40-year career, Weston photographed various subjects, including landscapes, still life, portraits, genre scenes, etc. He preferred the modernist style characterized by using large-format cameras to create sharply focused and richly detailed black-and-white photographs.
Aaron Siskind was born in New York City on December 4, 1903, and died on February 8, 1991. He was an American photographer. He focused on the details of things, presented as flat surfaces to create a new image independent of the original subject. He was also involved with the abstract expressionist movement. Siskind used subject material from the real world, for example, close-up details of painted walls and graffiti, asphalt pavements, rocks, lava flows, dappled shadows, etc. He worked worldwide: Mexico, Rome, Westport, Vermont, and more.
Uta Barth was born in 1958 in Berlin. She is a contemporary German-American photographer. Her work addresses themes such as perception, optical illusion, and non-place. Barth uses both abstract and straight photography components. However, she never follows the photography “rules.”
Andreas Gursky was born on 15 January 1955, and he is a German photographer and a professor. The perspective in many of his photographs is drawn from an elevated vantage point. This position allows the viewer to encounter scenes encompassing the center and periphery. Gursky uses both abstract and straight photography elements, and his photography is straightforward. There is little to no explanation of the works.
The Straight Photography Movement influenced Edward Weston and Aaron Siskind. They changed their photography style after the movement. Their style was abstract but also detailed. Also, they both like to use black and white in their photos. Uta Barth’s photos are abstract because she never follows the photography “rules,” and she likes to play with lighting and focal points. I think she’s not a straight photographer because her photos are not sharp or have a clear focal point. Moreover, Andreas Gursky is an abstract photographer because he has a different viewpoint than usual and likes to capture patterns and colors. He is a straight photographer because his photos contain detailed elements and sharp focus.
Unedited:
After edit:
Abstract photography is capturing photos of movements, perspectives, lighting, etc. Photographers have different meanings inside their art which is different from what people normally think. I think “Abstract photography can be defined as capturing images in which subject isn’t the most interesting element?” means how the photographers capture small element or objects people don’t normally see or understand easily but is interesting to look at and create thoughts.
Questions I have:
What is abstract photography?
How can viewers know if it’s a good abstract photo?
My breaking- rules photos: Photography Rules Contact Sheet
Rules are guidelines to take good photos; “good” means photos that the public usually agrees on. A good composition that follows the rules can lead the viewers to the main subject and explain the context. Rules can help new photographers to begin their photography journey and take “good” photos. On the other hand, being restricted or fixed to the rules may also make your composition “boring,” which means a lack of creativity.
There are many rules people agree on, which include good framing, use of light, clear focus, balanced structure, use of patterns and colors, no blurry images, no cuttings of joints, etc. One of the most important and basic rules is the rule of thirds. This rule splits the image into 3×3, which creates nine equal sections. When you take pictures, place the main subject at one of the four spots where the lines intersect. Viewers will likely be drawn to the subject in the intersecting spots. Another rule that guides beginners is to find a clean background; it helps to focus more on the main subject.
When a photographer starts to develop their style and wants to be creative, they tend to break the rules. Breaking the rules helps them reach their ideas and what they want to express. Breaking the rules is fine as long as a photographer can explain what they are trying to express in their photos and are satisfied with it. In my opinion, people should not judge photos as “bad” or “great.” Photography is different in everyone’s eyes, and everyone looks at the world differently. Some photos in my eyes that are “bad” might be “great” photos in others.
Context/ title is important because it gives the purpose or function of a photo; it also sets a goal for the photographers about how they want to express the message. Looking at Baldessari’s example, if viewers didn’t see the title “Wrong,” people wouldn’t understand the intention of this photo. When we first saw the picture, we were all confused. Because this picture has no focus, it doesn’t follow the rule of three or the golden ratio. The whole photo seems random with a lack of meaning. However, after we know this photo is named “Wrong,” it makes sense. Through this series of photographs, Baldessari wants to tell people that there is no right or wrong in a composition. Personally, I don’t like this picture a lot because although it’s creative, it doesn’t follow any rules and fits the public eyes’ of a “good” composition.
“Wrong” – By John Baldessari
– I read two books so far, one is a mystery fiction book called “Everything I Never Told You”, and one is a non- fiction book about pandemics and economics called “The Tipping Point”. The book that had the more impact on me is “The Tipping Point.” Because in this book, I can learn different pandemic scenarios around the world and some physiology theories used in real life. “Everything I Never Told You” contained the most creative use of language, since is a mystery book, there are different descriptions and language techniques. Like using simile when the author us describing the facial expressions, and different flash backs when writing about the child hood of the characters. Something that surprised me is how there are different turning points that will make me think who killed the main character.
At first, I followed the tutorial video and used the example’s ideas. Then in the second class, when I finished the base structure and the arm, I started to build it myself. As you can see, my final product is very different from the tutorial, I have some similar parts, but many parts were changed. Because when I was building, some parts were too detailed, so I changed them and added my designs. My toy meets the design goals because it generates elastic potential energy to kinetic energy. You can see, when people press the swing arm down and shoot, it works smoothly. When people press the catapult arm, the rubber bands will be stretched, elastic potential energy will be created, and when people release the arm, the rubber band will pull back (kinetic energy will happen).
I am proud that I built a catapult that actually worked, and the design and sketches are almost the same as my final product. A challenge I faced was when I tried to cut the popsicle sticks into small pieces, it’s hard to cut using the saw, and when you cut it through, it will break into small pieces. However, I over come the challenge and found that using the most regular scissors would work the best. Another challenge before I start to build the actual catapult is that I struggle with what I should change from the original tutorial. So, I followed the tutorial in the beginning, and after gaining some experience and ideas, I started adding in my designs and pieces.
A strength in my entire project is that I used other classmates’ and teachers’ feedback to improve. With the changes in my catapult, it worked better than before. Something I can do better next project is, when I define and plan, I should look at more design examples and draw more catapult designs. I should also label better in my design sketch to be more precise and accurate. Another thing is I should calculate how much popsicle sticks will I use again, because the materials used in the final product is kind of different from the original plan. Since there are no large size popsicle sticks, I changed it all to normal size sticks, so, the amount of popsicle sticks changed. At the end of the class, I made some paper balls to be bullets and a small basket to be the target to make it more fun for the kids. To sum up, the process and the plan are successful, and my toy design works well.
I met the different standards because I clearly defined all details of the design and explained who are the targeted audience. I also asked different people for feedbacks and improved my catapult using the feedbacks. My design clearly explained the energy transfer (potential to kinetic), and kids can learn when they play with it. I met my goals of the define and plan process, where the catapult can move smoothly and how it can shoot 1 meter forward, which my final catapult did much better (it can shoot 2 meters).
My final product:
(back of my catapult)
A demo of my catapult:
Reflect on your prototype. What were some strengths? What needs refinement
A strength is that the catapult can shoot really far away, and when the arm is moving, the sticks won’t fall apart. However, the base of the catapult is too light, so when people shoot and move the swing arm, the base structure will move forward and wobble. I plan to add more weight by using more popsicle sticks at the front and back of the catapult.
Feedbacks from classmates and teachers:
Sharon- Add more weight on both front and back side, so when you shoot the balls the base structure will be stable.
Jason- Not stable when you play with it, the catapult will fall forward.
Ms. Karen- Add something that can pull the catapult back rather than using hands to press the catapult’s arm (ex. add a string or a rubber band at the back of the swing arm).
Josiah- Very well built, seems sturdy and stable, maybe add some colors.
Catapult before changes:
Catapult after changes and improvements:
I looked at many designs of catapult for inspiration, and decided to use one of them as my tutorial. I’ll follow the steps and change the details while I am building it. The materials I will use are popsicle sticks, water bottle caps, rubber band, and steel wire. I will connect the different parts of the catapult by using hot glue. I plan to use two classes to finish the catapult, and use one class to finalize and add some final bits and details. There are not a lot of skill needed, I just need to cut the popsicle sticks and glue it together. To be successful, I have to follow the steps and be accurate when I stick the materials together. Before I put all the things together, I have to carefully watch the tutorial and fully understand what I have to do. Because any wrong measurement or sticking at the wrong place will affect the final prototype, and the swing arm might not work. I believe, if I follow the tutorial on how to make the base and arm connect, then it will work out fine. If I have time and left materials, I will make a mini basket/ target for the catapult. Since the client of this toy is around 10 years old, while they learn energy transformation, the design should also be engaging and fun. Also, my goal is to let the balls shoot high and one meter away.
My catapult design + sketch:
What is the purpose of your device/toy, how does it function, and who is your user?
The purpose of this toy is to allow kids to learn energy transformation in an easy and fun way. Specifically learning the transformation from potential energy to kinetic energy. The user of the toy is kids around 10 years old, smaller kids can also play for fun.
How it function: When the product is finished, the arm of the catapult will be half located to the body structure so it can swing back and forth. When the kids press the catapult’s arm down (potential energy) and then release, the arm will swing forward by force (kinetic energy).
What is the environmental impact of your product and is it durable and safe?
The environmental impact should be low. Because the materials I use are mostly recyclable, like wooden sticks, rubber bands, and water bottle caps. The catapult should be very safe to play with, since there are no dangerous material used to build it, and the bullets will just be paper balls or tin foil balls.
What precedents inspired you? What did you take away from them & how did it inform your choices?
I looked at examples online and different videos, some were relatively easy and some really complicated. I chose the more complicated tutorial and simplified it to my own version. I combined elements from other examples and added in my own design. For example, the complex one has many details inside the body frame, and many small bits needs to be add. To make it simple, I changed the small details and a little bit inside the catapult to make it easier to build. I also compared different designs of the catapults to see what is similar and what a catapult must have.
How are you making your product original and/ or using creativity?
I will add wheels on the sides of the catapult to make it more interesting, and change the material to differ from the original design. Instead of using popsicle sticks, I will use wood strips and cardboard. I will also add a target/basket to make it more fun for the kids to play with. I will add a hook at the back to locate the rubber band.
Different designs of catapult:
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