I believe the work is successful in capturing the essence of its intended message, even as my artistic intentions shifted during the process. The photographs effectively convey the contrast of the old and the young, illustrating the generational cycle of life. For example, cycle is embodied in one of my images of an elderly man with his grandson riding a modern QR code bike and they way the composition is in that photos shows a continuous path of life,  and two young men skateboarding in an ancient Hutong. These scenes capture the interplay of experience and curiosity, where the elder has witnessed numerous perspectives and the youth is just beginning to explore the world.The execution of the photographs enhances their impact. The setting, an ancient cultural place  our Hutong, provides a rich, textured backdrop that contrasts  with the modern elements of things like new bikes and skateboards. The use of lighting, composition, and focus draws attention to the subjects while also allowing the historical context to remain prominent. This thoughtful balance creates visual tension that invites the viewer to think back on the connections between the past and present.This work is significant in relation to other art forms that explore the themes of time and culture. It resonates with movements like Modernism, where artists have used the relationship between daily life and historical context. By creating modern symbols of youth culture into an ancient setting, the work makes discussions about cultural evolution and the impact of technology on daily life. It allows the audience to consider how history influences life.The themes present in this work are world wide relatable, reaching into the shared human experience of generational change. The interaction between the old and the young reflects a important aspect of life the spread of knowledge, values, and experiences across generations. My images evoke a sense of nostalgia for the past while at the same time it is celebrating the beauty of youth. This resonates with viewers, encouraging reflection on their own familial relationships and cultural. There are many layers of meaning within the photographs. On one side, they celebrate the excitement of youth and the joy of exploration. On another, they create a sense of nostalgia and reflection on the passage of time. The contrast between the modern activities and the ancient setting prompts viewers to consider the balance between history and embracing innovation. It raises questions about the permanence of cultural practices and how future generations will navigate themselves in relation to the past. My work makes me wonder, how do we balance between honoring historical traditions and embracing modern innovations?

Photographer: Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz’s photography conveys a complex interplay between celebrity culture and personal narrative. Her intent is often around capturing the essence of her subjects, revealing their vulnerabilities and strengths while critiquing the nature of fame. Her images are stories that reflect the moments in which they were created. For example, her photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken just before Lennon’s assassination, creates a  moment of intimacy that deeply empathises with viewers, transforming it into a symbol of love and loss. Annies Leibovitz’s work often draws from historical and cultural places, enhancing  her portraits with meaning.

Style: Annie Leibovitz often employs a carefully constructed composition that balances subjects in the frame. Her portraits often feature a mix of posed and candid moments, creating a dynamic visual. She likes to use a lot of lighting, often with natural light or a combination of natural and colored lights. This technique adds depth and mood to her images, creating more emotional impact. Many of her photographs convey a sense of intimacy, achieved through her ability to connect with her subjects. This connection allows her to capture natural expressions and moments that connect with her audience.

 I chose these 4 photos because they all have a strong sense of emotion coming from their expressions, whether its anger, love or just a pose it gives an astonishing view to the audience. Theses images inspire me because it evokes strong emotion through the composition and tones, which makes me want to test these lightings and poses.

Citations:

The title of this project is “time”. The societal  issue I want to explore with my photographs is about how what time takes away from us and gives us. My model will be my mom and I will take photos in the studio. The photographs will highlight a sense of age but also the lasting qualities of personality. Traditionally to people, “aging” is a derogatory term and people only think of it as losing youth and becoming old, but most people do not see the beauty and strength in this. I believe that experiences are weaved from time and there are certain things, experiences that could not have happened without the time that has passed. Even though, time may have taken away your perfect skin, hair or body figure but it has given you experience, new aura and strength that you never had. I want my audience to feel perhaps empathy or understanding of my theme. Each and everyday you live shapes who you are and the aspect of this is time. One day we will all age but we need to understand that we are also receiving experience, strength and glory from our past. I will get inspiration and develop my ideas by looking for photographs that show a strong sense of confidence in age. My photographer will be Annie Leibovitz who’s photos are very bold and show strong examples of the eye expression.

Portrait: Portrait photography aims toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using different elements. A portrait is defined by its focus on a person or group of people, typically emphasizing their face or expressions. The intent is to capture the subject’s personality, mood, or character. Portraits can vary in style, composition, and context, but a clear connection to the subject is essential. They focus on the individual and often aim to convey personality or emotion, similar to traditional portraits. The difference are in the context and intention behind the photograph. A portrait can represent a person through inanimate objects, such as a still-life arrangement. The objects can symbolize the individual’s traits, interests, or experiences. However, whether this can still be called a portrait is subjective and depends on the intent behind the arrangement.

Artist: Sally Davies

how does the photographer creatively represent your chosen subject matter: My artist Sally Davies creatively represents photography with her unique perspective and her way of capturing and documenting in the streets.

What have i learned/how has this helped develop ideas:

Her work contributes to contemporary photography, through perspectives on the communities she documents. One of her important works is back in 2010 where she documented a Happy Meal daily to show its lack of decay over time. This project gained attention and highlighted themes of consumerism and the nature of food. This helps me think deeper thoughts and convey everything to be meaningful.

Context:

Sally Davies’ work includes many themes and movements of art and social issues. She is highly recognized for her street photography where she documents economic change over time. Her ability to show urban environments about identity and community is very strong. She likes to take photos through personal and communal perspectives of people in their everyday life and spread a value of health and sustainability. Her work also reflects women’s art and emphasized female perspective who also advocates gender equality.

What I like about the style:  I like how she clashes modern street elements with culture and many groups of people. She creates a image of combinations of a variety of unexpected pieces.

title and keywords are correct date -not whats embedded in camera data below. computer glitch, changed hundreds of images to wrong date.

title and keywords are correct date -not whats listed below. computer glitch, changed hundreds of images to wrong date.

I like this last photo the best because of all the different elements it shows. Theres culture, graffiti, basic street conditions and the connections it shows to daily life is so strong and visualizing to see. The perspective it creates is interesting for me as it shows the lady centered and she seems to be looking upwards at something with a kid beside her being playful.

Citations:

The general concept I want to focus on is to capture photos of different age groups in the Hutong. I think it is important to capture times where different age groups are together to create a warming meaning to the pictures.