Thursday 22nd April
Jonathan Shaw introduced the module, we questioned 'what is light?' (and will continue to do so throughout the term). We started by watching a film by Mike Figgis: Timecode. I enjoyed the film largely for its original format and delivery, more than its plot or message. At first frustrated by its awkwardness, but then soon (as we discussed afterwards) adapting to it by allowing the changing audio to manipulate our selected viewing. I found myself evolving with this process - listening to the conversation of one character(s) and looking to the silent actions of another, to keep track of them all. I also thought that this could be a film to be re-visited - with more to be discovered when the viewer doesn't need to follow the plot and so can look for the finer actions/behaviours of the characters. A point to remember with our photography - can we produce something original which will hold a viewers attention, perhaps even encourage them to revisit it and/or discover more? We all know how easy it is to blitz round a gallery, skimming over others' work.
We were given the article Why Street Photography is Facing a Moment of Truth by Sean O'Hagan. Looking to the quotes of the article, there are some quite useful insights into photographer's attitudes when approaching 'street photography' -
"It's essentially a way of working wherein you have to be utterly open to what happens on the street. So, no props, no models, no setting up of shots, and you always use available light. Then, it's down to a mixture of happenstance, luck and skill." - Matt Stuart
"I'm not really drawn to a lot of the ideas around street photography, the notion of waiting around for something to happen, an accident or a man walking by an odd sign or things like that. What I do is always carried by the subject. In this instance, I was totally reacting to a place that I had stumbled on, and the place completely moulded and shaped the work. I was reacting, really, rather than going out looking." - Stephen Gill
The article also pointed out something of a gap between street photography and its place in the art world, because it is too grounded or authentic in some way. Hopefully we can bridge this gap with our pinhole work. Which leads to the task for next week - to photograph the 'street' using our pinhole cameras, and taking into consideration the points discussed in this article. When we say 'street' what we're really talking about is the public place. I started to question what defines that place - somewhere everyone and anyone has the right to be, and hence where you can expect to meet anyone - an absence of privacy. How does a camera (as an objective viewing tool) fit into such a place? Or how does a photographer (as a subjective 'eye') enter into and engage with it?
I'd mention to students that with this task it's important not to get hung up on the technical restrictions of pinhole, but rather to enjoy them. If all you've got is a bloomin' cake tin then how are you going to get something from it? This task is not looking for perfectly focussed, lit, exposed, framed images, instead it's looking to break the mould, and (pardon the cliché) get you to think outside the box. I think this is what the module is really about, pushing the boundaries, challenging the thinking we take for granted when photographing. And as wise Wonathan put it - "if you're not enjoying it, stop it and try something else."
For those who haven't seen it, here is my post and video of the Camera Obscura I made. Recommend that everyone has a go at this - very simple, very cheap, very interesting, and educational towards pinhole cameras.
See you all on Monday - peer review and guidance for 'street' task, post-lecture discussion, pinhole camera surgery. No hangovers allowed.
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