Further research on the Decisive Moment + practitioner research

Assignment 3, Notes, Online Research, Practitioner Research

Summary:

For this post I have;

– Researched the ‘Inspired’ moment, written by Olivier Duong, to further understand the Decisive Moment in a slightly simpler form.

– Written three detailed paragraphs about Henry Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Bruce Davidson and KayLynn Deveney, exploring their career history, what they capture and why.

– As well as writing a short analysis for one or two images from each practitioner, stating what I enjoyed about their work and what I took from it.

– Before reflecting on the post as a whole.

The ‘Inspired’ Moment

The Decisive Moment for me is one of those topics that I believe is clear to understand at first until I find myself questioning it once more, therefore I have found a definition that strips the technique down to the bare basics.

Olivier Duong also struggled to piece together the elements that make up a Decisive Moment, so took it upon themselves to break it down into their own words, or as they call it ‘The Inspired Moment’ (Duong, 2013). A diagram of the Inspired Moment (see Fig. 1.) shows the alignment of the photographer’s eye, the photograph, the heart and the mind, a combination of compositions, emotions and thoughts that pull together to create that ‘perfect’ moment (Duong, 2013).

Fig. 1. Decisive Moment (2013)

Duong continues to describe the Decisive moment in terms of time; Chronos and Kairos time. Chronos being ‘linear time’ and a much more definitive view on time, whereas Kairos is opportune and varies, as is the Decisive Moment. A Decisive Moment can happen at any time, hence you have to grab it when it arises or you will miss it, ‘you could not catch him by the hair because he is bald from the back’ (Duong, 2013). You must always be responsive and ready for any given moment, see it and shoot, have your camera settings ready to avoid missing the shot.

In summary, you must see the image in your mind’s eye, be ready both physically, mentally and technically and shoot before you miss. 

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004)

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer, painter, filmmaker and prisoner of war, well known for being a master of street photography and the Decisive Moment. Cartier-Bresson had a strong interest in surrealism, an art movement that inspired the direction of his photographic work. Peter Galassi explains in his book Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Early Work, that the surrealists ‘…approached the street: with a voracious appetite for the usual and unusual…’ (Galessi, 1987:33), meaning they saw more than an ordinary photograph and understood the deeper meanings and unplanned situations.

In 1952, upon his return to Europe after a three-year stream of travelling, Cartier-Bresson published Images à la Sauvette or as we know it, The Decisive Moment. This book provides the viewer with a collection of images that were taken in an instant, with intuition and ‘in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously’ (Cartier-Bresson, n.d.). 

‘Cartier-Bresson did not “point and shoot” to achieve this effect. He often framed a picture in the viewfinder of his Leica, and then waited for the perfect event to occur, normally a person passing through the scene’ (Huxley Parlour, 2017). 

Huxley Parlour provides a perfect example of this approach, shown in Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1932), a frozen yet slightly blurred silhouette of a figure leaping over what seems to be a rain-sodden ground, a result of ‘luck’ as Cartier-Bresson calls it in the documentary L’amour Tout Court. It was almost a matter of fate due to the fact he slotted his camera in between the planks, just barely managing to fit the lens through, meaning he could not see the composition (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). The image is beautifully balanced and perfectly timed, the feet of the person just inches from the ground before splashing into the water below. We know what is going to happen without the documentation of the result, this is achieved by intuition. Ripples surrounding what looks like a wooden ladder implies that it may have fallen or at least been disturbed recently. The dark pile of rubble next to the hoops on the floor, brings further texture to the image, contrasting the wet, shiny water. Cartier-Bresson placed a lot of emphasis on the ‘geometry’ of an image, an element that will enable the composition to be proportionate (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). Despite his lack of sight for this piece, the balance was still maintained as the silhouette is framed within the far right of the frame and as a result achieves the rule of thirds. A small figure in the background of the shot may pose a few questions for the viewer. Are they in front or behind the railings? Is that a police officer or a civilian looking at them? Or are they even looking? The motion blur implies a fast movement, however, we are unaware as to why they are leaping, or whether they are running from or to something. The tensions throughout this artwork create intrigue and have helped me understand the true power of a decisive moment, intuition and awareness. 

Garry Winogrand (1928-1984)

Garry Winogrand was a New York based photographer who captured the hustle and bustle of busy streets, airports, people at rodeos and animals in the zoo (Fraenkel Gallery, 2012).

A number of his works have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the world, as well as being published to accompany the exhibitions. Winogrand’s work is considered highly influential in the street photography genre, having provided slices ‘… of 20th-century American culture, replete with all the nightlife, excitement, heartbreak, trauma, and banality…’ (artnet, 2011) that makes up the foundations of life. 

Documenting monumental events that have taken place due to the social issues in the U.S., enabled Winogrand to excel and become one of very few artists that stand out in the world of street photography.

Winogrand worked as a freelance photojournalist, as well as exploring the world of advertising in the 50s and 60s, before teaching the subject in the ’70s. Following his death it was discovered that a huge majority of his older works had been left undeveloped, no proofed exposures or only got as far as being made into contact sheets (MoMA, 2009).

One image that stands out for me is New York, 1969, (see Fig. 2.) part of the Women are Beautiful series, a collection of images taken in various locations of women in their natural state, observing, partying or otherwise occupied in some way. In the foreground we are presented with a woman in her early 20’s perhaps, her thick hair is down, resting naturally against her shoulders, seemingly unaware of the photographer taking her picture just a distance away. The shot has been taken just before the pretzel in her hand reaches her mouth, freezing time and showing the process of a decisive moment, showing the neutral emotion of eating while on the move in a busy environment with no time to savour the event. In the background we see multiple darker figures of people passing by, the natural light not quite reaching them like the woman closest to the camera. They’re noticeable of course, adding movement and providing context for the location, as well as their acknowledgement of the camera, potentially questioning what is happening. That being said, they don’t stand out because they are not the subject in question, the woman in front is, she is the focal point of this composition. A variety of tones run through the photograph, adding depth to the shot, enhancing the brickwork in the architecture and the natural marking of the lighter buildings, dirtied by pollution, animals or other such elements. The horizontal and vertical structures, create leading lines for the viewer to explore the street behind the bustling pavements and roads, drawing the eyes further into the background towards the left before leading out of the image. Balance is maintained by the use of the rule of thirds, as the woman in question is placed perfectly within the lines of the left intersections of a camera grid, complimented by the shallow depth of field that further encourages the eyes to focus. As previously mentioned, the Women are Beautiful series documents women in various situations, dressed to the nines or in her casual wear. Conceptually this may be exploring the pressure that women have been put under for centuries. Using the decisive moment to photograph women without any makeup on, their hair flowing naturally, eating what may be considered ‘junk food’, showing the true nature of women in the comfort and without the mask of societal norms influencing the moment. A compelling statement and a chance to empower women, quirks and all. 



Fig. 2. New York (1969)

Bruce Davidson (1933 – )

Bruce Davidson is an American photographer based in New York, a member and contributor to Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Magnum Photos. Davidson began taking photos from the age of 10, the catalyst for studying and furthering his knowledge on the subject at Rochester Institute of Technology and Yale University (Magnum Photos, 2008). 

After returning from the army in 1957, Davidson began doing freelance work for LIFE magazine before creating a variety of influential works such as The Dwarf, Brooklyn Gang and Freedom Rides (Magnum Photos, 2008).

Davidson has exhibited in many museums and galleries over the years, one of them being the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where East 100th Street was displayed following its publication at Harvard University and St. Ann’s press in 1970. Most of the work produced by Davidson documents events or situations within society, capturing the different walks of life through the lens of a camera, much like his friend Henri Cartier-Bresson did years before him. Many pieces of work from the past 50 years have been published in monographs and reside in both public and private fine art collections worldwide (Magnum Photos, 2008). 

“If I am looking for a story at all, it is in my relationship to the subject — the story that tells me, rather than that I tell” (Bruce Davidson, n.d.).

One example that explores the above statement, is Woman on tube holding flowers, London, 1960 (Davidson, 1960) a photograph that seems to show no sense of the relationship between Davidson and the people on the train. Of course, the connection between the members of the public is unknown, however, the fact we know that the photographer is outside of the train, most likely positioned on the station’s platform while the woman looks onward down the cabin, implies that she is unaware anyone is watching her. The woman has a fairly neutral face however, a slight hint of anger or confusion shines through with her subtle furrowed brow and puckering of the lips. We are unaware of what this person is thinking, what is in front of her as the scene is tightly framed, creating a mystery for the viewer. Is she in deep thought? Has someone said something to make her angry? Is she even angry or is this how her expression naturally falls? Her posture seems relaxed, hands overlapping each other gently while holding the bunch of flowers, so perhaps she is just in deep thought. Who are the flowers for? Again we don’t know and have to piece our own story together with our imagination due to this lack of information. The cabin is brightly lit and contrasts with the dark body of the train creating balance in the composition, as well as drawing our attention to others on the tube. The man to the left is leaning forward with a confused or shocked face, as if he’s missed his stop, while the man to the right grabs his head in his hands, maybe from stress or despair? Meanwhile, the woman next to him seems blissfully unaware as to what is going on, as her head bows down over a book or a newspaper? 

There are a lot of stories that can be told throughout this image, not necessarily accurate to the facts of what happened when this was shot, but a story none-the-less. All of the elements within this photograph, create intrigue, keep the viewer interested, forms tension and captures the natural state of people within seconds, a recipe for a successful decisive moment. 

As Davidson stated in the quote above, he has let the story tell itself, rather than placing it into our hands. 

KayLynn Deveney (1967- )

KayLynn Deveney, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico is a photographer and lecturer now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 

Deveney studied and earned a bachelor’s degree for journalism while living in Albuquerque, before becoming a staff photographer for the Albuquerque Tribune for 9 years, covering a wide range of topics across that period (KayLynn Deveney Photography, 2015). 

In 1999, Deveney and her boyfriend travelled to the UK where she furthered her education by going to graduate school and going on the earn a masters degree in documentary photography at the University of Wales, Newport in the early 2000s. In 2009, she completed her Ph. D. in Photography, exploring how ‘contemporary and historical photographic diaries and self-books address myths of domesticity’ (KayLynn Deveney Photography, 2015). 

Since her many years of education, Deveney’s work has been exhibited across the world, as well as being held in permanent exhibitions at The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Illinois, Light Work in Syracuse, New York and the Portland Art Museum in Oregon (KayLynn Deveney Photography, 2015). 

Deveney’s first photography book was released in 2007, capturing the life of an elderly man called Albert Hastings within his home and local area in Wales. Following their first meeting in 2001, she began to learn about Bert’s history, his memories of WWII and his many interests, albeit simple. This encouraged Deveney to document the mundane aspects of daily life, the familiar items or routines that make life what it is and what makes a home, a home.

When the images were presented to Bert, Deveney began to realise that they had differing opinions regarding their perspectives. Art is subjective after all. The captions that are written throughout the series, come from Bert Hastings himself, some of which match the photographer’s intentions for the image, while others contribute a more ‘critical second perspective’ (Deveney, 2015).

While this series is only a small window into someone’s life, it is still incredibly powerful. Documenting someone’s life, no matter how brief, provides a little bit of context as to how they live, how they act, how they respond to the banalest of things. It shows intimacy and peels back the privacy barrier we all have; whether it’s intentional or not, which allows us or at least try to understand the life of others. 

Fig. 3. Far Sun (n.d.)

One image that stood out for me was Far Sun, n.d. (see Fig. 3.) as it feels so out of place, humorous and not something you see every day, something I believe the concept of the decisive moment encourages. Regarding the balance of the composition, Bert’s body is positioned perfectly within the bottom left box and his head directly on the 1st vertical line of the grid. Not only does this draw the eyes to the left from the start, but it also follows Cartier-Bresson’s ‘rule’ of maintaining balance and being aware of the geometry within the frame. The first point of interest for myself is Bert; which makes complete sense as the series is about him, however, in comparison to the dark tarmac and brick wall in the background, he stands out like a sore thumb with a bright blue and pink towel to support him. You can’t miss him. Moving on to the second point of interest, the black car; that is positioned in between the middle right and bottom right of the grid, provides a little bit of context as to where this may be taking place. Is this in a car park? Why is he in a car park? Also, why is he sunbathing on the tarmac when it looks like it is about to rain? Juxtaposition; as previously mentioned in my post The Decisive and (In)decisive moment, 2020, is another strong element to consider when documenting decisive moments. It creates a conversation and a list of questions for the viewer, making them think about what is in front of them for a little bit longer. The moment seems so unique and whacky, that it feels staged, but I don’t think it was due to the fun personality that comes through in the candid shots of Albert. As an outsider looking in, with very little knowledge of this person, it feels like a very Bert thing to do, especially if he didn’t have a garden or local beach to visit. 

The captions make the images a touch more personal, something I feel brings the collection together and may help the audience understand the photographs more, or at least learn about Bert’s thought process.

Reflection: 

– The Decisive moment doesn’t necessarily mean dropping everything, to capture the perfect moment.

– As long as you are aware of your surroundings and what is happening around you, that is what matters.

– You can set up your camera to get the composition you want, to provide balance and understanding of what is in front of you, then wait for the moment to come to you at the right time. 

– Be intuitive and be ready for the ‘perfect’ moment to come, before you miss it.

– The subject may be aware of your presence, but as long as you make them feel comfortable or blend into the background, you can document some incredibly candid and personal moments that may have otherwise been missed.

– Don’t just focus on one subject, be observant about EVERYTHING.

– Street photography allows for some very unique moments, however, they aren’t restricted to this form of photography or location type.

References:

Artnet. (2011) Garry Winogrand | artnet [online] Available at : http://www.artnet.com/artists/garry-winogrand/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Cartier-Bresson, H. (n.d) Henri Cartier-Bresson – Fondation [online] Available at : https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/hcb/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Davidson, B. (n.d.) Bruce Davidson . Photographer Profile . Magnum Photos [online] Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/bruce-davidson/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Davidson, B. (1960) Woman on Tube Holding Flowers, London, England, 1960 [image] Available at: https://huxleyparlour.com/works/woman-on-tube-holding-flowers-london-england-1960/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Deveney, K. (2015) The Day to Day Life of Albert Hastings [online] Available at: https://kaylynndeveney.com/the-day-to-day-life-of-albert-hastings (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Duong, O. (2013) How to understand the Decisive Moment | INSPIRED EYE [online] Available at: https://www.theinspiredeye.net/street-photography-tips/decisive-moment/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Galassi, P. (1987) Henry Cartier-Bresson: The Early Work [pdf] (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

H. Cartier-Bresson: l’amour tout court (2001) Directed by O’Byrne, R. [online video] Available at: https://vimeo.com/106009378 |(Accessed 25 March 2020).

Huxley Parlour. (2017) Henry Cartier-Bresson [online] Available at: https://huxleyparlour.com/artists/henri-cartier-bresson/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Fraenkel Gallery. (2012) Garry Winogrand | Fraenkel Gallery [online] Available at: https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/garry-winogrand (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

KayLynn Deveney Photography. (2015) Bio – KayLynn Deveney Photographer [online] Available at: https://kaylynndeveney.com/bio (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Magnum Photos. (2008) Bruce Davidson . Photographer Profile. Magnum Photos [online] Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/bruce-davidson/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

MoMA. (2009) Garry Winogrand | MoMA [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/artists/6399 (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Cartier-Bresson, H. (2015) Henri Cartier-Bresson. Behind the Gare St. Lazare. 1932 [image] Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/98333 (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Winogrand, G. (2013) Women are Beautiful | Fraenkel Gallery [image] Available at: https://fraenkelgallery.com/portfolios/women-are-beautiful (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

List of Images:

Figure 1. Duong. O. (2013) Decisive Moment [image] Available at: https://www.theinspiredeye.net/street-photography-tips/decisive-moment/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Figure 2. Winogrand, G. (1969) New York [image] Available at: https://fraenkelgallery.com/portfolios/women-are-beautiful (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Figure 3. Deveney, K. (n.d.) Far Sun [image] Available at: https://kaylynndeveney.com/bert-grid (Accessed 23rd November 2020).


Update on studying and covid-19.

Assignment 3, Notes

I think it’s safe to say that this year didn’t turn out the way many of us planned, following the very quick progression of Covid-19, lockdowns and such.

Due to this unexpected turn of events, not only has my studying been put on hold, but many things in my personal life have also been sidelined, to allow myself to work on a few things that this lock down has made me face. Thankfully I’ve been in contact with my mentor for uni, over the past couple of months, to bounce some ideas around for the (In)decisive moment assignment, as well as doing a few test shoots to figure out what I would like to do following the restrictions we have to comply by.

Hoping to get my studying up and running more consistently soon so that I can get my first course of university complete and bring something good to 2020.

Just thought I’d provide a quick update as to why my learning log has been very deserted.

Hope people are doing well given the circumstances. Stay safe.

Assignment 2: Tutor Feedback

Assignment 2, Reflection on assignments, Reflection on feedback

Following the email submission of my second assignment ‘Collection’, I received my feedback and some files to look at to reflect the comments made by my tutor.

Here is a summary of my strengths, weaknesses and areas to improve on in future pieces of work:

Strengths:

– Appropriate assignment that shows a familiarity with still life informing conventions (vanitas) and a typology strategy.
– Hierarchy of needs well informed by reference to other art forms.
– Choice of influences drawn from coursework and research.
– Write up well researched.

Weaknesses:

– Be more concise, focus on the subject and how I approached it.
– Meandering when explaining my process, so summarise.
– Summarise and refer to blog posts to show process etc.
– Clearly show test shoots and technical details.

Areas for development:

– Tell assessor what I’ve found and summarise, be more concise.
– Clarify my intent with references and research on technical choices to back it.
– Structure and outline in any written work.

Reflection:

While my practical work is strong and shows my understanding of the brief, technical elements I’m exploring and clear research, I need to be more concise with what I’m writing. Blog posts are ideal for explaining my process in more detail, but for an assignment with a restricted word count it is better to be short and sweet with descriptions, backing it with references and knowledge.

Rather than allowing the assessor to read and come to their own conclusions about my work, I need to be clear and straightforward by telling them what I did, what I discovered during the process and how I would improve.

Glad to know that I have succeeded in most areas so early on however.

The Decisive and (In)decisive moment

Assignment 3, Online Research

Summary:

For this post I have;

– Made bullet points on what I found in the slideshow provided by Robert Bloomfield, regarding the Decisive and (in)decisive moment.
– Reflected on what I have found from this slideshow, quick scans of the artists suggested and imagery included.
– Stated the differences and similarities between the decisive and (in)decisive moment, interpreting what I read in the slideshow.
– Briefly mentioned how I am still undecided on the path I will take for this assignment, therefore more research needs to take place.

Before beginning my mind-map for this assignment, I am first going to have to properly understand what decisive and indecisive moments are to make sure I am creating images with a more definite knowledge of what I need to achieve.

Robert Bloomfield ran a meetup earlier on this month which I didn’t attend myself; however, a PDF of the slideshow became available in the PHEYV email thread. I will make short bullet points reflecting on what I have found from both this slide to summarise the meaning of both techniques for easy access when future referencing.

Decisive Moment :

– DM is usually street photography, so will need to be altered for the UK lockdown.

– DM is when you take the current event and the forms into consideration at the same time, forming a balance between the two. Don’t just focus on the form; think about the surroundings and vice versa.

– Be aware of what is happening around you and anticipate what may happen to capture the unique moment before it changes.

– Basic elements of DM, Gesture, Juxtaposition and Moment. 

– ‘Well sometimes the pictures disappeared and there is nothing you can do’ (Cartier-Bresson, 1973). In other words, the moment is there in a second and once it’s gone, that’s it. 

– ‘The difference between a good picture and a mediocre picture is a question of millimeters, a small, small difference, but its essential’ (Cartier-Bresson, 1973). Find the balance, be aware of how each detail fits with one another. Recognise what is in front of you.

– Shoot pictures of people who aren’t aware you are there, capturing them in their natural state rather than posed to evoke questions and feeling. Study them and try to understand who they are, rather than just taking a snapshot without studying or thinking. 

– Establish contact when taking portraits, to pose some questions to create a slight connection and reaction.

– Don’t overshoot, the picture you may have wanted may have already gone when you just snap away, be more selective with your shooting (Cartier-Bresson, 1973).

– You need to forget about yourself for a while; otherwise, if you get involved too much, you may start to try and push a point which isn’t necessary. 

– The juxtaposition in photography evokes questions and emotion due to the contrasts between the different events or subjects. To capture these elements can add to the image and supply some sort of statement.

– Be intuitive and know when to click the camera, ‘that is the moment the photographer is creative’ (Cartier-Bresson, 1957).

– Observe and find something interesting in an ordinary space (Erwitt, 1999).

Indecisive moment:

– To remove expression or visual triggers such as gesture can confuse the viewer’s expectations to understand someone’s character (Cotton, 2018:106). 

– Instead of juxtaposing the imagery, Paul Graham captured a connection between the two or threes compositions to create tension or surprise, rather than contrasting the subjects. The center of the photographs shows movement in turn, encouraging the viewer to focus on the event that is soon to be gone, implied by the images (Bloomfield, n.d). 

– Guido Guidi captures the ordinary and overlooked, things people usually rush past and don’t naturally observe. He often presents images in a sequence, showing slight changes in time for the viewer to pick up on (Higgins, 2018).

– ‘Chance is important’ (Guidi, 2018).

– ‘All moments are decisive – and none’ – (Guidi, 2018). He doesn’t necessarily agree with Cartier-Bresson’s idea that a single moment can encapsulate the impact of an action or scene. Instead, he captures a moment which is one of many. 

– There is something more outside of the image, and there is always more to discover. 

– Photographs are monuments that show the passing of time, single moments that hold importance. 

– Memory and the photograph are inseparable; they capture a memory than can be seen whenever needed. 

– Every moment is significant in their way. 

Reflection

After looking through the slideshow and reading a few articles suggested within, I now understand much clearer the difference between a decisive and an indecisive moment. A decisive moment is to be vigilant and capture a few unique moments that we feel cannot reoccur. Observe and snap someone in their natural state, without them knowing you’re there to avoid an influenced reaction. Find balance within the composition and be aware of how each element fits with one another. Juxtapositions formulate a contrast, consequently evoking questions to be made and enhance the impact of the event taking place, for example, a wealthy person walking past a homeless person. Try not to overshoot to prevent missing that ‘moment’ and remove yourself from the scene to stop your ideas from taking over your thinking.

An indecisive moment is more flexible, as each moment is significant and doesn’t have to be a spectacularly unique event. Instead of juxtaposing, you can connect the imagery by showing the differences that have taken place within a period, slices of time that show a procession of actions. The photographer has more control of the composition, maybe directing the models to look a certain way or move the subject to a particular place, rather than relying on fate to hand it to you. You have more chances with the indecisive moment than you would with the decisive, which can seem like the more appealing route depending on how you view it. Although, to observe the ordinary and find something interesting in it, takes time and a sense of awareness that isn’t as easy as first thought. 

One thing that the two have in common, however, is being open to what you are photographing and taking time to observe or capture a shot. Albeit planned or otherwise. 

I am yet to decide whether to focus on the decisive or the indecisive moment as of yet, but considering the UK is restricted as to what they can do and where they can go, the likelihood of me being able to capture a decisive moment indoors may not be possible. Further research needs to take place for this decision to be made.

References

Bloomfield, R. (2020). INDECISIVE MOMENT EYV MEETUP REDUCED [pdf] (Accessed 31 March 2020).

Cartier-Bresson, H. (1973) Words by Henry Cartier-Bresson (1973) – AMERICAN SUBURB X [online] Available at: https://americansuburbx.com/2009/07/theory-words-by-henri-cartier-bresson.html (Accessed 31 March 2020).

Cotton, C. (2018) The Photograph As Contemporary Art, 3rd ed. London: Thames and Hudson.

Erwitt, E. (1999). Life According to Elliot Erwitt [online] Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/society-arts-culture/elliott-erwitt-life/ (Accessed 31 March 2020).

Guidi, G. (2018) Guido Guidi: ‘Many times I’m not looking when I press the shutter’ [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/05/guido-guidi-interview-photographs-suburban-italy (Accessed 31 March 2020).

Higgins, C. (2018) Guido Guidi: ‘Many times I’m not looking when I press the shutter’ [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/nov/05/guido-guidi-interview-photographs-suburban-italy (Accessed 31 March 2020).







Initial thoughts about ‘The (in)decisive moment’

Assignment 3, Thoughts & Ideas

‘Create a set of between six and ten finished images on the theme of the decisive moment. You
may choose to create imagery that supports the tradition of the ‘decisive moment’ or you may
choose to question or invert the concept by presenting a series of ‘indecisive’ moments. Your
aim isn’t to tell a story, but in order to work naturally as a series there should be a linking theme,
whether it’s a location, event or particular period of time’ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Due to the current pandemic, we students are having to alter any exercises/tasks that require working in a social environment to fit the current guidelines set by the government. Due to this, I will have to work my way around this assignment from a domestic setting which is slightly disappointing as I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone by shooting street photography. Perhaps I can explore a different technique instead to push myself further?

Before I begin this assignment, I will have to research the decisive moment further, so that I can then also understand what an indecisive moment is. I must admit it’s a little difficult for me to interpret at the minute, but hopefully, with further studying and help from peers will help me formulate a set of images that fit the brief.

Unfortunately, my confidence levels for this assignment are quite low, as I’m unaware as to what I will end up with or where to begin; therefore the best option right now is to search around for definitions, examples and other such materials to help me on my way.

References

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 74. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 31 March 2020].


Exercise 3.3 – What Matters Is To Look

Notes, Part 3, Reflection on coursework

Summary:

For the final exercise I;

– Expressed the difficulties faced during this task due to the continuing UK lock down and inability to travel far, therefore having to find a work around to achieve an image that fit the brief.
– Explained how I executed the exercise, the camera used, as well as the settings before,
– Documenting what I saw during each layer of the viewpoint and the details within them that I may not have noticed had I just raised my camera and clicked.
– Inserted the end result with the technical details and reflected on the exercise as a whole, the importance of looking and the impact it can have on the composition.

Brief:

‘Find a good viewpoint, perhaps fairly high up (an upstairs window might do) where you
can see a wide view or panorama. Start by looking at the things closest to you in the
foreground. Then pay attention to the details in the middle distance and then the things
towards the horizon. Now try and see the whole view together, from the foreground to
horizon (you can move your eyes). Include the sky in your observation and try to see the
whole visual field together, all in movement. When you’ve got it, raise your camera and
release the shutter. Add the picture and a description of the process to your learning log‘

(Bloomfield, 2018).

Due to the UK being on lockdown for the time being, I had to find a workaround for this exercise as my upstairs windows do not open wide enough for me to get an unobtrusive shot of the garden, therefore wasn’t a possible option. While I would’ve liked to shoot from a high-rise building to get a broader view, my only alternative was shooting from the hilltop near home.

Before taking this shot (see Fig. 1), I set my SONY A57 to shutter priority mode, used auto-focus to ensure that the image would be entirely focused, as well as adjusting the shutter speed to level out the exposure before raising my camera and shooting.

While observing this viewpoint, I first became aware of the bare tree branches in the foreground creeping into view and blocking the houses to the left of me, shortly before my eyes followed the descent of the hill leading towards the hedges and large bricked house in the middle distance. The houses behind look tiny in comparison as they get further away from the foreground, framed by the variety of evergreen and deciduous trees along the horizon and a faint foggy silhouette of woodland far aware in the background. A blanket of clouds blocked the previously sunny sky, a few grey clouds spread across before it started to rain.

Once I’d looked at all of the elements in their sections, I then sat and viewed the scene as a whole without using my viewfinder in camera. This exercise was slightly challenging as I usually look at what is in front of me through the camera before shooting, so to step back and discover in real-life was an eye-opener.
I took a brief look at the LED screen to make sure the sky was in my composition, then returned my eyes to the view while pressing the shutter button.

Fig. 1. Look (2020)
1/25 sec; f/32; ISO 200

Reflection

These past few exercises and research points have helped my understand the importance of being aware of your surroundings, to look before you shoot instead of raising your camera and taking a snapshot, hoping for the best. By spending more time to observe and understand what is in front of you, makes the shot a lot more meaningful, not only for you as the photographer, but for the viewer as more effort has gone in to make sure the composition looks ‘right’.
While it is difficult to refrain from just raising the camera and looking, it is a task worth doing to spend a few extra moments taking in the scene and what you’re about to capture.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 73. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 30 March 2020].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2020) Look [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Research Point – Henri Cartier-Bresson – L'amour Tout Court

Notes, Online Research, Part 3, Reflection on coursework

Summary:

For this research point I;

– Watched the documentary suggested in the brief and made notes on what I discovered during 70 minutes of watch time, expanding on the statement made and interpret them in my own words to further understand the decisive moment.
– Reflected on Sluban’s visit to a prison, where he ran a photography workshop and how he approached as well as taught the inmates, emphasising that the composition is extremely important and is more than just pressing a button to provide meaning.
– Explored Bonnefoy’s comments about Simiane-la-Rotonde and how being aware of your surroundings allows you to see a lot more, provides evidence of Cartier-Bresson’s ability to capture a balanced composition through intuition and the importance observing.
– Expanded on Cartier-Bresson’s view on what makes a decisive moment, by finding an example of sensitivity, intuition and sense of geometry in his work Alberto Giacometti rue d’Alésia. A photograph that documents the gaze of his friend Alberto Giocometti and the connection between the two, showing the empathy Cartier-Bresson has for his subjects.
– Briefly covered Arikha’s thoughts about painting and how we are so influenced by recognition, therefore we need to capture what we see, not what we think we see.
– Documented Cartier-Bresson’s approach to capturing decisive moments, by making sure people don’t know he is observing, to avoid an unnatural response from the subject. Once again showing a huge amount of empathy, to somewhat become invisible and connect with the mood of the room.
– Explored the critiques of Liz Wells, who believes that documentary can remove context from an image by dislocating moments in time, in turn creating a less powerful image by not showing what has happened/is happening. However, I challenged this by disagreeing and providing the reasons as to why, before
– Challenging Colin Pantell’s views on Paul Graham’s The Present, where he believes there are many indecisive, decisive moments that we don’t know what to look for, however I feel isn’t true as there is a consistent theme throughout and many focal points throughout.
– Briefly scanned John Suler’s article about the decisive moment, to increase my knowledge of it before continuing with this assignment. Understanding that it is important to look, be more decisive about what you’re shooting, don’t overly influence the shots, if at all and provide balance, questions and tension.
– Reflect on how I feel about the decisive moment as a visual strategy and the power it has to create a strong image, while expressing concerns about the difficulty of being able to capture such moments.

Brief

‘Watch the Henri Cartier-Bresson documentary ‘L’amour de court’ (‘Just plain love’, 2001) available
on Vimeo.

Write up your research on the decisive moment in your learning log taking care to give a proper
account of the three differing views offered above, and any further research you’ve undertaken
independently. What do you feel personally about the decisive moment as a visual strategy, or
just as a way to take pictures? Conclude your post with your own perspective on the debate at
this point in time‘ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Henri Cartier-Bresson’s view on a successful photograph is made evident by emphasising the importance of looking. He feels as if not many people do when stating that ‘75% of the people just press the button’ (L’amour Tout Court, 2001) and don’t necessarily think about the gaze that encourages questions. To think about what you’re capturing, making sure the image is balanced when composed, is more effective than just raising the camera and shooting without much thought. The intentional space gives context to the gaze of the subject, enabling the viewer to think about what may be happening.

This idea is further supported by Klavdij Sluban on his visit to the inmates at Fleury-Merogis Prison for a photography workshop in 1995, educating them on how to take photographs and their approach to the task in a calm, welcoming manner. Sluban communicates to the group that the fascinating element of photography is the composition, as it is a language that you have to learn (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). 
Approaching the inmates politely and humanely, enables them to listen and be excited about the workshop, therefore encouraging them to take the photography seriously and give that sense of ‘meaning… an instant of your life’ (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). 

Thinking about what you’re about to capture provides that extra level of care and understanding, that to some may just simply be a photograph and nothing more. However, to the more avid viewer, we may be able to discover the relation between the subject and artist by further exploring the deeper layers of the composition, to appreciate how the balance enhances the overall mood of the arrangement. Simiane-la-Rotonde taken in 1969 is an example of this. 

Yves Bonnefoy states the square was usually empty and could not recall any children playing or Cartier-Bresson being around to take the image on this day, they simply walked straight past the square as usual (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). We can see that the children in the foreground are relaxed, enjoying the company of one another as if nothing has changed and Cartier-Bresson isn’t observing. A young girl in the background is pointing towards a dog, albeit a stray or a member of the communities, that may suggest sheer excitement of discovering this furry friend. The negative space emphasises the space between each group of people, supporting Bonnefoy’s statement that the square is usually empty. On the other hand, enhances Cartier-Bresson’s intuitive use of the golden section as each person is placed between or near the intersecting lines of the camera grid, keeping the composition balanced.

Bonnefoy understands that the reason he didn’t see this happening on the day he passed by was that Cartier-Bresson is always on the lookout and ready to react to a situation. In contrast, others are usually ‘distracted and unobservant’, Cartier-Bresson doesn’t have to stop for the geometry to play a decisive role in framing the scene (L’amour Tout Court, 2001).

Furthermore, Cartier-Bresson addresses that all it takes to capture a decisive moment is having ‘sensitivity, intuition … a sense of geometry’ (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). He has an incredible amount of empathy and can relate to the subject in the frame, making them feel comfortable.

By photographing Alberto Giacometti in Alberto Giacometti rue d’Alésia crossing the road in the pouring rain, covering his head with a coat for protection, gazing at the photographer across the street with somewhat of a melancholic emotion looking for support, reflects this idea of compassion. The simple connection of eyes forms a relationship between the subjects, good or bad, determined by the expression given. Capturing the distance between them, documenting the walk towards him almost radiates the action of waiting for Giacometti to reach him and feel the warmth of reuniting with a friend on this rainy day.

The painter Avigdor Arikha suggests that ‘our gaze is always conditioned by recognition’ (L’amour Tout Court, 2001); therefore we only see what we recognise and don’t necessarily observe anything further than that. This statement reminds me of an approach my fine art teacher taught our class, that was to draw what you see, not what you think you see. We must observe the form and stray from being influenced by what we assume something should look like, or like Arikha mentions ‘to look openly is to look with the senses’ (L’amour Tout Court, 2001).

Henri Cartier-Bresson doesn’t want the subjects he is photographing to know that he is doing so, since the awareness of observation, can influence someone’s posture, emotion, put on a mask that rids of spontaneity. Bonnefoy feels as if Cartier-Bresson was able to go unnoticed during the funeral of a Kabuki actor because of his ability to recognise and relate to the room, in turn becoming invisible through the act of sympathy (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). 

In her book Photography: A Critical Introduction, Liz Wells suggests how this approach to documentary photography can fragment a moment in time and remove the context of an image that could, therefore, explain the photograph in a more significant way. By recording ‘dislocated moments’ (Wells, 2009:93) meant that documenting swayed from capturing major subjects and focused more on implying that something bigger had occurred.

While I almost agree with the idea that this approach can come across as a ‘stylistic cliche’ (Bloomfield, 2018:71), as many photographers have adopted Cartier-Bresson’s way of shooting, therefore removing the uniqueness of the technique, it still raises questions for the viewer. Documentary photography records factual events or environments in daily life or history, consequently may be more potent if you provide context to present an accurate reflection of what is occurring. On the other hand, by fragmenting a situation much like Cartier-Bresson does while maintaining balance, encourages the viewer to understand further what they can see and the impact of an event without being shown what caused it. This approach, in my opinion, can be more impactful than being handed the context of a photograph, as it provokes a more profound sense of comprehension and forces the audience to think about what is in front of them.

A further criticism for the decisive moment comes from Colin Pantall as he reviews Paul Graham’s photographic book The Present, a series of images that are taken in pairs, showing different events taking place in the same location moments apart from one another. Pantall states how Graham wants us to see the opposite of the decisive moment and the prospect of urban life, however, he feels that instead, we get ‘moments so decisively indecisive’ (Pantall, 2012) that we don’t know what to look out for, as a result missing the mark of contemporary life.

After viewing a few examples from Graham’s book, I can’t say I agree with Pantall, purely based on the fact Graham has decided and stuck to the idea of capturing moments through an urban landscape, to see the changes in a particular area. The sequencing of this book also presents the concept of a decisive moment, by grouping the images to allow the viewer to see the small differences over time by looking at both photographs spread out beside one another. Paul Graham has shown consistency in this series and a sense of care by looking out for these shifts in the present, creating a connection between each image, that in itself is decisive. The hustle and bustle of everyday life appear throughout, showing the diversity between each subject, the backgrounds, the journeys people are making and what each person may be doing. It poses a question for the audience, a clear understanding of what Graham is trying to achieve by recording the natural state of people navigating the city. I feel as if this wouldn’t be possible if this were an indecisive moment with conflicting ideas that don’t connect, confusing the viewer due to the inconsistency.

To understand the decisive moment further, I briefly scanned through John Suler’s article The Psychology of the “Decisive Moment”. In this text, he covers critical features of how to capture a “perfect” decisive moment; harmony, meaning, anticipation, uncertainty, unique fleeting moments, one chance shots, candid, objective fact versus subjective interpretation (Suler, 2017). 

As a result, Suler shows the importance of looking or thinking about what you are capturing as a photographer. The decisive moment seems to be more complicated than I first expected, as you have to connect with the subjects you are photographing and be aware of the relationship of the whole composition. Stop and be mindful of what is around you and don’t just shoot for the sake of shooting. Be more firm about what it is you’re trying to achieve, whether that is attempting to encourage questions, document balance or tension.
While it sounds complicated, the results that have come from being more open to what you’re are capturing, instead of wanting a particular image makes for a much more substantial photograph.

I feel as if the decisive moment is a powerful visual strategy, as it steps away from a snapshot, it’s much deeper than that and for me is what photography should be about, recording moments with meaning and emotion. We are quick to pick up the camera and shoot multiple images, scanning through a selection to find the best one, however, if a little more effort goes into the composition, instead of hoping for a powerful image it may just come naturally.

References

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 72. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 30 March 2020].

Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson. (2015) ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson et Alberto Giacometti’ [image] Available at: https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/expositions/henri-cartier-bresson-alberto-giacometti/ (Accessed 25 March 2020).

H. Cartier-Bresson: l’amour tout court (2001) Directed by O’Byrne, R. [online video] Available at: https://vimeo.com/106009378 |(Accessed 25 March 2020).

Pantall, C. (2012) ‘photo-eye | BLOG: photo-eye Book Reviews: The Present‘ [online] Available at: https://blog.photoeye.com/2012/05/photo-eye-book-reviews-present.html (Accessed 25 March 2020).

Peter Fetterman Gallery. (2019) ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson, Simiane-la-Rotonde, France, 1969/Printed later’ [image] Available at: https://www.peterfetterman.com/artists/75-henri-cartier-bresson/works/24483-henri-cartier-bresson-simiane-la-rotonde-france-1969-printed-later/ (Accessed 25 March 2020).

Suler, J. (2017) ‘Photographic Psychology: The Decisive Moment’ [online] Available at: http://truecenterpublishing.com/photopsy/decisive_moment.htm (Accessed 25 March 2020).

Wells, L. (ed.) (2015) Photography: A Critical Introduction (5th edition). Abingdon: Routledge.

Exercise 3.2 – Trace

Part 3, Reflection on coursework

Summary:

For this exercise I;

– Provided the brief and shared my initial thoughts about it while considering the UK’s current lockdown and how it affected my original plans for this task.

– Briefly explained my new plans for this exercise, taking influence from my portrait work and the artist research gathered in ‘A durational space’.

– Documented the camera used and the settings, along with any changes made to these further on in the shoot.

– Inserted annotated contact sheets to show the strengths and weaknesses of each image, as well as the techniques used before analysing a few images to explain how they were shot/edited, what I discovered and what I felt worked or didn’t work.

– Reflected on the exercise as a whole, what I learnt and how my feelings have changed about it.

Brief

‘Start by doing your own research into some of the artists discussed above. Then, using slow shutter speeds, the multiple exposure function, or another technique inspired by the examples above, try to record the trace of movement within the frame. You can be as experimental as you like. Add a selection of shots together with relevant shooting data and a description of process (how you captured the shots) to your learning log‘ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Initial thoughts

Planning this exercise was challenging as social distancing and reducing travel restricted me to unpopulated areas. As a result, I decided to become the subject for this task, making the most of what was available while using previous knowledge of self-portraits.

After gathering research on various artists, the techniques I chose to explore for this shoot consisted of capturing long exposures with BULB mode, combining a moving subject with slow shutter speeds, moving the camera and creating double exposures using Photoshop. These ideas have allowed me to experiment with various methods, achieving different effects and tracing time in multiple ways. I was also able to reflect on approaches mentioned in the practitioner research.

Before shooting, I set my SONY A57 to shutter priority mode, attached a SONY 18-55 3.5-5.6 SAM lens to allow for focal length adjustment if necessary and used a high-contrast black and white filter to re-create the ghost-like effects captured in Francesca Woodman’s work. In addition to that, I lowered the ISO to 100 to reduce the camera’s sensitivity to light as the shutter would be open for longer. The ISO was increased slightly for some images to allow for more light, but no higher than 300 to avoid any blowouts.

Contact sheets:

  • Fig. 1. Contact sheet 1 (2020)
  • Fig. 2. Contact sheet 2 (2020)
  • Fig. 3. Contact sheet 3 (2020)
  • Fig. 4. Contact sheet 4 (2020)
  • Fig. 5. Contact sheet 5 (2020)

Images:

  • Fig. 6. Trace 1 (2020)
    1/10 sec; f/9; ISO 400
  • Fig. 7. Trace 2 (2020)
    1/10 sec; f/9 ; ISO 400
  • Fig. 8. Trace 3 (2020)
    1/10 sec; f/9 ; ISO 400

As the SONY A57 doesn’t have a multiple exposure setting, I used continuous shoot mode to capture numerous shots by holding the shutter release button. As a result of moving with a slow shutter speed of 1/10 second, motion blur occurred, showing a trace of time similar to Michael Wesely’s work. Each piece (see Fig. 6., Fig. 7., and Fig. 8.) consists of up to 10-16 individual photographs layered on top of one another and altered to either the screen or hard light blend modes, consequently achieving the ghostly figures I desired. Using the coloured floral images brings life to the composition by inserting a pop of colour throughout the monochrome shadows. On closer inspection, the direction of movement can be seen via the curves and lines within the arrangements, informing the viewer about the motions that may have taken place across a short space of time. The contrasts enhance the texture of the hair and floral elements while also forming a white silhouette, capturing the act of disappearance.

  • Fig. 9. BULB MODE (2020)
    Exposed for 4 sec; f/21 ; ISO 100
  • Fig. 10. BULB MODE 2 (2020)
    Exposed for 6 sec; f/21 ; ISO 100
  • Fig. 11. BULB MODE 3 (2020)
    Exposed for 11 sec; f/21 ; ISO 100

For the BULB mode experiment, I held down the shutter release whilst rapidly moving for a variety of seconds to see the outcome of each timespan. The shortest exposure time of 4 seconds (see Fig. 9.) allowed me to capture motion blur and an outline of facial features that show the circular movement of the head through the swirling curves documented. Looking at the contrasts, the viewer can see that the hair is dark, the lighter areas of skin are bright and highlighted, showing a clear distinction between black and white. As can be seen with an exposure of 6 seconds (see Fig. 10), the shadows are a blend of lighter greys rather than a deeper black due to the combination of transparency caused by a moving subject and a bright white wall that enhanced highlighted areas. The smudged path left behind from the model implies the simple act of looking side to side via the blurred lines. Using an exposure time of 11 seconds (see Fig. 11) meant that more light entered the camera, brightening the composition as a whole. The lack of features again reflects the idea of documenting disappearance as it is evident that something is there yet invisible. While the motion blur indicates movement, the traces aren’t as strong as the previous two examples.

  • 1/5 sec; f/7.1 ; ISO 100
    Fig. 12. Moving Camera (2020)
  • 1/5 sec; f/7.1 ; ISO 100
    Fig. 13. Moving Subject (2020)

The final images show the results of moving both the camera and subject, but using the same settings keep some form of consistency. Tilting the camera causes an intriguing spiral to appear (see Fig. 12), drawing the eyes in and out of the image. Once again, the subject’s face is blurred as if it spinning, preserving the identity and brings mystery to the composition. A combination of contrasts brings depth to the image, as does the hand in the foreground, showing the distance between the face and arm. There are three traces of time documented in this image, movement of the camera, the journey the hand took to reach the camera and the motion of a head shaking.

Moving subject (see Fig. 13) isn’t as busy as the previous example; however, it still suggests movement regardless of the amount documented. Due to the severe blurring in front of the face, implies a swift gesture took place as multiple curved lines are overlapping one another, as opposed to a single spiral. For this particular image, I wanted to combine both static and motion to create a juxtaposition between the two, challenging the idea of a still image; however, I wasn’t successful this time round as the clothing is still slightly obscured. The fabric of the jumper brings texture to the surface of the image, therefore, not completely smooth and smudged.

Reflection

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of this particular exercise, as a broader range of experiments took place than the previous task, which in turn allowed for a variety of results. Consequently, slow shutter speeds and long exposures helped me gather a selection of intriguing abstract images and push my abilities in a somewhat restricted situation, therefore meeting the expectations of this particular section.

As well as stepping out of my comfort zone, I made sure to reflect on the techniques and visual elements discovered in my artist research regularly to show what I learnt, instead of going on a tangent and doing my own thing without considering different techniques.

References

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 68. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 3 February 2020].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 1 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 2 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 3 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 4 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 5 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2020) Trace 1 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2020) Trace 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2020) Trace 3 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 9. Powell, L. (2020) BULB MODE [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 10. Powell, L. (2020) BULB MODE 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 11. Powell, L. (2020) BULB MODE 3 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 12. Powell, L. (2020) Moving Camera [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 13. Powell, L. (2020) Moving subject [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.







Project 2 – A Durational Space – Research

Online Research, Part 3, Thoughts & Ideas

Summary:

For this research point I;

– Drew on the work of Francesca Woodman, a portrait photographer who explored the human body and the idea of revealing and concealing.
– Stated my thoughts on her use of black and white photography, what it may represent and how it makes me feel.
– Reflected on the statements made by Victoria Miro and found examples of the points made within Woodman’s photography and how they enhanced the imagery.
– Briefly covered the effects that motion blur has on her work and the feelings they may create for the viewer, providing an example below to show traces of time.
– Drew on the work of Michael Wesley, a still life photographer who captures long exposures to document the invisible force that is time, showing traces of movement, light, life and decay.
– Reflect on how he captures what we may feel is impossible, by showing the universe around us by being patience and letting everything happen naturally instead of forcing it.
– Explored the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto, who also uses long exposure times to capture the entire length of a movie in a theatre, resulting in ghostly white screens illuminated a once full room.
– He too captures the ‘impossible’ by documenting the act of disappearance and showing what the camera saw over that period.
– Sugimoto challenges the idea of the moving image by turning what previously moved into a still image once more.
– Researched the work of Maarten Vanvolsem, a photographer who captures panoramas of people moving through a scene, documenting slices of time and showing a path of movement.
– Vanvolsem challenges the idea of time-based media which is usually film, audio or slides that show signs of movement over time. However he manages to present an audience with a path of movement in a single shot.
– Reflect on what I have found throughout this research and the impact of the visual/technical techniques used, as well as how they may encourage me to explore different approaches in the future.

Unlike fast shutter speeds that freeze movement as explored in the previous exercise, slower shutter speeds document activity and capture the path these motions leave behind.

Slow shutter speeds can create exciting results caused by unintentional camera shake, sudden movements or motion blur used intentionally as an art style like many artists explore throughout their work.

During this research, I would like to understand further why people use motion blur and capturing slices of time as an aesthetic choice and the impact this effect can have on the overall image.

Francesca Woodman (1958-1981)

Francesca Woodman was an American photographer who explored the human body by revealing, concealing and intentionally capturing the movement of herself or another female model, naked or otherwise.

The use of black and white photography not only adds to the ghostly eeriness depicted by the motion blur but may also be reflective of the artist’s mental state following her untimely death by suicide at the age of 22. Whether this was an intentional visual choice or not, it is impossible to ignore the raw emotion that radiates from her imagery.

‘Woodman tested the boundaries of bodily experience in her work and her work often suggests a sense of self-displacement. Often nude except for individual body parts covered with props, sometimes wearing vintage clothing, the artist is typically sited in empty or sparsely furnished, dilapidated rooms, characterised by rough surfaces, shattered mirrors and old furniture’ (Miro, 2014).

The use of empty rooms, with textural features, not only emphasises the importance of the body by creating a focus but also compliments the blurred movement or patterns on the vintage clothing worn, preventing the image from being flat and lifeless.

Victoria Miro states that Woodman’s exploration of presence and absence ‘argues for a kind of work that values disappearance as its very condition’ (Miro, 2014). Woodman deliberately prevents the viewer from seeing hidden areas even though they are, in fact, still there. Isolating parts of the body, through cropping, clothing or props; hints to what is missing, encouraging the viewer to think about the presence of the body and potentially question the choices made.

Distortion of the models features as is seen in Space² (see fig. 1.) not only preserves the identity of the subjects but implies the transition of one movement to another. It may also be a performance of an event that has previously taken place, due to Woodman’s ‘tendency to combine personalised psychodramas with the temporal and spatial displacements of long exposures and blurred movement’ (Badger, 2012).

Woodman’s use of motion blur, while not applied in every image, is intriguing and challenges the idea of what a still image can be by combining movement with still life.

Fig. 1. Space² (1976)

Michael Wesely (1963- )

Michael Wesely is a contemporary photographer based in Berlin, who captures buildings, still life and portraits by using incredibly long exposures that can last for months or even years.

This approach allows the viewer to see movements that are too slow to be seen in real life, documenting what is invisible to the naked eye and the relationship between us and time itself by picturing the past and present. An prominent example of this is Stilleben (5.10-14.10.2011) (Wesley, 2011). The plate of figs that Wesely left for nine days are all perfectly plump until they begin to rot, split and collapse onto the surface as implied by the subtle yet powerful motion blur that captures this natural movement. The recording of decay may reflect on the idea that while time is infinite, time for us as humans is limited and should be cherished while we can experience it.

Instead of documenting movement that is sudden and visible, Wesely attempts to personify time which is something that we cannot physically see or some believe is but a concept. The form itself isn’t the only thing that matters anymore, as the ‘peripheral conditions such as light, movement, and other atmospheric elements’ (Wesely, n.d.) are just as necessary considering they all converge into one final image.

Wesely plays with the idea of movement and the traces of time, by letting the motions occur naturally instead of forcing it, by showing the growth or decay of a subject without influencing the outcome. To capture the universe around us seems impossible, as it exists, yet isn’t a physical object; however, Wesely has proven that you can indeed capture this information with patience.

Hiroshi Sugimoto (1948 – )

Hiroshi Sugimoto was born in Japan but has since travelled between Tokyo and New York after becoming a photographer in the ’70s, exploring the relationship between photography and time itself. Sugimoto’s practises consist of photography, architecture and performing arts production which investigates not only our short time on earth but also human knowledge based purely on senses and reality versus what could be (Fraenkel Gallery, 2012).

This approach is very much similar to Wesely, as Sugimoto too uses exceptionally long exposure times to capture traces of time that are invisible to the naked eye. An example of this features throughout his Theaters series (see fig. 2.) that began in 1976 and has spanned across the past four decades, ultimately capturing 130 individual movie theaters that illuminated by a bright white screen (McGrath, 2016).

Sugimoto opens the camera shutter as soon as the movie begins and only closes it once the credits roll, before developing the film to discover the most unusual yet fascinating results. You would imagine that photographing a moving image, would leave behind a distinct path of movement in its wake, however as shown, all that is left is an empty theater and a blank screen to light the room. While there was a full theater of people ‘…they all disappeared…the movie theater is the case to hold this emptiness…’ (Contacts : Hiroshi Sugimoto 2, 2009). So, Sugimoto managed to capture the impossible by encapsulating the disappearance with the empty shell of a building with no sign of life or movement besides the eerie light. The audience were there; they just cannot be seen, much like Woodman’s concept of isolating body parts, you cannot picture something disappearing if it wasn’t there in the first place.

Instead of using slow shutter speeds to capture a single motion to create blur or a double exposure effect, these long exposures have managed to combine multiple moving images into a single still once more. In turn, they are showing what the camera has seen over this period rather than what can physically be seen by the audience in real-time and documenting the invisible forces of time, through the use of light (Sugimoto, n.d.).

‘I wanted to photograph a movie, with all its appearance of life and motion, in order to stop it again… I must use photography as a means to shut away the ghosts resurrected by the excess of photographic afterimages’ (Sugimoto (n.d.) quoted in Musee Magazine, 2016).

Fig. 2. Carpenter Center (1993)

Maarten Vanvolsem (1948 – )

Unlike the previous artists, Maarten Vanvolsem uses a moving camera to capture single slices of time to build up a still image across a short interval, to show traces of movement that challenge the perception of time and space. As a result, rather than shooting a single image and freezing a moment in time, Vanvolsem records multiple movements as the shutter is open by combining multiple seconds into one image.

Vanvolsem is the author of The Art Strip Photography an exploration of over 30 different artists approach to the strip technique and how the idea of time-based media may be possible for photography (Book Depository, n.d.).

Time-based media usually consists of film, audio, slides that can be watched and admired by the viewer over time to see what unfolds, while time isn’t explicitly visual, we as the audience are aware that moments are passing by the second (Tate, 2008). If you apply this logic to photography, we usually see frozen moments that are captured within milliseconds and therefore do not see time unfolding like a film. However, by using slow shutter speeds or in this case, a moving camera, time and movement can be documented in individual slices or exposures across a period. It may be a single image when produced, but time itself features in the frozen image through the multiple viewpoints and motions seen by the camera.

Instead of a strip made of individual frozen images like Muybridge’s work, Vanvolsem keeps his shutter open and pans the camera; as you would in panorama mode, to capture the events that take place during the time the shutter is open. Due to a slight movement in the camera or subject, visual distortion can occur, bending the composition and recording the small intricacies of activity that may not always be obvious in real-time.

35 x 90 cm (Vanvolsem, 2015) shows visual distortion, created by the dipping and rising of the subject in the frame, forming a wave of colour and smudge-like effect as they move across the frame. This result tells a story like a filmstrip would as we can distinguish what actions took place over this time, by looking at the trail that was left behind. 30 x 109 cm (Vanvolsem, 2015), however, suggests that the camera wasn’t always steady vertically due to the ripples in the architecture and ceiling which may imply an ‘up and down’ motion, although this isn’t confirmed. 

Some people may not find this technique appealing as the images aren’t crisp and easy to dissect, however, is an incredible way to capture time and space in-camera while leaving a trace of movement in its path.

Reflection

Out of all the artists studied, the most appealing technical approaches for me were Woodman’s and Wesely’s, mainly for the ghostly results they managed to capture in their work. While Woodman may have had more control over the actions that occurred in her work, Wesely did not, instead, let nature take it’s course over a series of months to see what changed.

Motion blur brings life to the composition and provides more context as to what may be happening, what the subject is doing and at what pace or in what direction. Long exposures document change and decay that are not visible in real life, or at least it is less evident to us as humans.

Being able to confront how we see time and space, as well as capturing the impossible that is the act of disappearance by isolating features, blurring or showing what was left behind to imply emptiness, really does challenge what the ‘still’ image can be. A frozen moment shows but a slither of what is happening, leaving a trace behind gives more information for the viewer to explore and question.

References

Badger, G. (2012) ‘Gerry Badger >> Francesca Woodman’ [online] Available at : http://www.gerrybadger.com/francesca-woodman/ (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Book Depository. (n.d.) ‘The Art of Strip Photography : Maarten Vanvolsem’ [online] Available at : https://www.bookdepository.com/Art-Strip-Photography-Maarten-Vanvolsem/9789058678409 (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Contacts : Hiroshi Sugimoto 2 (2009) [online video] Available at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY3nGoZqw9U (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Fraenkel Gallery. (2012) ‘Hiroshi Sugimoto | Fraenkel Gallery’ [online] Available at : https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/hiroshi-sugimoto (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Korff Fine Art (2018) ‘Michael Wesely’ [online] Available at: https://www.korff-stiftung.de/en/artworks/wesely-michael/editionen/stilleben-510-14102011 (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Kusseneers Gallery. (2015) ‘VANVOLSEM-4_30x19cm.jpg’ [image] Available at : http://kusseneerscom.webhosting.be/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/VANVOLSEM-4_30x109cm.jpg (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Kusseneers Gallery. (2015) ‘VANVOLSEM-5_32x90cm-12.jpg’ [image] Available at : http://kusseneerscom.webhosting.be/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/VANVOLSEM-5_32x90cm-12.jpg (Accessed 18 March 2020).

McGrath, E. (2016) ‘REVIEW: Theaters by Hiroshi Sugimoto – Musée Magazine’ [online] Available at : https://museemagazine.com/culture/2016/9/27/review-theaters-by-hiroshi-sugimoto (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Miro, V. (2014) ‘Francesca Woodman | Victoria Miro’ [online] Available at : https://www.victoria-miro.com/artists/7-francesca-woodman/ (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Sugimoto, H. (n.d.) ‘REVIEW: Theaters by Hiroshi Sugimoto – Musée Magazine’ [online] Available at : https://museemagazine.com/culture/2016/9/27/review-theaters-by-hiroshi-sugimoto (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Sugimoto, H. (n.d.) ‘Hiroshi Sugimoto | Fraenkel Gallery’ [online] Available at :https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/hiroshi-sugimoto (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Tate. (2008) ‘Time-based media – Art Term | Tate’ [online] Available at : https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/t/time-based-media (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Wesely, M. (n.d.) on artnet (2009) ‘Michael Wesely | artnet’ [online] Available at : http://www.artnet.com/artists/michael-wesely/ (Accessed 18 March 2020).

List of images

Figure 1. Woodman, F. (1976) Space² [image] Available at : https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/woodman-space-providence-rhode-island-ar00350 (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Figure 2. Sugimoto, H. (1993) Carpenter Center [image] Available at : https://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/new-page-7 (Accessed 18 March 2020).

Exercise 3.1 – Freeze

Part 3, Reflection on coursework

Summary:

For this exercise I;

– Documented the brief and my initial thoughts about it, stating my nerves towards it alongside my plans for the task.
– Stated the camera settings used, fitting what was requested in the brief as well as personal choices to reflect the light levels in my home.
– Provided annotated contact sheets of the images shot during this exercise, before selecting a few examples with technical details, to show what was captured, the strengths and weaknesses of each and the images I felt were the strongest.
– Reflected on my initial thoughts and how these have changed having done the exercise, as well as what I have learnt from this task and how the techniques may influence me in the future.

Brief:

‘Start by doing some of your own research into the photographers discussed above. Then,
using fast shutter speeds, try to isolate a frozen moment of time in a moving subject.
Depending on the available light you may have to select a high ISO to avoid visible blur
in the photograph. Add a selection of shots, together with relevant shooting data and a
description of process (how you captured the images), to your learning log‘ (Bloomfield 2018).

Initial thoughts

After researching the suggested photographers, I was slightly apprehensive as to how to experiment with shutter speed due to the lack of an electronic flash that can help with freezing a moment and supply extra light if needed.
However, despite the lack of equipment, I took into consideration the encouragement to step out of the comfort zone and go ahead with the idea that may not have been the easiest to execute.

‘The key to a successful third assignment is simple – the depth of your experimentation in the practical exercises …’ (Bloomfield, 2018:57).

One idea that came to mind was to try and capture a subject flicking their hair with a variety of shutter speeds, to see if any motion blur would occur or whether the movements would be frozen completely. After much thought, this approach seemed too easy to use as I have done this previously for personal work, hence my decision to freeze the process of making a cup of coffee with the challenge of restricted light.

As instructed in the course handbook, I set my SONY A57 to shutter priority mode, continuous shooting and set the ISO to 6400 to allow for a faster shutter speed to be used, without causing too much grain in the images. Despite these settings, the exposure was still slightly too dark; therefore, I made small adjustments in post-production so the imagery was much clearer to study.

  • Fig. 1. Contact sheet 1 (2020)
  • Fig. 2. Contact sheet 2 (2020)
  • Fig. 3. Contact sheet 3 (2020)
  • Fig. 4. Contact sheet 4 (2020)
  • Fig. 5. Contact sheet 5 (2020)
  • Fig. 6. Contact sheet 6 (2020)
  • Fig. 7. Contact sheet 7 (2020)
  • Fig. 8. Contact sheet 8 (2020)

For this exercise, I placed my camera onto a tripod and positioned it firmly on the table, making sure the lens was facing directly above the cup. To avoid any distraction from the tripod legs and jugs used to pour the liquids, I adjusted the SONY 18-55 3.5-5.6 SAM lens the longest focal length of 55mm and in turn, tightly framed the coffee cup.

Using a ring light to provide extra light, didn’t make any difference at all due to the natural light already in the room; consequently I decided to go ahead with the daylight already available and kept the exposure in mind when altering the shutter speeds. As seen above, the selected speeds to experiment with were 1/500, 1/640, 1/800, 1/1000 and 1/2000, allowing me to capture a range of shots to compare and understand frozen moments in time.

Unfortunately, the fastest shutter speed I could use was 1/2000, before the exposure started to get darker due to the camera’s light sensitivity limit. While I would’ve liked to have used an even higher setting, the chosen speeds still provided me with a distinct, frozen set of shots to complete this exercise.

Fig. 9. Freeze 1 (2020)
1/500 sec; f/16; ISO 6400

A shutter speed of 1/500 captures the small splash of liquid, showing the forceful impact the milk had on the coffee after being poured from a height of 15 centimetres (see Fig. 9). If the milk were poured gently from a reasonable height, there would be fewer droplets, little to no splashes and as a result, wouldn’t create such an intense surface tension. While the majority of the shot is crisp, there is some motion blur just below the droplets and surrounding the crown of liquid, therefore does not freeze the action in its entirety and proves that a faster shutter speed is more appropriate for this experiment.

Fig. 10. Freeze 2 (2020)
1/640 sec; f/13; ISO 6400

The water droplets in this image (see Fig. 10) are seen to be connected with thinner links of liquid in between each sphere, showing how a stream of water isn’t always as smooth as the naked eye would see. Each droplet is a different shape and warps from the gravity and height of the kettle compared to the cup. Once again, the shot isn’t entirely crisp due to some motion blur surrounding the water, however, is slightly better than the previous image and as a result, shows how small changes in shutter speed can affect the result of a shot significantly.

Fig. 11. Freeze 3 (2020)
1/800 sec; f/9; ISO 6400

Using a shutter speed of 1/800 enabled me to capture a much smoother stream of milk (see Fig. 11), as opposed to heavy droplets of liquid as seen in previous images which were interesting to see, as this is a more accurate visual of what we would see in the flesh. Due to the shallow depth of field, however, the flow isn’t as sharp and shows the downside of using a faster shutter speed at this particular angle as the aperture becomes wider to allow more light in, yet reduces the area of focus and distorts the shot. Despite this, we can focus on the small ripples created in the coffee not seen in previous shots as the imagery wasn’t as clear as this, allowing the viewer to discover a whole new layer of movement.

Fig. 12. Freeze 4 (2020)
1/1000 sec; f/10; ISO 6400

Comparing this image (see Fig. 12) to the first example shows how vital shutter speed can be when it comes to freezing movement as the droplets are precise, crisp and utterly void of motion blur. However, once again, the shallow depth of field prevents an entirely in-focus shot. Due to a wider aperture, the exposure is brighter than previous shots and has reduced the grain created by the ISO. While the earlier settings did capture movement that would be difficult to see clearly with the naked eye, it is clear to see that shutter speeds above 1000 are the most successful if you want to completely freeze the most minute of moments in it’s sharpest form.

Fig. 13. Freeze 5 (2020)
1/2000 sec; f/7.1; ISO 6400

Even though the shallow depth of field has once again prevented the image from being fully in focus, it enhances the details we can see and directs our eyes towards the clear droplets mid-frame (see Fig. 13). Instead of a frozen sphere, the camera has managed to capture the water breaking and flattening due to gravity which we wouldn’t usually see without slow-motion technology or fast shutter speeds. After reviewing the whole shoot, this is the most prominent and unique as the physics of the water has been visibly documented, which is fascinating.

Fig. 14. Freeze 6 (2020)
1/1000 sec; f/11; ISO 6400

This example (see Fig. 14) is more of an ‘outtake’ than anything else, however was an image I wanted to include to reflect back on the idea of fragmenting time. Due to the height of the milk jug, it was extremely difficult to keep the liquid pouring in one fluid stream especially as it began to run out, causing the milk to break in flow and splash down the side of the cup. This event isn’t something that the viewer would’ve seen if not included in this set, therefore is a slice of time that could remove context from the shooting process.

Reflection

Despite my apprehension at the start of this exercise, these images have helped me to understand both the importance and impact of shutter speeds, how time can be frozen, and we can discover the most minute details because of it.

There is only so much you can see with the naked eye that if you blink, you can miss the most spectacular moments created in milliseconds, yet we can freeze and keep these moments forever with just a click of a button. Capturing these moving subjects help challenge the viewer’s perception of movement and all of the elements that make up one constant motion, as well as being able to admire the beauty of a frozen moment and its intricacies.

It is fascinating to see the individual phases of event and the small details we can discover within, that we may not have noticed before.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 61. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 16 March 2020].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 1 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 2 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 3 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 4 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 5 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 6 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 7 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2020) Contact sheet 8 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 9. Powell, L. (2020) Freeze 1 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 10. Powell, L. (2020) Freeze 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 11. Powell, L. (2020) Freeze 3 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 12. Powell, L. (2020) Freeze 4 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 13. Powell, L. (2020) Freeze 5 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 14. Powell, L. (2020) Freeze 6 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.