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Wednesday 24 April 2013

Artist review, work from my course

Thought I would share one of my early critiques from my college corse now it's coming to the end of the year.
Jenny xx


Title: Action Half Life

Photographers

Tatiana Arzamasova
Lev Evzouvich
Evgeny Svyatshy
Vladimir Fridkes

The collaborative work by the four photographers show a futuristic game like battle scene with children a soldiers. The background in this image is a scarce dessert with cold harsh towers giving the children an appearance of abandonment or even isolation. It seems to give a cold uncaring feel to the image as a whole, yet there is a warm blue sky and warm sand reminiscent of a beach and maybe of happy childhood times. There is also a sense that the children are like drones just willingly battling on without purpose or a thought to who they are fighting. There are no enemies in this image but the children are reacting to something that isn't there, looking for something or standing back in a stance that looks like instinct. The expressions on the children's faces are almost blank and cold. They all wear the same matching white outfits that look clinical, it looks like the children were made in batches manufactured from a factory with one purpose and that seems to be war.
There is a strong political message that these photographers are trying to convey, the idea that war is a child's game played by governments to get what they want, but disconnected from the reality of what war is. Fighting a non-existent enemy to gain something paid with the currency of innocence and death. A reference from the book ' Art Photography now’ which asks the questions we all ask when we see this image.
" The interesting question is: with whom are the children fighting? The answer is another question: with whom is the contemporary warrior fighting? Take a modern pilot, looking at the display and pushing the buttons of high-tech weapons; he is isolated from the real enemy, the blood and the dirtiness of war" (Susan Bright, revised and expanded edition, p89)

Is war something that has become detached, emotionless and sanitised? A way in which governments and nations now get what they want, no longer seeing the devastation left behind by war. There is a very strong emotional message that this image portrays and by the use of children the topics of unjust and innocence are clearly overlapped.
there is also another clear message or even question asked within this image. The photographers clearly reference computer games by the use of computer generated weapons reminiscent of computer games within the retail market, and with the use of children is it asking about the gaming industry or modern play and its impact upon our children. We allow our children within modern society to play computer games which are violent and that are in alternative realities to there own, we as a culture do not consider the possible impact it could have on future generations. Are our children learning to disconnect from reality? Clearly this is seen in the image by the children's reaction to the non-existent force and there almost blank expressions within their faces. Another question that can be asked from this, are we taking the ability to learn and socialise through taking away basic play and expecting them to suddenly appear into adulthood? And are we as a society or as parents not dealing with these issues because we may not like the answer?
The photographers put a lot of time into what they wanted to portray, through careful planning and using sketches to help them plan their composition, and finding or computer generating props that look futuristic. These four photographers didn't go looking for the image they wanted but made it for themselves knowing what response they wanted from their image, and knowing what message they wanted to send. In this image they take an unrealistic scene that isn't part of reality and make the underlying message a hard reality.
I like this image not only for the technical skill and effort that has gone into making this image, but for the messages it sends or asks. I think this relates to my ideas or thoughts on this project for the contrasting ideas in its context, the idea of two opinions or ideals.

Sunday 3 February 2013

52 self portraits!!

Smoking riffs!
Well its week 5 of the 52 self portraits, still got a long way to go and each week will only get harder to think of a new side of me to show. Any how heres a couple of me alter egos!! The artist and the goth!

the artist at work
We have three shoots planned for the coming month, and I really cant wait. First off were in the studio with some high key shots of a lovely young lady whose keen to work with us, and then were out on the sand dunes of burry port with a parachute to see what we can do! Now that is really exciting stuff, I'm stupidly giddy for that shot just hope the weather is kind and the clouds break up a bit! Then if all thats enough on 2nd march we have a shot with up and coming model from barry island, this is the brain child of too much tea and spare time and me and Jen not being able to get a shot as planned.



Wednesday 23 January 2013

Experimenting with poise and edit.

Tonight we took a few quick shots for Jens next art piece. While we were there though seemed a shame not too have a full play. Well add a bit of make up and drama, a black and white edit and what do you have....

We used a off camera flash for this shot using iTTL (auto) which I'm getting my head around on controlling. I'm loving the D300's ability to control the flash of camera... What's most interesting for us was reflecting on our understanding of light. A year ago we would have had no idea how to do this or even what effects we were gonna get. Now we're happy to have a go, pose for the light and think about final image needs.


Saturday 19 January 2013

What no colours Jen!

Hello all the colours them has gone somewhat stray! But don't fear, we're still doing it sort off! In February we are venturing into the studio for the first time to play with a white screen and some high key photography! Exciting and nervous, not sure what to expect yet, although I'm sure you guessed it the theme will be white. We will be working with a local lass keen to develop a portfolio so that's good.

Speaking of portfolios next week were picking up on a cancelled shot with another local keen to develop a portfolio, this time venture into the wild graphic images of the masons arms band room for a gritty alternative style shots..

And what of the weekly challenges, well I have changed mine to be a 52 self portraits! Yes that's 52 pics of little ol me, one a week for the year. Just to add to your misery on this cheery saturday this is Steve typing not the pretty one so those images will be a bit more wrinkly I suspect!!

So week 2 and an experiment with stroboscopic!!

Wednesday 9 January 2013

New toys to enjoy

For the past year we have both had manual flashes to learn with and they have been an absolutely fabulous learning tool. We have began to scrape the depths of light and how to see it and use it to our advantage, and I think being thrown in the deep end with not having a flash with a TTL ability has been absolutely valuable. But the ability to use TTL could have helped in one or two events and places this year, so both of us for Christmas have invested our pennies in to two new TTL flashes to add to our kits. We are both so excited to be learning new techniques with these type flash and to have another complimenting flash to help control the light in our images. So the cheesy saying that I always read on Facebook , watch this space !!!! Jenxx

Tuesday 1 January 2013

New year new project

It has been an interesting year with the 365 project and we have both learnt loads from composing to technical, but alas we will not be carrying it on into the new year as we both feel that we have had the most we can from the experience.
But there's not to say that we are not doing projects at all, we both have set each other a new task where each month we shall be doing a theme on a colour we have already set out. Each week we are going to do an image based on that colour, also a main set up piece a month. All of these will be aimed towards doing portraits and hopefully help refine our creative planning skills. Have a happy new year and you will be seeing more of our work soon xxx Jenny