"Imperialism breeds an imperialist sensibility in all phases of cultural life."
Interesting and relative link about Martha Rosler... http://www.vdb.org/smackn.acgi$artistdetail?ROSLERM
In this writing Rosler is continuously comparing the beginning of Documentary to today's documentary. You get the sense she thinks today’s Documentary is not as honest compared to historical Documentary. She makes the point that in today’s culture the photographer is more selfish. He wants to document the poor, unfortunate, people of the world just so he can understand life better. It is no longer a mission to create change.
I do not know if I agree with this notion. I understand that, especially in America, people 'work for a living' but feel there must be sincere documentaries out there. Maybe not all photographers, but some must be committed to their work with pure intent to help make a difference.
I enjoyed her point about her work- she explained it was not "reality newly viewed... there is nothing new attempted in a photographic style that was constructed in the 1930's..." This may discredit many modern documentarians but it also may be true. Her approach is interesting because she criticizes her art form but also says it has the potential to be extremely important.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Project 1
After having had my first project critiqued, I feel that I've gained pretty good insight into how my project could have been improved. I was happy with the finished result in terms of quality of print. The printing quality was acceptable, and although the mounting wasn't the cleanest I was proud for having only done it this time. Though some of the class felt differently I still stand by my choice of the center shot as the most successful on its own, and I feel so-so on the assignment as a series.
One of my favorite parts of the project was the consistency; it is not cluttered with too much information to understand, and it does not necessitate anything more than itself. With or without a title, a text, or a verbal explanation, the project gives the same message, and I think that to some degree it is impressive that the pictures could stand their own ground independent of anything else.
My least favorite part of the project is definitely the lack of a purpose and a distinct message. Normally I find myself excited for a project based on the concept instead of the context but these pictures were unfortunately nothing more than pictures. This is something I plan on improving with the next project.
m i k e y s m i t h
One of my favorite parts of the project was the consistency; it is not cluttered with too much information to understand, and it does not necessitate anything more than itself. With or without a title, a text, or a verbal explanation, the project gives the same message, and I think that to some degree it is impressive that the pictures could stand their own ground independent of anything else.
My least favorite part of the project is definitely the lack of a purpose and a distinct message. Normally I find myself excited for a project based on the concept instead of the context but these pictures were unfortunately nothing more than pictures. This is something I plan on improving with the next project.
m i k e y s m i t h
project 1 assesment
I had allot of fun working on this assignment. Even though there are many aspects I'm not visually or conceptually happy with I learned allot. I truly enjoyed meeting the people I photographed and gaining a better understanding of who inhabits Ewing past 12:00 at night.
Unfortunately I made many mistakes in my work. First, I thought I would be all fancy and took my bigger lens. This was the worst idea ever! Everything I attempted to photograph couldn't fit inside the frame. I ended up standing awkwardly far distances away from things or taking close up pictures. This technical issue greatly effected the pictures I took. Second, I did not pay attention to whether I was taking the photo vertically or horizontally. Because of this I had trouble finding 3 cohesive images for the final display. I feel there was too much going on and I did not get my idea across the way I hoped to. The third glaring mistake was that I didn't know Staples wouldn't be able to print images taken in RAW. Due to time constraints and poor planning I ended up printing on my home printer. The quality of the final photographs seemed cheap.
On the positive side, I did take a couple pictures that I am very proud of and I'm much more prepared for the second project .
Unfortunately I made many mistakes in my work. First, I thought I would be all fancy and took my bigger lens. This was the worst idea ever! Everything I attempted to photograph couldn't fit inside the frame. I ended up standing awkwardly far distances away from things or taking close up pictures. This technical issue greatly effected the pictures I took. Second, I did not pay attention to whether I was taking the photo vertically or horizontally. Because of this I had trouble finding 3 cohesive images for the final display. I feel there was too much going on and I did not get my idea across the way I hoped to. The third glaring mistake was that I didn't know Staples wouldn't be able to print images taken in RAW. Due to time constraints and poor planning I ended up printing on my home printer. The quality of the final photographs seemed cheap.
On the positive side, I did take a couple pictures that I am very proud of and I'm much more prepared for the second project .
Project 1 Assessment
Over-all, I was incredibly pleased with the outcome of my first photograph project. Having never taken a photography course before, I think that my series was well-composed, with satisfactory lighting and attention to each shot's composition. Something I could have worked on was playing with the lighting and effects, something I'm not too familiar with, instead of settling for what I had although I loved the three shots I chose.
Another aspect of this project that made me proud was the time I put into it, and how much of myself as well. I interviewed and really got to know four T/W workers, and it went beyond the ten or so questions that I had previously thought up to ask them. Whenever I go downstairs, I'm greeted by hugs and conversation, and I think it's so beautiful to be able to connect with people and recognize that there's more to someone than their work uniform and what they can provide for you. Last week, I made an 8x11 print of my four best shots, one of each worker. Then, I purchased beautiful black wooden frames with a red inner border, which complimented the black and whites nicely. When I gave them to them wrapped, they were so excited, and the genuine happiness they felt was so graitifying for me.
Another aspect of this project that made me proud was the time I put into it, and how much of myself as well. I interviewed and really got to know four T/W workers, and it went beyond the ten or so questions that I had previously thought up to ask them. Whenever I go downstairs, I'm greeted by hugs and conversation, and I think it's so beautiful to be able to connect with people and recognize that there's more to someone than their work uniform and what they can provide for you. Last week, I made an 8x11 print of my four best shots, one of each worker. Then, I purchased beautiful black wooden frames with a red inner border, which complimented the black and whites nicely. When I gave them to them wrapped, they were so excited, and the genuine happiness they felt was so graitifying for me.
Assesment of Project One
At first I was really lost with project one. As I became acquainted with my ideas and visions, I grew more attached. I would have loved to expand the project with more images, more subjects and more locations. The idea of the public persona versus the private sense has always been something that has held my interest and this project let me explore it for the first time via photography. If I had more time or another chance to go back and edit, I would crop my last photograph and enhance the colors for the whole series.
Also, I have to remember to check my white balance. That was a little bit of an issue.
Also, I have to remember to check my white balance. That was a little bit of an issue.
Top Eight - Place
I grew up in the city but I currently call New Jersey my home. I have never felt more of a connection with two completely different places. I am attempting to explore the mirror differences of my two homes, and ultimately find a place where I can find my roots as an individual. These images are of both New York City and New Jersey, four of each.
Top 4 Place
These photos are from a hike at Ramapo Reservation near my town in North Jersey, where I've lived my whole life.
Project 1 Assessment
Project 1 was a great experience for me. My images were meant to be my social commentary on a specific issue that is very near to me, but the fact that I involved my own children in it made it even more fulfilling.
I learned a lot about my camera, composition and lighting in the first weeks of shooting, but I think there's a lot more to learn. If I could go back and redo this series, I would know to pay more attention to the way that I hold the camera.(Landscape/Portrait).
This project helped to prepare me for the upcoming projects by teaching me little things to keep in mind while shooting. Primarily, I have to ALWAYS check my camera settings!! I lost a lot of great photos because I didn't check the shutter settings. A whole day of shooting resulted in slightly blurred images.
I think I was able to convey a certain message, but I know that I can do it better given more time.
I learned a lot about my camera, composition and lighting in the first weeks of shooting, but I think there's a lot more to learn. If I could go back and redo this series, I would know to pay more attention to the way that I hold the camera.(Landscape/Portrait).
This project helped to prepare me for the upcoming projects by teaching me little things to keep in mind while shooting. Primarily, I have to ALWAYS check my camera settings!! I lost a lot of great photos because I didn't check the shutter settings. A whole day of shooting resulted in slightly blurred images.
I think I was able to convey a certain message, but I know that I can do it better given more time.
Response to: In, Around, and Afterthoughts-Martha Rosler
If you ask me, I think that Rosler’s article is written much like a documentary photographer would shoot a subject. In an article like this, the words are carefully chosen to frame it a certain way, thus encouraging the readers to be swayed into believing certain things. She sheds light on her perception of the manipulation of the photographer in early documentary photography while manipulating the reader in much the same way. She states that, “Any response to an image is inevitably rooted in social knowledge,” when referring to Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother. I disagree with her comment that “responses may be generated from not having any prior knowledge of certain social issues.” We have to assume that our audience that is viewing our images are well-educated, but Rosler is implying that we are dealing with an audience that has no choice but to believe everything that they see without any consideration to the construction of images.
Images that are constructed by the photographer usually serve to represent some bigger social issue than the singularity of one image. They are meant to raise awareness of certain social aspects that may be otherwise overlooked.
Rosler then goes on to comment on more modern documentary photography stating that Szarkowski makes a poor argument for the value of disengagement from a “social cause” and in favor of a connoisseurship of the tawdry (Rosler, p. 5). The viewer is not expected to define the photographer’s boundaries. They are privileged to witness their experiences and appreciate them for what the photographer appreciates.
It seems to me that the Bowery images serve to represent a changing environment. If it’s change was never documented, then how would future generations get any sense of what came before the present?
Images that are constructed by the photographer usually serve to represent some bigger social issue than the singularity of one image. They are meant to raise awareness of certain social aspects that may be otherwise overlooked.
Rosler then goes on to comment on more modern documentary photography stating that Szarkowski makes a poor argument for the value of disengagement from a “social cause” and in favor of a connoisseurship of the tawdry (Rosler, p. 5). The viewer is not expected to define the photographer’s boundaries. They are privileged to witness their experiences and appreciate them for what the photographer appreciates.
It seems to me that the Bowery images serve to represent a changing environment. If it’s change was never documented, then how would future generations get any sense of what came before the present?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Project 1 Analysis
I think that Project 1 for me was challenging but went pretty well. Not having taken many photography classes, I struggled a bit on my shots. I think that I got a good 3 pictures, but with more time they may have been able to turn out better. I think the composition and concept of all three pictures were strong but, the lighting could have been worked on more. Overall, I was pretty happy with my shots and am exciting to shoot for the next two projects. As a class, I think everyone did a great job for the first project.
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