research and audience

• had the projects audience been defined and understood beforehand?
• how effectively has the project been researched and does it relate to the audience

what do include:

• practitioner influence and inspiration
• historic and contemporary
• requiring in depth analysis of styles and concepts
• do not describe the findings, non biographical
• is the research appropriate to your proposal, is there a connectivity?
• subject matter, what is it and where do i find it
• who is the work aimed at, who is the defined audience? 

creative thinking and communication

• is the brief answered in an original and creative way? how effectively does it convey the message behind the project?
• appropriate materials and techniques have been selected and tested. Shoots have been well put together and the final images are of a high standard.

what to include:

• exploration of ideas (mind maps) through research (connectivity)
• develop the concept, what is its ideology
• explain the rationale, why are you doing it (theoretical purpose, logic)
• the work should be creative, is it functional?
• context, how and in which format is it finally used, logistics and organisation
• and will it work as a piece of communication (primary investigation, market research)

technical skilles and production

what to include:

• doing? the working methodology (a study of your working methods)
• discuss and explain all technical decisions (lighting, format, layout, text, colour, shape and form)

• visual creativity - experimentation 
• show editing decisions, contact sheets, rough sketches and designs
• the above are underpinned with a rationale
• quality control, technique

collaboration and enterprise

• opportunities to develop a professional profile have been explored. individuals/companies have been collaborated with. University attendance and other time management has been well organised.

what to include:

• reflect on the whole process
• experience, what have you learned?
• did you resolve the issue, did the communication work?
• show all references, review all contacts
• engagement with networking, opportunities for entrepreneurship, competitions, exhibitions
• can the work be further developed/ promoted int he future?
• can i earn a living doing this? and who from?

project conclusion:

• could there be further development with the project?
• how can i promote myself in life through this project?
• will/has this experience improved me, my persona, my life, socially, skills, intellectually, relationships?
• what could i have done better? 
• am i proud of myself?

First shoot

Before going out to shoot, I wanted to have a vision in mind. I knew I wanted to focus on a theme of derelict/abandoned buildings. Having done some prior research I came across an article in the Daily Mail, the article focused on abandoned buildings in America. This was very relevant to the work I aimed to create. The photographs within the article show "crumbling schools, decaying churches, and rusting prisons that have been lost to time"


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2340806/Abandoned-America-Photographer-captures-haunting-images-rusting-steel-works-crumbling-schools-factories-great-superpower.html



With this research and my own intentions in mind, I went out and tried to capture my own set of images showing "Abandoned Birmingham". I thought carefully about my viewpoint and decided to photograph from a rooftop so my viewpoint would be looking down, this was done to emphasise how the building is destroyed and belittled to other structures out there. 

Section from contact sheet:

I was pleased with the outcome of this shoot as I discovered that when editing, I was able to experiment with the photos I had taken. Using photoshop I was able to rotate, flip and crop the images to make them fit to my "abstract" theme. Next time I shoot I aim to concentrate more on the framing of my composition while capturing the photo instead of doing it in post production. 

Lecture series #1

Key theories in contemporary visual communication

Semiotics:

The word semiology comes from the Greek word Semio, meaning sign. Ology means the study or science of. 

The word theory comes from theorem

In our everyday lives, signs are everywhere..

• brands
• messages
• political sings
• in our homes
• in our personalities

To us, different signs have very different meanings.

The American philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce attempted to develop a system of understanding and meaning of language. He was interested in breaking down the sign into components. We can infer from this that there is a relationship between these components of the sign that allow us to read signals and generate meaning.

There are three main areas which inform semiotics:

1. The Sign themselves

2. The way they are organised 

3. The context in which they appear

Semiology on components of language:

Ferdinand Desaussure was interested in finding out if there are any underlying principles relating to language and meaning. 

He discovered that in verbal language words are made by the combination of elements called phonems

Saussure wanted to see if there were any fixed underlying principles relating to language and meaning.

• In verbal language words are made by the combination of elements called phonemes 
• In written language words are made up of elements we call letters

Semiology- components of the sign:

The word or sound is known as the SIGNIFIER

The object it represents becomes the SIGNIFIED 

The SIGN is the combination of these two elements 

Pierce identifies three categories of signs:

1. ICON

2. INDEX

3. SYMBOL

The icon has a direct resemblance to the sign

A photograph can be considered iconic, some sounds are also iconic as they reference an object directly for example bang, woof. 

The index has a direct link between the sign and the object
Some examples:
 a dog collar is an index of a dog. 
 smoke is an index of fire. 
There is a direct relationship between these two things. 

The Symbol has no logical connection between the sign its meaning. 
A symbolic sign relies on us having learnt the relationship between the sign and what it actually means.
A union flag is an example here. We have learned this symbol by association, we see the flag and we make a connection. It is symbolic. 

Pierce refers to symbolic signs as "arbitrary signs,"  as we have agreed that they are there to symbolise something. They need to be learned. 


Roland Barthes developed the notion of denotation and connotation 

Denotation:
-refers to what is pictured
-1st level of signification

Connotation:
-focuses more on how something is pictured
-All the things we infer refer to help to contribute how we read the picture we are looking at. 
- The reader is playing a part in the process. Their cultural background, experience and knowledge effects the way the image is read.
- Meaning is imposed on the sign, meaning can change depending on the readers different cultural experiences.


Barthes argued that all signs are polysemous, this means that all signs have multiple meanings, we as the audience are meaning makers. He goes onto argue that there is no single meaning to any sign, meaning is made through a reading based upon ones culture and knowledge. Therefore, connotation is arbitrary.

Where do ideas come from?

David Lynch argues that we are able to pull ideas in, they might be a fragment of a bigger idea. He states that ideas are all around us, and we can find them in all our senses. He finishes with saying that "bait is the desire for an idea".


Steven Johnson speaks about how we got to where we are because of ideas. He believes that we have moments of sudden inspiration and that our best ideas start as something else, they take time to become something useful. We must keep these hunches we have alive in order to turn them into something practical.

Research

Michael Wolf:

• German artist and photographer
• Works and lives in Hong Kong and Paris

"Architecture of density"

This set of images depict the vibrant city of Hong Kong. Wolf has done this by shooting from an unusual and interesting perspective, which makes his images so individual and eye catching. He has focused on repetition of pattern and form to make the images so aesthetically pleasing.

I like the way Woolf has framed his compositions, he has incorporated many formal elements including line, form and pattern. His images almost become unrecognisable and this is something I would like to emulate within my photographs. Furthermore, I particularly like the middle image because of the striking colours and the geometric shapes created.

From the research I have done, I have thought about some important factors to consider when shooting..

• Time of day
• Composition
• Viewpoint

These are all relevant as they can completely change the dynamic of a composition.

What is architectural photography

Architectural photography:
 "the photographing of buildings and similar structures that are both aesthetically pleasing and accurate representations of their subjects"

This style of photography is typically created from either the exterior or interior view of a building. These two styles have similarities but may also require different equipment. 

Exterior:

• Usually takes advantage of available daylight
• Uses ambient lighting if shot at night

Interior:

• Ambient lighting can also be used (light through windows, or interior lighting fixtures)
• Electronic flash strobes or incandescent hot lights are used to improve the illumination in a building

My audience

International Association of Architectural Photographers 

About the IAAP:

• Founded on 1 January 2003
• they describe themselves as "the worlds finest architectural photographers
• They are an on-line based association for the professional architectural photographers and provide a broader market for them.
• They have a directory of architectural photographers all over the world

Initial ideas..

An idea I began to think about which I could use for my project would be to show the contrast between modern and old buildings.

This idea came to me as I was sat in university, I am surrounded by modern furnishings, enormous amounts of technology and up to date resources. Having just come back from a three month holiday I began thinking about the new constructions in Birmingham including the Curzon (university) Building and Grand Central Station. As my mind began to wonder, so did my eyes...
I found myself starring at an abandoned building across the street, I knew then that this would be a perfect location to photograph. As I continued on this journey I knew there would be more opportunities for buildings in Digbeth.


Upon reflection I feel that I could create a project where I compare as well as contrast modern buildings against derelict ones. I would do this by capturing the new and the old and emphasise the extreme differences or similarities between the two.

Having discussed the project with my classmates, I was advised to go and visit Hagley Road where there are many derelict buildings. This is now another potential location to shoot.


My next step is to go out and shoot...

What is my intention..

In order to create a set of suitable photographs I need to know what my intentions are. I have thought about all the elements that I want to think about when shooting and I aim to include them within my images.

What does the word "abstract" mean?
"Relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours and textures".

New project..

After having been given a number of briefs to choose from, I decided I wanted to focus on the architectural brief. I chose this brief because I felt that I would be able to create some interesting geometrical compositions. I knew I would need to research various practitioners to be able to gain inspiration.


What is required of me...?

• Produce a fabricated application for membership of the IAAP. (International Association of Architectural Photographers).
• Must include photographs showing the interior as well as the exterior
• Collaborate with a company or organisation that own the building

Who is my audience...?

• Architects
• Builders
• Interior designers