The Photograph - Graham Clarke.

The Photograph - Graham Clarke - Oxford University Press - 1997

Since beginning The Art of Photography I have been trying to read one of our set texts, The Photograph by Graham Clarke. I have to say that I have read other things during this time and have had to keep coming back to this book. I did wonder whether to give up altogether, after all what is the point in reading something for the sake of it. I felt like I should not be defeated and that maybe it was so difficult to get into because it was a worthwhile read.

I found the style it is written in quite hard to get to grips with so I found myself having to re read some sections as I felt I was taking it in but not fully understanding it. I had to realise that I was not reading a novel and therefore should be approaching it in a different way.

On the positive side the book is divided into manageable chapters so the book was easy to breakdown into sections I could tackle. These included chapters on things such as ‘What is a photograph?’ and ‘How to read a photograph?’ and then goes on to talk about the various genres in photography like Landscape, The City, The Portrait and The body in Photography.

I am glad I persevered with this book as whilst it can only be described as heavy going and you must really concentrate to understand it (my low attention span was probably half the problem) I did find myself starting to agree with some of the points that Clarke was making. To be honest there is still quite a bit of the book which I feel went over my head to a certain degree, but I also think that I have got something out of reading it and so my efforts were not in vain. Maybe I will tackle it again in the future and the second time around I may find it easier to understand.

Exercise: Juxtaposition.

"For this exercise choose either the still life approach or a larger scale shot. If the former, take any book you like and make a suitable cover illustration using two or three relevant elements. If the latter, photograph someone with a possession, or the results of their work or hobby."

I have chosen to make a cover illustration of 'Handle with care' by Jodi Picoult.

Synopsis taken from http://www.jodipicoult.com/handle-with-care.html

When Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated – she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain.

To show how fragile 'Willow's' bones are I created the cover below.

1/320 f4.8 ISO 2500 42mm -1.0

I am really happy with how this came out and think that it links to the book well. I have to say that I did my usual in keeping the camera on the last ISO setting I had used. I had got much better at checking everything before hand but obviously this time I have slipped back into old habits. I think that it is my eagerness to get cracking on a project that distracts me from concentrating properly on what I should be doing. There is no real excuse for it at this stage in the course though!

Exercise: Symbols.

Find symbols for a number of concepts. List more than one symbol for the following subjects, adding notes on how you might use them in a photograph.

Growth.

1. Plant growing from a seed.

2. A building half built.

3. Economic growth - A pile of money.

4. A graph to show a growth in profits.

Excess.

1. A woman dressed head to foot in designer clothing and expensive jewellery.

2. Fast food like burgers and chips with someone vastly over weight - obesity.

3. Large garage full of top of the range vehicles.



 

 

4. Champagne lifestyle - Yacht, bottle of champagne, well dressed attractive people.

 

 

 

Crime.

 

 

1. Burglary - broken window to a house, person in a 'hoodie' inside.

 

 

2. Handcuffs.

 

 

3. Graffiti in a 'rough' area.

 

 

4. Drug use - needles, powder etc.

 

 

 

Silence.

 

 

1. Tape over a persons mouth.

 

 

2. Picturesque landscape.

 

 

3. Finger over lips - well recognised.

 

 

4. Hearing aid left on a table.

 

 

 

Poverty.

 

 

1. Beggar in a shop doorway.

 

 

2. Starving child.

 

 

3. Coins of low denomination in a begging bowl.

 

 

4. Shanty town - poor housing, no clean running water etc.

 

 

 

Exercise: Evidence of action.

Produce one photograph in which it can be seen that something has happened.

1/200 f5 ISO 2500 28mm -1.0 WB Auto

I decided to use my breakfast for this shot, mainly as my day revolves around food. I wanted it to look like something had happened causing the diner to leave before having finished. Ideally I wanted to show steam coming off the cup of tea but this turned out to be pretty impossible to get a good enough shot that showed the steam as well as the whole set up. Originally I had just the plate, toast, knife and mug in the shot but decided most people read the newspaper while having breakfast. By adding the paper in, having not been read front to back implies that someone left before finishing.



Part 5 : Narrative and Illustration - Exercise: A narrative picture essay.

I thought for this project I would try and photograph the Olympic torch coming through my town. I wanted to capture the torch and the athmosphere as a whole by trying to show a variety of images.

I researched the time the torch would be coming through the town, the best place to park as I expected the town to be very busy, as well as the best place I felt I could get my shots.

I have to say that it did not quite go to plan. For a start I underestimated the sheer volume of people who would be lining the streets. The original place I had picked turned out not to be the best place to take my photos from because of so many people. I then moved location slightly which did make my view a little better but what I didnt factor in was my height in comparison to a lot of people. Ideally I should of got there even earlier and been right at the front or found a higher point.

1/1250 f5.6 ISO 250 50mm

First hint that the torch is on its way.

1/320 f5.6 ISO 250 50mm

Advertising obviously plays a big part.

1/320 f5.6 ISO 250 48mm

Getting everyone in the party mood.

 

1/250 f5.6 ISO 250 45mm

The lengths people go to to get a good view.

1/200 f5.6 ISO 250 48mm

Observers from every vantage point.

1/160 f5.6 ISO 250 45mm

At last a glimpse of the torch.

 

1/400 f5.6 ISO 250 105mm

Onlookers as it goes past.

Some of the pictures are a bit samey, particularly with the first few. I wanted to show the lengths people had gone to to get a good look which is why I have a shot of people on top of the bus stop (wish I had got there first!) and leabing out of the windows of the building. With that image I would of ideally liked to of been able to stand square on with the lamp post central to the image. I am really irritated that my image of the torch is no where near as good as I would of liked. I was not fast enough in getting ready for it and the composition needed to be much better.

In a way I have found this exercise more beneficial with the fact that so many things went wrong. This has given me more to work on and learn from so that I can be better prepared in the future. I really understand just how difficult photographing an event can be and realise a lot of improvements can be made here.