Review: A2 Networked Media

Assignment 2- Review
Name: Alexandra Ziamos s3720526

I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

 

Blog reflections

Week 5 – Analogue Photography (practice analysis)
Week 6 – Analogue Video (practice analysis)
Week 7 – Networked Photography (practice analysis)
Week 8 – Networked Video (practice analysis)

 

Review (1,073 words)

How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?

1. Provide a definition for ‘analogue photography’.

Understanding the concept of ‘analogue’ is vital to defining the term ‘analogue photography’. Lister defines analogue as “…processes in which one set of physical properties can be stored in another ‘analogous’ physical form” (Lister, M et al, 2009). Analogue photography can be understood then as how photographers authored, published and distributed photos prior to digital technology.The photographic process involved precise handling of physical objects and materials, from start to finish. To produce an image light was exposed onto a roll of film, which was then processed in a darkroom, transferred onto light-sensitive photographic paper, and developed using chemicals to produce an image. This process has several limitations that affect its publishing. For example, you can only see the image after it has been processed in the lab. In addition, the subject-matter, framing, light, characteristics of the lens, chemical properties of the film used and the paper on which a picture was printed had to be taken into consideration both while shooting and in the darkroom (Wells, 2015, p. 19). For these reasons analogue photography is often thought of as a predecessor to modern digital photography.

 

2. Provide a definition for ‘analogue video’.

Analogue video refers to an electronic medium that uses analogue signals to createdifferent sequences of visual representations. The analogue video process involved the use of electronic waveforms to create representations of sounds and visuals, which were then converted into further analogues to be broadcast (Lister, 2009, p. 17). The process of authoring analogue video is similar to analogue photography, as an edit involved having to deal with the entire physical object, and was time-consuming as such. Video artists such as Nam June Paik have been able to explore the potential of the analogue video medium, challenging the characteristics and physical limitations of the form through their work.

 

3. Provide a definition for ‘networked photography’.

Networked photography refers to photography that is authored, published and distributed on the Internet, in which it becomes part of a system that connects everything that is added to it, together. The concept of the ‘Networked Image’ (Kamila & Zylinska, 2016, p.15) can be used to describe how images that are uploaded to social media sites such as Instagram become part of a larger ecology of images. This can be attributed to the development and accessibility of technology such as smartphones. These allow us to edit and instantly share photographs on the same device. Palmer describes this shift from fixed analogue communication to networked modes as “images [that] are in constant circulation, endlessly multiplying” (2014, p.45).

 

4. Provide a definition for ‘networked video’.

Networked video refers to videos that are published and distributed by means of the Internet. Authoring, publishing and distribution of video on the Internet has always been networked; practices from videoblogging in 2001 have shifted to video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. This has since spread to social networking sites such as Instagram, which now affords video sharing onto the app. The platform’s limitations such as a compressed image and 1-minute length constraint make shorter videos ideal to upload. As our media landscape changes with technological improvements, metrics, advertising and a culture of ‘virality’ becoming increasingly pervasive, there is a more of a focus on video production and authoring content with higher imagequality for social media.

 

5. Provide definitions for the terms ‘authoring’, ‘publishing’ and ‘distributing’.

Authoring refers to the processes involved in creating photos and videos to be published. It considers theconstruction of the content, for example the framing, lighting, or sound, and what device will be used to capture/record the photograph or recording, such as a film, phone, or DSLR camera. It also involves any processing or editing of the image or video.

Publishing refers to the process of preparing to distribute something into a form that is accessible to an audience; for example, an analogue photo would need to be printed before it can be distributed. With the development of technology and SNS, publishing to a large audience has been made easier as posting or making work public affords for the publishing and distributing processes to be done simultaneously.

Therefore, distributing refers to the exposure of photos and videos to an audience, with particular attention the how and where of the context it is received. This could be on social media or in print such as magazines, newspapers and exhibitions. Developments in technology also allow for new modes of distribution for analogue photography and video, making analogue work available to be viewed online.

 

6. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked photos are authored, published and distributed?

Analogue and networked photos are similar in their authoring in that both incorporate the physical act of pressing or pushing a button to capture a photo. However, the affordances of the devices used to author photos are different. With an analogue photograph, the author is unable to visualise the photo they have taken until after the film has been developed. In contrast, networked photos such as those on Instagram are often authored use existing software on a mobile device, or are taken outside of the app to be published and distributed online.

Networked digital environments have also changed the way we publish and distribute media in today’s media landscape. Technological developments haveincreased the accessibility of cameras, and as a result there is a lowered barrier of entry to author and publish content. Where analogue photographs needed to be developed, published in print and then distributed by a publishing press, publishing online to a platform such as Instagram is quite straightforward. The affordances of Instagram allows for the processes of publishing and distribution to be performed at once,by preparing the photo for upload to the appanddistributing the image more widely to users through tagging. In this way “photographs function less as individual objects […] and more as data flows” (Kamila K & Zylinska J, 2016, p.8) to be interacted with.

 

7. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked videos are authored, published and distributed?

The authoring of both analogue and networked videos are similar in that there is a level of consideration for how visuals and sound can be combined to create a representation for the audience. This highlights the idea that networked video is very much still a reflection of the authoring, publishing and distribution methods of ‘old’ analogue video. However, there are several differences between these two forms. Analogue video requires a significant level of skill during the authoring process, as there is little room for error to be made. This is in contrast to the low entry barrier required for networked video, and as a result of significant technological advancement over time, amateurs can easily author, publish and distribute their content with the right technology and the support from followers through shares.

 

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