The assessment declaration . [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]

Provide your own definition (in your own words) on ‘photography’, by referring to the readings, additional research and the practice analyses completed in your blog.

Initially photography was purely for documentation purposes; intended to record an event. In its early years people had no preconceived notions nor expectations of the camera, and so to use it for any other purpose would have been abnormal, however this quickly changed and soon photography became a medium unto itself, in which the affordances of painting began to shift to lend itself towards photography. At this point in time photography’s meaning was more subjective and altered contextually, dependent on the photography; where one would deem it a tool for artistic purposes another may only regard the camera as an instrument to record data. In a modern world in which we are seemingly limitlessly connected, the nature of how we engage with one another has changed, with constantly evolving social norms via social medias, and so with this, the changing view of photography. Be it marketing or a family member sharing a photo, a picture tells a thousand words- thus we have become reliant on it to tell stories (as eyesight is humanities keenest sense; as we have evolved to detect predators).
The rules and art of photography have become a staple in the practice regardless of intent for its use. Much of this can be thanked to Instagram for changing the affordances of photography and how we consume it, allowing for the emergence of quick on-the-go and accessible practice of iphoneography to dominate social media.  As we have changed, so too has photography, becoming a vital tool in life not only to record, but to create, track, and reflect on ourselves: “To live is to be photographed, to have a record of one’s life…”- Susan Sontag.

Provide your own definition (in your own words) on ‘videography’ or ‘video practice’, by referring to the readings, additional research and the practice analyses completed in your blog.

Videography has had a very similar development to photography, but has evolved and hit milestones in its progression to art at a much faster rate – (due to photography already have set the precedent for such). Although surprisingly very little has changed in videography. The conventions of cinema were set, but what if videography were to create an art-form not based on these principals and yet could still be merged into cinema? From Albert R Broccoli’s stylised James Bond intros of the 60’s to -Nam June Paik’s experimentation with sound and visual recording devices to alter videographic effects and styles. The art became perfect through the practices imperfections. What was once a mistake to work past was then a goal to try and achieve, or an effect to recreate. This practice of video art has continued on today as the underdog of video production; never quite in the foreground but persisting nonetheless. Due to cinema’s domination of video based art it would highly unlikely for ‘alternative’ practices of video to grow much more than it has, though it is not without its place in society. Music videos have remained ever popular over the past few decades, allowing for greater depth in the music with accompanying pieces, and experimental short film projects are still a fantastic opportunity for smaller creators to become noticed.  The definition of videography or video practice is not so singular as that it encompasses many aspects of the field; videography is the culmination of cinematography, lighting, mise en scene, and editing. It as an art is the final result of a project.

What differences and similarities did you discover between the way legacy and online photos are authored, published and distributed?

Photography and photo-publication is a far-cry from what it once was; once being a gruelling process involving several professionals in a field can now be shorted down to a one-person team. Thanks to the boundless possibilities of marketing on social media any single person can publish and distribute their works with a little know-how. Although, whilst this is possible, sometimes the old ways are the best: in reality the major component that has changed within the game is speed, and having the responsibility to handle all aspects of production and distribution can be tasking, thus in having a team of people to share across multiple platforms not only do you start with a much larger basis due to their won immediate connections, you also relieve yourself of additional burdens.
Where a photographer in the past would have had to display work in a gallery or sell off within advertising, the internet has revolutionised the art-form, turning accounts into their own galleries for them to market to their heart’s delight. In this, the more things change the more they stay the same: the rules of photography has remained true, really it is only the space and manner in which we display our works has changed.  Instead of morphing photos and interchanging inks, we have Photoshop. Instead of galleries and art shows we have Instagram. And instead of word of mouth we have links to share. Photography is still much the same as it were 50 years ago, merely the affordances of it, the way we engage with it as well as how we engage with it have altered.

What differences and similarities did you discover between the way legacy and online videos are authored, published and distributed?

Modern videos seem to be more concerned with the current moment rather than having longevity in their videos lifespan. Frequency is key; quantity over quality is dominant .For a YouTuber it’s better to have 5 10 minute videos with 1 million views each, than it is one 30 minute video with 5 million views – due to the algorithms in YouTube, Twitch, Vimeo etc. streaming services reward their content creators on view-time predominantly. Making videos based on news is always but only ever current and is easier to market, which is why we see channels such as H3H3, as shown, since moving away from skit based comedy and into long-running podcasts with current celebrities. The spotlight, despite being larger is now fleeting; the flame that burns brighter burns quicker, and so modern creators have to constantly stay on top of their viewers expectations as well as trends of the time in order to yield the maximum coverage for their videos.
It is difficult to blame modern creators though as that there is a sense of ‘everything idea that can be done has already been done’, whereas those creators of yesteryear, despite technological restrictions, had more freedom, as that there was little competition. Ironically enough video-blogs from a decade ago have more in common with amateur videos from 50 years ago than they do to vlogs nowadays, as that they imbue a more free sense of creativity opposed to those they create to merely fill a need. Whilst much has been said and done, there are always ways to re-imagine ideas that always exist, thus opening a gateway for newer creators to emerge.

(1078 words, excluding questions)

Blog posts:

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/cody-nelson/2018/09/11/week-5-networked-media-analysis/
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/cody-nelson/2018/09/11/week-6-networked-media-analysis/
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/cody-nelson/2018/09/11/week-7-networked-media-analysis/
http://www.mediafactory.org.au/cody-nelson/2018/09/12/week-8-networked-media-analysis/

Links:

http://www.openhumanitiespress.org/books/titles/photomediations/
Kuc, Kamila, and Joanna Zylinska, editors. Photomediations: A Reader. Open Humanities Press, 2016

http://www.abelardomorell.net/project/camera-obscura/

http://www.erikjohanssonphoto.com/work/

http://networkcultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Videoblogging-Before-YouTube-web.pdf
Trine Bjørkmann Berry, ‘Videoblogging Before YouTube’, Published by the Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ72fcHDUC8
Monty Python & The Holy Grail – Bloody Weather

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2WPneqhhs
Monty Python – Black Beats of Argh Animation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRl1zMUKTxQ
H3H3Productions – ‘Wearing 200 Shirts in the Grocery Store’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRl1zMUKTxQ

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

Ethan and Hila Klein, together under the banner of H3H3, are LA based YouTubers. The two have a great variety of videos spanning several years, from vlogs, criticisms, reviews, and skits. The two currently run a podcast in which they talk with celebrities weekly.

With the video you are examining, when was it produced?

The video was uploaded to YouTube on the 26^th August, 2016

How was the photo or video authored

To keep the shoot light and easy to move around, the two simply used a DSLR camera with a Rode shotgun mic attachment – being their go-to for filming. It was then majorly edited in post, including bts footage, and stylised with the addition of music.

How was the photo or video published

The video was published solely on YouTube, with links to their social media accounts for further coverage.

How was the photo or video distributed?

The video was distributed through YouTube, but due to their broad connectivity was able to gain mass attention through their social media accounts promotions of the video – blowing up on Facebook, as well as gaining notoriety on Instagram and twitter.

H3H3 is a prime example on the evolution of video blogging in the age of YouTube and social media; having to rapidly change to audiences wants. This highly evident in the changing nature of their videos – shifting from their skit-based comedy and rants, to drawn-out podcasts with celebrity collaborations.

Erik johanssen http://www.erikjohanssonphoto.com/work/snow-cover

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

The artist is Erik Johansson whom began practicing photography manipulation in 2008, and is still working in the field today.

With the photo you are examining, when was it produced?

The photo, titled ‘Snow Cover’ was created in 2012

How was the photo or video authored

Johansson doctored the image by taking two images of approximately the same angle/perspective and blending them together to create a singular and seamless image of surreal nature.

How was the photo published?

The image was published by Johansson himself through his website and social media, particularly his Instagram. He takes his works around the world, making exhibits and even giving talks on photography and his artistic process.

How was the photo distributed?

Aside from Johansson’s own distribution, the image went viral, appearing on multiple blog articles and ‘list’ based sites (number 5 will shock you)

Despite the ease and convenience of more mobile photography, Johansson represents the remainder of modern photographers; opting for more intensive photoshoots and heavy editing in post. Despite going against the grain of most Instagram trends, Johansson still finds success in his ways, and continues to experiment with photography today.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T6y2CO7R7qKV5BivgKbcXZYppeFA1w91/view

LINK TO READING

Monty Python and the Holy Grail Animation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ72fcHDUC8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2WPneqhhs

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

Animator, artist and comedian Terry Gilliam, well known for his works with the group Monty Python. Gilliam began animation, writing and directing in 1968, and although he hasn’t largely animated in decades, he continues acting, writing, producing, and directing today.

With the video you are examining, when was it produced?

Gilliam produced these works whilst with the comedy troupe Monty Python, with this in particular being for the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ in 1975

How was the video authored?

Gilliam was able to achieve his signature style in using a blend of hand drawn animations and cut-outs, overlapping the two for his/Monty python’s trademark animations. This was simply done with stop-motion photography.

How was the video published

The video was published within the 1975 film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ by Michael White Productions, National Film Trustee Company, and Python (Monty) Pictures

How was the photo or video distributed?

The film was distributed worldwide (with the exception of a few countries for religious reasons), gaining mass attention and praise, grossing over $5 million compared to a $230k budget.

Whilst not quite defined by traditional terms of video art due to it’s nature of not morphing physical film, but rather manipulating subjects in front of it, Gilliam’s animations stretch the boundaries of traditional animation and reaches into the realms of video art due to their surreal nature and unique animation style.

http://terrygilliamweb.com/

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?
The photographer is Cuban born and American based Yale graduate Abelardo Morell

With the photo you are examining, when was it produced?

The picture, produced in 1991, is titled ‘Camera Obscura: Houses Across the Street in our Bedroom, Quincy, Massachusetts’, and is a part of a long running project of Morell, in which he creates camera obscuras in hotel rooms around the world.

How was the photo authored

I was unable to find out which camera he used, but it was an 8 hour exposure with a film camera. This was achieved by blacking out all sources of light in the room, then creating a pinhole opening in the black sheeting covering the windows. After the long exposure, the result is a reversed projection of the world outside. Morell would later implement a lens in later works, allowing for sharper image and for the projection to be right side up.

How was the photo published

The photo was held onto by Abelardo Morell until its allowance to be used in the publication of the novella ‘Unsleeping’ by Michael Burkard, in 2001.

How was the photo distributed?

The photo was distributed by Sarabande Books with Michael Bukard’s ‘Unsleeping’, though the image is still owned by Morell, and is showcased as a part of his ongoing works and is available on his website http://www.abelardomorell.net/project/camera-obscura/ today.

Morell’s work has helped bring perhaps the oldest known form of image projection and photography to the fore. Not only has he perpetuated the artistic front for photography, but also morphed the photomediations of the time, being ahead of its time and more akin to photography of today. This was done via not merely capturing an image to record data, but to encapsulate feeling in time and place in association to a location.

http://www.openhumanitiespress.org/books/titles/photomediations/

Megan Halpern’s and Lee Humphreys’ newly coined term ‘Iphoneography’ has heavily implications  within its name itself, and has made me want to look into it deeper this week and discuss its values.
Essentially coming down to describe the form of photographic styles and affordances with camera-phones, iphoneography has become the leading contributor to Instagram’s success; further developing of new affordances with photography and the use of photography today, no longer purely as documentation, but tracking, comparison, and self-reflection

The camera has become the cornerstone of marketing any major phone due to the public’s growing and dominant reliance on photography in modern social media as well as our relationship with photography itself.

We now have the chance to photograph what we want, when we want, with nearly unlimited amounts of potential in photo-manipulation in our very hands, and able to do so within minutes. Not only is this a chance to document facts and events, but allows the user to alter ‘truth’, to represent themselves in a way previously unable. It due to this reason that social media, particularly image based ones such as Instagram have become so dominant in our everyday lives. In every chance to project yourself comes a chance to self-reflect.
Instagram’s choice of filter is not presented an as option you have to seek, it is presented as a mandatory step: you have to change and edit what you are about to publish to the world; be what you want and be seen how you want to be seen. Why seek betterment or other means of happiness when you can pose and apply a filter to look happier and better? It is in this we have false documentation and misleading truths. To those around you is there a difference in you being happy and looking happy? We so easily take this for face value that we often reject the chanced to dig deeper. To look back on someone’s Instagram and see a happy photo of them years ago now becomes irrefutable fact and evidence of their condition.  It is easier to be remembered as happy with a mere simple pose than it is to actually converse and prove it, hence why Instagram’s ‘image-first, text later’ formula has been so successful.

It is difficult to see how Instagram will further progress when it has seemingly already perfected the art of deception; it’s not used to manipulate photos, but reality and representations of people.

Since photography’s inception we have seen a shift of its means; beginning purely as a form of documentation, to art, to a blend of the two in mass utilization of social media. This is explored in Kamila Kuc’s and Joanna Zylinska’s ‘Photomeditations: a reader’ heavily, beginning with an apt quote from Susan Sontag; ‘To live is to be photographed, to have a record of one’s life, and therefore to go on with one’s life oblivious, or claiming to be oblivious, to the camera’s nonstop attentions’ (Sontag, 2004), thus ‘turning every photograph on the Web into a potential frame in a boundless film’

Subsequently it is from this in which we observe the transformation of the affordances of photography; no longer to merely capture an event, but now more to allow for a greater ability to reflect on self.  In being able to so easily photograph and capture every waking moment we are able to create a condensed time-lapse of one’s life, and with that, comes the chance to track, compare, and meditate; hence the term ‘photomeditation’.

This majorly contributes as to why Instagram has become a world heavyweight in competing social medias; it skips over a reliance on text and plays to the newfound affordances with photography, and has helped further develop and expand on them today.