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Blog Posts:
Word Count: 1060
- Provide a definition for ‘analogue photography’.
Let’s start with the term analogue. What does it mean? I think that the term analogue means to go about a process without digital aid, as digital refers to things being stored via numbers rather than a physical form. In regards to photography this would mean taking a photo on a film camera, and then the process of getting that film developed would be considered analogue. That moment when the photo is taken becomes an analogue experience as that image is taken into a dark room where the image is processed so that all the adjustments are made correctly to the image. As Joana Zylinksa commented in her book Photomediations: A Reader “photography can be described as a practice of making cuts in the flow of imagistic data, of stabilising data as images and objects”
- Provide a definition for ‘analogue video’.
‘Analogue’ refers to processes in which one set of physical properties can be stored in another ‘analogous’ physical form. The latter is then subjected to technological and cultural coding that allows the original properties to be, as it were, reconstituted for the audience.”(Lister,2009). What I believe this definition by Lister means is analogue video uses physical connectors between the user and the screen itself. For example Foxtel is a device which holds the physical copy of shows which is then streamed through your TV, then your TV and Foxtel are working together to project an image to the audience. The knowledge behind analogue video can often lead to the assumption that it is therefore an art form.
- Provide a definition for ‘networked photography’.
I believe that networked photography is referring to technology developing to where photography becomes accessible to everyone through the development of software and hardware products. “Since the camera phone is always available, it supports a particularly mobile and informal way of taking and consuming images, including visual jokes and functional visual notes (of a potential purchase in a shop, or a snapshot of a restaurant meal in lieu of a verbal description)”(Palmer,2014). Instagram focuses a lot on images which help to highlight how “there is a strong sense that the world is readily available for visual consumption” (Palmer,2014). It is through Networked Photography a new way of consuming images has arrived by making it easily accessible for the masses.
- Provide a definition for ‘networked video’.
My interpretation from networked video is that it is somewhat similar to networked photography. From my understanding that videos in the forms of blogs started to arise on various platforms due to the fact that the barriers to entry became lower as digital technologies developed to where it was accessible for people to create content as ‘amateur’. “Videoblogging was the result of the rapid growth in digital technologies and the relative cheapness of new digital equipment for recording, storing and sharing data” (Berry,2018). It was through technological developments that constructed a new wave in video with platforms such as YouTube being a host to ‘amateur’ videos. In regards to Instagram they adapted to the new increase in the amount of video consumed by society through the introduction of things such as IGTV, where users can watch content from the people they follow.
- Provide definitions for the terms ‘authoring’, ‘publishing’ and ‘distributing’.
My understanding of authoring is that it is the method of physically or digitally capturing data, whether that be through an analogue or digital process in order to create art which can be consumed through various ways. Publishing on the other hand is talking about how the work is going to be viewed by people. An example of this in regards to network photos would be to publish the photos on Instagram, rather than an art gallery which would be necessary if it were analogue. Distribution from my understanding is how widespread the work can be through circulation on other platforms. This means sending out more copies of the work either through social media sites for networked works, or featuring in multiple art galleries or other physical mediums.
- What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked photos are authored, published and distributed?
One similarity between analogue and network photos is that they both give a sense of familiarity. The process of authoring, publishing and distributing networked and analogue photos is a very different process, but at the end we are still left with images that can be consumed in different ways. A big difference between networked and analogue photos in regards to how they are authored is that analogue photos are authored through film, where as network photos are digital. These technological advancements mean that people can now carry a photo album in their pocket due to the fact that “we take for granted the seemingly unlimited storage aspects for photo and video’(Berry,2018). As well as the authoring being different, the way network photos are distributed and published is also different. We tend to see analogue photos being distributed and published through art galleries with physical copies being displayed for visual consumption. Whereas with networked photos we don’t see physical images as often as with analogue, because these images are being posted on various platforms through social media to create a wider spread of exposure.
- What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked videos are authored, published and distributed?
Analogue and network videos are very different to one another. It terms of authoring analogue video requires a lot of knowledge about the technology at hand which creates a higher barrier to entry. With the introduction of smartphones, everyone now has access to a camera. As a result networked videos create a lower barrier to entry than that of analogue videos. As mentioned before to use analogue video required a lot of knowledge about equipment and gear which also meant that editing was a cumbersome task. One affordance with the introduction of smartphones was that camera specific editing apps starting to flux the industry. This meant that anyone can film a video on their phone and edit it, creating a more user friendly environment. In regards to publishing analogue videos is similar to that of analogue photos. That is, it was considered art and therefore displayed in art galleries. This meant that analogue artists such as Nam June Paik. On the other hand since analogue videos are published online since smartphones are able to do so through various apps, it means that publishing work online is a faster way to gain exposure to work compared to analogue video. Also network videos can be distributed on more than one platform, which means it can be easily accessible to the consumer. Where as with analogue videos it often requires people to physically go into a gallery to consume content.
References:
Kamila K & Zylinska J, editors. Photomediations: A Reader. Open Humanities Press, 2016, http://www.openhumanitiespress.org/books/ titles/photomediations/
Lister, M et al 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge, New York.
Palmer, D 2014 ‘Mobile Media Photography’, in The Routledge Companion to Mobile Media, (eds) Goggin G., Hjorth L., Routledge, New York
Berry, T. B 2018, ‘Situating Videoblogging’, Institute of Network Cultures, http://networkcultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Videoblogging-Before-YouTube-web.pdf