PB4: An Overall Reflection
An overall reflection on how your media practice has been influenced and/or changed by ideas, exercises and/or experiences in this studio
The Use Of Photography studio has a lot of practice during the class time. After 12 weeks’ learning, I thought I learned a lot of from the class. Before this class, I’m a people who always take photos just for recording the beautiful view and daily life. Through this studio, I learned how to express my thought and story through the photos. I learned to think deeply when I took the photos. Also, the quality of the photos is still very important.
The most impressive experiences for me in this class is taking the photos with strangers. We did an exercise in the class which is let us take 20 strangers’ photo under their agreement. That means we should find the strangers and ask them did they mind us to take photos. When I get this exercise I’m super nervous. Because I never did this kind of thing before. I was afraid to ask and afraid to be refused. However, I tried my best in that exercise. It was a very amazing experience. Although, I received a lot of refuse. I still too happy with the people agree to take photos. They all smile happily in the photos. I feel the warm between the strangers.
And the PB3 need to take a serious photo of a stranger. That is harder than the exercise. Because we need to have a deep conversation with the stranger. And let he give us his story. And then I need to use photos to present this story. My character is a very shy people. I talk with him a lot. Then he turned more open mind to me. The work I was done I feel not bad. Instead of the project, I thought I benefit a lot from the experience of taking strangers’ photos. I tried the things I never tried before. And I found the interests in this. I think if I can I want to this kind of work again.
Also, I learned to get inspiration from other photographers to get more creative ideas for my own work. With the final photobook，the theme I did is based on the PB2’s. And I get more ideas on that. I want to let other see my change from this class. I want to show what I learned and present it on the final work. And people can easily see the difference from the beginning work. I thought I learned a lot in this studio, and I found I really have a great interesting on the photography. I will let my mind for open for the shooting theme in future. And I hope I can do better in future with the daily practice.
PB4: The Uses Of Photography That Most Intrigue and Inspire Me
“The framework of photomediations adopts a process- and time-based approach to images by tracing the technological, biological, cultural, social and political fows of data that produce photographic objects.”
——-‘Photomediations: A Reader’ by Kamila Kuc & Joanna Zylinska
“Photography implies that we know about the world if we accept it as the camera records it. But this is the opposite of understanding, which starts from not accepting the world as it looks”
——-‘On Photography’ by Susan Sontag
Photographs of absolutely anything and everything are taken to give proof of what we did, saw, ate, or looked like on that given day. A photograph appears to create proof of something, if we are shown a photograph of a time, person or event we are less likely to doubt it happened.If one tells a story it gains substance if there is an image to go with it, in the modern time we are more likely to believe what is seen rather than what is told, which becomes truer in today’s digital era of social media and short attention spans.
People said that photography is the fingerprints of civilization, I quite agree with this analogy.The invention of photography is a great progress of modern civilization because it appeared was deeply branded with the “civil” brand.
Photography is a common thing now, camera into each ordinary families spare nothing. People with family or as go out to play and take a few photos is very ordinary. People take photos during their daily time, traveling time and even important moment. People take photos of their happy time or sad moment. The photography accompanies with people in this century.
I think photography for me is to present the stories and thoughts behind the photos. Photos can not speak and move. However, as a photographer, we can give the photos their own life. And we can let the readers imagine through the photos. Everyone can express their own story and the feeling to the photos. I think photography is a way for people to express and record their eyes of the world. We have our own mind of everything. We can shoot the photos just for a record. But for me now, as a photography studio student. I want to use the photos to express myself and my eyes of the world. I want to use my photos to communicate with people. That is I’m learning from this class through plenty of exercises and project brief. We are not just recording. We are talking through the shooting.
PB4：What A Photobook Is And How My PB4 Engaged With This
“A photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content.”
“The photobook, therefore, is a text in which the principal carrier of meaning is the photographic sequence contained between its covers.”
I think photobook is presenting the story or ideas of a photographer. This is a book and let readers understand the meaning of the book by photos without words. Like a normal book, the author is the photographer. They are expressing their thought through the book. Also, the reader can understand the photobook in their way. “There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.” This is the charming of photography.
I like the photobook because I think it is very glad for the photographer to show the audience their photos in a book type. It is clearly to show the ideas or stories. It’s more serious than post online. And it is also more meaningful to collect. As a photographer, I still like to see photographs on printing paper.
For my PB4 work, I do not know if I have time to print the photobook out. However, I feel very interesting on designing the photobook by myself. We need to think what photos on the cover, what type of words should show on the cover. How can we arrange the photos on the photobook. There are a lot of detail we should to thought on the photobook.
For my work, the theme is LIFE AS FLOWERS. I’m doing the life circle of the flowers. And I will do the flowers in the different situation. So I will put the same style of flowers together as a serious. For example, I will put the flowers on cardboard together and the flowers in natural environment together. And put them in order in their own serious, from the starting to bloom to the blooming flowers and to the fading of the flowers. I think this will help reader easy and clearly to understand the theme which I want to present. Also, the cover I will use the bright color of blooming flower to show the start of the life. And the back I will leave it all black to show the death. And these kind of ideas are very close to my whole theme. I want my PB4 photobook is a book which let the reader understand the ideas of me easily but still have some space to imagine.
PB4：Reflection On Photobook Presentation And Panel’s Response
My PB4 Idea （Photobook Presentation）And Reflection：
The photobook will still focus on flowers. Base on the PB2, I will do the work more creative. I will take photos of the flowers in the different situation:
1. Flowers in ice
I will the put the flowers into the water and freeze them.
2.Burning Flowers
I will spray some oil on the flowers and burn the flowers to shoot.
3. Flowers on cardboard
This picture is my work. This one is quite easy so I did them first. And I will use the different color of cardboards to present.
4. Flowers in natural
This is one is also my work. I will go to the garden again to shoot more flowers.
Panel’s Response：
The panel thought I can do all these types of flowers but need to focus on the details of the flowers. They told me flowers’ are hard to take photos. They suggest me think more about how to present the theme through flowers.
“Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves.”
——— Rabindranath Tagore
The theme of my photobook is Life As Flowers. From this work, I want to present the different stages of flowers which are also present the life circles of the human beings.
The work I did is taking the photos of the different type of flowers which in different stages and in a different situation to present the theme. I use the background boards and the lights to present my theme through different color tones.
The first stage, some flowers are beginning to bloom, it means the new life arrive. At the second stage, some flowers are blossoming, it means the golden age of people’s life. At last stage, some flowers fade, it means the death. Also, i want to use the burning flowers and iced flowers to show the last stage of flowers also. Burning flowers mean the lost. And the iced flowers mean permanent.
Also, the work I want to do is using different color tones and different lights to present my theme. I want to people feel the emotion through my photography, for example, people can feel warm while looking the photos of flower buds and feel the happiness of the new life arrive. And that’s the theme I want to present, I hope people can feel what I want to present.
PB3: Production
My PB3 is focusing on the Jason Yang who is the chairman of the Cheval Blanc. Cheval Blanc is a BMW car club in Melbourne. There are hundreds of members in Cheval Blanc. They are all the lovers and owners of the BMW cars. And he started the Cheval Blanc when he was at the university with his passion of the car and his hardworking. So， this essay I will focus on Jason himself, not the Cheval Blanc.
The photo essay I want to present is Jason as a young entrepreneur how he uses his hardworking and wisdom to succeed in his business. I will take several photos of while he is working and his working environment to show his passion and hardworking. Also, I will shoot some photos of his daily activity to present his personality. I will use our exercise’s mini photo essay idea which can take some environmental portrait, a close-up, and an action photo to tell a visual story about Jason doing that occupation or hobby. I will also go to an event of Cheval Blanc which may hold a few weeks later which I can shoot on that day. I think why this story is relevant, interesting and has a high news value is because it is the story of a young entrepreneur with high passion and hardworking. I think it is a great motivational story.
PB2: Final Production
Key creative decisions (and why you made them) in the shoot, editing and post-processing stages?
I think the key creative decisions of my PB2 is the color of photos and the details of flowers I want to present. Andy Small is a flower, nature and landscape photographer. He photographs dramatic close-up portraits of nature and particularly flower. That’s what I want to learn to shoot. I used the long lens to shoot the flowers’ detail. Also, his work has become known for its modern graphic style and striking use of color. Andy’s images are described as being “very painterly” in their appearance. So when I was taking the photos, I paid very high attention to the color of the flowers and the background. And while I was editing the photos I also adjust the color to make the photos look more “painterly” as Andy did. I took hundreds of photos in different type and style of flowers. I choose these five photos as my final production is because the color of them are the best. And they are the all different type and styles flowers which can represent Andy’s work to show his photography style better.
What worked and what didn’t?
I think the natural part i did is quite good. However，Andy also does some landscape photos which combine with the flowers. I tried to do it，but it did not work well. Then i gave up that part and only did the natural and flowers part. I thought I should use a wide-angle lens for the landscape.
What did you learn in the process of completing the Project Brief about your own skills and creative practice and what you might do differently next time?
I learned to combine the light with my DSLR to take good color photos. I also learned to shoot with burst mode to take photos to capture every moment I want and I do not want to miss. Such as the photo I took which is a butterfly on a flower. If I did not us burst mode I can not capture that moment. I think next time I will try the wide-angle lens to take the flowers with the landscape.
PB2: Production
Research findings on your chosen photographer and style:
“Flowers are willing subjects and lend themselves quite well to being photographed. This much is evident when you look at the numerous photos of flowers posted on social media and photo sharing sites every day. However, not all flower photographs are created equal. As with any type of photography, there are general rules and guidelines, and tips and tricks to make the best images possible. The basic idea is to make our photos stand out from the rest; to create something unique and inspiring; something with that “wow” factor. Hopefully, these tips will provide at least a starting point to getting more creative images of flowers and inspire you to try techniques and ideas that you may not have tried before. If nothing else, at least trying some of these will get us all out shooting more, and that can’t be a bad thing. ”
—- 21 TIPS FOR CREATIVE FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY
Some test shooting/experimentation：
Ideas on probable technical procedure for the shoot：
The theme of my PB2 is “Life As Flowers”.
I want to shoot the flowers in the different stage (such as beginning to bloom, blossoming, etc) to present my theme.
I choose the daily light to shoot for the original flower.
I took the photos with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens. The long lens can easily to shoot the details of the flowers. The iso is around 125, f is 5.6, and the shutter speed is 1/500. I use the burst mode to record any details I want.
PB2: Pre-production
PB2 pre-production ideas and reflections:
What kinds of photographic styles do you like and what are their key features creatively and technically?
The photographer I choose for PB2 is Andy Small who is a Flower, Nature and Landscape photographer. Andy studied Fine Art. He photographs dramatic close-up portraits of nature; particularly flowers, and landscapes. His work has become known for its modern graphic style and striking use of color. Andy’s images are described as being “very painterly” in their appearance.
What aspects of their work attract you, what parts of their work could you draw from?
I love his photos’ striking use of color. His photos show the natural world. They also presented his lifelong passion and provides inspiration for his photography. I will draw from his modern graphic style and striking use of color. I also love his photos show the detail of the flowers. He uses the long lens to shoot the flowers’ detail and I will do this in PB2 also. The macro lens is like a window that transports him into another world. In this place, he observe details, shapes, and patterns that are not usually seen even though most of the subjects are right under our noses.
【Recording Place】#15 Final Reflection
Recording Place is a studio which is a location-based documentary practice. “Place is absolutely the best framework with which to tell a story. It’s the place you begin, and it’s the place you wind back to.” For this summer, we focus on the place Queen Victora Market. From this studio, i learned a lot. It’s very glad for me to took this studio through this summer. I learned how to find the story through the place with any details. I learned how to use x200 camera. I learned how to editing the documentary. Also, I learned what a good documentary should be. Rohan is a good teacher who taught us a lot about the documentary filming. I enjoy the whole sessions of our studio. When I do the filming, editing, having lectures and even write the blog. It’s a nice experience for me.
Our group ‘s work is focused on the Mr.Huang who is a man with an indomitable spirit. At the age of 76, he can be found with a cigarette on his lip and a pallet of produce in his wiry grasp. Originally from Guangdong, Mr. Huang takes us through a day in the life of one who is beginning to feel the weight of his years.`After we have the brief ideas, we started to do some filming. We went to the market in few days to shoot for different footages. The time before market opening, the time after market opening and also during the work time. We shoot lots of footage in different situations for our film. Also, we did an interview at Mr.Huang’s home. He is a very kind man. We had a great time in this home. After all these shooting things, we split footage up into folders. Becuase Mr.Huang is a Chinese who can’t speak English very well. So the interview is in mandarin, and we need to do the subtitle translation. After translation, all of our group members can understand what he was talking about in the footage. Then all of the members watch all the footage, listing highlights, overall action in the scene, and anything else that you feel is important. Write down what happens and what we think is appropriate. This is a huge job and we need to make sure to break the core into manageable chunks.
Then we go to the rough cut part. We break down interviews and other longer things into manageable segments. This can be done in final cut by marking when someone goes onto a new topic. And then we lay out interviews in order in the timeline. On top of this start putting appropriate shots. Then we do the slash cut. Put all your footage in order on the timeline without doing any editing. We also need to find tempo music for us to edit to. One of our group member Meg let her friend make a background music for our film. So everything seems going well for our group’s work.
From my individual contribution, actually in our group we do the works together. Every group members need to do the shooting. But for the interview, i went with Jenny and Jack. We enjoy the time in Mr.Huang’s apartment and listened his story. It’s amazing and he is so kind man. We discussed a lot about our concept. Like we do the concept about “The difference between the life in Austrlia and China”, and then we try to narrow the concept a bit. Also i did the subtitle translation with Jenny.
I feel very happy with my group work, we learn a lot, we know each other a lot and we do our work pretty good. I think it make me want to have more group work in further, because it learn much more in group than you do the work alone. In the further group work, i will be a person have a lot of communications with my members. It is really helpful in the group, because you can have a lot of creative ideas while in communicating.
Also, Rohan gave us so many advice. It’s so useful not only in this course, but also in our future media careers. That’s really nice for me to take this course. I enjoyed it so much in this summer.
【Recording Place】#13
In this week, we are doing the Rough Cut part, here is the planning of our work:
Cut up. Break down interviews and other longer things into manageable segments. This can be done in final cut by marking when someone goes onto a new topic.
Lay out interviews in order in the timeline. On top of this start putting appropriate shots.
Slash cut. Put all your footage in order on the timeline without doing any editing.
Find tempo music for you to edit to.
Rough cut. Start cutting.
Work out why you are procrastinating:
- If you are not satisfied with the structure, create a beat sheet for your documentary and brainstorm what doesn’t work.
- Analyze the structure of similar documentaries. With editing, it’s easier to get lost in the small details. By analyzing similar documentaries it can make you think creatively about it again. With longer documentaries, unless you have a presenter, it is common to have a parallel narrative.
- Do you find it unpleasant? If so, write down why.
- Do you feel overwhelmed by the task? If so, break it down into more manageable chunks.
- Are you disorganized? If so, write down why.
- Are you a perfectionist? Don’t go for perfect. Instead, go for what is achievable. Rough cuts are only rough, so just do it and don’t try to make it perfect.
- Go for a walk. A gentle stroll helps you to reflect.
- Work under time restrictions.
Grading. Colour correct your documentary to achieve continuity between different cameras and achieve a particular mood.