Author Archives: Dawn Langley

As part of my studies for this part of the course I have also been trying to look at other examples of work. This has mainly been through publications or online but I am hoping to get to some exhibitions soon. In looking at how others have handled movement there seems to  be a number of possible approaches:

• motion blur
• implied movement
• freeze frame – photos across a number of frames
• the after effect of movement

These emerged from looking at the work of various other photographers and considering how they had handled movement. Chris Nash uses both motion blur and frozen moments of implied movement in his dance photography. I particularly like his image of Javier De Frutos in the Palace Does Not Forgive.

Perhaps one of the most famous moments of implied movement is Cartier-Bresson’s Derriere la Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932. There is very minimal motion blur but a clear sense of the figure moving across the frame. I also found Conlon’s Ty Cobb Steals Third, 1910 an interesting example of the impact of movement. There is some blur around the rising clouds of dirt but a strong feeling of the movement having occured.

Finally, some of the best known examples of what I would think of as a freeze frame process must be those of Eadweard Muybridge, particularly his galloping horse.

While it is useful to think about these different approaches in my own work, reading the backstories of some of these iconic photos has been really fascinating. This small selection shows how photographing movement has been part of the photographers challenge almost since its inception. These few examples cover everything from plate cameras and cameras triggered by string to the digital technology of the 21st century. I have found it really rewarding delving into such different styles and methods.

Sumptuous images

I am really enjoying the tone and feel of Michael Freeman’s (2007) book, it includes a sumptuous range of images and has clearly had an influence on how the Art of Photography is shaped.

I hadn’t got very far, the Introduction in fact, before I was wrestling with a number of what seemed like key issues:

• Recognising the decision making behind the taking of a photograph
• The relationship between the kit and composition
• My own relationship to the equipment
• The impact of the immediacy of digital photography
• Why design has been neglected in the teaching of photography
• The place of the digital darkroom and post-production possibilities

These feel like pretty weighty points to consider and I imagine they will sit with me for some time. I am sure I will keep returning to them as my work evolves and the course progresses.

As Freeman (2007: 6) himself says:

“This comprehensive control inevitably affects composition and the simple fact that so much can be done with an image in post-production increases the need to consider the image and its possibilities ever more carefully.”

Reference:

Freeman, M. (2007). The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and design for better digital photos. Lewes, East Sussex: Ilex Press Ltd.

A series of curations?

I have not quite finished reading this book yet and I think it will take me some time to mull it over and reflect on what it offers when I do finish it. A few things have already struck me though. I do not have any issue with the notion of photography being part of the contemporary art field, which is perhaps why, on occasion, I found this book a little frustrating. I think the old notions of distinct artforms and sectors are becoming increasingly redundant as the boundaries are blurred by practice. Artists and other creatives are regularly working across forms and do not recognise the arbitrary boundaries that are often imposed by funding, the gallery system or other external policy structures.

To be fair it is made clear in the introduction that the aim of the book is to ‘work as a survey, the kind of overview you might experience if you visited exhibitions in a range of venues…’ (Cotton, 2009: 7)

The themes are wide ranging from storytelling and emotions to materiality and documentary. Reading Cotton’s background my sense of the chapters being a series of ‘curations’ starts to make sense, they feel like a number of shows that have coalesced under the banner of contemporary art. I would really have liked to have heard more from Cotton herself in terms of why some of her choices were made; how the themes evolved and what made her select the photographers/artists she did. You do get glimpses of this as you read through but I would have preferred it to have been more overt.

I will keep reading and see what else surfaces.

Reference:

Cotton, C. (2009). The photograph as contemporary art (2nd ed.). London: Thames & Hudson.

Thought provoking

I am completely engrossed in Liz Wells’ (2009) ‘Photography: a Critical Introduction’, it
is densely packed with a wide array of photographic influences and thinking. It is not an
easy skim read, and I do find myself re-reading quite regularly to check my own understanding.

It is also a fabulous source of signposting and I have found myself spinning off to follow a variety of leads to other authors and writings. I think that is partly why I am enjoying it, it is stretching but still feels manageable.

I also found it helpful in that it does exactly what it says  on the tin – it is a really clear introduction to some of the core theories and figures that have influenced the development of critical thinking around photography. I am not reading it chronologically, I think I would find  that too much of a slog. I am currently looking at ‘Photography within the Institution’ and will return to earlier chapters at some point in the future.

It feels like a book that is well worth sticking with to really grasp the basics of much of what has shaped photographic theory.

References:

Wells, L. (2009). Photography: A critical introduction (4th ed.). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

A possible framework?

I have been reflecting on Behind the Image and pulling out a few things that seemed to particularly resonate. I am intrigued by the framework they propose as it has a definite crossover with other research approaches I have used. It is obviously not going to be appropriate for every situation but it does provide a useful structure for thinking about my photography as it develops.

Fox and Caruana (2012) suggest that the key elements in developing a photography project proposal are:

• The title
• The topic or theme
• The intended audience
• Approach and methods
• Gaining access
• Proposals for funding
• Timetable and budget
• Proposed research references

While in many ways when you look at these elements they seem self-evident I can fully understand that some aspects could be forgotten as the work progresses. Something that should probably be obvious but was a useful reminder is that, ‘simple as it may seem, a title is vital and reveals more about a project than you may imagine.’  (Fox & Caruana, 2012: 12)

I am going to try this approach out on some of the Art of Photography exercises and assignments.

References:

Fox, A., & Caruana, N. (2012). Behind the Image: Research in photography. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing SA.

Absorbing and accessible

This book absorbed me. It was one I wanted to read early on because it grabbed my attention.I had dipped into some of the other suggested reading – lighting, The Photographer’s Eye etc., but this is the one that I was keen to really delve into. Partly, because I had worked with Anna Fox many years ago and partly, because it appealed to the researcher in me.

I wanted to know how and why they were combining research and photography. When I read the introduction it made me wonder what sort of photographer they had in mind as the readership. As someone who has worked in the subsidised arts sector and done postgraduate research it made perfect sense to me but I wondered if it would be the same for everyone.

I like the idea of having a project ‘framework’ and am wondering how I might incorporate the approach into my work on the Art of Photography.

 “A body of photographic work is developed through knowledge gained in exploring the medium.” (Fox & Caruana, 2012: 6)

References:

Fox, A., & Caruana, N. (2012). Behind the Image: Research in photography. Lausanne, Switzerland: AVA Publishing SA.