Image and Text

My perception and admiration of photography is showing the world through your own eyes, documenting your point of view to others. A photograph however is a still image, and is open to interpretation of what it is, and what its showing. Without text (either on the actual photograph, or a short explanation alongside) the message behind the photograph may not be clear to the viewer, meaning they are free to guess. Different people will have different views and opinions on the same photograph due to several personal aspects. It also depends on how well the photograph works, or how easy it is to read alone. The format of writing is also up to the photographer, whether they are writing to inform, describe, explain etc. This depends on the genre of photography, whether the photo is of people or a landscape, still life or documentary. There are many different ways of expressing your view through text, and making it work with the photo.

The amount of text depends on how much you want to give away, whether the artist wants to leave the photo for the viewer to question, or make a statement. A photograph may just have a title, with no explanatory text. The title of a photograph is usually only one or two words, and could give the first clue as to the intention. Unless of course the title is factual, stating the place in the photo or name of the person. It may also be in the artists’ intention to have text on, or as part of the photograph. This is rarely seen in professionals work however.

Artist Gillian Wearing has used text to allow the people in her portraits to speak. Each portrait shows a person holding up a note which they have written, giving the viewer an insight into their life and/or opinion on something. This is a unique and interesting way of using text, allowing people to speak in a photo. Some of the quotes might contradict the viewers’ thoughts of the person. Text allows the photographer to direct the way the viewer sees the photograph.

Development of Ideas and Structure in Moving Image

Principle 2 – The Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell’s monomyth is a very interesting analysis and idea of how the majority of ‘hero’ films follow a certain narrative. When I read the 17 stages, I could instantly refer to several films I have seen which follow a very similar pattern. One in particular, and also one of my favourite movies, is Avatar by James Cameron. This film follows most of the stages evident in the monomyth, but not all particularly in the order set out.

Call to adventure – The main character ‘Jake Sully’ is called on a mission to another planet (Pandora) to take part in a major project to help move the indigenous species away from their home/base to another part of the planet. Jake wasn’t intended for this mission, but due to his brother’s death, he is the only person that can take his place.

Refusal of call – From what we’re shown, there is no refusal of the call.

Supernatural Aid – There is no real supernatural aid in this film, as Jake appears to be a very independent person, and fully believes he is capable of ‘passing a test any man could pass’ alone. However there are a couple of people who make the mission possible and change his heart. Grace is the head scientist in the film, leader of all the avatars, and gives him the chance to do his job, aiding Jake in the real world. Neytiri, one of the indigenous on Pandora who he later falls in love with, aids Jake out in Pandora.

Crossing first threshold – This would be when Jake literally crosses into the new world, and lands on Pandora, where his adventure is about to begin on a whole new planet.

Belly of the whale – ‘final separation from the hero’s known world’. Jake undergoes a scientific transformation whereby he is put in the body of an Avatar. Again a very literal/physical example of how this film follows the monomyth, as the hero has literally travelled to a new world, and put in a new body. Everything is unknown about the planet at this point.

Meeting with the goddess & Atonement with the father- These two elements come hand in hand, as the goddess is the daughter of the father. Also note how these elements come before ‘Road of trials’ and ‘Temptation’ whereas they should come after in the official monomyth. The hero meets with the goddess on his first quest out in the wild of the new planet, and gets taken to the father for assessing. The father allows Jake to stay in their habitat, while he must learn their ways.

Road of Trials – The road of trails is set out by Neytiri (The goddess/fathers daughter) whereby she teaches him the ways of their living: Their language, their environment, the spiritual connections, how to kill, travel and connect with the animals.

Temptation – The hero soon falls in love with his new life on the new planet, and enjoys his time there, rather than completing the task which was set out for him. He falls in love with Neytiri and becomes mated for life. His heart is turned, and he fights for the other side.

Apostasis – Grace, the head scientist (The hero’s aid in the real/original life) dies after being shot, which drives jakes anger for revenge. He now fully understands and believes he is fighting for the right side, for good, and his knowledge about reality and the whole operation is clear.

The Ultimate Boon –The final showdown! When the military come to destroy their habitat, and everything they believe in, it is up to Jake to defend the indigenous and devise a plan to fight back. In accordance to the monomyth, this is the part when the hero achieves the goal of his quest. Although the hero’s attitudes have changed, he is fighting for a new purpose, not what was originally supposed to happen. Except for a few problems, the hero still manages to succeed in defending the majority of the population and environment.

Refusal of Return – Jake doesn’t wish to return to his old life, so instead stays on Pandora as one of the indigenous, along with few others that survived, sending everyone else back home. As the hero refuses to go home, the few remaining elements under ‘return’ aren’t relevant.

Master of two worlds & Freedom to live – These two elements could be applied however. Jakes knowledge and attitude towards life in the real world aided his accomplishment on Pandora. Without the determination and heart Jake gained on earth, he wouldn’t be in the position he is at the end of the film. Having served the population of Pandora, Jake can now live in freedom and be respected by all.

As outlined above, Avatar clearly follows quite precisely the elements of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, with the slight alterations in sequence and the hero’s quest.

Principal 5

Digital story telling.

Harry potter is an extremely popular and successful film series, based on the novel series by J. K. Rowling. The first film ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ was released in 2001, and the last in the series ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ released in 2011. This wide spread showing time has kept an active audience for over 10 years, much longer than a single film would. The last movie doesn’t have to mean the end of the magic however, as film is just one of the platforms which this series uses to engage its audience. The following platforms work alongside the film series to engage the audience, and increase popularity.

Harry potter caters for all ages, with a huge following of young and old fans. There is a website for the most recent film (Deathly Hallows – Part 2) with links to photos, videos, and many extras around the film. Almost every film nowadays has a website as a second platform, so this isn’t anything special or unique about Harry Potter. What is special however about adapting over different platforms, is the huge merchandise range that fits with all of the films. Harry Potter has hundreds of merchandise based around the different films, and overall brand. Merchandise includes wands, action figures, clothing/costumes, posters, Lego sets, bedding, sweets and a whole lot more. A lot of these products are ways for the audience to engage with the film, and imagine they can be part of it. The merchandise is aimed more at children, but is still open for the older generation. Selling products such as wands, and clothing which are seen in the film is a very successful way to keep the series remembered and prolong the energy when it’s over, especially with children who enjoy to role play their favourite characters.

Another way for the audience to engage with the film is through computer games. Games for the computer and other consoles allow the audience to be in control of Harry and other characters, one of the most engaging platforms of all. There is also a Lego Harry Potter game for the youngest fans.

Last but definitely not least Harry Potter has its very own world at Universal Orlando resort, designed to make you feel part of the adventure. Harry Potter is sure to never be forgotten with such a huge environment helping to tell the story. March 2012 will see the opening of the Harry Potter studio tour at Warner Bro’s studio in London. This gives the chance for people to have a tour of the official sets where some of the scenes were filmed. Harry Potter has stretched across almost every platform possible in order to efficiently tell its story to millions. The series is one of the most successful in history at doing so, and will live on for years to come.

Production and Outcomes - Influences and Reactions

Principle 2 – Delivery

Peter Lik is my favourite and most inspirational photographer. Born in Australia, Peter has photographed much of the world’s most amazing landscapes, creating surreal panoramic prints. His career began to take off in the 1980’s where he travelled to the United States twice, second time to complete a trip to photograph landscapes of all 50 states. He has displayed his work, and the highlights of this trip in a photo book, ‘Spirit of America’. Since Peter Lik first started as a photographer, he has grown hugely in popularity and price. He has reached his audience over several platforms, from postcards to many of his own galleries. Peter Lik not only delivers his stunning photographs, but also his experience of his travels, and how he got ‘the shot’. In early 2010 Lik signed an agreement to star in an action/adventure reality series, which debuted on ‘The Weather Channel’ on 31^st March 2011. The series is called ‘From the Edge with Peter Lik’ and follows him as he travels across the various landscapes of the United States. This has been used to great effect to aid alongside his photographic work, providing the audience with a wider understanding of our world, and reality to the surreal environments. The show was only aired in America, meaning anyone living outside of America, such as myself, can’t watch it. I have however seen clips of the show, and feel the journey to and around the landscape is as meaningful and powerful as the final photo itself. This is the first I have seen or heard of any photographer using film/video to aid their success and experience, and appreciate what it provides.

From what I have read, one of the first platforms Peter used for his photographs was merchandise – Postcards. Peter opened a postcard stand in Cairns, Queensland in mid 1990’s and soon realized his photographs were extremely popular. Peter then went on to open his own fine art publishing company ‘LIK USA’, as well as his first gallery in his hometown of Cairns. Now based in Las Vegas, Lik’s career continues to grow; he has sold in excess of $200 million of fine art photography, and has 13 galleries of his own spread across the United States. Lik displays his work mostly across 3 platforms: Online, Gallery and Books. Alike many other professional photographers, Lik has his own website. The website is not just used as an online portfolio, but includes a short biography, information on his show and all his galleries, as well as an online shop for people to purchase his books and/or prints. Books are a good source for displaying a set of photographs which portray a story or journey, which Peter has used very well to document his travels across the U.S. Large prints however sell for much larger amounts of money. In early 2011 Lik sold his photograph ‘One’ for $1 million. Using a wide variety of platforms to reach a wider variety of audiences has huge advantages for both gain in popularity, and profit. 

Principle 5 – Working Methodology

When first set the brief and put into a design team, the very first thing I thought to do was to brainstorm all the possible ideas for the magazine. I created a mind map including all the different topics around Birmingham that could go into the magazine. A mind map is a very useful starting point to get down instant thoughts and ideas, and is something I do with most pieces of work. This gave me a wide base to work from, and then narrow down onto the preferences of what I wanted to include, and ignoring the rest.

Next step was to begin the first stage of research. I conduct research all throughout my design process, constantly looking at what already exists, and how I can make my own work unique. I brought several magazines from different stores which I felt were relevant and would be of use to gain ideas and inspiration.  

Once we had decided as a group the type of content and target audience for our magazine, it was easier to decide on a theme and a name. The name ‘Mayhem’ came around soon enough, and opened up a new door of possibilities. New possibilities brought new ideas which meant a new mind map was needed. This time I was able to closer focus my ideas around a more precise subject.

Once I had a general idea on the theme of the magazine, I was able to consider the type of photographs I wanted to take. With these ideas, I explored the city looking for interesting subjects and viewpoints to capture all the mayhem in Birmingham. With all the photos from several trips around the city, I used contact sheets to keep photographs of the same subject together, and displayed these in my RVJ. Contact sheets are a useful way to analyse all the photographs I have, and decide on the best ones to use for the final product. I then analyse my best photographs, considering how to improve them further through editing or different compositions.

 A key quote for my design process for this brief is that I don’t sketch, I photograph! This is because the photos are more of a documentary style, not staged. I never know what to expect from the city, or what I’m going to see. I will do most of my sketching for layout ideas of the magazine, considering different grid layouts and shapes. I also use sketches for collaboration ideas, as it was a joint decision for I and the illustrator in the group to collaborate for a few pages of the magazine. My working methodology is mainly through experimentation with the camera, not the pen.

Five Principles for Visual Communicators

Principle 1 – Legibility

I understand legibility to be how ‘clear’ a piece of work is, or how well it does its job. This can be determined by several aspects: text, colour, size, content, vocabulary and more. What makes a visual communication legible? Depending on the form of visual communication (photography/illustration/graphic), how well it works depends on the ease of reading the text, and understanding the photograph/drawing/concept. Legibility is an important term to think about when producing a piece of work, questioning how well it will works in relation to the audience. Understanding your audience is a helpful way to determine the legibility of your work. I have chosen to evaluate particular adverts from two companies: NHS and Cadbury.

These NHS adverts are targeting male smokers. The text colour and type makes for easy reading on both adverts, as black is an obvious/opposite contrast to white, standing out from the background. I have shown one online advertisement and one poster. On the online ad the main statement is put in bold for biggest importance, and the text following in a smaller font size. The text is aligned and in small paragraphs for quick reading. A rhetorical question is used at the bottom of the advertisement as a link to further information. In terms of colour and ease of reading, both advertisements are definitely legible. The concept is almost a form of blackmail, threatening the audience of possible harm if they continue to smoke. The photography used is a very clever idea of using the cigarette as a phallic symbol. The photo draws your attention as it is unusual/unexpected yet clear to understand what it is showing. The concept is clear, but is it right?

This advertisement has a strong contrast of bold white text over a fairly dark purple background. It is simple and easy to read, with clear indication of the product through the photography and logo. The mixture from the chocolate egg is shown coming out of what’s recognised as a soap dispenser. The dispenser is related to hygiene and health, which avoids any indication of the food being unhealthy.

Principle 5 – Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is something I have rarely thought about, but something which could be useful to understand when taking photographs. In terms of photography, understanding visual hierarchy could help me in the ‘creation’ of a photograph, and its narrative. Where people will look first in any visual communication will depend on several aspects: The contrast in colour or brightness: what stands out the most? Where certain information or subjects are placed: centre/top/bottom etc? What’s in the foreground and background: looking at perspective. Visual hierarchy is mostly thought about in shops, when deciding where certain products should be placed on large and small scales. For example what part of the shop will it go, and what shelf will it be placed on. In supermarkets for example the prime place for your product to be is at eye level on middle shelf, as this is where people will be looking first. The same applies to any shop, if products are shelved in different heights the first place people look is straight ahead (eye level). Shops can be designed to enforce customers to look at certain products in priority by placing them nearer to the entrance or using lights and colour to make a certain area or product stand out.

In terms of photography there are several techniques which can be used to focus the eye straight to a certain part of the image. Take this Nike advert for example. The first place we look is at the red shoes, because they stand out from the otherwise black and white subject. The poster is advertising the sports trainers, and has been edited to make the product stand out by being the only subject in colour. We then relate the shoes to sport after seeing the badminton racquet and shuttle second. Finally we look at the text in the bottom left corner, which is positioned ‘out of the way’ on purpose. The combined use of photography, editing and text creates a narrative in the way we view this advert. I am inspired by such works, and will be thinking more about visual hierarchy in the future.

Research and Inspiration

Principle 1 - Through the ‘visual practice’ of observation, collecting, studying and exploring a subject, topic or theme, this will contribute to a deeper understanding of the subject.

I understand that research is an essential part of any work, or brief, and will help me to find inspiration and knowledge around a subject. As a photographer it is important for me to carry out a lot of ‘visual practice’, experimenting with camera techniques and different media and printing. Observation is my first method of research, finding out what already exists and gaining inspiration from contemporary work. I start by finding and collecting a variety of current magazines, and analyzing their layouts, content, typography, photography etc. Collecting material provides a physical understanding of what the product should, or could look like. In this case collecting magazines gives me a firm idea of the size, feel, layout order, and design aspects of a particular magazine. It is always useful to collect pieces of work, as well as just reading or viewing online. When exploring a topic or theme, such as Birmingham, it is important to collect both primary and secondary research. Secondary research could include reading books, and searching the Internet for information and history about the city. Primary research would involve going into the city, and exploring it in person, taking photographs and gaining personal opinion.

I have shown examples of my own visual practice from pages of my RVJ above. These

show the collections of parts of magazines, looking into the content, aiming to gain ideas for our own content. I have also shown a page displaying several photos that I have taken whilst exploring the city. Before having any idea of the content of the magazine, I wanted to explore parts of the city and take photographs of places/buildings/scenarios that could be of interest.

Principle 5 - An understanding and knowledge of ‘an audience’ should enhance and focus the communication.

Understanding our audience will help give an understanding of their interests and preferences, and therefore provide us with ideas for content. Knowing your target audience can be a difficult task, and will always need some research. It is important for us to understand who our magazine is aimed at before deciding on content and layout. A way of finding or defining our audience would be to interview a vast majority of people, of whom we believe to be our target audience. We would ask questions such as what they’re favourite contemporary magazine is, and what would be of interest to read about in our magazine. The answers would help us find our ‘competitors’, being the most popular with the same target audience, and therefore provide us with a basis of what attracts that audience.

Our magazine is aimed at younger to middle aged people (18 – 30), and centred more towards the male sex. We aim to provide a very exciting magazine, not too simple, but still being very aware of structure and legibility. Having this knowledge of who our magazine is aimed at allows a more direct thinking process into the theme of the magazine. It becomes more obvious on the colours to use, the photography, the illustrations etc. Without knowing the target audience the possibilities are too broad, leading to indirect research and development, possibly ending with no audience. 

Development of Creative Thought and Structure in Illustration and Graphic Art

Principle 2: Getting Rid of Assumptions

Starting with a fresh perspective. It appears to be important for any artist or designer to have the confidence to challenge normal conventions and habitual mindsets by approaching problems and situations with an open mind. Creatives must have the courage to take risks, challenging the unknown by thinking up new/different ideas and not being too self conscious about how they might work out. I believe this principle is asking for us to produce a variety of ideas around our project. At this stage variety and diversity is more important than quality. Although there will be a substantial amount of research from the group around the project looking at the normal conventions of a magazine, it is up to us to put a twist on these conventions to create a unique, interesting magazine that will intrigue our target audience. I will need to approach this task without concentrating on 'the normal' expectations, but thinking of layouts and designs which I have never seen before that may prove of interest to the audience. There are several ways of visually displaying these ideas in my sketchbook, and this is something i need to investigate and improve on. It is useful to think about similes, analogies and metaphors when generating ideas by associating objects that seem dissimilar.

Yuko Shimizu (work above) is a Japanese designer, a perfect example of an artist who works with an open mind and uses the idea of similes, analogies and metaphors in her work. The above examples are very sexual, challenging the conventions of hidden nudity/sex and the boundaries on which this can be expressed. Yuko has used many phallic symbols in her work, mostly in the top piece, whereby the sea creatures are portrayed as the male sex organ. The work is quite shocking, yet inspiring in the way she is visually communicating a point of view. I am interested in using visual representations (similes/metaphors) in my work, and take great inspiration from this artist.

Principle 4: Developing Ideational Fluency

The key word in this for me is 'Fluency'. Being fluent with working your creative mind and generating ideas upon ideas. My brain works best when it's focused on the objective of a task and has gone deep into the mindset of creating ideas and developing on these ideas, constantly moving forward asking questions and giving a variety of answers. A general term of 'once you start, you can't stop'. Starting is always the hard/feared point in life; will you do well at it? what if you don't enjoy it? How will you approach it? The concept is like reading a book. There is an uncertainty about picking up a new book and beginning to read it. However after the first few pages your mind begins to 'connect' with the book, and you will begin to understand what's happening, and predict where it may be progressing. Once this barrier is broken, and you are confident with the situation, the brain is able to open up and be free to explore. In relation to the task of creating a magazine, once the first few ideas are out of your head and on paper, you are able to develop on these ideas. Bringing new thoughts to mind, releasing new space. A good way of doing this is to use tools such as classification, brainstorming and mind mapping.

Above is part of a double page spread mind map from my RVJ of ideas of possible subject themes for the magazine. On this page I have wrote and linked as many ideas that came to mind based around Birmingham. This page has given me a large base to work from, providing a broad spectrum of things to include in our magazine, and a direction towards the target audience. This was a good starting point to get ideas flowing, and decide in the group what we believe to be the best theme to base our magazine on. I find mind mapping to be a very productive method of keeping the brain working. It is also a very helpful way of making connections between subjects which didn't seem possible, or as clear before.  

Reflective Visual Journal

Principle 1: Draw. Work by hand.

The idea of drawing to record and experiment with ideas is a useful, yet daunting way of communicating for a photographer such as myself. Most of my previous practice has been very practical, as i have mainly used my camera to experiment with ideas and possible compositions. I understand how drawing is able to release ideas from the mind onto paper, and is a quick way of expressing thoughts to develop, and visually see put into practice. 'Drawing is thinking, not making pictures'. This comment is an interesting one to think about when using my RVJ, as i will be drawing for my own benefit to explore and create new ideas, not to create 'art',  rough sketches not perfectly drawn objects. It will be important for me to not be self conscious of how my drawings look, but to allow myself to get out of the mind set of creating perfect work, and move on from mistakes or the overall appearance of my sketch work. I have done little drawing in the past, therefore i am not expecting myself to provide any amazing sketches at first. 

The above examples of sketchbooks show how drawing is used as a tool for generating ideas, and can be used for problem solving and creative play. The top example looks as if the artist is exploring possible ways/compositions of showing the girl looking at what appears to be a scary monster. It is clear to see the artist has sketched several drawings to find out how the girl should be sitting, where her arms should be, what her facial expression is, etc. There is also a couple of sketched ideas of what the scary creature will look like. The bottom example shows whole drawings of possible subjects, surroundings, or compositions. I am inspired by both pieces of work, by the idea of 'letting go' on the page, and drawing every possible idea that comes to mind. From a photography perspective I understand how I can use drawing to find out the best compositions and ideas for a photograph before actually capturing it. I will be drawing several sketches for ideas on photos for the project, and design ideas for the layout of the magazine.

Principle 5: Cultivate Reflective Practice

It is important to always reflect on your work. Asking questions, evaluate, compare/connections, contrasts etc. Using both parts of your brain is essential to keeping a general direction of work, without drawing lots of ideas and not developing from any. I understand that evaluating your playful drawing/sketches is something which needs to be done. Without concentrated thought, the sketches turn to interesting visual pages without any idea of whats actually going on. The use of text helps to explain the detail behind the sketches, and how you wish to develop. A contrast of the mind, from 'letting loose' on the paper to serious consideration of what it is saying.

Above I have shown an example cycle of the process which should be thought through when using my RVJ. The example of a sketchbook above shows an artist reflecting heavily on their sketches. There is a balance of sketches and text on the page, most likely explaining what their intentions are, and how they would like to develop. When creating my own sketches for either photographs or magazine design, I will be reflecting on my work all the time, asking myself questions as to how it can be improved, and what could be changed.