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[nukanaka]

Digital photography, message and memory

I found this article very interesting. For many years using a film camera, I was very conscious of the cost every time I pressed the shutter release…estimate $1 per photo. So photos were taken with care, 1 or 2 images to capture the memory and the rest of the time was being in the present moment. There were exceptions, but these were often short lived… We were cruising in Milford Sound, and our boat was surrounded by a pod of dolphins, I found myself happily snapping away when it occurred to me that I was experiencing this amazing event through a view finder! These situations remind me of the attached Michael Leunig cartoon.

Last night, we visited Dark Park to watch the burning of the ogoh-ogoh. We found a spot in the crowd with a reasonable view, but as the fire was lit, our view was obstructed by dozens of arms being raised and people proceeded to photograph and video the event on their smart phones. Having read this article, I am now curious whether these photos would ever be viewed again or maybe just shared on social media as evidence of being there.

The idea of photographs becoming our memory was interesting. When we travel, my husband and I both take photos (a bit of friendly rivalry as to who gets the best photo). As the family record keeper, I download the photos, sort and label them, maintain a detailed travel diary, create the albums and keep family and friends informed of our travels through emails and Facebook…in other words, lots of processing of memories. When we recall our travels after the event, I have a better recall of places and can often describe details of our travels, despite generally having a poorer memory than Mike, so taking the photos alone isn’t enough to form memories, the processing is also needed.

[nukanaka]

Assignment 3 selection

Having a theme to photograph can become obsessive, when everyday tasks are distracted by opportunities to capture images. I chose the theme “Home and Garden” accidentally while gardening; I had placed a colourful bean on a fence paling and was attracted to the contrast of textures. After that, I began scouring the garden and neighbourhood for other potential images, looking for the contrasts between the soft lines of nature and the textures of the build home.

The project began outside using wooden structures, brick and iron railings, then expanded to include other “home structures” such as pottery, baskets and breadboard. The next stage was to use soft furnishings, leather, carpet, fabric and knits, all used as a backdrop for the textures of nature. I took hundreds of photos, and selected 23 images to post on my new Instagram account. Choosing the final 10 images to submit for the assignment was difficult.

In week 10 I finally had a chance to post the bean photo in the discussion board and really appreciated Nicole Robson’s feedback and description of the image: “The contrast between the soft lines and vibrant colour of the bean against the wood is really evocative. The organic shape of the bean starts to speak of the the natural form in relationship to the build home environment.” Nicole also provided a reference to Edward Weston’s Capsicum. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/aug/18/edward-weston-photography - I particularly like the phrase that Weston would “make the commonplace wondrous and beautiful”.

In selecting the final images for this assignment, I chose the photos that show a detailed exploration of the ordinary, bringing the viewer's attention to finer features often missed at first glance and highlighting the organic objects with a variety of background textures.

[nukanaka]

Instagram posts 3/3 These images were posted on Instagram as part of the final selection process to find 10 images to submit with assignment 3

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Instagram posts 2/3 These flower images were posted on Instagram as part of the process of selecting the final images for assignment 3

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Instagram posts 1/3 These leaf images were posted on Instagram... Which photos will be submitted in assignment 3?

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More watermarking

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Adding a watermark

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I have downloaded eZy Watermark Lite onto the iPad and iPhone

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Autumn garden (edited in Snapseed)

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Skeleton leaf on leather

I found this skeletonise leaf in the garden...an object that was almost invisible in the garden environment transformed through the lens into something curious. Like Weston's capsicum, the commonplace became wondrous and beautiful

[nukanaka]

Storytelling with photos - a walk on a wintry evening

The outdoor photos were taken in low light and are quite grainy, normally I would reject them, but decided to enhance the graininess with basic filters in the photo app. I think it helps create the feeling of a cold winter evening

[nukanaka]

Cover shot: summarise the point of the entire story. Establishing shot: where you are/ time of day or night. Detail shot: focus on specific detail that help to tell the story. Filler: photos that contribute to telling the story (candid shots). Closing shot: the photo that ends the story, gives a sense of closure.

[nukanaka]

Garden produce on cushion

Garlic edited in Pixlr, apples edited in Instagram

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This Banksia Rose growing between the boards of the garden shed fits the theme for this assignment

Edited in Instagram

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I continue to explore the photo editing apps, this image was edited in Pixlr.

[nukanaka]

More edits with Pixlr - splash and blur