#Photograpy Writing

[lokuhapuarachchi]

A Critical Analysis of Henry Rajakaruna’s New Photographic Collection

Henry Rajakaruna, who has won numerous national and international awards as well as the state title of “Kalabhushana,” is one of the country’s most senior and renowned fine art photographers. The other day, I received a copy of one of his latest photo-poems. He requested a critical analysis of the series from my perspective. After sending him my analysis of the photographs, he called me on the phone and informed me that he had shared it with several others, asking for their critical feedback, but none of them responded to him. He thanked me for taking the time to provide my thoughts. I am writing this post in response to his kind agreement to allow me to share a public post for the benefit of anyone interested in photo-literature.

In his illustrious career spanning over five decades, Henry Rajakaruna has mastered many genres of photography. He is a commercial, event, and wedding photographer, as well as a fine art photographer. Like all other specialists of his generation, he operated his own darkroom and has also been a printer and laboratory owner. Mr. Rajakaruna is the most sought-after competition judge in the country and has judged numerous national and international competitions. He is also a guest lecturer at many institutions and universities.

Some time ago, the artistic identity of Henry Rajakaruna’s photography, as I knew it, was based on movement. His photographic studies spanned several decades, and he challenged the extremes of the still image through the self-expression of his artistic photography. It was an aesthetic journey, and I know that a new generation of young photographers has been inspired by his influence.

Another photographer who, like Henry Rajakaruna, explored the movement in still photography comes to mind: the Russian photographer Alexey Titarenko. Titarenko used slow shutter speeds and multiple exposures to transform movement into style in his photographs. Like Henry Rajakaruna, he used this artistic style not just for artistic expression but also for political and social expression. His book City of Shadows (1991) is a collection of photographs about post-Soviet life in the disintegrated Soviet Union.

However, the collection of photographs that Henry sent me was completely different from the above style. The series, titled “Architectural Unity: Fusion of Faces and Spaces,” presents a complex exploration of identity and environment. At first glance, his compositions stand out for their creative integration of human subjects and architectural elements, creating a visually compelling narrative that challenges conventional imagery. Rajakaruna brilliantly juxtaposes the emotional resonance of human subjects with the structural beauty of architecture. Vibrant color palettes and geometric overlays create a visually stimulating experience, adding depth and complexity that symbolize the interaction between human creativity and the built environment. I admire how he skillfully weaves the architectural styles of Japan and Sri Lanka into these cultural narratives. This juxtaposition not only pays homage to the unique identities of these places but also emphasizes the universality of human expression. Conceptually, this body of work explores themes of personal identity in public spaces, underscoring how environments are shaped by the people who inhabit them. The interplay between modern and traditional settings further enriches the narrative.

I suggested the following to him if he were to continue this series of photographs:

Strengthen Narrative Coherence While each image is powerful on its own, the series would benefit from a stronger narrative connection. Introducing a progression of themes, such as the transition from traditional to modern architecture, can enhance the storytelling element.

Balance Human and Architectural Elements In some images, the architectural elements dominate, overshadowing the human subjects. Striking a better balance between these two components can further emphasize their interdependence and ensure that both contribute equally to the narrative.

Simplify Overlays Some of the textures and patterns in the overlays, while visually intriguing, occasionally obscure the main features of the photographs. Simplifying these elements to complement rather than compete with the main subjects can increase the emotional impact.

Enhance Emotional Expressions While the compositions are visually stunning, there is potential to delve deeper into the emotional expressions of the subjects. Including more dynamic poses or meaningful interactions with the architectural elements can enhance the human connection and further elevate the series.

Provide Context in Descriptions The descriptions accompanying the photographs are insightful but could use elaboration on the inspiration behind each composition. Highlighting the significance of specific architectural choices and their emotional or cultural relevance will provide viewers with a richer context.

Ensure Aesthetic Consistency The variation between bold, vibrant tones and more subdued colors in some of the images is striking. By establishing a consistent aesthetic throughout the series, while allowing for subtle variations, the collection can be unified and its overall cohesion enhanced.

Ultimately, “Architectural Unity” is a combination of thought-provoking and visually appealing elements. It is an innovative series that beautifully combines human expression with architectural aesthetics. With further enhancements in narrative coherence, emotional resonance, and visual balance, this photo series has immense potential to have a profound impact on its audience.

— Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi

[kumsal-thingss]

Belki dünya bize yol vermeyecek ama bizim gidecek uzun yollarımız var. Geçirdiğimiz onca zamana rağmen...

[deadpoetsmusings]

december has gone by a little too fast / the year end always gives me a whiplash

[coffeebooksandmore]

Do you remember the first time you wanted to tell someone you love them? One day it washed over me, like when you step out in the sun after spending all your day in a dark room. Pure light. We had just discussed taking ecstasy together. Another first time. I knew I had to tell you I loved you before we did. I didn’t want you to think I was telling you because of the ecstasy.

So I kept looking for the right moment. My mind on fire about what’s the right moment?! I kept rehearsing it in my head for days, saying I love you, preparing for the real moment. Do I just say I love you? Or that I never thought I was meant to be loved like this. A love that asks nothing from me. A love that made it feel like this was all meant to be. That even if this ended I was lucky to have experienced this kind of love. Or could I just blurt out “I LOVE YOU” as he drives off?

You were leaving to work one day and we were saying goodbye at the door and you got one foot out of the door and then I heard, “I love you.” You said it so fast. But immediately, like the words have been anxiously waiting to be called on, like they were, I spilled out of my mouth “I love you too.”

coffeeandbookss

[uaravsh]

Barcelona, where light and shadow weave together in perfect harmony.

[luvya-2p]

me with all my hobbies...

*writes two paragraphs after months of literally nothing and it took three hours*

[stephanie568]

Just some of my notebooks I've accumulated over the years; some are used most aren't. There's more but these were the easiest ones I could get to.

[grounded-african]

A Quarterly Round-Up...Q1 2024

[flynovecentodiario]

finiamo per smettere di crederci, nelle notti senza orari

[nevermindthevirginswords]

[foxed-and-frazzled]

About me !! ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

...

Firstly, I'd like to welcome you all to my page! I downloaded Tumblr mainly for fun and I'm looking forward to post a lot! I'm open to any requests for further content which you can list in the × questions!! × section on my page. I'll usually post relatable content and talk a bit! Feel free to ask questions, tell me about your day or send dm's. I'll respond with great joy as long as they are appropriate and suitable to answer! Don't hesitate to ask for moots, I'd be more than happy to find some friends on here!

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

...

Basic info :: My name is Antonia, the nickname I usually tend to use is Anni! I'm a brunette with brown eyes and about 5'7. (I'm saying that since I doubt I'll ever post a face reveal due to privacy reasons). I'm 14 years old and an only child. My MBTI is INFJ, I'm an aquarius, a feminist, I'm bisexual and a girlblogger!

Hobbies :: Blogging, reading, writing, journaling, baking, watching movies, listening to music and photography!

Interests :: I've took great interest into blogging which is why I started this account in the first place. I'm also really interested into writing and I've been planning to write a book for a while now. Acting and the theatre is also one of my interests. I've never gotten the chance to do acting as a hobby and pursue it through my life though. I'm also interested in psychology and criminology. Lately, I have been interested in film-making and photograpy!

Favourite films :: Dead Poets Society (1989), Orphan (2009), Dinner in America (2020), Watcher (2022), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016) and Get Out (2017).

Favourite shows :: Criminal Minds, Wayne, Dexter and The Umbrella Academy.

Favourite books :: The Secret History by Donna Tartt and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Favourite songs :: Brooklyn Baby by Lana Del Rey, Cola by Lana Del Rey, I Love My Boyfriend by Princess Chelsea, Teacher's Pet by Melanie Martinez, Good Looking by Suki Waterhouse, Romantic Lover by Eyedress, Every Girl Gets Her Wish by Saint Avangeline, Oh My Angel by Bertha Tillman, No One Noticed by The Marías, Smarty by Lana Del Rey, Art Deco by Lana Del Rey and I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos.

Likes :: People who don't find silence akward, people who let me be quiet, people that aren't judgmental and I can be myself around them, nice people in general and feminists.

Dislikes :: People that judge others based on the clothes they wear, their beliefs or their sexuality (overall the things they can't change) and rude people in general.

DNI :: P€dos, z00s, Trump supporters, non-lgbtq+ friendly people.

Other :: I'm willing to interact with people of any race, religion and identity as long as they respect my boundaries and aren't mentioned in my DNI list.

...

I'm also looking for moots so reach out !! ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

[niarrettm82]

Random OC art nobody really cares about. I am writing 2 books about those characters but I never seem to get anyone interested in that so. I'm posting it only cause I am proud of those pieces. 😭

Also some are inspired by photograpy or someones art but it's all so old I can't even remember what the references were. Sorry.

[taiarchive]

Interview with William Beckett (21/08/2006)

Interview by Mike Mason.

Photograpy by Rob Kern.

FOON: So how's the tour been so far? We caught you early on in Columbus. 

William: Great, yeah, the tour has been spectacular so far.  We're about half way through and unfortunately Midtown only has one show left on the tour.  We've grown close to all the bands on the tour, Midtown in particular.  It's gonna be rough saying good-bye, you know but then we haven't met Silverstein before so we hope they are gonna be nice guys.  It's been incredible, it's the first tour since our record (Almost Here) has been out and it's kind of our first glimpse of how the record is going over.  It's been spectacular so far. 

FOON: How does it feel to go on tour for as long as you have? 

William: Well, for me, it's, when we first started touring a lot I had a sense of like, missing home.  Now we are so used to being on the road and sitting in hotel rooms and different beds every night and driving and doing what we love every day.  For me, I always feel a little strange when I'm home.  To me now, this is home; there's always people back home that I miss, I'm always gonna miss my family, friends, girlfriend.  It's part of making a sacrifice; it's part of going for what you believe in and what your dreams are. 

FOON: A lot of the songs on your new cd Almost Here seem like they might be written about a specific girl/girls? 

William: Well, not really, no.  “Slow Down” is about a girl but it's more about peoples' identity.  It's more about people being true to themselves and others and not taking people for granted, not taking advantage of people.  I used an instance of a girl to portray that; for me it's like everything you can relate to in life, from the smallest thing; something that happened with a girl or a friend.  Regardless, I think you can relate that to other things, because I'm not thinking of things with tunnel vision.  I'm thinking of things in a broad scope and if something happened with a girl that prompted me to write a song, I'm not necessarily thinking about it that "pigeon-holed".  I'm just thinking about things in a more grand scheme, how someone else could relate to it.  

FOON: So you basically write songs so everybody can interpret or imply themselves? 

William: That's what I think good art is, you can interpret it in many different ways, regardless of what my intentions were.  That's what is beautiful about it. 

FOON: So are you the main songwriter? 

William: Yeah, on this past record, Mike (Carden) and I wrote all the songs.  I wrote "Down and Out" on my own; the way we wrote the record, we would start on acoustic.  Mike would have an idea for a song or I would have an idea for a song and then we would build up from there, incorporate drums, I would write the drums for the parts and then we would arrange the song together.  I wrote "Down and Out" on my own, like half the song and then I played for Mike one day in the apartment and he was like, "Dude, just do that on your own.  You have a good vibe going and I don't want to ruin it, it's a really personal song."  Mike had input for the bridge and the rest of the song, the main scope, the message of the song.  It was a great collaboration; the whole writing process was a beautiful thing.  Though, I wish it was with all the members but we have revamped, we have a new drummer (Andy “the butcher” Mrotek) and guitarist (Tom Conrad) and they seem to be more eager to work and we have the same goals. 

FOON: Where do you get your inspiration for the songs? 

William: For me, it's the world around me.  This is a really good question; every morning when I wake up I try to think of things in this manner.  I think there are so many artists and so many writers, so many people, particularly lyricists that write with this sort of (dark) mindset.  Imagine that your creative mind is like a dark room and most of these artists or lyricists they have a candle in front of them.  They are in this dark room and don't know the depths, they don't care.  All that they can see and relate to is this, like, 3 inches right in front of them.  That's all they are exposed to, all they are concerned with and it's a very selfish way of thinking about art and expression.  So, I think that their songs reflect that, the sort of self-loathing, hopeless, very dark songs.  That's not what touches me, that's not the type of art, the type of music or the type of people that move me and motivate me.  They are so wrapped up in themselves that they don't notice there might be a wall right behind them with a light switch.  Flip that switch and there's a whole world around you that you didn't know existed and the room is the world, is everybody else.  Then you can truly relate to everything from the trees outside to your Mom and sister, your family, friends, your enemies.  You can really relate to the world and really soak it all in and reflect and express that in a more genuine, more well rounded, more global way.  For me every morning when I wake up, I try to remember to flip the switch, to make sure the room is lit. 

FOON: The new cd came out in February, what's next? 

William:  We've already written 12 or 13 songs for the new record and we are not stopping there.  I have like 13 songs myself; Mike has 8 or 12 songs in his head.  The Butcher (Andy Mrotek) is working on some stuff and it's a really exciting time.  By the time we get into the studio, whenever that may be, probably early next year, we'll probably have over 70 or 80 songs so it'll be a fun time. 

FOON: Now that the Almost Here is out, does it live up to your expectations? 

William:  Oh fuck yeah!  Hell yeah, man!  That thing is everything we wanted to say at that time; it's everything that we going through.  Like we fucking installed ourselves into the real world.  Mike and I moved into an apartment and wrote a record; that was the plan, to move in and get away, for us our thinking was, how can you write a record that can touch people of all ages, people of all colors, people of all classes.  How can you touch people on a big scale if you live at home with your parents and you are not self-sufficient, you don't have your own responsibilities?  So we moved into an apartment together and had shitty retail jobs in the mornings and then wrote songs and drank and hung out until like three in the morning and then get up and do it all over again.  Really installed ourselves into the real world, responsibilities and just went for it.  The record bleeds that; you can smell it on the record.  We had two and a half weeks to record it, budget constraints and stuff.  We knew we were gonna write a great record, we did and it worked out, we love it. 

FOON: Is there anything that didn't make the cd that you wish would have made it? 

William: Well, sure but at the end of the day it's like, no, we had two and a half weeks to do it, we didn't have enough time to do anymore songs.  We had a few songs that didn't make the record, we had 18 songs before we went in and we had to cut it down; we had enough songs, that's the beauty of it.  It's an exciting time and those songs might emerge on the next record. 

FOON: What's your favorite song off the new release? 

William: That's hard to say.  There's no fillers on the record, in my opinion.  For me it's hard because without one of the songs, the record wouldn't be what it is.  But there are some songs that are closer to me personally, struck a chord with me like "Down and Out" for instance, "The Phrase That Pays" says a lot of things that I was really proud of saying, that I needed to say, things that I was thinking about a lot.  Songs like "Black Mamba", "Almost Here", most of what I'm saying on the record and the message of what we're saying, in its entirety, I'm extremely proud of and it's everything that I needed to say at that point. 

FOON: What's your favorite band, all time? 

William: Oh man, that's so hard; I'll just tell you a few of the bands I love.  Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin are probably the two stables of why I even started listening to music.  I was really into Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam but now I still find myself listening to the bands that I've always loved and the bands that have always had such a big impact on me and at the same time had a big impact on the world.  Bands like U2, Simon and Garfunkel; I'm also a sucker for pop, I love Don Henley, Third Eye Blind.  I also enjoy bands like Radiohead, Muse, that's a really cool contemporary band that I like a lot.  Sort of more in that classic rock thing. 

FOON: Do you have any side projects going on? 

William: All of my efforts are going into this band, we always have fun, we write fun songs.  I'll let you listen to a song that me and The Butcher (Butcher walks in) hey, this is the Butcher... 

Butcher: Hi. 

William: Butcher, myself and Travis from Gym Class Heroes we wrote a song in the hotel in Seattle, it was hilarious.  In all seriousness, everyone’s efforts are for The Academy Is... 

FOON: Do you have a favorite show that sticks out in your memory? 

William: That's really tough man, as we continue playing shows in places that we've been before, without a record out and now the record is out, we go there again and it's just monumental.  Those are my favorite shows, where you can see the difference.  Some cities that we absolutely love playing are, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis is wonderful, Milwaukee, New York, New Jersey, Cleveland, Chicago but we did a record release show back home at a small place called Knights Of Columbus.  It's where we got our start, we played our first few shows there and we played the whole record and a few songs off the ep and it was such and incredible feeling to see our friends from high school and people who we knew growing up and our first fans ever.  It was a wonderful thing, not only for Mike and myself and Adam (Siska) but for the Butcher and Tom - being new to the band; they felt like it was, it just made sense, like they were there the whole time.  Butcher just nodded, he's eating. 

FOON: So you guys are on the Warped tour this year? 

William: Yeah, we're doing three weeks on the east and southern-east coast as well.  We did Chicago Warped tour previously but this our first consecutive Warped tour. 

FOON: You and Mike founded The Academy Is...? 

William: Yeah, Mike and I started it.  Adam our bass player was in there too from the beginning.  It started off as a four piece with Mike, our old drummer, Adam and myself.  Then we added a guitarist and recorded an ep and then we started writing the new record; that's when everything sort of shifted and our minds shifted away from the other guys.  We had different... I guess our goals were too high and too ambitious for what they were capable of doing at that time.  They are great musicians. 

FOON: Stupid question time... 

William: Bring it, man! 

FOON: If you could have one superhero power, what would it be? 

William: Probably, this is a really good question... What would my favorite superhero power be?  Damn, probably flying. 

FOON: What would your superhero name be? 

William: I haven't thought about this ever... Hey, Ryan, what would my superhero name be? 

Ryan: Captain Spectacular. 

FOON: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? 

William: Delaware. 

FOON: Why? 

William: That's where we are playing tomorrow (laughs).  I want to go overseas so bad, I want to play overseas and soak in Europe, soak in Japan and Asia, Africa would be awesome to see.  I want to see the world, pretty generic answer but it's genuine, I do want to see everywhere. 

FOON: What's the weirdest thing you've ever signed? 

William: Foreheads and stuff are kind of weird, that creeps me out when they ask for that.  I don't sign boobs, I just, I'll paint boobs though (laughs).  A high school bathroom pass, drivers license, a ten dollar bill; I'm like, just buy one of our cds or shirts instead.

[arrayed-in-purple]

⛧☥⚧🜍‡⛧☥⚧🜍‡

Hi y'all, call me Lux, 25y, genderqueer (any pronouns), pan, Italy :)

More info below the cut:

Just a Southern Gothic born human raised and living in Gothic Europe.

Haunter of places, seeker of art, collector of things.

Obsessed with the aesthetics of horror, Southern gothic, American gothic, flesh, blood, cannibalism, religious art, eschatology, anatomy, dark art, and all that is strange and unusual.

Child of Cain, music obsessed (anything and everything, especially dark or spooky), lover of cinema (horror, thriller, neo noir, surrealist and weird), art (any and all kinds), fashion (workwear/utility/camo/americana), photograpy, purple, root beer, chocolate, and of the connections people forge, especially queer ones.

I post things from my very large and ever expanding personal archive, and sometimes my own writings and photos.

Always happy to make friends so reach out if you want (let's exchange music!) :)

[lifmera]

Hii! Could you pair me with a male character from Hazbin Hotel?

* My pronouns are she/her.

* I adore creative hobbies!! I write, do photograpy and sing all the time. I also bake a lot.

* My style can be most described as Copenhagen / balletcore.

* I'm a scorpio.

* My love languages are gift giving and physical touch.

* My favorite music is

A little bit about my personality: I'm a happy person who loves to be around people, even if it's in silence. I don't trust people that easily, but once I am friends with someone, they're in for life. The 'meaner' (sarcastic jokes, take and get) we can be to each other, the more I like you. I always try to see the best in people but I don't really care for second chances.

Thank you in advance!!! ♡♡

Hello!!!

And thank YOU for requesting! 💕

I pair you with …….. ALASTOR!

- ok now hear me out- Alastor?

- But alastor would LOVE to hear you sing- or your creative hobbies!

-… maybe not photography though.

- I do think Alastor would love to see the photos you’d take, thinking that you could make even ugly things beautiful!

- Or the writing! Alastor would enjoy the stories you make! Especially if they were horror stories. Maybe even about his killings.

-Alastor would probably also ask you to write scripts for his radio !!

-Alastor wouldn’t bake; but I think he’d enjoy having you bake in the background as white noise.

-I also think Alastor would LOVE balletcore. He’s a very distinguished gentleman, nothing would suit him better than someone elegant!

-Although Alastor isn’t huge on Physical touch, i think he would make a few exceptions!! But he’d love gift giving and would give it back to you in a heart beat!

-I think he’d be drawn in by your personality, and it would remind him of Charlie at first. He’d probably get close to you at first because he thought you’d be useful to him.

- Alastor would DEF take part in the mean jokes. Just like what he does with lucifer! He’d think its a change of pace, and enjoy rebutting sometimes.

-He loves that you try to see the good, even if it CAN be annoying to him. He really also enjoys that you don’t really give “second chances.” He doesn’t believe in that either!

~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed! 💖

[reporpoisedphantasies]

🪼Piovra/Aragona/Rudy, any prns will do. 19y/o

🚏did, most of the stories I write cater to my mental illness

🚝I’m very interested in vintage photograpy, iconography and fashion, botany, sea life and many games. I will post about them sporadically

🐠tagging system going on: #txt for captions in reblogs and/or written stuff, #myart for original artworks, #ocs for original characters, #other’s ocs for ocs that aren’t mine. More to come

enjoy your stay

(Credit to @urfavnoisrael on Twitter/@productoftheink on Tumblr)