One of the trade secrets or strategies of advertising and contemporary art is the unexpected juxtaposition of things unrelated to attract attention, shock, puzzle, or question people's perception of those things. We can look at Oliviero Toscani's works for example for the United Colors of Bennetton campaign.
This is just one example of many. And when we realize this, we can start to be aware that we are a part of the photograph, because as a viewer, we start to interpret what we see according to our background knowledge, and give NEW meaning to the things posed together on the same scene/photo. So meaning doesn't necessarily comes from the photo, but from the viewer.
Ok, before going too deep with this... Because this is a hard one.
THE CHALLENGE IS "SIMPLY" TO MAKE PHOTOS OF JUXTAPOSED THINGS. AND THERE ARE TWO TYPES THAT WE COULD EXPLORE:
1. JUXTAPOSITION OF THINGS RELATED AND CONSIDERED PAIRS OR OPPOSITES
2. JUXTAPOSITION OF THINGS UNRELATED AND GIVE NEW MEANING(S) TO THE THINGS PICTURED TOGETHER
...AIM FOR NUMBER 2.
A good example would be a Popeye action figure next to an olive fruit. Although these two are unrelated in the type of object they are, when juxtaposed together in the same scene the olive fruit gains new meaning (because of our knowledge of Popeye's wife's name "Olive").
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
PHOTO EXERCISE 04: JUXTAPOSITION
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Dove and Spiderman
Today, with digital technology, we have the power to create virtually any image we want. This power in technology, just like anything else, is a double edged sword. You can use it for something positive or negative. It is up to you to decide. As some of the things I like to show as an introduction to a digital imaging class are the unethical uses of digital imaging, such as the OJ Simpson cover on Time magazine and Brian Walski's altered photo in LA Times. Another is the Dove viral video campaign "evolution".
So it's important then to note what Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman said that "With great power comes great responsibility."
Good Visual vs Good Image
A friend of a friend photographer once said that in photography there are two different types of good photos. One is photos with good visual and another is photos with good image. You're now probably confused as I was when I heard it.
So what's the difference?
Well, he explained that good visual photos are photos that have been set up to look good, with an expensive camera, good lighting, planning, post editing, and all that. Maybe some examples would be a fashion photo or a stock photo. And then good image photos are photos that may not be created with the best lighting or equipment, but they capture the best moments, the best feeling of the moment, and they can speak poetically and emotionally "underneath". Some perfect examples for these may be from social documentary photos or journalism photos.
After a good amount of thought, I think I agree with this notion, as is relevant to many creative fields not only photography, but also in art, writing, performance, etc. Think about it.
However, should they be exclusive to one another or could a photo be a good visual AND a good image? And, is the difference between the two is just in the matter of planning and unplanned (lucky shot)? This is a good topic for discussion.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
PHOTO EXERCISE 03: MUSIC
This is one of my favorite challenges/exercises in photography.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO PICK OUT A SONG THAT YOU LIKE FROM A BAND OR ANY MUSICIAN. IT COULD BE INSTRUMENTAL OR WITH LYRICS. THEN TRY TO PHOTOGRAPH SOMETHING INSPIRED BY THAT MUSIC.
THERE ARE TWO SUB-CHALLENGES FOR THIS:
ONE - IS TO AIM FOR ABSTRACTIONS OR, IN OTHER WORDS, MAKE ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHS
TWO - IS TO HAVE NON-ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHS, THIS MEANS WITH CLEAR REPRESENTATION OF SUBJECT MATTERS
The goal of this exercise is to have us translate the language of music into the visual language, which most of the time can speak about similar things, such as rhythm/pattern, melody/line, moods/textures or colors, and so on.
