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The obvious observation is that the luminosity of the colour changes from high to low. The hue and saturation is unchanged as is demonstrated by the consistency of the colour. Were the saturation changing we would expect to see the red change from black to white. If the hue were changing I would expect to see the red become more orange at the high end of the spectrum, or pink at the low.
I am unsure as to what message that is expected to be devised from this other then a demonstration of how exposure can change the luminosity of a colour and the exposure does not change the hue or saturation.
From an aesthetic point of view I would describe the 'correctly' metered exposure as the preferable shot in terms of richness. However, this is purely subjective and to my own taste.

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Ray’s A Laugh

I first became aware of Richard Billingham as one of his images was featured in a book I have recently read (Cotton, Charlotte (2009) The photograph as contemporary art. New Edition. London: Thames & Hudson), which introduced the concept behind his exhibition Ray’s A Laugh, and this was expanded upon reading Gerry Badger’s The Genius of Photography (2011, Quadrille Publishing Ltd; paperback edition). 

Billigham documented the daily lives of his alcoholic father, Ray together with his mother, Elizabeth. The shots illustrating the two different passages resonated strongly with me, but one in particular stood out. 

I grew up with a rather abusive step-father, a coward of a man that would frequently take to me with his fists. One day when I was around 13 years old, he came for me once again, and in fear I ran and throwing the closest thing at hand as an obstacle to give me time to get away. That just happened to be my cat, Jess. Jess I’m pleased to say was unharmed, and I spent that morning hiding in a tree in the woods near my house. 

So seeing this image brought all that back in a flash. 

I was therefore very pleased to hear that ‘Ray’s A Laugh’ would be exhibited as part of the Guernsey Photography Festival. 

The Exhibit

I’m sorry to say that I came away from the exhibition with mixed feelings. Whilst I found some of the images to be fantastic, these were the same few images that I had seen reproduced in the aforementioned books. 

The rest of the collection appeared fairly mundane, and I found myself questioning why this exhibition has gained the reputation that it had. My honest opinion was an unasked question - had Billingham simply got lucky with those shots that were standouts? I asked this because there were a great many images on display, laid out in rows upon glass covered tables and I felt as though the stand out shots were very much watered down by the inclusion of so many mundane shots. 

With reflection I find myself wondering if this was the exact point of so many images. 

Billingham was documenting his family life, and generally life is a mundane series of events broken by the occasional high or low. These are the extraordinary moments that we remember, just I walked away from the exhibition not so much remembering the ordinary but those moments that were extraordinary. 

I think another part of the series’ appeal is because it really is an honest depiction of family life. The home could belong to any of us, and the familiar sight of a live lived from the front room sofa is something many of can relate to – 

For example

Compared to a shot from my own family album. 

As I mentioned above, the image of the cat immediately grabbed me because I connected it directly to something in my own life. I would be surprised if other people have not had that exact same reaction as me, but to completely different images in the series. 

I’m still unsure quite how I feel regarding ‘Rays A Laugh’, and I’m not sure how much of that was due to the presentation of the series in the gallery. I will check out a copy of the book at some point to review it once again. Perhaps in that format something will come to me that I perhaps overlooked before. But as I look back on it, I feel more that the appeal is in the work as a series of remarkable moments against the backdrop of the banality of life, rather then as a collection of standout moments.

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Cotton, Charlotte (2009) The photograph as contemporary art. New Edition. London: Thames & Hudson

Cotton’s book serves as a fantastic introduction to the world of contemporary art. The book introduces an eclectic array of photographers with a tremendous amount of variety. 

I find the text well written providing a basic history of each artist and summaries of their work, as well as background detail on the images selected for the book. 

What I find impressive is the shear range of work that is covered in a comparatively small volume. 

Reading this book has had two positive outcomes for me. First it has introduced me to the work of photographers who I previously had no exposure to, and has sent me out looking further at their work. 

Secondly, the book has given me more confidence in my own work as I can now better understand how something that may be considered ‘wrong’ in terms of technique for one person, can be considered by another to be exactly what they are looking for. This gives me greater motivation to pursue and define my own style without a need to have it universally accepted. The moment of realisation coming as I looked at some images which to be blunt I thought were garbage. However, this ‘garbage’ was created by someone, and another person thought highly enough of it for it to be published in this book.  Of course this does not mean that technique is something to be disregarded, I see it as more that the technique should be used to create the vision. Not the vision changed to suit technique.

I highly recommend this book for anyone with even a passing interest in contemporary art. 

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Clarke, Graham (1997) The Photograph. New York: Oxford University Press

Graham Clarke’s The Photograph provides a brief overview of the history of photography, and attempts to introduce the concept of ‘reading’ a photograph. 

I received The Photograph as part of my learning materials package from The Open College of the Arts, and read this during the first few weeks of my studies. 

I’m sorry to say that I did not enjoy this book. I found the prose to be rather dry and in places rather pretentious. I also found myself questioning many of the conclusions that Clarke drew, particularly in regard to such subjects as the psychological reasoning behind an image, or passages on the “the male gaze”. 

Clarke (1997, p27) states:

Indeed, rather than the notion of looking, which suggests a passive act of recognition, we need to insist that we read a photograph, not as an image but as a text. That reading (any reading) involves a series of problematic, ambiguous, and often contradictory meaning and relationships between the reader and the image.

To me this is the crux to my difficulties in relating to this text. Whilst undoubtedly, some photographers will place vast symbolism into their images; my own viewpoint is that “sometimes a cigar, is just a cigar”.  Clarke’s reading of the subject leaves no room for ambiguity, or serendipity and for me reads in such a way that every object in every image must contain some deeper meaning. It does not allow for an object to appear simply because it is an object that just happened to be there. This for me is particularly problematic when viewing images taken under circumstances where the environment is not controlled or dressed by the photographer. 

As I state above, I agree that symbolism can and does exist in photography. But I believe it to be unwise to state that this is deliberate in each photograph. 

The Male Gaze

My other primary issue is how Clarke seems to frequently find outmoded beliefs to be at the heart of many images. Mainly it would appear to be the subjugation of woman in any image containing female nudity. This is it argued is for the sole purpose of satisfying “the male gaze”

Regarding the following image

David Seymour’s Bernard Berenson at the Borghese Gallery, Rome (1955)

Clarke (1997, p133) notes:

The female presence here is seen only in terms of a frozen object. The male figure is free to roam the gallery I search of female images and female forms It is, as it were, feast for his eye.

I interpreted this image is a significantly different way. For me we have an older male subject at the centre of the room, caught in the gazes of the female statues. He is placed as the lowest figure in the room, and so, is literally been looked down on. 

To me this image is not about a man feasting his eyes on a nude female statue. This is a humorous image of the tables being turned. The man is subject being studied from all angles by both the statues and by us, as the viewer of the image. 

This is just one of many ways in which I found my own interpretation, or reading, of a photograph significantly different to Clarke’s. With such opposing viewpoints, and my dislike of the writing style and a mediocre selection of images, it comes as little surprise that I find myself unable to recommend this book.

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Annotated images from the submitted assignment available here - http://zenlan.posterous.com/the-art-of-photography-assignment-2-elements

See the full gallery on Posterous

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For this assignment, I have decided to focus on details of Trafalgar Court (an office building in Guernsey) for my subject.

I have decided to present in Black & White in order to emphasise shape and texture. 

 Image 1

A set of repeating shapes. Sharp focus was made on only a single instance to create interest.

 

Image 8

 

With this image we have a single large implied triangle, running from the right hand, and completed by the join of the roof. Parallel horizontal lines recede into the distance, and are complimented by the repeating vertical lines of the pillars and window running alongside. The security camera acts as a primary source of interest and focus.

 

Image 9

 

A continuing repeated pattern is created by the archived files. The rhythm of the pattern is broken by the large vertical in the centre.

Image 10

The composition is dominated by the large implied triangle created by the lamp and its strong shadow. Secondary triangles are created by the bisecting diagonal lines running through the bottom third of the image. A repeating pattern can be seen in the brickwork and in the background in both the building and stairs. 

Image 11

A large set of triangles are created by shooting upwards into the corner of two walls. The diagonal lines are then reflected to create a large repeating pattern of crosses. The eye is taken through these by following the receding horizontal line in the centre.

Image 12

A number of implied triangles are created by the receding parallel lines that make up the corridor. Further triangles are created by the roof tiles and light reflecting out of a window in the side door.

Image 13

The repeating pattern of the horizontal and vertical bricks creates both rhythm and interweaving triangles. The pattern was shot so that an end was not visible to allow to the pattern to continue in the minds eye.

Image 14

Strong horizontal lines of the individual floors dominate the composition. The eye is then taken along each floor following the vertical lines created by the furniture. 

Image 15

 

Shot from the underside, the end of these bannisters create an arched tunnel as they recede away from the camera. I shot to the right hand side to make use of the white-space and create a more abstract image.

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Pattern/Texture broken by figure

Image 2
Rhythm of doors, windows and fence broken by walking figure.

Image 3
Unbroken texture of wheat field.

Image 4
Repeating pattern on roof of church dome.

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Three bodies creating triangle.

Image 2

Still life, multiple objects with triangle pointing down.

Image 3

Still life, triangle pointing up

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Inverted triangle with apex pointed to bottom of image.

Image 2

Triangle created by convergence to top of frame.

Image 3

Triangular Subject

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The branches of the tree lead the eye down to the parallel lines of the horizon. These in turn lead us to the elephant.

Example 2

The eye-line of the girl leads us directly to the ball, the eye also follows the implied line created by the arm up to the ball. Also note the implied triangles created by the position of the body and ball.

Image 3

The eye-line of the butcher leads us directory to the subject, the slaughtered bird. The eye can also follow the arm, or either of the strong verticals to be lead to this point.

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Image 1

Natural curve of coastline with sea defences.

Demonstration of lines

Image 2

Circle of revolving door and doormat from above

Demonstration of lines

Image 3

Flowerbed in arched pattern

Demonstration of lines

Image 4

Natural curve of a single flowers petals

Demonstration of lines

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Image 1

Parallel lines taken at an angle combine with shadow to create a strong diagonal

Image 2

Books at angle on a shelf taken straight on.

Demonstration of lines

Image 3

Lasers beams in nightclub reflected in smoke form multiple diagonals.

Image 4

Converging parallel lines focusing to a point using wide angle lens.

Demonstration of lines

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Grass stalks in horizontal layout to maximise quantity in view

Image 2

Repeated vertical in single line.

Demonstration of lines

Image 3

Repeated series of partial vertical, with diminishing line to draw attention.

Demonstration of lines

Image 4

Single vertical with implied continuation of multiple verticals

Demonstration of lines

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Naturally occurring horizontal lines caused by horizon and shoreline

Demonstration of lines

Image 2

Placement of manmade objects

Demonstration of lines

Image 3

Horizontal lines caused by shadow

Demonstration of lines

Image 4

Horizontal lines in architecture

Demonstration of lines

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Relationship between points

Here our points are a large rock, and a surfer. The position of the surfer would suggest that he he is on a collision course with the rock as can be seen from the implied line. Despite being closer to the lens, the stronger point in this image is the surfer as we are naturally drawn to looking at human figures.
Image 2

Relationship between points

Here we have two Martello towers, the closest of which draws the greater attention. We have a direct line of sight to the second tower. Despite appearing much smaller in the frame, we can be aware that it is only perspective causing this difference as we know its true size thanks to the size of the first tower. A telephoto lens was used here which compresses the distance between the two further. A wide angle lens, would have have put the tower much further away and at an even smaller size.
Image 3

Relationship between points

Here we have two cyclists out for a ride. The right hand figure is the dominant point for a few reasons. First because of the direction of travel we can see that he is leading, so we are drawn to him first. Secondly, he is more face on to us than the 2nd cyclist so we are more drawn to his face. Finally the 2nd cyclist is actually looking at the first cyclist, so we are drawn to follow her gaze back to the lead rider.

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Image 1

Division of Frame

The point in this image is the surfer leaving the sea. I placed the point at the bottom right of the frame for a number of reasons.

The eye-line, surfboard and the direction of movement all call for the surfer to be walking into the frame. This automatically suggests a right-hand placement. The landscape itself effectively divides itself into three separate horizontal sections - the sky and horizon, the sea, and the rocky shore. In order to make use of these elements, the point calls for placement in the bottom third. As we have discussed the surfer requires a right hand placement, and with our further elements dictating a bottom third placement, the choice of bottom right for the surfer becomes apparent.
Also note the related horizontal lines in the image of the surf, breaking waves and rocky outcrops which also tie in with our surfers eye-line and direction of movement.
Image 2

Division of Frame

This is a simpler compositon than image 1. With this shot I wanted to emphasise the vastness of the sea which is empty all the way to the horizon. This calls for a low placement in the frame, and I also waited until the surfer started to paddle out in order to have his direction of travel facing into this empty area.
Image 3

Division of Frame

This shot is really all about the horizontal lines created by the wet sand, the sea and the rocks. I wanted to make use of these elements, and also show the blue sky as dominant. I therefore composed using the rule of thirds, with the shoreline positioned along the bottom third. I then waited for someone, or something to come into the frame to give a little more interest and act as the point. In this case the lady walked into frame from the left, which due to her direction of travel suggested a left hand placement. Had she walked in from the other side, then that would have called for a right hand placement. Again, if I was using the beach as the dominant feature, rather than the sky then this would have called for an upper third placement.

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via flickr.com

Final Shot - Pointed

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