Photography: A Viewer's Guide to Looking at Photography

            This reading gave lists of ways to view photography. What to look for and how to judge photography. I think its hard to give a set of rules for how to judge artwork, because every viewer reacts differently and has different previous associations and prejudices, but I think the reading does a really good job of giving us a lot of things (literally listed forty-eight things) to think about when evaluating a photo. It also gives tips, like always think of everything in the picture frame as important and intended to be there because it usually is. Think about textures, motion, color, perspective, motion, the frame, space and reality.  Think about the route your eye takes throughout the photo and the unknown aspects of the photo. Are there questions unanswered or asked? Is there symbolism, what is the subject matter? Asking questions and thinking about all of the factors help you get to the meaning of the photograph, which helps you evaluate what the photo means to you and what the artist intended.

Photography: Susan Sontag

Susan Sontag ruminates on matters of photography, not a photographer herself, she inspects the world and comments on what she finds in the art. Sontag describes the nature of photography, that is puts the photographer at odds with the rest of the world, giving them a knowledge and power that cannot be attained elsewhere. And I agree that the photographer has a power that other artists in different media do not have, because they can capture the truth in the world. Whereas other artists, when taking the truth from their eyes, it goes through their brain and hands and their work is filtered through personal thought. Photography doesn’t have this filter; it can capture the real world. Of course there is staged photography, but the photography that is candid surpasses artistic representation of truths and goes straight for it. Sontag also emphasizes the capabilities of photography, how it can capture more than painting ever thought to. Photography can “democratize all experiences by translating them into images”. Photography has great power, its now-ubiquitous quality allows everyone to capture their world and experiences. Photography is an art form that lends itself to exposing truth and sharing the world. It is truly an innovative, amazing art.

Photography: Expressing Time

I found this photo online and its stated that is is a merging on 5,000 photos taken over 48 hours. Like a modern Hockney, it shows the span of time in moments to get the story across.

Photography: Four Initial Ideas

Desk:
A compilation and collage of the chaos of a college student's desk shows the hectic, stressful mess that takes over one's life, and one's desk. This would display the effect of time in a way that students can relate, quickly and hectically.
Building/Library:
A compilation and collage of the massive exterior of a building, I'm thinking
Watson Library, photos taken from all different angles but made into one building, shows the large space in relation to the building itself. This would cause people to question how they think of an exterior, and show the relationship that a substantial building has to its surrounding elements.
Portrait:
A compilation and collage of photographs of a person to display their differences from day to day, night to night. This would display how people change over time, in little ways of appearance and also display how we look to the world over time.
Landscape:
A compilation and collage of photographs of a landscape shows how time and weather change the face of the earth. As the snow melts, the days grow longer, one will see a difference in the space and world around them through collage that would be forgotten in every day life.

Photography: Masters of Illusion Video

Renaissance artists invented illusion through two-dimensional painting.

Bruneleschi demonstrated perspective, the vanishing point. About objects appearing smaller further in the differ. Giotto created depth, and was very close to to it but didn’t have the vanishing points. Mosacho” first used Bruneslschis The Trinity in 1427 was the first known painting to demonstrate true linear perspective.

            Artists then explored linear perspective, in paintings and sculpture, even wood veneer. Uccello would work through the night, “Oh what a delightful thing perspective is”.

            Albrecht Durer, known for engravings and woodcuts, wanted to bring Italian perspective theories to Northern Europe. Multiple vanishing point perspective. Made in depth studies of perspective and proportion of the humans figure.

            DaVinci was also an influence in his time, reexamining every aspect of his world. Had a fascination with sight, light and shadow.

            Artists used theories of light and shading in their paintings, creating hyperrealism. Atmospheric perspective was also utilized.

            Earheart Shern, used anamorphic art for political satire. They were also used to hide things in portraits.

            They used different points of view, to emphasize drama and create emotional ties, pushing viewers closer into scenes. During the High Renaissance Michelangelo and Raphael used these techniques in the Vatican.

Wayfinding: Ethnography Articles

After reading the ethnography articles, I definitely have a better understanding of design-focused research, how it should work, its goals and outcomes. Ethnography focuses on people’s needs through observation of their daily lives. Its true, as was noted in the article, that what people say they do isn’t what they truly do. So observation of what they truly do is important, and you can’t get that in a testing facility where you simply ask someone questions that they can exaggerate the truth on. When my doctor asks if I eat healthy and balanced meals I always say yes, and lets be honest I eat way too much pizza for that to be the case. 

The articles emphasized observation, casual conversation and asking the right questions of the subjects to identify their norms, situations and problems. Then through analysis the ethnographer can seek trends and possible solutions to those problems. 

I liked that these articles helped me outline what my group needs to research in our wayfinding project. They act as a step by step guide to lead us in the right direction for meaningful research that will develop truly valuable, useful outcomes.

Tim Brown Ted Talk

During his TED talk, Tim Brown urges designers to think past small, object-based design that has become the norm in the 20^th century, and apply design-process thinking to larger schemes than simple consumer products. “World-changing innovations” can be brought about by designers, not just fashionable objects to be put on shelves. Brown emphasizes that design ought to be human-centered and you have to understand the culture of the people who you’re designing for, and I agree with that sentiment. He emphasizes the successfulness of prototyping, how it speeds along thinking, and leads you to ask the right questions. Brown urges that design thinking should be applied to new world issues because in design thinking one creates new alternatives, rather than picking from several already known options.

            I think this is a really inspirational speech, because it shows us that we may not only be designing posters or pencil sharpeners for the rest of our lives, but really creating change in the world through our process of thinking. It truly inspires me to think bigger, aim at projects that will help people, and use design thinking to generate new ideas that could create positive change in the world.