OCA Art Blog

Holiday Images

Many reasons why my family and I would take photos is to capture the moments and have them always remembered in picture form, as well as to take photos of beautiful memories and artefacts or sites that we may never see again.

Going through my old holiday photos and comparing some of the most special ones. Although all the images were so different from each other and taken at many different times, they all gave me the same feeling when I was looking back at them, it was this joyful happiness, and feeling of freedom. Sometimes taking photos whilst you’re out and about can be a lot, and ruin the moment whilst other times it could so important and could be an image that you’ll treasure for ever.

I believe that for photographers who’re inexperienced or just everyday people who take photos with their phones they can sometimes devalue the importance of an image, however it’s done just so you can look back on the photos and find the perfect one that capture it the best. As well as, good proper photographers usually don’t take too many photos of the same position. They’ll take a few and then move on to the next position etc. because they don’t need to take so many because they have the skill set needed.

Choosing Your Subject

What makes some places worthy of being taken photos of whilst others not?

Most commonly known it can be because of the way it looks, however it also can have to do with the significance of the place and the values and events place onto it.

Everyone has probably felt the need to take a photo of something or somewhere simply because we’ve seen it been done in other photos and want to be a part in it. i.e. “Holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa’ photos. Many trends such as these were created iconic and famous because of professional photographers snapshoting the first time it happened and coming up with the ideas, making the location iconic.

‘Cathedral’ by Jesse Alexander

https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Photography-Cathedral-Box-Freestone-Quarry-from-the-series-Threshold-Zone-2008/707400/2028316/view

The image is very interesting and looks like it is missing familiar subjects/missing an element. I believe something extra should be added in the image to make it more interesting, however the image alone adds intrigue to the piece and gives the viewer more questions and more interest with the emptiness of it.

Comparing Wide Angle and Telephoto Angle

In the second photo, you can see the image from a broader perspective, the image has been done with a wide angle, enabling the viewer to see what the photographer would’ve seen, and adding more character and depth to the actual image itself. Whilst in the first photo you can see that the photographer is zoomed into just the castle giving a less depth and a less exciting image for the viewer to look like aka the telephoto angle.

https://expertphotography.com/wide-angle-vs-telephoto-lens/

https://digital-photography-school.com/wide-angle-versus-telephoto-lenses-for-beautiful-landscape-photography/

This is another example of the wide angle and the telephoto angle, in the first image it is the wide angle which shows all the mountains and a beautiful sky, whilst in the second image, the telephoto angle, you can see that it is a photo of only a small part of the mountains and only a tiny bit of the sky. Therefore creating a less exciting image for the viewer to look at.

A Sense of Place

Scenery, views and landscapes are all standard fare for photographs that are noteworthy/pretty.

We all judge photographs by the evidence skill of the photographer, over anything else.

Landscape art/photography is a huge area of practice and study.

Space, Placement, Juxtaposition, Perspective, Depth

Look up Whitby Photography.

Image them without people in them and how different they would be.

Scale in photography relies on placing familiar subjects within the frame.

Perspective is a key element t in cresting a sense of space is photography.

Wide Angle and Telephoto Angle??

Telephoto angle/images crop into the scene and excludes the viewer of the same information that was available for the photographer. Telephoto lenses can lead to quite immersive imagery i.e. the scene is crammed into the frame and the viewer ‘homes in’ on a particular part of the view.

Telephoto view epitomises the subjectivity of the photographers gaze.

Wide Angle offers a more ‘naturalistic’ viewing experience. Shows the ‘depth’ of the scene that is the subject matter right in front of the photographer to further in the distance. Generally there is more opportunity for the viewer to ‘take in’ the image.

Wide angle offers a slightly more demographic viewpoint.

Conclusion Photography and Time

Photography is used to record events and time and capture perfect moments, however it is still an art form on it own. I believe photography is used to capture other forms of artworks that can’t be seen by many, like land art that eventually fades away, or other forms of art.

Photography is still an art from on its own because there’s so much theory in how to capture a perfect photo; composition, angle, etc.

‘Carolina’ by Alessia Albi
https://www.pinterest.it/pin/809451733001434722/

This image is an example of how photography is an art form on its own and how the photo who took this photo was able to capture the perfect reflection and angle of the photo, the composition is perfect and is an example of photography as its own art form.

‘Land Art- Nature 1’ Paslier Morgan
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Photography-Land-art-Nature-1/663884/2654415/view

This is an example of how photography is used more to capture evidence of whole other art forms i.e. land art.

This shows that photography is very versatile and has many forms. Photography is its own art medium, as well as it is sued to capture perfect family moments, and events, and seen above it is used to capture other art forms. I’m sure photography has been used for many other reasons I just can’t think of all of them.

‘Mechanical’ Nature of Photography

Yes I believe photography has a fully unique way of portraying time and passage of time because it captures exact moments, and captures them exactly as they art. Even though still life painting can capture similar effects, its not always as exact as photography capturing the exact moment it happens, and same goes with film.

I believe, no other creative forms can deal with the concept of time in the exact same way, even though they can get very close to the way to it, like still life paintings, I believe hey don’t render of capture the same effect and moment as photos can.

And photos can capture more things then still lives, example: Harold Edgerton’s Bullet and Apple captures the moment to perfectly, in order to paint that effect you would need the photo to paint from and even with the photo I don’t think it would create the exact same effect.

Photography and Land Art

Land Art: also known as earth art developed in late 1960s America in response to what some saw as the increasing commercialisation of art. The landscape became thew artwork. Capturing art pieces that were man made and overtime faded and no longer exist and only exist in these images or films.

Artists document their land artworks which is usually the only evidence that the art exists.

James Brunt
https://barbarapicci.com/2018/05/29/james-brunt/

Yorkshire, inspired by the Mandala concept basically saying that Brunt has now created this beautiful piece of art work, and after he took his photo he will allow nature to wash it away, like the Monks would do to mandalas.

Documenting Journeys

“The only true voyage of discovery……would be not to visit strange lands, but to possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eyes of another,” (Marcel Proust)

Every one of us is journeying through time and journeys are often the start of stories. This is often the basis documentary photography photographs ‘about something,’ rather then photos ‘of something.’

“Le Jeune Fille a la Fleur”
Marc Riboud
https://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/stories-of-iconic-photos/

Above is an image about Peace. It shows a girl handing a flower to a soldier as a sign of peace, and grew to be a very iconic photo in the Flower Power Movement. The image was taken during a protest against the Vietnam War. It is almost a piece of history captured in time, and it tells a story and talking about the power of love and peace in the face of violence.

Family Photos

Photos hold specific memories, and I personally believe that with simply looking back at a photo it can revive your mind of that memory when that photo was taken and bring families and friends closer. Photos are also help bring back forgotten memories, if you take a photo and look over it 5 years later, you might’ve completely forgotten about that moment until seeing it and which just seeing the photos it can trigger so many memories.

Personally I believe looking through old photo albums is a lot more personal and memorable, and mostly will be filled with more family based memories whilst looking through images from a phone are more likely (if you’re a younger person) to be filled with crazy memories with friends. However, having all images saved on a hard drive or secondary source ensures that even if the images burn in a house fire, or if your phone is broken you haven’t lost the photos and they’re still alive just digital. Which on numerous occasions I have been very grateful for.