The Square Mile
Analysis
For me this is the first assignment since 2011 (at NYIP), the absolute first in the British academic system. Everything is new for me: I feel nervous, because I am not sure I interpreted all the requirements in the right way. I enrolled then in a OCA forum and this helped a bit: so many fellow students are in trouble for one reason or another, so I felt less alone.
My understanding is that this degree course is not about the craft of photography, it is about the content: this is pushing me a bit out of my comfort zone, but, at the end, this is what I was looking for and I hope to find the way to better express and be myself through my photograps.
On july 20th I got out of my house with the fixed idea to delay as much as possible the use of the camera and answer to a question instead: “… what do I want to express through my photograps?”.
I answered: “… express the melancholy of living in a beautiful place and being witness of its slow decadence”. I wrote about this theme in the learning log posts.
Big task, ambitious for a single assignment.
I got inspiration from Keith Arnatt and his "Area of outstanding natural beauty"; from Jodie Taylor as well, with her "Memories of Childhood". In this particular case, while Arnatt focused on the beauty of nature being violated by human debris, I focused on the beauty of the city being violated by decadence.
I spent some hours around and, on july 26th, I found a new (for me) place, about 200 meters far from my house: the abandoned Carnielli (1909) factory of the once world famous “Graziella” bicycle.
In 1963 “Graziella” was an icon: in the web there are hundreds of images, among them Brigitte Bardot and Salvador Dali with their “Graziella”..
2015, Carnielli does not exist anymore and “Graziella” is a still famous brand, property of Bottecchia spa.
I dedicated the rest of my work to explore the plant and use it as the symbol of the industrial decadence in the city. This switch can be noticed in the contact sheet, where the first group of photograps is about the city, the second group is about the plant.
For my project I used natural light; inside the plant I could not use the tripod, so I had to push iso. I preferred natural light in order to favour the natural impact of the views and therefore save the pathos.
I did some minor corrections in Lightroom, including switching to b&w and removing distortion of the wide angle zooms.
It was hard for me to select the twelve photographs, because I believe it needs a bigger set of images in order to fully describe the idea of decadence in a city. Should I go back, I would choose a less ambitious goal and reduce it to “A walk in the old plant”.
The Selected Photographs
I switched several photographs to b&w for three reasons:
- I am prone to "see" and compose images in b&w
- Personal research for simplicity and impact
- I see melancholy in b&w
I changed idea several times about the twelve slected photographs: I noticed that, in the beginning, I was more "technically oriented", so that I was too focused on the correctness of exposure and sharpness rather than composition and expression. Then I tried to get out of my comfort zone and ask myself "...what does the image say...." and "....which is the story....". I feel I have not completely succeeded, and the proof of my feeling is that for some of the twelve photos I could not easily write content rather than describe the image itself. However I believe I could express the idea of decadence, run-down, melancholy.
In the neighborhood there is an old quarter where an artist put down some wooden works. The woman at the window does look a bit sceptical about the works. And worried about me. This is the characteristics of our people: they like to stay at the window but at the same time they do not like to feel under observation.
The door was not open for a long time: the spider web testifies of an abandoned house.
I pointed the camera toward an empty shop's window and got this reflected image. People passing in front of one of many shops in shutdown.
Camera on the tripod, long exposure in order to get the sense of movement through an ominous tunnel.
The circle for aged people. Dog looking as worried as the woman of the first photo, while the old man spends his afternoon reading.
In the old and empty district named Serravalle. I feel a sense of disconfort and connect this image to the one of the tunnel.
Abandoned bicycle near the abandoned Carnielli bicycle factory.
Carnielli factory: the once-reception. I imagine when everything was clean and a good looking receptionist smiling at visitors.
Carnielli factory: view through a broken window toward the Bishop's Castle. Nature and beauty through desolation.
Carnielli factory: the abandoned plant. Nature peeps out and regains possession of the space.
Carnielli factory: women's toilette in the plant. Even here I imagine a female worker drying her hands and, at the same time, watching the sunny and green fields outside.
Carnielli factory: abandoned puppet, on the plant's floor. Why a puppet in a bycicle factory? A nonsense in the reality of the composition.
Contacts Sheets
Tutor Report
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Student name
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Giorgio Colonna
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Student
number
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514841
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Course/Unit
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EYV
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Assignment
number
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1
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Type of
tutorial
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Written
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The challenge in this assignment is to produce images that show visual
qualities that identify and express your ideas of the subject. It can often be
difficult to get ideas and concepts into the images that we make and in this
assignment you have confronted some of these issues. You have also taken the
time to consider alternative interpretations of the subject.
You have considered the formal elements of image making and transferred
these to your own work. I was pleased to
see that you had considered some alternative images for your presentation and
that you had included these in your learning log. One of the skills to develop
as a photographer is the ability to discriminate in the selection of images. I
would like to see in your learning log contact sheets and for you to document
your process of final selection of images.
I was pleased to see that you have considered and reflected upon the
work that you have produced however this needs to be developed in greater depth
so that critical reading is undertaken that is relative to the work. This will allow
you to evaluate it within a critical context of the processes undertaken
coupled with the underpinning ideas and concepts contained within critical
reading. I would like to have seen your comments upon the work of other
photographers rather than just linking to external sites. Obviously in some
cases it is relevant to have these links as for example to videos but try to
develop the log as an interesting individual piece of work in it’s own
right.
Overall you have made a good start to your course and have demonstrated
a willingness to be challenged and to think about the creative process that you
are engaged in.
Assignment 1 Assessment
potential
You may want to get credit
for your hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your
work for assessment at the end of the module. More and more people are taking
the idea of lifelong learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment
but it is entirely up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you
study for pleasure or to gain qualifications. Please consider whether you want
to put your work forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you
submit Assignment 2. I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets
the assessment requirements.
Feedback
on assignment and supporting work
There is clear evidence in this submission of a good technical ability
and an eye that can spot potential images in developing a theme. You set
yourself a task and maintained the topic throughout the piece.
There are a number of good images in the work presented. I particularly
like the image of the woman
in the window with the wooden sculpture as this creates a nice dynamic between
reality and fantasy. The pictures of the derelict bicycle factory are fairly
clichéd however I do like the picture of the abandoned desks and also the
entrance to the washroom. In these images the formality of the composition
contrasts with the decay of the environment. The tunnel image is quite ominous
but the viewer is protected from entering the tunnel by the position of the
figure on the left-hand side. Allowing the figure to move another metre or so
into the tunnel would have brought the viewer in with him. In the image of the spider’s
web on the door I would suggest that a tighter crop on the left hand side would
create more interest in the subject.
You have mixed
Black and White and colour images in the presentation. I would like to have
seen you discuss your reasons for this decision.
Overall the
images work well as a coherent set and they suggest a place caught between two
worlds of past and future.
Learning Logs or
Blogs/Critical essays
There were a
number of opportunities to broaden out ideas in this work through further analysis
of issues arising. You ask the question is the rules of composition the same
for unattractive subject matter as they are for attractive subjects. This raises some further questions, what is
attractive and how is this defined (who defines it)? Another question might be
why do you need rules to determine what you want to photograph and what you
want to communicate through the images. If photography were simply a means of
recording pretty scenes why would we endeavour to study or practice it? There
comes a point when the photographer starts to question his or her practice and
needs to delve further into the meaning of images. Freshness of vision results
from research and development into a critical theoretical approach to image
making.
There are some interesting
quotes that you found from a range of photographers and these may well be
pertinent to the themes that you are exploring however I would like to see
these quotes situated within the context of your reflections and ideas.
There are also
indications of research into the work of other photographers however there is
little critical analysis of this work.
and also consider the impact that this may have on your own work.
It
would be good for you to clarify your intentions in detail as a starting point
for projects these can then be evaluated as you progress through each
assignment
Continue to develop your learning log so that all the work is available
in one place for tutors to review.
Suggested
reading/viewing
General critical reading
Wells, L. (ed.) (2009) Photography: A Critical
Introduction (4th edition). Abingdon: Routledge
Please also refer to reading lists in the handbook.
Pointers for the next
assignment
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Select texts for critical reading appropriate to
the assignment.
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Engage with the recommended exercises and reflect
upon them.
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View the work of other practitioners include
details in your learning log
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Continue to develop in depth your learning log to
consider the progress of your own work and reflect upon your reading and
viewing.
·
Proceed with assignment 2.
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Tutor name
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Matthew Winterlich
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Date
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18/09/2015
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Next assignment due
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29/10/2015
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Reflection on Tutor Report
Reading the report I uderstood that, after several efforts and mind-change on final selection of photographs, I reached the goal: identify and express my ideas of the subject. As suggested by the Tutor, I published the final selection and the contact sheets as well, documenting my personal process of final selection of images.
I agree that I should have developed in greater depth my critical reading, that is something I generally lack and I will try to improve and express better, even if I struggle to do it in not-my-mother-tongue.
I aim for better reading and critical reading, in order to underpin my personal analysis and comments upon the work of other practitioners and develop the learning log as an individual piece of work. I should develop the abit to be more "active" and assertive about what I read and I look at.
I welcome and agree with all the advices about some of the selected images: I had the same doubt if allow the figure to move another metre further (The tunnel) and a tighter, left hand, crop on the spider's web on the door.
Previously, in this page, I gave my reasons why I chose to mix colour and b&w images, but the main reason is that I feel better with b&w (comfort zone?).
