Personal Stuff (How I can relate with the Selfie)
My Definition of the Selfie
"A photograph taken of oneself by oneself, containing dominantly the head / face. Not necessarily taken with a smartphone or shared on social media."
Actual Definition
Personal Opinion on Selfies.
In my opinion, certain instances of taking a selfie can be accepted, like maybe being on holiday and taking a picture of you under the Eiffel Tower, but other instances like to attract attention and get likes on social media are not acceptable. I feel like the whole "Selfie Craze" makes no sense and I don't personally understand why people obsess over getting random strangers attention. I personally think that if the selfie were to become illegal tomorrow, it would not affect me in the slightest of ways.
History of Selfies.
Selfies have existed since the camera was invented. In 1839, when the first edition of the camera became patented, people decided to point the camera at themselves and click the shutter. Like this guy, Robert Cornelius, which is the first recorded selfie in the year 1839.
Robert Cornelius's Picture - The First Selfie
Did you know?
Although now the term "Selfie" is widely used today, the first use of the word was in 2002 by Nathan Hope, when he got drunk on his 21st birthday and posted a photo with the caption "Sorry about the focus, it was a selfie"
Curating our own Vivian Maier exhibition
1) Describe the challenge.
After watching 20 minutes of a video on Vivian Maiers backstory, the challenge was to curate an exhibition using only 30 of Vivian Maier's Self-Portraits. We had to cut them out, and organise them in a sort of order that was unique to the exhibition. The sheet of paper is the wall, and the pictures are where we would place the photos on the wall.
2) Explain the decisions you made in selecting, sequencing and displaying your chosen Vivian Maier photographs. What skills are involved in being a curator?
We chose to organise the photos in this way because the ones on the left are all shadows (which represents her before fame) and the ones on the right are all of her, exposed (which represents her after fame). We selected these ones and excluded the ones with colour because the ones in the dark suit the shadows and "revealing" theme.
3) Did you collaborate well as a team?
I think we did, we all had a say in which photos we used and where we placed them. When it came to actually presenting, there was some debating on who should say what but we got round it in the end.
4) Did you wake thoughtful decisons?
I think the most thoughtful decision we made was the arrangement we used, like using the left-is-before and right-is-after.
5) Did your exhibition make sense?
I don't think the actual arrangement worked, i think that we should have out the ones from a higher point of view should have been higher, and the ones that were taken from a lower point of view should ahve been put lower.
6) Did your presentation to the class go well?
Yes.
7) What did you find most challenging?
Choosing the photos. There were 30 of them, and choosing these specific 15 was difficult.
After watching 20 minutes of a video on Vivian Maiers backstory, the challenge was to curate an exhibition using only 30 of Vivian Maier's Self-Portraits. We had to cut them out, and organise them in a sort of order that was unique to the exhibition. The sheet of paper is the wall, and the pictures are where we would place the photos on the wall.
2) Explain the decisions you made in selecting, sequencing and displaying your chosen Vivian Maier photographs. What skills are involved in being a curator?
We chose to organise the photos in this way because the ones on the left are all shadows (which represents her before fame) and the ones on the right are all of her, exposed (which represents her after fame). We selected these ones and excluded the ones with colour because the ones in the dark suit the shadows and "revealing" theme.
3) Did you collaborate well as a team?
I think we did, we all had a say in which photos we used and where we placed them. When it came to actually presenting, there was some debating on who should say what but we got round it in the end.
4) Did you wake thoughtful decisons?
I think the most thoughtful decision we made was the arrangement we used, like using the left-is-before and right-is-after.
5) Did your exhibition make sense?
I don't think the actual arrangement worked, i think that we should have out the ones from a higher point of view should have been higher, and the ones that were taken from a lower point of view should ahve been put lower.
6) Did your presentation to the class go well?
Yes.
7) What did you find most challenging?
Choosing the photos. There were 30 of them, and choosing these specific 15 was difficult.
First Shadow Selfie Photoshoot
Selfies with a viewfinder analysis
part of the frame.
Viewfinder Selfies
Selfies Essay
\Paragraph 1:
Describe what you can see in each of the photographs. Concentrate on the main subject matter of each image. Use your knowledge of the self-portraiture genre to help you. What kinds of self portrait are they? how are the similar / different?
In Lee Friedlander's photograph, the main subject is the silhouette and the reflection in a small mirror. The entire photograph is a reflection, and the form of reflection used is a shop window. The white box that the silhouette is holding is a small mirror at the opposite side of the shop, reflecting the photographer. The image that the mirror projects is a small black figure which is the photographer but from a long range, In Francesca Woodman's photograph, the main subject is the wooden box with a person behind it. In this photo, it is taken through a dark doorframe with very limited light showing the box, and on the left it shows what appears to be a person who has wrapped themselves in bubble-wrap and they are just standing still. In Kenneth Josephson's photograph, there is a person (presumably the photographer) holding a piece of cardboard with a square hole in the centre. He is holding it directly in front of a persons hand, and the person's hand is hanging outside of a car window. These three pictures, despite seeming all extremely different, all still have similarities. For example, in every single photograph, the photographer (or the main subject of the photograph) is hidden. In Friedlander's photograph, he is a silhouette. In Woodman's photograph, the main subject is behind a wooden block. In Josephson's photo, only his arm is shown and the main subjects' body is hidden behind the black card. Another similarity could be that every photo contains a shadow of some description. Once again, Friedlander's photo is a sillhoutette. Woodman's photo has shadows overtaking everything in the photo except the box and the bubble-wrap man. In Josephson's photo, his shadow is on the car, looking distorted. The differences, on the other hand, are a lot more noticeable. Friedlander's photo is reflected, while the other ones are not. Woodman's photo is taken inside of a building, while the other ones are taken outdoors. In Josephson's photo, he uses a cardboard cutout to capture the specific frame he wants, the others do not.
Paragraph 2:
Compare and contrast the way each photographer has used the technique of framing adn frames within frames in their pictures.
The framing in these photos are all different too. Again, they still all have similarities. For example, a similarity could be that they all use a typically geometric shape to capture the subject. Friedlander and Josephson both use squares, while Woodman uses a rectangle. This could also be classed as a difference. Another difference could be how both Friedlander and Woodman use static objects as their framing (Friedlander uses a shop window and Woodman uses a doorframe), but Josephson uses a piece of card, which is not static. Yet another difference could be that the actual pictures proportions. Friedlander and Josephson's photos are both in landscape whereas Woodman's is taken portrait. A similarity could be that they all have at least one body part in the frame. For example, in Friedlander's mirror we can see his head and body. In Woodman's photo, there is a hand sticking out the side of the rectagular box and you can see the bubble-wrap man's feet, which is all inside the doorFRAME. Lastly, In Josephson's photograph, there is a hand in the cardboard framing.
Paragraph 3:
What is surprising, unexpected or mysterious in each of these photographs? How has each photographer been creative or unconventional in their approach to the self-portrait?
Something that I think is mysterious about these photographs is that I can't see any faces in them, although they are classified as selfies. Even though selfies don't typically need to have your face in them, it surprises me that there are no faces in any of these 3 photos. Another thing that is mysterious to me is in Woodman's photograph. I don't understand why the person behind the block has put their hand out, maybe to give the picture more lines, maybe to break the geometric stability. No one knows, except the person themselves.
Paragraph 4:
Explain which of these photographs you enjoy looking at most and how it might influence your work.
In my opinion, the most interesting photo to look at is Woodman's =. I think this because not much of the composition makes sense. Everytime I look at it I see something new. It is also extremely unique; nothing is in the centre ad everything makes not much sense.
Describe what you can see in each of the photographs. Concentrate on the main subject matter of each image. Use your knowledge of the self-portraiture genre to help you. What kinds of self portrait are they? how are the similar / different?
In Lee Friedlander's photograph, the main subject is the silhouette and the reflection in a small mirror. The entire photograph is a reflection, and the form of reflection used is a shop window. The white box that the silhouette is holding is a small mirror at the opposite side of the shop, reflecting the photographer. The image that the mirror projects is a small black figure which is the photographer but from a long range, In Francesca Woodman's photograph, the main subject is the wooden box with a person behind it. In this photo, it is taken through a dark doorframe with very limited light showing the box, and on the left it shows what appears to be a person who has wrapped themselves in bubble-wrap and they are just standing still. In Kenneth Josephson's photograph, there is a person (presumably the photographer) holding a piece of cardboard with a square hole in the centre. He is holding it directly in front of a persons hand, and the person's hand is hanging outside of a car window. These three pictures, despite seeming all extremely different, all still have similarities. For example, in every single photograph, the photographer (or the main subject of the photograph) is hidden. In Friedlander's photograph, he is a silhouette. In Woodman's photograph, the main subject is behind a wooden block. In Josephson's photo, only his arm is shown and the main subjects' body is hidden behind the black card. Another similarity could be that every photo contains a shadow of some description. Once again, Friedlander's photo is a sillhoutette. Woodman's photo has shadows overtaking everything in the photo except the box and the bubble-wrap man. In Josephson's photo, his shadow is on the car, looking distorted. The differences, on the other hand, are a lot more noticeable. Friedlander's photo is reflected, while the other ones are not. Woodman's photo is taken inside of a building, while the other ones are taken outdoors. In Josephson's photo, he uses a cardboard cutout to capture the specific frame he wants, the others do not.
Paragraph 2:
Compare and contrast the way each photographer has used the technique of framing adn frames within frames in their pictures.
The framing in these photos are all different too. Again, they still all have similarities. For example, a similarity could be that they all use a typically geometric shape to capture the subject. Friedlander and Josephson both use squares, while Woodman uses a rectangle. This could also be classed as a difference. Another difference could be how both Friedlander and Woodman use static objects as their framing (Friedlander uses a shop window and Woodman uses a doorframe), but Josephson uses a piece of card, which is not static. Yet another difference could be that the actual pictures proportions. Friedlander and Josephson's photos are both in landscape whereas Woodman's is taken portrait. A similarity could be that they all have at least one body part in the frame. For example, in Friedlander's mirror we can see his head and body. In Woodman's photo, there is a hand sticking out the side of the rectagular box and you can see the bubble-wrap man's feet, which is all inside the doorFRAME. Lastly, In Josephson's photograph, there is a hand in the cardboard framing.
Paragraph 3:
What is surprising, unexpected or mysterious in each of these photographs? How has each photographer been creative or unconventional in their approach to the self-portrait?
Something that I think is mysterious about these photographs is that I can't see any faces in them, although they are classified as selfies. Even though selfies don't typically need to have your face in them, it surprises me that there are no faces in any of these 3 photos. Another thing that is mysterious to me is in Woodman's photograph. I don't understand why the person behind the block has put their hand out, maybe to give the picture more lines, maybe to break the geometric stability. No one knows, except the person themselves.
Paragraph 4:
Explain which of these photographs you enjoy looking at most and how it might influence your work.
In my opinion, the most interesting photo to look at is Woodman's =. I think this because not much of the composition makes sense. Everytime I look at it I see something new. It is also extremely unique; nothing is in the centre ad everything makes not much sense.