• In class discussion of Class
Blog topic
• In class
printing contact sheets from 4x5 negatives
Class divided in two:
• Enlarging 4x5
negatives in the darkroom.
• Scanning 4x5 negatives (Epson or Hassleblad)
• Using Flexcolor/Epson software
For Next Week:
• Bring your contact sheets, enlarged prints, scans, and negatives for a technical critique.
• Read over and answer Blog Discussion Topic questions
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| 4 | Discussion Topic |
Read about photographer Zanele Muholi and view some of her images here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/16/zanele-muholi_n_4101706.html
http://www.yanceyrichardson.com/artists/zanele-muholi/index.html
Answer these questions:
1) Do you think this work seems "modern" (of the now) or "antiquated"
(of the past) or timeless (no particular time period)? Tell us why you
feel this way.
2) Why did this photographer choose to shoot large format? What advantages did it give them as a studio photographer?
3) Pick an image that speaks to you and describe why.
1) I think that Zanele Muholi's portraits of the LGBTI communities in her native South Africa are both antiquated and modern. The style in which she has chosen to portray her subjects, through portraiture, is a style seen countless times before, with the subject standing either in front of a set background or building, looking straight into the camera. The subjects themselves however are completely modern. Portraits of people from Africa, whose gender and sexual orientation stray away from the "normal" straight, is completely new and undiscovered territory. Muholi wants to bring these people and their stories to the forefront of her work, and show viewers that her subjects exist and are real people who deserve to be seen and heard.
ReplyDelete2) I think Muholi shot her photographs with a large format camera because she wanted her subjects to not only confront the viewer with their defiant gaze straight into the lens, but also with the large size of the prints. The subjects' eyes, as well as all of the detail captured by the large format camera, helps to get Muholi's point across, that the LGBTI community in South Africa does exist, and these are the people that are a part of it.
3) One image that really speaks to me is titled "Thembela Dick, Vredehoek, Cape Town, 2012" from the series "Faces and Phases." In this photo, the subject has a faux hawk and a tank top with cheetah print on it, and is wearing a necklace and some leather straps wrapped around her upper arm. I was drawn to this picture because I really like the subject's fashion style, and I feel like I've seen people who dress like her here in NYC. It makes me realize that even though Muholi's subjects live in South Africa, they aren't really different from people living either in NYC or LA, or anywhere else in the U.S. or other countries, and this makes them relatable to viewers, especially those who identify as LGBTI.
1)
ReplyDeleteDespite the contemporary garb and the sunbects' general aesthetic, the feeling evoked is more antiquated in my opinion. Filming the portraits in black and white certainly lends an "older" feel to them, but the specific posing of the subjects is most relevant. Their somber, direct gazes are reminiscent of very old portraiture. There is an innocence to them, as if the subject is unaware of the power of the lens and its abilities to distort. No one smiles either, which also reminds me of older portraiture when smiling was a rarity.
2)
Shooting large format afforded the photographer with images that captured the subjects in exacting detail. Given her desire to promote the LGBTI community in a fashion that would promote relatability, maximizing detail through a large format camera was paramount. Additionally, the size of the prints also benefited from a larger negative.
3)
My favorite image was Kebarileng Sebetoane, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2012. The young woman pictured has her head cocked slightly in a somber, but defiant manner and is wearing a supremely detailed paisley shirt that is almost jumping out of the image. There is a really lovely juxtaposition occuring here, furthered by the out of focus background, a tapestry that looks to be a simpler, more traditionally styled print.
1. Portraits are an “antiquated” practice in the sense that they have existed and been taken since the early years of photography. However, I think Muholi’s portraits in Faces and Phases, and the basic concept of black and white portraits, are timeless. At this moment in time, her photographs are also “modern” because of their purpose and what they represent. They are topical and extremely relevant in the movement for the awareness and fight for LGBTI rights.
ReplyDelete2. Muholi’s work is, in a sense, the beginnings of a survey of the LGBTI community, specifically in South Africa. She’s looking at these people to see if there’s one definitive type of look for someone based on their sexual identity. In using large format, because of the details the camera can capture, we are able to really see these individuals, at the very least in the physical sense. Personally, I just see human beings. They are all the same and equal in that sense. There’s no one identifying feature that stands out to me as an indicator of his or her sexual orientation. What stands out is their different personalities based on the clothes they are wearing and how they styled their hair, etc. These photographs, for me, strip away the stereotypes and allow us to focus on the individual.
3. http://prod-images.exhibit-e.com/www_yanceyrichardson_com/Tinashe_Wakapila_Harare_Zimbabwe_2011_35870.jpg
This photograph, as many of the others, stands out to me because of its intensity and clarity. The details of the image, such as the texture of the braids in her hair, the beads on her necklace, and the folds in her shirt pop out at me and have such a rhythm and energy to them. That pulse perhaps gives you an indication of the person we are looking at.
1. Muholi's photographs seem timeless as there are no background architecture or landscape to indicate a time period or a place--most photographs are shot in front of a black curtain or other indoor wall. While the subjects' fashion choices may hint at a certain time, their stairs certainly draw attention away from their clothes.
ReplyDelete2. Large format photography seems to lend itself to the details that Muholi is trying to capture. It retains the subtlest details of the subjects' sexuality and gender, or defiance of. The camera's depth of field certainly helps in portraiture, by focusing on the subject and blurring away background "distractions".
3. The photograph with the caption 'Zanele Muholi, Ayanda Magoloza, Kwanele South, Katlehong, Johannesburg, 2012, Silver gelatin print, Image size: 76.5 x 50.5cm' caught my attention because the subject does not have any fashion indicators, and a more controlled, rather than confrontational stare. In addition, the cropping of everything below the shoulders where the body is at a three-quarter turned pose hints at but completely remains a mystery about the gendering of the subject. It shows Muholi's concept and mastery with the camera.
(1) the overall concept of the project is modern but the images itself are antiquated. the people on the photographs and their stories are from the present but the medium or the manner to which they are presented is from the past. the artist capture the past and the present seamlessly through this project.
ReplyDelete(2) the artist choose the large format medium to somehow make her subjects as real as possible. part of her intention is to raise awareness and document the stories of the LGBT in her community. the photographer has a clear understanding of lighting or illumination in portrait photography. through the proper use or control of lighting the photographer can reveal certain looks or emotions from the subject. the photographer definitely capture the feeling of imposing seriousness of the subjects in her project.
(3) there are several shots that kind of straddles in between commercial and art photography and those shots are quite interesting.
1) This work by Zanele Muholi does not represent any of the three mentioned categories as it contains disparate elements hinting at a modern, antiquated and timeless feel - all at the same time. For example, the timelessness of a black and white portrait is interrupted by a wig, a logo on the shirt, a cap, and fabric and stitching details inside a shirt collar. Or the modern fashion and look of the subject is taken to another time due to the cloth and paper backdrop that looks like it's from the 1920s.
ReplyDelete2) Muholi's goal was to introduce the LGBTI community to the world so it was imperative that the uniqueness and character of each subject was maintained and not glossed over. The large format emphasizes every detail so nothing is left to the imagination. The subjects are represented crisply and boldly - with pockmarks, blemishes, birthmarks, worry-lines - making them human and vulnerable.
3) With so many great images, it was extremely hard to pick one. But after looking over many times, I found that there was one image that I stayed with much longer. It was Noluthando 'Tebhasi' Sibisi, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, 2012. The subject and the image project innocence, curiosity and hopefulness. The glint in the eyes and the calmness make it absolutely hypnotic. The image feels balanced.
1) The images appear to be a combination of both. Although they resemble the images from the aforementioned apartheid era, which make them look antiquated, the images appear modern because the subjects are dressed and their accessories appear to be modern.
ReplyDelete2) The advantages of using the large format allowed the information such as the texture of their hair, accessories, clothing and facial features pop out. The black and white in my opinion adds to the emotion that these women are giving off.
3) The image that speaks to me is the “Zanele Muholi, Mpumi Moeti, Kwanele South, Katlehong, Johannesburg, 2012, Silver gelatin print, Image size: 76.5 x 50.5cm” photo. The staring glance back onto the camera gives off this sense of being withdrawnness. There’s some much pain that’s being evoked in her face that can only make me wonder about the inner turmoil she must’ve faced being part of the LGBTI community.
1) Although the subject matter and the awareness it is seeking to raise may be modern, to me, the images seem from the past almost reminiscent of the work of Seydou Keita (1921-2001) from Bamako Mali.
ReplyDelete2) I believe that a large photograph with its incredible ability to show details has the power to drawi attention.
3) The image of Lynette Mokhooa, KwaThema Community Hall, Springs, Johannesburg, 2011, (Silver gelatin print, Image size: 76.5 x 50.5cm) speaks to me because in this photo, the artist is challenging the viewer to rethink their preconceived notions and stereotypes of the LGTBI community.