Discussion

Discussion- Of exam Paper
From the exam paper, I have been able to further research the work of Lewis Baltz, who I believe will be one of the main influences to this project.

This is the first image which I wanted to use in the display of the work of Baltz. As you can see it is very minimalistic which I personally find really intriguing because there isn't much distracting the audience. I also find the camera framing/angle really interesting. Baltz has taken this image at a narrow framing so the audience cannot see the entire of the building, yet you are still given enough to figure out that it is a very run down building. Furthermore, as the angle is head on, it is clear that this image was taken on a tripod as the leading lines in the middle of the image of the ladder are perfectly straight. Additionally, I find it really interesting how Baltz has shown a transition of colour in this image, starting on the left the wall looks really dark yet it is hard to work out whether it is this colour due to shadowing or paint, then are the image spans out, there is a light transition as the image becomes brighter. I think this is really interesting because when looking at the other work by Baltz, they have mainly been over exposed in this manner which I think works really well because it could be argued that Baltz wanted to create irony within this particular image. As this appears to be a run down building passers by may look at this image in a more "dark"/ negative light, however this image "puts light"/ positivity on something normally ignored and pushed aside. 

This is a second image by Baltz which I find further interesting in the work of structures because the editing has been used in this image to raise the contrast- the trees in the middle and on the right are much darker than the surrounding building. Much like the image above, you as the audience are able to see very little of the building, just one side of it. I think this is a really good and intriguing aspect of taking images of structures because Baltz has shown that you do not have to see the entire building to gain a view. However, it is also symbolic especially with this particular image because this image appears to be at the back of a building however who is to say what the front of the building/ other sides look like? This could actually be a really nice building, Baltz has just taken one aspect of the building to form the stereotypical view of a derelict building. This can therefore be symbolic because the angle Baltz has taken this image is of a narrow angle, implying he is signifying the narrow-minded view of people in today's society, they only look at one aspect of something and build up a view on that part whilst ignoring the rest of the information. 

Overall Baltz work relates to this exam topic because it shows how when taking photos of manufactured structures, the composition also needs to be carefully thought about alongside what you are actually taking an image of- whether you want to take a picture of the whole building or just a section. 

Paul Strand

This is an example of the work of Strand, capturing building through the use of low key lighting in order to gain shapes of a building. For this image, the high contrast between shadow and highlight is really intriguing because it forms stronger shapes on the parts of the building which may normally be ignored. Much like Baltz, Strand has been able to take a series of images with a minimalistic approach taking the carefully arranged composite images. The poles on this building create a wider image to what an individual may see and just think its a normal building. This can therefore be symbolic on the perspective of the audience. For example, so people may see this as a normal image of an everyday building, however, others may see this and read into it, what is it causing this shadow? Furthermore, this image can further be symbolic because it could imply the main part that people tend to only see, people only have to look at sections of something/someone in order to make judgement, just like in this image- you cannot see everything although are can still form a perspective, whether or not you think this is a nice place or not. Another aspect of symbolism which I find interesting in this image is the punctum of a disable sign, implying this place is disable friendly, yet this sign is next to stairs, something that some people with a disability may struggle to get up. 

This is another example of Strand's work. The perspective that Strand has decided to take this image is really interesting because he has used high contrast and low key lighting. I think this is an intriguing approach when capturing structures because it can morph them into something else, the location may look completely different in real life, yet we as the audience are unaware- we don't know where this is and what building this arch belongs to. Therefore in that context we are unable to form a story on that basis, although the low key lighting makes it easier to form that story. This is because the shadow contrasted with highlight aspect implies this location is generally deserted, no one normally walks tis way. It could also be the poles could be separating podiums, separating parts of this walk way up.

I think Strand's work is useful to looking at structures because it further shows me how important it is to look at the framing and angling of my work. Yet these two images differ from Baltz work above because the minimalistic approach has been taken differently, strand has used angles used as side angles in order to form a low key lighting effect with high contrast. Thus showing that you are able to take images of structures having similar symbolism effect, yet through different ways. 

Andreas Gursky

I think this image of Gursky is really intriguing and symbolic. He has taken the urban setting of flats/ apartments and through using a tripod, he has been able to capture the technique of both lines and pattern, through the leading lines of each window leading to the next and then the perfectly positioned room balconies. The reason I find this image so intriguing is because it is almost as if Gursky wanted to tell a story with each balcony, the setting of the chairs can display to the audience different people without the main focus of subjects. For example, there are some balconies with only one chair, implying this individual is lonely and sad, some have no chairs, perhaps implying they don't want to comply with their neighbour through sitting outside, or there are others with two chairs next to each other facing out of the balcony, suggesting they watch the sunset together. There are also chairs with face each other, forming a story that they sit together and talk to each other all night long. Therefore, I think this is a really interesting approach because when you originally look at this image, you think there is a general pattern of the rooms and balcony, yet it shows individualism- they aren't all the same.

This image differs from the image above because even though it still displays a structure, it is from the inside, rather than looking at the outside structure. I think this is a really intriguing image because of the amount of colour conveyed across the screen in this frame. You can see many similar packages, packed one in front of the other, row after row creating depth in this structure. The audience are able to see all the way to the back whilst in the foreground there is all these different products. I think this is an interesting approach because the stands across the store help show the perspective, this is a massive shop, yet normally, you do not see it from this perspective, you can only see the isle that you are down and can't see over the top. 

Overall I think Gursky's work here is really interesting when looking manufactured structures because not all of his images are of the outside structures, they include inside aspects, which differs from the other images on this post so far. 

Markus Brunetti

Both of these images display really interesting approaches. Showing how the use of positioning is really important when capturing structures. This is because he has been able to capture straight, dominant and strong lines of the buildings which I think is really satisfyingly pleasing. Therefore, I think Brunetti's work is useful when looking at this particular topic because it shows how historical structures can be captured so beautifully and striking. His work differs from the work from above because he has actually framed these structures through including the whole building, it isn't just one particular wall or aspect so the audience are able to see the whole structure. 

Definition of exam paper terms.

Structures-  A building or other object constructed from several parts. It doesn't have to be a building as such, for example, it can be a bridge, a structure is something that has been constructed and built.

Composition- The way something is made up. In the terms of photography, it is the way the photographer has decided to construct the final image, whether they positioned their camera head on or at an angle.

Deserted Structures- An abandoned or run done building/ construct, something that has been unkempt  or hasn't been cared for.

Urban- The characteristics of a town or a city. In photography, individuals may chose to capture urban locations through capturing buildings.

Architectural facades- The building is often the most important aspect from a design standpoint as it sets the tone for the rest of the building- it's as if the front of the building is the face of the entire building, when looking at the front of the building you are able to build up a mental image of what  the rest of the building looks like- from inside. For example in the work of Markus Brunetti, he focuses purely on the front of church buildings.