Final Images and Evaluation.

 

 

 

 

    Overall, I feel rather disappointed with the outcome of the project. There are some things I like more than others, and some things I would have definitely changed. If I had more time or had been able to gain access to night vision or infrared cameras, I feel I could have changed my project for the better.

    I like the aesthetic of my final images. I’m not sure they convey the meaning I’ve intended, although to me it is quite obvious.

    The hardest part about my project was staging the photos, but not making them look staged. In such low light, I needed my subjects to be still, but I wanted to create the feel that I was shooting them in motion. Photoshopping each image separately also led to some differences, and it was hard to get each image the same color and brightness. However, I learnt a lot about photoshop with this project.

   If I could do anything differently with this project, I would try to get a night vision camera, although it’s pretty hard to get them in New Zealand. I would put more effort into taking the photos as well as photoshopping them. I would also stick with one angle – the high angles in some of the photos give the illusion of a surveillance camera, but the lower angles in others make it seem like someone is stalking these two people.

    All in all, I think this project went better than the preceding, but it still could have used improvements.



Final Proposal.

   Light is so very important to humans. We use it every day in infinite ways. It allows us to see and be seen, but it can also deceive us and give us false impressions. Certain lighting tricks us into thinking of a certain mood. I aim to demonstrate this, using techniques such as night vision, angle, noise, surveillance aesthetics, and desaturation.

   Night vision is usually reserved for the military, combat, and violent video games. For this reason, we typically associate this style of lighting and photography with fighting and severe situations. I will take some s seemingly commonplace scene and transform it into a scene with a negative connotation simply by converting regular photographs into night vision.

   Because of the typical subject matter of night vision photos, people associate them with bad. In addition to showing how light can affect mood, I want to show that our previous notions affect our judgements. The previous notion of seeing night vision photos during war can affect the judgement of the viewer, leading them to believe that the photos show something bad happening.

   This project will illuminate (no pun intended) the relationship between light and mood, and will help the audience to think about the preconceived notions they have of the mood of a photo given the light sources.

   If I were to show this in a gallery, I would probably have each photo hung separately on a white wall, with dim lighting in the room. I think this would aid in the creepy vibe given by the photos. However, upon closer inspection, the audience would perhaps discover that the photos show a possibly regular scene.

Artist Precedents.

   Linda recommended the book Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance, and the Camera since 1870 to me, and it has a lot of work very similar to mine in it. It also has a lot of great essays about the topics of voyeurism and surveillance, with respect to the development of photography.

   Benjamin Lowy, "Iraq | Perspectives II."

   All of the photos in this series were taken in Iraq from 2003 to 2008. Lowy used US military-issue night vision goggles, and duct taped them to his camera. In the photos in the series, we see citizens as well as military, and some landscapes. All of the subjects of his photos show fear, citizen and military alike. The landscapes seem to convey a feeling of hopelessness. Lowy sought to make the audience think with this series, and wanted them to question war. He did this by presenting photos of war in an atypical way.

   The photos have heavy vignetting, as well as the classic night vision green look. The subject is generally at the center of the photo. All the lights in the photos glow more than normal, and are over exposed. This is the aesthetic I am aiming for in my series, as well. However, Lowy's photos are less surveillance, and more point of view.

Bill Epperidge:

Heroin party in NYC hotel room

Date: 1964

Artist and Related People:

Artist: Bill Eppridge

American (b. Argentina)

Dimensions: Image (Paper): 13 1/8 x 9 in. (33.3 x 22.9 cm)

Medium: Gelatin silver print

Credit Line: The LIFE Magazine Collection, 2005

place taken: United States, New York, New York

   I like that this photo is taken in a hotel room, because people are always concerned with privacy in hotels. Although this is not surveillance, it seems to make a statement about private becoming public. 

[At lamppost on Broadway and West 71st Street, Karen,

a heroin addict and prostitute, does some drug peddling, New York]

Date: 1965

Artist and Related People:

Artist: Bill Eppridge

American (b. Argentina)

Dimensions: Image (Paper): 13 3/16 x 8 3/4 in. (33.5 x 22.2 cm)

Medium: Gelatin silver print

Credit Line: The LIFE Magazine Collection, 2005

place taken: United States, New York, New York

Two fluffy-sweatered young men stroll in New York City, ignoring the stare if a "Straight" couple. Flagrant homosexuals are unabashed by reactions of shock, perplexity, disgust

Date: April 27, 1964

Artist and Related People:

Artist: Bill Eppridge

American (b. Argentina)

Dimensions: Image (Paper): 13 1/8 x 9 1/4 in. (33.3 x 23.5 cm)

Medium: Gelatin silver print

Credit Line: The LIFE Magazine Collection, 2005

place taken: United States, New York, New York

   Epperidge's work from the mid 60s seems to deal with drugs, sex, homosexuality, and other taboo things. It also has a surveillance aspect, sometimes bordering on voyeurism. In particular, he photographs a "junkie couple," John and Karen. Karen is a prostitute and John is in and out of jail. Some of his photos seem to be moments he has captured, while others seem to be more set up. I really enjoy his surveillance-esque photos, taken from above or at the hip. They really give a sense of the subject being watched. His photos are all in black and white, which aids in this motif. I have set up my photos in a similar way, with some of them taken above, and not in color. I'm hoping this portrays as much of a surveillance feeling as Epperidge's work.

Some Troubles.

   I have my photos all edited, and now I'm struggling with final edits and order. I'm also struggling with the cohesiveness of the set. I'm also not sure if it conveys what I want it to.
   The series shows a guy and girl at a bar, and then eventually going home together. I'm hoping that the night vision aesthetic I gave to the photos makes them look like surveillance footage. I'm also hoping that the night vision makes it look a little more sinister than just a couple going home together.
   Some things that are not quite right with my series so far are angles and privacy. The angles of the photos are mostly from above, like a surveillance camera, but not all. Also, some are outside, but some are inside bars and one is in a bedroom. These are not all typical surveillance video locations.
   I want the series to reflect how previous notions of lightings and situations affect our judgements, and how we expect the worst from people, especially given certain aesthetics.

Editing.

   With only a little bit of time left before hand in, and a lot to do, I decided to just write everything out. It really helped. Once I took the photos and photoshopped them, I also printed them and laid them out. It really works! I think it made the editing process a heck of a lot easier.

Contact Sheets.

   I've included all the photos from my various shoots.