After reading the assignment two tutor feedback I’ve found myself in a somewhat strange and unfulfilled mood. I feel that I may have rushed this assignment somewhat from the tutor’s comments, but saying that there are some strong points within the feedback in regards to my technical approach to the photograph, from composition to editing. Yes, there still loads to understand and ultimately art is subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

beholder

A beholder is an observer: someone who gains awareness of things through the senses, especially sight. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then the person who is observing gets to decide what is beautiful.

The learning curve on this course has increased substantially from understanding what makes an image into trying to figure out the narrative within the series of pictures your trying to showcase for assignment is something else.

Suggested reading with Ralph Gibson who I’ve never heard of or would had even looked for him during any research unless seeing one of his images during an internet search. looking through his archive of works and how he achieves the black and white pictures are something I myself are drawn to. By using the light and shadows to play a part within the photo for me is how I like to take pictures. Some I’m not so keen on, but anything that has a shadow, light pools or a mixture of the both I will tend to look at longer. Admiring how the image has been composed, looking at the way the light has fallen onto the subject, where the subject casts a shadow and how that shadow creates pools of darkness.

Assignment five initial ideas will more than likely be a colour composed image for what I will try to put together with a narrative that colour will play a part in. BnW will work and I will place this in my research with images and trails. However, to add complexity to my learning process at this time it probably wise that I show the use of colour in my photography journey and not stick to black and white.

I don’t think it helps when I look for research and see amazing BnW images by the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Stieglitz, Fan Ho, Sir Don McCullin. Visiting the Tate museum and the McCullin exhibition was for me an inspiring day, looking at his BnW pictures starring at them taking in every last inch of them before moving onto the next. Was something that I think about when looking for images myself.

WHO’s right, who does know what beauty is?