Urban Photographer Nick Miners - research

"Many people see buildings are merely functional things, designed for living, working, shipping or playing in, but to me, they can be a part of the experience rather than just a container. Learning to look at them with a photographer`s eye has helped me to appreciate architecture as an art, not just a trade, and by expressing myself in these photographs I can hopefully share some of that feeling with the viewer. "

Nick Miners, Houzz

Nick finds the mixed perceptions of the Brutalist movement to be a personal challenge, what many critics find to be “ugly” architecture, he uses as inspiration to create beautiful imagery. Shooting this architecture exclusively in black and white, Miner pushes the contrast too high levels, transforming these rough details into dynamic patterned imagery.

Glengerry

With everyone professing to be a ‘photographer’ these days, as we snap away on our phones and tweak our shots with filters on Instagram, it’s hugely refreshing to be showcasing a real live ‘proper’ professional photographer who takes brilliant landscape and architectural pictures. Nick Miners, our ‘Artist of the Month’, is constantly in search of the elusive perfect photo (which he’s convinced is hiding in Iceland), but, despite knowing that it probably doesn't exist, his work is simply stunning. On several occasions, we have commissioned Nick to document our finished workplace design projects, such as St Mary’s Axe, SEB, and Minster Court and we’ve been delighted with the results - Liz Brewer.

The Cloudmakers

"Nick has a wonderful eye for detail and an ability to create simple yet striking compositions. His aerial photographs of Icelandic landscapes have an other-worldly quality, while his shots of the architecture of Watford find beauty in the mundane and ‘ugly’."

I really like Nick's technique and pictures. Especially the black and white ones have something in them. Sam also prefers black-and-white photos, it's not always what everyone likes. In his works, the pictures of the building look amazing. I really have a good eye. I think you can learn a lot from it. If he had a workshop I'd like to sign up and meet him in person, maybe he could tell me more.

Reference 

Infromthestorm.com (no date) Nick Miners Architecture, Infromthestorm.com. Available at: https://infromthestorm.com/collections/nick-miners-architecture (Accessed: January 22, 2023).

Hall, T. (2016) 5 minutes with Nick Miners, Rise Art. Rise Art. Available at: https://www.riseart.com/article/1990/5-minutes-with-nick-miners (Accessed: January 22, 2023).

Brewer, L. (2019) Feature - artist of the month // Nick Miners - Burtt-Jones & Brewer, Burtt. Burtt-Jones & Brewer. Available at: https://www.burtt-jonesandbrewer.com/news/2019/9/5/feature-artist-of-the-month-nick-miners (Accessed: January 22, 2023).

Urban Photographer Pedro Correa - research

Pedro Correa's photographs are influenced by Impressionism. His work aims at embedding the emotions of painting into the ‘decisive moment’ of photography. His photographs revolve around the intimate beauty that he sees in cities. Pedro Correa captures elements that often go unnoticed by giving them a different perspective, but without modifying reality. His personal lens reveals the poetry within reality.

Pedro Correa, Benoit Do Quango

"Pedro Correa’s work rejuvenates the idea of the decisive moment. Elucidating the use of photography to capture a perfect point in time and space, Pedro situates this point in such a way as to reveal its significance. This seems to come naturally in his photographs, which are never digitally altered and stylistically borrow from impressionist painting and social realist photography." - PHIN JENNINGS

Espresso Bar, Pedro Correa

Urban Impressions

This series is Pedro Correa's most transversal body of work. It began in 2012 and still continues today. It aims at capturing the energy he sees and feels in urban spaces, an energy that arises from the subtle humanity that any place created by man, or where man (humans) lives, exudes. Depicting this humanity with photography allows him to use the decisive moment to capture what is visible to the eye for only a fleeting moment, bringing him closer to the art of the impressionists and their willingness to infuse their work with the emotions of the moment. Since the aim is primarily to capture reality instead of creating an alternate one, it was crucial to be able to capture the moments and scenes that had in their essence this painterly quality, without needing to manipulate reality a posteriori, digitally or otherwise. Everything in this series needed to be spontaneous, serendipitous, and unaware.

The magic of picture urban impressions, Pedro Correa 

Throughout each of his works, you can see how he masterfully manipulates light, composition, and fleeting themes, capturing the decisive moment. The pictures he takes look like impressionist paintings. Colors and movement are more important to him than recognizable objects in these blurry images. There is a lot to like about Pedro's work. The photos show a unique perspective. Using the camera lens, Pedro creates a completely different dimension of space. The street art he creates adds an amazing, magical side to the city. I will try to watch his videos on YouTube, maybe there I will learn even more interesting things about his technique. Perhaps I will find more of his secrets in them, which I can use for my photos and share with others.

Reference 

Pedro Correa Fine art photography (no date) Pedro Correa Fine Art Photography. Available at: http://www.pedrocorreaphoto.com/ (Accessed: January 22, 2023).

Pedro Correa, artist: Contemporary Art For Sale (no date) Rise Art. Available at: https://www.riseart.com/artist/40192/pedro_correa (Accessed: January 22, 2023).

Ana Mendieta - research.

For the artist, merging mother nature with art was an authentic way to express the many aspects of her identity: displacement as a Cuban refugee, oppression as a female, and a female artist. By taking art back to nature, she felt that she could become whole again by returning to a natural world absent of manmade inequalities. Mendieta once wrote that “My art is grounded in the belief of one universal energy which runs through everything from insect to man, from man to specter, from specter to plant, from plant to galaxy. My works are the irrigation veins of this universal fluid... My art comes out of rage and displacement.”

Portrait d’Ana Mendieta© The Estate of Ana Mendieta Collection, LLC. Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co.

In the journal article Presence’ in Absentia: Experiencing Performance as Documentation, Amelia Jones contends that in order to learn about performance art, documentation is required for reflection to take place. Jones goes on to observe that “the body art event needs the photograph to confirm it is having happened; the photograph needs the body art event” which shows that if an artwork is to survive the test of time, both elements of the presentation are needed in order for the work to be a success. This is an interesting hypothesis when balanced against the work of Ana Mendieta; the ‘Silueta Series’ is photographed at its point of loss and disintegration, therefore while the photograph provides evidence that the Silueta occurred, it also at the same time shows the absence of the Silueta just as equally - the photograph is the captured moment of unbounded space and time.

Ana Mendieta, Untitled (Fetish Series, Iowa),1977

In her personal writings, Mendieta explains:

‘In galleries and museums, the earth-body sculptures come to the viewers by way of photos, because the work necessarily always stays in situ. Because of this and due to the impermanence of the sculptures the photographs become a very vital part of my work.’
In fact, in an interview with Dr. Joan Marter, she contends that her works are both ‘body earthwork and photo.’
It is a matter of debate, however, as to whether this definition of Mendieta’s work ought to include all photographs and slides (with more than 100 silhouettes, there are thousands of slides in her archive), all estate prints (photographs printed after her death), only lifetime prints, or only those explicitly paired with sculptures by Mendieta herself. From each complete reel of film – and she would usually use one per work – she would select just the one print to crop and render as the photographic counterpart to the ephemeral event. Her chosen images were usually shot from directly above or in front and always tightly cropped, not showing anything much of the landscape, focusing instead on the trace of her body. This makes it hard for the viewer to glean any sense of scale or proportion, a property that Mendieta described as ‘magical’

Silueta Works in Mexico Ana Mendieta,1973–77/1991

I believe that Mendieta's work coexists with what is permanent and eternal. Extremely powerful and moving works are an example of how the artist used an internal struggle to communicate them, choosing the right materials and processes to enhance them. By placing the outline of the body in the elements of the earth, she used emerging feminist theories of connecting the personal with the political. Her death touched many feminists in the art world and remains controversial to this day. I liked her technique and the work she did, there is something about them that is worth digging into. It is difficult for me to refer to one work by Ana because each of her works represents her different thoughts and visions. When choosing the photos, I chose these two because I feel a connection with nature myself, and the artist helped me understand that everything leaves traces, her works catch the eye even of people not related to photography and give a lot to think about. She tried to make everything realistic as evidenced by the fact that she used the blood of animals. I will take a closer look at her work and decide whether a similar technique of communication will be useful to me in the future because a lot is happening now and little is said about controversial topics that Ana also showed in her works.

Reference

Ana Mendieta (no date) Kate Chesters Art. Available at: https://katechesters.com/blogs/news/ana-mendieta (Accessed: January 19, 2023).

Dazed (2018) Ana Mendieta was the controversial artist who helped pioneer Earth Art, Dazed. Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/art-photography/article/39819/1/ana-mendieta-was-the-controversial-artist-who-helped-pioneer-earth-art (Accessed: January 19, 2023). 

Ishiuchi Miyoko - research

 One of Japan`s leading women in photography, Miyako Ishiuchi frequently turns her lens toward the scars upon physical landscapes and the human body. Originally taking up photography to facilitate more time in the darkroom, she has become renowned for her sensitive, resonant portrayal of objects and sceneries which evoke stories from beyond the frame. 

Miyako Ishiachi; photo: Maki Ishii

Ishiuchi Miyako said in one of the interviews: "Photography enables one to capture something that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It weaves a link between the past and the present and is therefore an invaluable testimony and a tool for transmission. I have recently discovered the importance of the image as a trace. All of her life, my mother kept a group portrait in which she can be seen with fellow graduates from her driving school in 1934".

Miyako Ishiuchi, Scars #7 (scald 1960), 1995

Scars (1991–2003). She has likened these marks on the human body to photographs themselves: “When I first encountered the scar, I reflected on photography. . . . While a person hopes to remain unblemished through life, all must sustain and live with wounds, visible and invisible . . . an imprint of the past, welded onto a part of the body.”

ひろしま/hiroshima #9 (Ogawa Ritsu), 2007, Ishiuchi Miyako. Chromogenic print. © Ishiuchi Miyako

Miyako Ishiuchi's photographs of clothing and personal items that belonged to people killed by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The garments are part of the permanent holdings of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Despite the sad subject matter, the photographs are quite beautiful, the mixture of bright colors and textures intersect and create fountains of memory.

Ishiuchi initially photographed objects in a lighted box, later using natural light. On cloudy days, she used a lamp to illuminate the room. Crouching and kneeling, she carefully adjusted her clothes to see every detail. She looked carefully at every stain, every button, every buttonhole. In close-ups of body photos, she also tried to discover something invisible to the naked eye. She focused on arms, legs, and scars. She could make her prints. She took the time to first spread the chemicals on the surface of the paper and then expose them. This long exposure time was to remind her of her experience with taking pictures. In one of the articles I read, she even talked to her lenses while taking photos. Maybe it was one of her technical secrets.

From my point of view, Ishiuchi's works register material traces of the passage of time, turning the focus away from places towards the body and personal belongings. Her photos make a story, something that gives us a lot to think about. I think you can learn a lot from them. Reading a few articles about her I realized that it was hard for her in those days. A female photographer who didn't like taking pictures, she showed others simple simplicity. I liked that. The interesting thing is that to know what the photo shows, we delve into its history. When you learn new techniques, you open up a whole new world of possibilities and provide endless inspiration. Isuchiuchi's work convinced me that it's worth trying new things. While for her it was a return to the past, for me it could be a new experience. Sometimes it is worth applying more, going deeper, for an amazing effect in the final phase. That's why in the next works I will pay more attention to details, just like Isuchiuchi. These photos she took have already stolen my heart and I hope you will like them too.

  Reference 

Taszycka, A.R.& M. (2020) Ishiuchi Miyako: Photography as a Trace, AWARE Women artists / Femmes artistes. Available at: https://awarewomenartists.com/en/magazine/ishiuchi-miyako-la-photographie-comme-trace/ (Accessed: January 19, 2023).

Ishiuchi, miyako (2023) SFMOMA. Available at: https://www.sfmoma.org/artist/Miyako_Ishiuchi/ (Accessed: January 19, 2023).

 ひろしま Hiroshima by Ishiuchi Miyako (2018) Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Available at: https://moa.ubc.ca/exhibition/%E3%81%B2%E3%82%8D%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE-hiroshima-by-ishiuchi-miyako/ (Accessed: January 19, 2023).

Introduction to Photography - Flash Task.

 Our class today focused on what photography is, who coined the term photography, and in what year. During a great film, we saw the first cameras - back then, they were big boxes. It's fascinating to see how they have changed over time.

Then we looked at the work of photographers who took pictures inspired by the Traces of You technique. For those who don't know In the context of photography, the word "trace" (as defined by the 2012 Macquarie Dictionary) means "a mark, taken, or evidence of the former presence, existence or action of something; a vestige".

After that, we discussed what ISO is, when to set it low, and when to set it high to get the right photo effect. We also discussed aperture and shutter speed. Knowing which buttons to use to lighten or darken the image was also very helpful. For us photographers it was a quick reminder of the previous semester, for others it was something completely different.

After this interesting dose of knowledge, which was this presentation, we all turned on the cameras and walked around the campus for more practice in taking pictures with the method we talked about in class.

Below are some of the contact sheets I made this afternoon.

Then I chose 4 photos that I think are good and put a description under each.

Canon EOS 700D 18mm f/5.6 1/60sec ISO 400

 

Here we can know one thing that the person in the photo is taking pictures, but what is he looking for behind the wall, his head is up, so maybe something in the clouds or watching someone.

Canon EOS 700D 18mm f/5.6 1/400sec ISO 400

Why did someone leave cigarettes, and maybe forgot his glasses, or went to throw a cigarette in the garbage. I like this photo.

Canon  EOS 700D 18mm f/5.6 1/80sec ISO 400

The picture shows only a waving hand, we don't know if someone is looking for help, or maybe it's some kind of fun. I like this photo.

Canon EOS 700D 18mm f/5.6 1/100sec ISO 400

Cameras talk about photographers; the next sign is that there are student cards. Have they just gone to lunch, or are they preparing models? Another mysterious photo.

For me, it was an interesting outdoor lesson. So you could focus on everything. The idea was to find some element of life in the shot of the photo, something that proves that a man was here and created some interesting situations for the photographer's eye. In this case for me. I try to make each picture tell a story. It's a pity that we had so little time for it and we could only move around the campus. In my free time, I will go somewhere and spend more time on such photos. I can't wait for the next classes again photos but now we're going to the city.

Promoting Myself to Employer: Target Market Photographer Positions.

 I looked at my target market when conducting research for this small project. These are employers hiring photographers because that is what I identified myself as in my video for marketing.

Soho House looking for a Studio Assistant - Soho Home in Nuneaton Studio. This was the first advertisement that attracted my eye. Their home page reads as follows: "Soho House is a space for the world’s creative people to come together, grow, have fun, and make an impact. We put our people at the heart of everything we do, and champion curiosity and connectivity to deliver the best experiences. By focusing on representation, recruitment, engagement, culture, accountability, and education, we’re committed to being a workplace where everyone can grow." 

Everyone would want to work for this company after such an introduction. They make several promises. To determine whether my qualifications would be a match for the position and whether I could be hired, I looked at the job they were offering. I went to look over their requirements/qualifications...

Requirements/Qualifications...

• A keen interest or experience in Photography, Studio Production, or Retouching 

In my ten years of photographic experience, I have been creative and innovative. I developed my photography skills in several courses. I've been working a lot with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom lately.

• Detail oriented, well-organized  and great at problem-solving

My patience and dutiful nature make me a good employee. My goal is to complete everything to the last button. Nothing is too difficult for me to solve. I always try to make everything go smoothly and accurately. I learn quickly, so that's probably one of my important qualities.

• Able to comfortably lift and maneuver heavy items safely 

I have undergone intensive health and safety training. Each company adopts new guidelines. I consistently follow company safety procedures and precautions.

• Experience working to tight deadlines desirable 

Time is money. There were times when I stayed after my shift ended or came in on my day off to finish what needed to be done.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with others 

I am a very communicative person. I'm trying to find myself in a new team quickly. I was a team leader and listened carefully to the opinions of others and valuable advice, which sometimes helped to achieve the goal faster.

Based on my achievements and experience, I could easily apply for this position. My ultimate dream job is to be a photographer and the above-mentioned studio also offers such a position, but I still feel uncertain and I know that I need other skills to apply and get the position of a photographer. I believe that as a photographer's assistant, I would have great opportunities to acquire new skills and I would be able to learn every aspect of being a photographer also from the back. Sometimes it is worth starting from the bottom and working up, it gives great satisfaction as well as knowledge.

In my opinion, this task was interesting. I was looking for a job in the photography department for the first time. Now I can see what such companies are looking for, what I still need to work on, and what I can already do and may find useful.

Biteable Video Process

After the first semester, I came back and immediately went to work. We created a video CV in the first session of the new module. I used Biteable.com  and I find a template to promote me to potential employers and clients online. I would like to apply for the position of photographer.

When I selected a template, my first focus was changing the text. I changed my experience and gave a brief description.

After that, I changed the main photo to my own and searched for videos that matched the description on each page. Additionally, I changed the text animation to swipe left. I have also changed the background color to blue.

The music that was added to the auto was a bit sad for me so I decided to change it, clicked on a note, and chose a more cheerful one. I opened the entire video a few times to make sure everything looks and works fine. I wanted to make sure everyone could read the text on the slide. Click below to watch the video.

Magdalena Surowiecka: Promotion Video

I've never used this option before in my conversation with a new employer, it's always been face-to-face, but I think it's a great option these days and I'm sure it will come in handy in the future.