Assignment 2: Tutor feedback

Student name	Michael Millmore	Student number	497132
Course/Module	Digital Photo Practice	Assignment number	Assign - 2

Overall Comments

Many thanks for submitting this second assignment Michael, which I feel has really given you the opportunity to conduct some fairly serious technical testing – judging by your initial comments on the blog posting … this forced you out of your comfort zone !  As you have been transferred over to me we do not have any outstanding issues to address from the last report, but I will include several practitioner recommendations for you to look at if you haven’t already done so.

Feedback on assignment

I noted from reading the written element of your assignment the fear you encountered when viewing what you considered a ‘brilliant and original interpretation’ of this assignment.  I understand it can be difficult at times, but I think this will come through confidence about your work and the ability to become less personal about the work you produce.  My advice in the first instance is to try not being put off by the work of your cohort and simply use the work you admire to drive and inform your own.  Most things have already been done to be fair and if you dig deep enough you will find a source to most of what you consider ‘brilliant and original’ !  I will try to help and support you in this respect.

As a series of images, I actually thought they all worked really well and wondered why you had spent so much time beating yourself up prior to shooting !  Some of these images are both really well composed (Hair Brush on Window Sill) and really well observed (Light Falling across Wall).  They show both an attention to detail and keen visually curious eye, which is not always seen at this stage of an undergraduate degree.  They actually suggest to me that you have spent many hours in the past deliberating and carefully constructing images, which you should feel confident about.

I think my main advice to you at the moment would be to think much more carefully about what you are actually spending time taking photographs of, even if the exercise is based purely upon technical considerations.  Having said this I did note that some of your writing could be described as ‘descriptive’ in terms of technical weighting as opposed to being more ‘reflective’ in terms of concept.  I think you could afford to ease back on the former and try to further develop the latter within this module.  

When you look at a series of images and one makes you stop, this can be referred to in terms of what Roland Barthes would call ‘Studium’ or a general enthusiasm or interest assigned to an image.  This is as opposed to something that might be classed as a rare detail or piercing moment of either pain or delight, which Barthes would term ‘Punctum’.  My punctum will be different to yours, but it is a good exercise to try to start establishing this when viewing imagery.  I have listed a publication below by Barthes entitled Camera Lucida, which I urge you to read in relation to developing your photographic critical position.

Lastly, an additional positive point to make about your work is that most of the images show very little ‘dead space’, which is so often found in the early stages of photographic practice – prior to any theoretical compositional considerations being either learnt or absorbed.  You have actually already alluded to the fact that effective photography equals Technique + Composition.  Good or acceptable technique is arguably the first prerequisite for ‘good’ photography, but this alone will not make a ‘good’ image.  Image making must be complimented by composition, not just technique as mentioned before. We all use very similar technical equipment to make images, so composition is often one of the best ways in which a photographer can express their individuality and personal feeling in communicating their thoughts and ideas.

For the next assignment [monochrome] try to conduct some research into why anybody would specifically wish to remove the colour from an image. Obvious debates surrounding this are firstly to limit or remove distractions from an image … but also you can argue a monochrome image can sometimes look dated / or dateless. By reverting back to the results that were only available from the early stages of the process, you can somehow often associate these historic vales to the works.

Learning Logs/Critical essays

This is progressing well for you and you are updating with regular posts.  The design is very easy to navigate, which will support you during assessment.  You may also like to consider placing a couple of tabs on the home page which help to easily locate key areas of admin such as feedback reports etc.

I also noted many postings in relation to photographic practitioners which really is excellent to see at this level of undergraduate study.  I think you might be able to make more reference to some of this work in your future assignment submissions, in terms of who is actually informing your own practice and in what way etc. I’ve tried to suggest some more practitioners below which are not currently listed on your blog and whose work you really need to know about.

Suggested reading/viewing

Hunter, T.2003:Tom Hunter. Germany. Hatje Cantz Publications

ISBN-13: 978-3775712774

Bird, N.2001: Tracing Echoes. Leeds. Wild Pansy Press

ISBN-13: 900687135

Callaghan, H.2006:The Photographer at Work. New Haven, CT. Yale University Press

ISBN-13: 978-0300113327

Barthes, Roland.1993: Camera Lucida. Vintage Classics. London.

ISBN 13: 978-0099225416

Journals – Source / Portfolio

Conclusions and targets for next assignment

In terms of practitioners I would like you to take a look at the following and then perhaps review their practice via a blog posting … the same as what you have already been doing.

In her 2001 work ‘Tracing Echoes’, Nicky Bird’s study of the Julia Margaret Cameron Archive revealed ancestors that had been traced back from Cameron’s original sitters.  Bird actually states that the Tracing Echoes project initially stemmed from viewing an image made by Cameron in 1865-70 called ‘The Passion Flower at the Gate’.  The image provoked what Bird described as ‘an almost gut reaction to the picture’ due to its resemblance to the artists sister which are detailed below:

In addition to the above, I’d like you to take a look at the work of Harry Callaghan for the next assignment [Monochrome].  I can’t stress how important it is, to be able to know as much as you can about the photographic practitioners who have influenced today’s photographers.  Callaghan has also done some interesting work in colour.

Anyway, good work once again Michael and I look forward to your next assignment submission.

Tutor name:	Keith W Roberts
Date	30/03/2014
Next assignment due	May 2014