Unit 12 - Final Evaluation Criteria.

 Do not forget that the final evaluation makes up one third of the whole project so in order that you attain a distinction it needs to be a substantial piece of written work. *Do not waffle though!

CP5 and CP6 are the essential aspects to meet.

• Use the heading - How I met my own creative intentions - Explain what your own idea was for your final images and why the work you've produced has elements of being fine art. What makes it fine art? 
• Use the heading How my work could be developed further - If you had far more time and no budget limits what might you have done differently that would have enabled you to develop your practice, knowledge and skills in the production of fine art work? 
• CM4 - To meet CM4 your work has to be extensive and include an analytical approach to your response, the easiest way is use the prompt what if this will entail questioning aspects of your answers proposing in detail alternative ways/outcomes.
• CD3 - To meet this you need to write about your work discussing the value of your learning and skills acquisition. How might this be useful to you in the future, what value is their to the new knowledge and skills that you have acquired. To attain the distinction CD3 your response has to be thorough. 

If you produce the best part of a page using the columns - change the font size if there's space at the end so that your text fills the page.

Unit 12 - Reflections - at end of activities

 At the end of each activity - Shooting - printing etc write up the Gibbs reflections.

In the analysis section of the Gibbs reflections... analyse and discuss how your use of the materials, techniques and processes have helped you meet your own creative intentions. E.g. explain in detail why the work you're producing meets the fine art aspects of the brief and your own intentions. 

Also discuss how at the next stage the work could be improved further in terms of meeting the fine art aspects... Idea, use of equipment and materials. 

Note: Covering these points in the reflections is all you need to do do not waffle.

001 - Research Unit 12

Stage 1 (Research and 3D Response) Approx 1 week

(1). Create 2 design sheets, one for the research and the 2nd for the practical work. Make a decision as to whether you're going to use 3 or 4 columns.

(2). Write a basic intro to the brief in the first column of the research design sheet as this will be your first page when the whole thing is completed and handed in. The intro needs to be an over-view of what the brief is about, when the deadline is and what the learning aims are (These are on the front of the brief). Mention the fact that the work you need to produce is both 2D and 3D and that it's a mix of digital and analogue photography.

(3). In the first week as a minimum research...

Andy Warhol "Brillo boxes"

https://www.christies.com/features/How-my-fathers-Brillo-Box-that-made-3-million-8028-1.aspx

https://www.phillips.com/detail/andy-warhol/NY010110/135

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81384

(2) Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film (Brillo Boxes) - Music By Brian Keane - YouTube

Look at the footage at about 2'51" and you'll see the technique and the process - use screen grabs with an explanation.

Christianne Feser "Models".

https://www.designboom.com/art/models-by-christiane-feser/

https://christianefeser.de/works/modelle/

Irving Penn

https://fraenkelgallery.com/exhibitions/portraits-in-a-corner-1948

https://petapixel.com/2018/06/22/10-things-i-learned-from-irving-penn/

https://irvingpenn.org/portraits

With all of these artists the main focus of your research relates to MTP's and equipment. One thing I'd like you to be aware of an comment on in the Irving Penn image is the inclusion of the black film border - known as the film 'Rebate'. Some Photographers insist on the images being printed with this border so that Picture Editors cannot make decisions about how the image appears. With the inclusion of the film rebate we see what the photographer saw through the view-finder, this is the Photographers true vision and not a version that the picture editor believes is an improvement. 

Practical_____________________________________________________________________

When you produce the practical work try and shoot enough images to fill complete pages... either 1, 2 or 3 pages per activity.

Always start with a plan, followed by the practical work (Photography and the production of the work). Get people to photograph you doing the work on your phone, your 'Sets' (Lighting and the background/set up for your images) shot as wide views so that we can see your working process. Images of your camera, contact sheets, equipment used and a good selection of the images you shoot. Always aim to do more than you need. If you make any adjustments using Photoshop do before and after images and include screen grabs if the Photoshop work you do is new learning. Finish off with a Gibbs reflection analysing what you've learned focusing on materials, techniques, processes and equipment. Also write up a What if within the analysis, suggesting how you could have done it differently so that it may have been better. Also in the analysis mention why the work that you're producing with each is meeting the requirements of the brief (2D and 3D work, using digital and analogue equipment, learning about MTP's). 

H&S (Health & Safety) With each activity - write about H&S considerations in conjunction with the work you do. This is essential in order to pass.

By the end of this week have the work done with the 3D tasks completed and in your design sheets. 

Work smart get your images off of your devices and into folders for each of the shoots. 

Other photographers and artists you can look at include...

3D - David Hockney Joiners "My Mother - Bolton Abbey"

3D - Gwon Osang "Deoderant style"

2D - The Bechers 'Typologies" No portraits here, but the objective style and the way the images are presented is useful and they go into a lot of detail about their methods, process and equipment. 

2D - Joni Steinbach "Surfland"

Production Values...

Click image to open video

In the work if you're aiming to attain higher grades discuss Production Values in terms of if you were to push the 3D work on to a standard that it might be deemed as a fine art product. Producing the images on photocopy paper isn't going to cut it in the world of fine art - the images need to be presented at far higher standard...

Photo & Art Mounting | Mounted Photo Prints | theprintspace

https://vimeo.com/367057456

More useful websites you may wish to use Quotes from 

https://www.christies.com/features/How-my-fathers-Brillo-Box-that-made-3-million-8028-1.aspx (1)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGvE9za2W-E

 

Modelle – Christiane Feser

Christiane Feser: On Not Expecting a Window : Saint Lucy (saint-lucy.com) (2)

Additional guidance regarding Research

Ideally you need to keep on top of this work and get it into your design sheets as you go along. Remember you're doing this using the creative process, so at the moment you should be at the stage where you should have the following work already in your design sheets.

Page 1 & 2 - Page 1 - Write the title of the Unit and your name Then write an intro which basically explains what the assignment involves. Read through the assignment if you're not sure and write up an explanation. Copy the 'Learning aims' from your assignment and explain that these are what you will be learning, identify the deadline and what you have to produce at the end in terms of final pieces/images.

The rest of the page and the following page should be artist research - a column per artist is enough and the focus of your research is the materials, techniques and processes they use to produce their work. The artists/photographers that you've been told to look at and research are as follows. Use as many as required to fill your 2 or *3 pages. Leave a space at the end to reflect on the usefulness of the research.

Christianne Feser "Models"

Andy Warhol - "Brillo boxes"

Gwon Osang "Deodorant types"

Irving Penn - "Corner Portraits" 

Joni Steinbach - "Surfland"

The Bechers - "Typologies"

Finish off with a Gibbs reflection that analyses the usefulness of the research in terms of learning more about the use of MTP's (Materials techniques and processes). 

When writing this work up use the term "Materials, techniques and processes" or MTP when writing about the artists/photographers as that's what you're being assessed on and it's the wording seen in the criteria. 

*For the sake of neatness and presentation try and keep this stage of the work to either 2 or 3 full pages.

002 - 3D tasks

 Having reflected on your research, writing about how it may have given you ideas and how it has enabled you to show knowledge of digital materials, techniques and processes in Fine art and so meet that aspect of the criteria early in the assignment, you now need to move on to producing examples of how Photography can be use in 3D applications to produce a Fine Art outcome. 

Chritianne Feser - 'Modelle' portraits

Andy Warhol - 'Brillo Boxes' 

In college you'll make your own versions of similar 3D work based on the above. For each approach write your work up and record it in the following manner... This work should result in a minimum of 4 pages in response to these activities. 

Remember - Plan - Do - Reflect

You will need to write a plan... (See notes from lessons).

• When you plan to shoot.
• You'll need to produce a floor plan diagram with details of camera position and your light source.
• Where you're shooting the pictures.
• What camera you'll be using.
• What media your using.
• What focal length you'll be using.
• Whether you'll experiment with different focal lengths or change lenses.
• What kind of lighting you'll be using - soft,harsh, diffuse, point etc.
• If your copying someone's lighting techniques say who's.
• Who your model will be.
• Whether you're using tripods, reflectors, or any other equipment.
• Who your assistant will be.
• Any H&S issues
• What your Intention is, what you're trying to achieve or learn. 
• What you're testing out.
• Transport details
• Details about emptying SD cards - charging batteries.
• Contingency (Back up) plan in the event of any changes - models/light/weather
• When you intent to have films processed by and the work in your design sheet.

Included in your plan you will need to include research images of the artist whose work you're being inspired by, you can cross reference the artist to your earlier research in terms of written content or simply identify the artist and the name of the body of work. 

Contact Sheet_______________________________________________________________

Shoot more images that you need. You'll have been instructed to bracket your shots and to experiment with your white balance, so you'll have a range of images to use in your work to annotate and analyse when you come to reflecting on what you've learned and how you've met the criteria so far...

With a good range of images, you'll be able to put together a good contact sheet or two that shows how you've explored shooting your 3D object in terms of composition, exposure and white balance. 

Example with plan, floor plan, artist ref and contact sheets.

2 page of images or more? 

We would recommend that you produce 2 pages that feature the images that you've shot of your 3D models, the pages would consist of the details seen above and the remainder would be made up of variations of the main images showing the difference achieved by bracketing, use of white balance and your compositions and angles. The majority of the time your images will also need to be edited in Photoshop to potentially brighten up the images and neutralise any colour casts caused by the light or incorrect use of white balance. 

Other things you can add are annotations and screen grabs of your Meta-Data showing how you've set up your camera and shot the images... Whist on a PC right click the image, click show more options then click properties and then click details.  You can then screen grab the details that are relevant and include this among your images.

Once that's all done leave enough room to write up the reflection. In the reflection explain or analyse (What if) what you've learned in terms of your use of digital materials, techniques and processes in conjunction with producing a 3D fine art product. One of the things you could discuss at this point is the production values (See notes from the lesson) . Also explain how the work meets the criteria at this stage. 

003 - 10 x 8 View camera sessions

003  phase 10" x 8" View camera (Approx week)

Photograph the camera, the light stand, the lens and all the component parts, label these parts and explain how they’re used and in what sequence.

Photograph the double dark-sides and explain what the do. Explain how they’re used in conjunction with 10 x 8 film and what the notches (Codes) are used for and how they’re used.

Explain how you load the paper and in what conditions and where.

Photograph the ‘Lupe’ AKA ‘Agfa Lupe’ as they used to be made by Agfa.

Get someone to take a picture of you…

Focusing

Loading a dark-slide into the camera

Using the cable release (Wide shot of the set with model, camera etc).

Taking light readings

 

Write up the details of using the light meter including the settings and typical exposure times and  ISO of the paper.

Identify the light and the type of light you use (Quality/Properties).

Shoot and identify at least 4 successful negative 10 x 8 images in your work.

Identify your 4 successful ‘Positive’ images (Scanned and inverted). With details of the scanner and its settings and the process in Photoshop.

Identify at least one example of a positive made in the darkroom using the contact sheet method – explain how it’s done (Images diagrams) and the timings.

_________________________________________________________

In your design sheets...

(1). The plan for the in-college activity using the 10 x 8 camera.

(2). Reference image (Irving Penn/Richard Avedon) showing the film rebate (Black edges/border). With a little bit of info about the photographer - cross reference with your previous research if possible.

(3). Floor plan diagram.

(4). Wide shot of the set - camera/model/Photographer in same shot.

Then the main body of the work...

• Darkroom contact prints of the 'Negative' images shot on the 10 x 8 camera. With explanations and details of the equipment used (Annotations). 
• * Colour Scans of your 10 x 8 image as negatives as they came out of the camera. (Must include the black border - film rebate). Use either the flatbed scanners or the photocopy scanner. Scan at high resolution. 
• Positive versions of the same images.
• Large full page versions of the 4 best ones
• Images of all the equipment, materials, techniques and processes used, accompanied with brief annotations if required.
• *Note it may be beneficial to write up details about the equipment and materials on separate pages that given over this part of the work like this... At this stage in terms of materials - you will have used VC Select paper, Ilford paper developer, Ilfostop Developer and Hypam fixer. (See explanation and idea for presentation below...

Here you can see I've allocated a column per material - in this case it's films used. 75% of this is simply images off the internet, the section at the bottom is where I've written about my own experiences and observations relating to the use of the film.

The same approach can be applied to equipment and your artist research too.

I terms of what you'd write in your Reflection you could analyse the work in terms of can this work be deemed as fine art  at this stage - what make it fine art if you're saying that it is - add a what if prompt in there and discuss what might be done in addition to potentially step the work up to a higher level so that it might be argued that it is fine art. 

What Value is there to doing this exercise - what have you learned in terms of equipment, materials and technique? Explain/analyse what you might do next using this technique - how could you add your own ideas to this approach - try and come up with your own idea that you could turn into a set of 4 images? Try and aim to produce four good images as a set - as this will be massively beneficial in terms of your portfolio for the 2nd year. 

Poodle No.1: Studio Stuff - Basics (southendasphoto.blogspot.com)

Poodle No.1: Planning your work (southendasphoto.blogspot.com)

Sheet  Film (tpub.com) code notches on sheet film

 

004 - Bonica SQB introduction

 For this task you need to use the Bronica SQB camera in conjunction with the use of either HP5+ or FP4 + medium format (120) film.

For the introduction you'll probably shoot on the 5th floor atrium walkway against the white background or a 8'x4' polyboard.

David Bailey | Michael Caine, 1965 | MutualArt

Your design sheet should include the following...

• Plan  - detailing where, where, who with using what equipment, what light you'll be expecting to use and a ball park figure of the expected exposure values. Lens focal length, film used and any other details you can think of. 
• Floor plan - A diagram of your floor plan with light direction and quality, where your subject is and the position of your camera in relation to the subject and light. Use the symbols shown in previous sessions.
• Reference Image - Use either an Irving Penn or Richard Avedon image. Identify who's work it and from what period and body of work (Choose and image that includes the black borders). 
• Wide shot - When you shoot get someone to take a picture of your working showing the set or shoot someone else who uses the same set up.
• Contact sheet - 
• Equipment - Shots of the camera, light meter, tripod used, film used, any shots of close up details on the camera to show any details needed to illustrate and help with annotations. Images of close - up of the loading process or glitchy details relating to explaining how the camera is used.
• Prints - 2 or more prints from the roll of film shot using the Bronica SQB
• Test strips - To illustrate process.

Then write up a Gibbs Reflection

The emphasis in the analysis part of the Gibbs reflection should be commentary around the potential for using this camera to produce work that could be deemed as fine art (Refer to notes from previously lesson where we discussed what make work fine art). What is it that makes work shot on this camera potentially a fine art product? Consider the materials used so far... What if you were to use better materials - would that help to step the work up to something that could be deemed as fine art - how - why? What materials? 

What was your intention with regards this work and have you met that intention? 

What could you do if you were shoot using this camera again and how might you improve/develop your approach/idea (Give 3 or 4 examples). 

*When you produce this work try and fill either 1 full page or 2 pages. Try and keep it super neat and organised. Remember you can reduce or increase the size of your text to help fill the pages to make it look organised and neat.