Errol Morris on Photography

According to Errol Morris, we have forgotten the relationship between pictures and the physical world. He says that we treat pictures as these cultural icons when they also serve as a presence that shows us the world around us. He goes on to say that iconic photographs gain that name by showcasing a specific scene or person that is so shocking in such a way that it tells its own story instead of relying on our knowledge of outside reality.

Apparently photographs are their own reality and that the world beyond those frames are cut off. I do not quite understand what he means by connection to the physical world though. I mean yes pictures do have a connection by showing us landscapes and people that we know were or are alive. They serve as a guide for us to see into that camera person's reality. But how do we make photographs iconic in a way that make their own reality? Is it all about the location and the implications behind the photo? Or can a simple photo of a puppy among flowers become iconic in its own way without relying on physical reality or the shock value that is attributed with famous photos?

Ways of Seeing

Yet another old video that we were assigned during the photo project. This time the narrator explains the pros and cons of having photographs in our lives. He goes on to explain that photos are massively wide spread and provide us the opportunity to see things that we may never be able to see in real life such as a piece of artwork. A con that he then gives says that when we look at photographs we are looking only at a copy of what the photographer was seeing. That unless we experience that frozen moment for ourselves we will never be able to get that "real meaning" behind the picture. And that by looking at art and people through photographs makes it easier to share with others, the things within the picture lose the real purpose and enjoyment of their actual existence.

But does a piece of art really lose its intended meaning if we look at it through a picture? In my opinion no it does not lose its beauty or its meaning. Sure the art piece may become distorted and may look better in person but we can still get just as much enjoyment out of a copied photo as we can out of the genuine thing. This also applies to people, if we look at photos of when we were children does that memory lose its meaning? No in this case the photo serves as a reproduction of the memory, it helps us remember what we will most likely forget as we get older. Photographs can be copied but people and art cannot.

While watching the video I did not really agree with what the narrator was saying, sure its true that photographs can be manipulated and copied in order to fit somebody's needs. And seeing the art or person in reality may be a better overall experience. But what photographs lack in being genuine they make up for in being available and easily obtainable. Sometimes people cannot afford to go to a specific location that they see in a picture. The picture at least gives them visual clues as to what the picture is showing, it gives the person the ability to imagine being there. And isn't that the purpose of photos in the first place?

Masters of Illusion

One of four movies that we were assigned to watch in class during the photo project. The movie was old and silly but the presenter did have a few valid points. He was talking about the many Renaissance masters and how they were able to use perspective and color and form to make their images seem lifelike without actually being 3D.
A question that arose when I was watching the film is how do these so called masters fit into modern times? Illusions are indeed present but art has evolved away from such care and detail that the Renaissance painters had been accustomed to. Art is no longer a streamlined and academic process, anybody can be an artist and nobody is shunned for how they work. The evolution of art and photography has made it more possible than ever to create a style that is personal and not so "established" as the Renaissance painters and sculptors. Yes we will remember their art work as something fantastic and wonderful, how could we forget those massive paintings and sculptures that were given such great detail and time during an era where resources were limited? Like the narrator said in order to see past the illusion one must be willing to take in the more technical parts of a picture. Artists are able to draw out things like the vanishing point and differences in angles that average people wouldn't be able to find. None of us may be as revolutionary or fantastic as the Renaissance masters but I really don't think we need to be. Artists are masters of illusion in their own right, we are able to see past illusion and see the groundwork that makes an art piece really work. Pictures are an illusionary reality just as much as paintings are, but by grasping both the standard and technical details we can see how a picture ticks without breaking that illusionary spell it holds over so many.

Spencer Art Muesum Visit

Well the spencer art museum visit was very chaotic in the beginning, I had to rush down all across campus to make it to class on time. I actually forgot that we were visiting the print lab that day and I was not really excited for it. I have been to the print lab at least 20 other times during my year and a half experience here on campus. Yes I am aware that they house over 8000 different prints and photos which is really impressive. And I know that preserving each one is very difficult and takes skill which I applaud the professors and associates that work in that place with having the delicate hands needed to keep them clean.
I was not really interested in what the young woman lecturing us had to say, I have heard it countless times before. It was the same information of how photographs are a way of communicating and each one has a different way of speaking to the viewer. I understand the style and work that goes into each piece but I was really bored with the concept. Art in general is communication and connection not just photography. I really wish that she could have talked about how a photographer makes decisions based on the design and aim of their picture instead of just giving us a general tour.
Other than that we spent the last couple of hours down in the library so we wouldn't have to cross campus while it was hailing outside. As a whole I understand the concept and the need for photographs in the world. But does every single lecture of photography have to be the same? I appreciate the information and the art in general but I wish there was more to offer than what I have heard before.

Photography changes everything

So apparently this essay is yet another writing that the author uses to describe the utmost importance of photography. Instead of hammering in the idea of photography being a very exclusive source of knowledge, Mr. Marvin Heiferman  says that photography has changed the relationships we have with art and the world in general.
I like to think that photography has opened up a lot of doors for us since the 1830s, they let us look back on the moments that have passed and the events that took place. The way that all of these essays are written gives three main points of photos that I already knew existed.

1. That photos are a way of connecting us to the world around us, they act as a guide to what we may not be able to see in person so we can imagine and connect to them ourselves.
2. Photos are an important source of learning and possess enough knowledge to be used as a reliable learning device
3. Photos provide us a connection with each other through communicating without words

As stated before I am aware that photography is a very complex and serious art style that many do not appreciate for what it is worth. It is very difficult to showcase the expansion of time and space in a few static images but it is possible. It takes massive skill and precision to get the result that conveys this sense of movement just as any design project requires. If there is anything I took from this reading it was that by using photos to open up the world around us from our conventional limited view it gives us grander opportunities than before. Not only can we expand that source of knowledge that we use to learn from, but we can forge connections with each other through visual messages rather than verbal. Verbal messages are indeed up for interpretation but photos provide a unique interpretation that requires creativity and careful thinking rather than articulate wording.

On Photography

The author begins by saying that photographs are not only a way for us to be educated of the world around us, but that they give us the ability to see what we cannot normally see from where we are standing. That since 1839 almost everything has been photographed and that it has never been easier to have the ability to see things that would normally be separated from us by natural and social barriers.
She continues to say that printing words may be easier and safer, but the words of a person are just an interpretation. She says that prints and movies and television fade away with the time that they represent but Photographs are a still capture of a moment in time that last forever. That the importance of photographs as a form of knowledge helps us connect the past to the present without the use of words and instead uses the imagination of the viewer. The entire essay is a comparison between books and photographs and how images are more powerful and easier than words.
I can tell from the word choice and sentencing flow that this author is very passionate about photography. I enjoy the way that she compares television and books to photographs but the way that she glorifies photographs as a whole does not sit well with me. I can see that she is only trying to emphasize the importance and dependency of pictures, but they are not the only source of knowledge. Yes pictures do help us connect visually with the world around us while books only give us words to imagine off of, and yes Photography is still a very important form of art. But like printed words and moving images on a screen, pictures do not last forever. They fade and change with the times and sometimes they do not remain at all.
The author was trying to say that photographs are more dependable than books because of the way that they visually stimulate you into imagining the scene with you in it. Pictures are meant to help the viewer put themselves in the place of the camera holder, its how we connect without words in a way that helps us gain a better understanding of the world around us. But I enjoy books as much as looking at photos, maybe even a little more. I agree that books are more about interpretation than photos. But that is what makes books so interesting to me, they help me imagine the world that I want to see instead of just looking through the eyes of another person. I like to feel the movement of the words more than looking at static images. Images do last a long time, and they can help us remember but I personally do not feel they are as "decisively important" as Miss Susan makes them out to be. They are not the only important source of information, books and movies are just as influential.

A Viewers Guide to looking at photography

As far as I could tell the first reading assigned to us is made of two components, a gigantic checklist that breaks down the basics of photography analysis and an in depth description explaining the many important components to a photographs content. It is basically a gigantic formal essay that tells the reader the different aspects down to the most basic definition.
I do not appreciate the way that this reading is worded, it is not that it is hard to understand because its not. Its because that the author actually makes it sound like he thinks the reader cannot even grasp the most basic concepts of photography elements. I know that there is more to photography than just picking up a camera and shooting willy nilly. I know that the time of day, the placement of the subject, the angle, the color choice and the intended mood are all important. Photography is a very complex type of art that many people take for granted, and readings like this may give a clearer idea of what Photography means in the art world, but it does not show the appreciation that other artist statements do on the matter.
I do appreciate the amount of detail and comparison that goes into different concepts such as classical examples and modern examples of photography and how the definition has changed over time. While I do not enjoy formally written essays very often, this one does provide plenty of information for the average camera user. It does not force the opinion of Photography being of utmost importance but it does show the actual science behind Photography that goes into each picture. I always thought that Photography was a simpler form of art, but its just as complex and thought out as any other form of design.

Project 2 Description

After Project 1 ended the groups for BDS 102 split into two separate groups to make the projects easier to manage than if we did the same project at the same time. My class was assigned to showcase a demonstration of space and time through collaging photographs.
The project does not have any actual specifics, the only requirements is the subject of the collage must showcase movement using space and or time in a way that tells a story of progression. And the entire collage must be 75 photographs or more.
The subject can be anything that the student wants varying from locations to physical human subjects or a themed idea such as beauty shown in a way that still shows some type of progression. Space and time movement are not limited to times of day or step by step frames of walking. They can be the differences in light or photographs at different angles that come together to make the limited space seem larger. The freedom of the project allows for varying collages that each have their own unique take on the assignment, the difficult part is grasping the knowledge of moving space and time in a real fashion using nothing but static photographs in a way that makes it realistic.

Tuesday Pictures

Ted brown video

A video about a guy who talks about the tragedy of many designers being so focused on creating something "fashionable and trendy" that they forget what design is really about. He calls designers who think above others and focus on fashion "hipsters" admitting that he is also one of those people. Then he makes a point that designers need to go beyond the modern stigma to want to be fashionable. That design is more about finding something that fits into the niche rather than for the expensive crowd.

He says that a designer is always pressured to stay ahead of the times and to keep up with the ever growing technology, and that pressure is part of the reason that designers worry so much about fashion and modern things than actually thinking about what they are making. That making something attractive is easier to do and so that is why designers focus so much on appearance. A good way to approach the idea of design thinking is by experiencing a situation that causes the designer to think of something that can be helpful and innovative. That again designs must be interactive and adaptive and should be thinking more of the big ideas such as world issues than just focusing on the "small canvas" of appearance and fashion.

He then says that design is once again becoming something bigger than what is the latest trend. He says that designers are being presented with those big issues that design once focused on before such as global warming. That design thinking or "innovative thinking" is what will help the world solves this issue and make design more than just a simple profession. The one unfortunate thing that he presents is that design is human centered, that instead of focusing on the world the issues that design tackles are issues that humans have commonly caused. This one issue is what keeps me from enjoying design fully, if we could focus on both the natural world and what humanity needs this world would be so much easier to live in.

Poggenphol reading

The reading begins with the author meeting with a child psychologist, they go through Natural History museum in Chicago. While in the museum they critique the exhibits by the way that the visitors examine and react to each exhibit. The author makes a valid point by saying that many designers do not focus on emotion or feeling when it comes to what they design, they are so focused on client budgets and deadlines that design becomes a dead end job rather than something enjoyable. She calls it being trapped in a "aesthetic and technological vacuum."
She says that designers are meant to invoke a message through their designs along with meeting the desires of their clientele. While at the museum she realizes that she never really stopped and wondered what kind of message her designs were sending to her viewers and clients. She goes on to explain that design is actually the discipline of more than one profession, that not only do you need skill but you also need the ability to adapt to any situation that you find yourself in.
Design is interactive and communicative, it requires both the designer and the viewer to be able to understand how to use the design in a way that it is meant or targeted to be used as. She says that successful designs are ones that are able to adapt to the needs of its user while also providing a way for the user to depend on their own skills rather than having the designed product do all the work. She says that designers need to be able to see and understand patterns in order to make something that fits into whatever is needed or popular at the moment. The interactive part also means that the client of the product must be able to use the design from its first prototype in order to give real live feedback that the designer needs in order to fit it into what is required.
A major emphasis on the design process besides interacting with the clients and making something that anybody can use, she also talks a great deal amount about prototypes. Each successful design went through many phase changes, the designer needs to be able to adapt their prototypes to reach a final product. She says its unusual for a designer not to use prototypes because without changing and adapting the designer cant grow in skill and socialization. If a designer is not willing to change or invoke a message that reaches out to others they will become part of the vacuum that is plaguing much of the art and design world.

Summary of Wayfinding project

The project was going smoothly for the most part, many of the team members were willing to exchange ideas and to work together in order to bring about a simple solution. We focused on one location that had three possible entrances and we made an idea with combining our strengths in order to see if we could achieve the results that we needed. Two of my teammates were good with Photoshop and illustrator so they were in charge of making the arrows and logos that we would need in the future, I was good at sketching so I was the one who did preliminary sketches here and there to see if the arrow idea would fit.
We all went to the location together at Wescoe and we photographed at different parts of the entrances to the Underground, the easy part was giving each other the photographs. This was done by using a group specific file on Google Drive which allows us to share, edit and save photos and diagrams that the others have made.
One difficult issue was the issue of meeting during that last week of the project, the first week went fine but the second week that we had was a disaster. We tried to meet on Friday of that week so that we could start building the final steps to the project. But the team could not figure out a good enough time to meet, so we ended up meeting at four thirty when the print shop and KU art shop were about to close. The teammate in charge of changing the logo had to go back in and redesign it. We couldn't print anything even though we managed to get our hands on some foam core. And I had to leave early that day because I had other homework and plans.
The next time we were supposed to meet was on that Sunday and nobody answered their cellphone when I tried contacting them so I was left in the dark on how they were proceeding with their parts. And when we DO meet I cant meet because they always met on a weekday where I had class and I couldn't make it to the meeting because class has top priority.
Another issue was the fact that our teachers were very vague about the project offering very little information and advice leaving us to mostly our own devices. This is usually good but when our professor cant provide us with enough info so that we are not wandering into the project blindly something is wrong.
Despite all these difficulties from what I can gather our project was successful in what we have, its not the best but the prototypes look like they can actually become part of the Underground. And our team wasn't that bad either, there was no conflict outside of the meeting time fiasco and the process book was easy enough to make.

Wescoe description

We originally chose the building of Wescoe which is the home of the English department, the entire building is consisted of floors and stairs. But then the group decided to focus specifically on the difficulty students face when it comes to navigating to the Underground. The Underground is on the first floor of the building and is a giant food court that students can gather at to eat socialize and study. There is even a gift shop and cafe inside the restaurant.

The issue with the Underground is that it has three entrances that it can be reached by, one in the building itself, one by going down the main stairwell outside near the beach of Wescoe and one on the side that leads the student into the exit of the restaurant. The issue with all three entrances is that none of them are marked, so if a new student is trying to find the Underground they will have a difficult time. There are no signs or arrows to guide the students, you either find it by pure luck or by having older students show you.

So we decided to guide the newcomers to the Underground by leaving visual clues at each of the entrances with the major emphasis being put on the main entrance on the first floor of Wescoe. Complete with new signs arrows and a few fliers here and there.

Define: Wayfinding

The actual definition: Wayfinding- The ways in which humans and animals orient themselves into physical spaces and navigate places.

Personal Definition: Wayfinding- The ability to navigate through unknown spaces using visual clues provided in order to reach the destination. The ability to imagine oneself in a specific space and using that as a way to find the location.