Photojournalism - Analysis

Heres the picture in question:

An off-duty sergeant in the Israeli Army lets down his guard for a kiss in West Jerusalem's Zion Square

Taken by: Annie Griffiths Belt
Source: from Through the Lens: National Geographic greatest photograph


Simply looking at this photo, one will rarely evoke any emotions. However, as we read this picture in Singapore context-- with relations to current affairs, we discovered that there are much more to it.

Picture composition

- Medium Long Shot

The shot is taken to show the contrast between the couple in the foreground, and the mass of people in the background plus the artistically designed buildings. Secondly, the photo is taken to read that the couple is in a private domain, a world of heir own, as compared to the people at the back.

-Rules of Thirds

The rules of thirds are follow as we can see 1/3 of the photo cover the buildings, while 2/3 of the picutre is filled with people.

-Colours

The colours are nicely mixed, with a warm temperature, yet there are a mixture of other colours temperature cool ones) in the photo. It has a high contrast too.


Semotic Analysis

• Denotation

Simply a man and a woman kissing at a square

• Connotation

With connotation, we can read more into it.

- Positive connotation
We see that the man is a soldier from his uniform. However, as a soldier, he looked at ease and relaxed, and peaceful, which create a pleasant atmosphere, as we think of the soldier as a ordinary human being instead of a cold brutal killer. This is evident in the photo shown below, where it gives u a more humane perspective of soldiers.



-Negative connotation
From the standard image of Soldier, we know that solders fight for their countries, and will be associated with violence, and strict discipline. However, this is the opposite of what the photo is showing, which may put the viewers in dismay.

• Signs

- Iconic
This is a public display of affection, which couple usually do. thus, it can be deduced that they are portraying love between them.




-Indexical
From the man's clothes and the gun, we can infer that he is a military person, where from this, we think of military, violence, and war.

-Symbolic
Kissing, as mentioned earlier, is a form of affection. The act of it is a portray of love and endearment.

-Architectural
The buildings in the back are designed with French culture in mind, reflecting the culture import from France to Israel some time back in History. Below is a picture of a building in Lyon, France




Another symbolic term is the crew cut hair of the man, which symoblises a person under state discipline - in the case of people in jail, or people under confinement as evident in cases of local national service men who have to shave their heads when they first enter an intensive training course. Lastly, when it combine with a green uniform, we know that he is a military personnel.

Lastly, with the crest rank on his arms, we know that he is a sergeant. This crest rank will be understood if the viewer knows about Israeli Army or is part of it.

• Metonymy

- Circle of Harmony
This circle of harmony is seen in pictures of unity that depict a group of people who share the same values in one way or another. It shows that they have a common traits and is being part of a group. This is evidently seen in the various circles drawn out in the following picture.



As seen here, we have indicated the circles of harmony presented in the photo, which include not only the couple, but the people in the background as well, giving the whole picture a peaceful feel.


-Soldier = war

Another depiction would be looking at the soldier which we would link to war.

• Irony

-Reversal of Gender roles
In olden Asia's context, men and women play different roles in society. In courtship, male is seen as the active player in it, while the female accepts, and thus seen as the passive player. However, from this picture, we can see the reversal of gender roles, as the woman reached forward to kiss the man. Even as an impromptu kiss, the lady is seen as the active character in this picture.

-Violence vs Romance
As discussed earlier, the notion of war stems from the man, who is a soldier and at the same time carrying a gun. This is in conflict when he is engaging in a more personal involvement with a lady (presumingly his girlfriend) Thus, there is this conflict of his embodiment as a symbol of hard cold men who do as he told in order to fight, from the action he is showing.

-Off duty vs carrying gun
As clarified in the presentation, we analyze this picture base on local context. Thus, we find the possession of gun is symbolic, as there is a law in Singapore that forbid any person from holding any firearms, as state in ARMS OFFENCES ACT (CHAPTER 14)
We do understand that this only apply locally, as other countries have other variation in their arms act. E.g: people in U.S are allowed to carry guns in some states with a license.

• Modality

-Low modality
As interpreted from a local context, it is inappropriate to carry guns around after his duty, as it result in commiting a serious crime in Singapore.

-High modality
This seems to be a snapshot of reality, as the characters in the photo look candid, which tells us that there is no manipulation in the storyline of the picture. This is shown by other photos in Israel where people mingle around with the soldiers freely.

Secondly, as this is a photo from National Geographic, viewers would tend to trust it, as it is a magazine that portay truths aroudn the world using photojournalism. Hence, the picture is credible. Also, as evident from other famous photo of people kissing, we can see that it is a real act and it is not an acting scene.



A sailor kiss a nurse at Times square on V-J Day,Published by LIFE magazine

• Intertextuality

- As reveal in the caption, the picture is taken in Zion Square in Jerusalem of Israel. Viewers would have been there will be familiar with the background. Secondly, the crest rank is also a embodiment of Israel Military authority.

Evaluation

• Self
  

From my pov, i think we try to cover the main points of the analysis in details.. so i guess we can get a 87/100 from the detail analysis we have presented. Of course one limitation is that we read too much in local context, but that is the primary reason why we choose that picture over many others in the book.

• Others

Overall i think everyone did well in the analysis. It would be difficult to choose who have the best analysis of their photos. A particular one i would choose would be Puaylin's and Xin Ying's work. The one thing that strike my mind is that the photo is taken in Singapore, thus analysing in local context where we have more understanding of.. would be of advantage. Thus i would give them 89/100 =)

The threat of the creep

Creep

There are many definitions to this word. It can be a bad person, or a motion, or a term in science. Many would see it as a negative connotation, which is true, since most of the definitions do show negativity in it.

Idea

Creep, as a motion, can mean simply like an insect crawling.. however, i want to gather focus on those subjects that are more hidden.. that people rarely notice how it crept.

So i thought up of a few themes which i could explore on:

1) Shadow
2) Smoke
3) Hair creeping in water

I generated some ideas for shadow, but to express it well, it would be the best to portray it in the film kind of shots..where multiple shots are taken to show the creeping motion. so.. to fit in well with this assignment, i decided to throw it away first...


Im also considering the motion of hairs in water.. they are constantly moving with the current.. slowly.. but steadily. sometimes when i swim.. i like to see my hair moving in slow motion.. a kind of creeping motion. It's also like creeping in a scary way, as evident in this picture:



Anyway.. i think i would take the forms of hair in water when i found a swimming pool that allow me to take photos, and found a person who has long enough hair and allow me to dump her in water for me to take such photos, and perhaps when i got enough capital to get a DSLR myself for not worrying about paying the school if i damage the camera in larger water bodies.


so in the end, i use "smoke".

The-creeping-smoke-that-harms-our-lives

Realism

A smoker enjoying his first puff of smoke.

Formalism

Notice the creep.

Expressionism

the smoke creeps to nearby people..!!


Have you ever notice how smoke creeps out from the bud, and rise in the air?

For this series of photos, i want to focus on 2nd hand smoke from a smoker. How it rises from the cigarette to the air, which means to its surroundings.. which means to the people nearby. Creep can be read in this case as the motion, creeping towards the people, and secondly think of smoke as a bad character.. a creep. So it is a 2 prong approach in this photo.

I render them to be in black and white, so as to show the contrast in the whites of the smoke against the surroundings... Also, i don't wish the colors to distract the smoke.

Comments

Classmates have commented that my picture depicts loneliness. hm.. i don't think of it that way.. because the uncle who agree to take the photos is so cheerful and funny that i can never associate him with loneliness.( He has a lot of friends at the market) Of course, i don't expect everyone to feel that way. It's just what i see. =)

Improvements

One constraint is that the smoke is SUPER DIFFICULT to take..!! I tried high shutter speed..against black background.. but it still capture little smoke. Anybody has any idea on how to capture smoke?

Judgement

For this assignment, i would give myself a 8/10. It really difficult to capture smoke and i tried my best doing so.. Of course, there are improvements to make, such as how to differentiate =formalism and the expressionism better, and also to improve the contrast of the black and whites.


Best shots

I like the background used in Xinying's photographs. Although the idea of creep is simple, i.e: a person up to no good, the final effects sets the mood of the whole photographs, which strengthen the idea of creep. I think the lightings in the photographs play a big part in it, both the green and the reddish hues ( i prefer the reddish hues) However, in terms of the 3 forms, i could not differentiate it that well yet. For her work, formalism can be switched with expressionisms. Therefore, i would rate her as 9/10.. Well done..!

Another work i would like to mention would be Boon Hock's. The 3 forms are expressed very well. I can differentiate them .. because with the addition of a human in the expression, its a difference to the feel you get in the realism shot. Perhaps also because of the way he stand.. haha.. I would rate him 8/10 for this..!

After .. After What?!

The day after..
My initially thinking was the day after what?! Then i realize it is a fill in yourself question. A little stuck at the beginning. But i gradually understand the theme. I want to portray the history. So the words answer themselves.

The day after it happen, it became like this.

So we got to question ourselves, what had happened? what cause the death of the plant in such a way? Why are there barbed wires above the wall? Why is the generator not affected by the rust? Who is the owner? What is the mystery behind the wall?

So instead of looking forward, i want to step backward abit, and question myself. what actually happened? It allows people to fantasize freely.. A classmate commented that it seems like Changi Prison .. Another said it is like a dilapidated building. It is kind of free imaginary space actually. So you can think of what it is, and most importantly, to question the mystery of it.

When i shoot this assignment, i try to keep every photo a single image that can speak on its own, meaning every photo has a subject or a pattern. I would try to use a focus on each subject so that every single photo can speak a story of itself too.

I received some feedback that the whole photo is seemingly one shot.. However, i used over 40 photos to piece up the final work. Perhaps the different perspective shots are not that clear. (You would notice some of it when you open the image in another window-- espcially the rust.. they are not so prominent and long in the real situation) But i would take shots from other perspective and try to highlight what i would like to focus on. I would also include other shots to enhance the mysterious feeling.

So after much experiment.. here's what i got..

Various subject that i want to highlight.. like the rust on the wall.. the tiny weed at the trunking are given the priority. The subject i want to focus on gives the whole picture a better focus point. This is evident in how my classmates highlighted that they noticed the pipe first then linger on the rust and then at the street lamp.

Inspired by Sheryl, i add in other elements to add on to the mood of my theme.The barren trees peeking form the roof is trying to show that there is something going on inside.. that makes the tree bare.. And it is also a harsh iamge taken with a bright, bold sky... perhaps something unpleasant and sinister.. or something.. (Think freely..) haha...

Also.. i arrange the trees such that they form a kind of sphere along with other pictures of the sky.. giving it a more rounded view.. as to match the rather round grass on the bottom.. Audiences may notice the roof and the rust more because of the increased area of the sky that makes the rust in the center of attention.

I would rate myself as 8.5/10 because some of my classmates did grab my idea of a jail-liked area and confinement before i present it.. so i guess for this time round, the message between the picture and the audience is direct.. need little or no explanation from the photographer, which is crucial in any form of communication. However, as mentioned by my classmates too.. the picture look rather flatter.. so i work hard on that for the edited piece.

There are always room for improvements. So for the improved one.. i use different kind of angles and shots to portray more clearly what i want to focus on. Now you can see the rust more clearly.. in different perspective as well as increasing the foreboding feeling the confining wall exude. Any comments on how to further improve it are welcome =)

I also learn that there are alot of ways of portraying reality.. and through this assignment i got to play around with different perspective.. which sometimes can be interesting. This is something i thought about when i took photos in the past.. "where i want to capture that.. but its facing the other side.. and i dun want this background" So this way of exploring of perspective changes everything. In future.. i may try to do other forms of photo montage ( though its a torture on my comptuer HD..!!)

Another thing i realized is that we think of perspective as panorama.. which is true but theres more to it..?

As i recall other works.. i noticed quite a few that intrigue my mind.. One of them is Jialin's work. of "The day after an artist’s perspective" Her usage of slight sepia tone plus just one colored photo shows the contrast and direct the audience where to view her picture. I can also see it in different perspectives. Thus i would think she deserve a 9/10. That is because i find that the angles where both perspectives is a little too sharp.. giving me the feeling of falling into the pit. And the "pit" has no center of focus.. makes my eye stuck there.. yups..


Another piece would be Sheryl's photo. Her usage of other photos is an idea that did not strike me in the beginning.. but i understand that power of self manipulated reality.. which she expressed it well in the photo. It would be better if there are more shots to be taken for the whole montage.. to give it more perspective, which also able to show more details of the scene. I would award her with 8/10 for her creativity..!

Feel it with 8 pictures.

As we move along, the number of photographs increases. So do the ideas behind them, which in turn killed even more brain cells than before. But i guess that is alright... even my brain is constantly changing..

Theme: Change is constant

Is nature containing us?
Or are we containing nature?


The photos will show that the change in interaction between us, human and nature.

nature is surrounding us until human came and industrialize. We took over nature, and everywhere we see is buildings and dust.

We are containing nature.

Nature is not at all depicting. From the photos, you will see she strikes back and is trying to contain us.


Can you see the change in her?

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The pebbles of the earth that are used as massage er.. devices?



A crack..!! cause by a tree root.. but it cracks quite prettily..


I suspect this is cut off by man.. because the branch grow towards the pathways of passerby and cyclists...


a tweeny weeny shoot in a carpark.. the power of nature..


Life in a cage: Tragedy.

Crossing over the borders.. into greener land.. or bluer sea..?


This is a representation of weather, and how human change it. Global warming is still ongoing, and the culprit is nonetheless humans. The backdrop of the buildings gives a "city" look, where air pollution contributed to the global warming the most. Secondly, think of it a creation called "the cap", which we used to shield from nature (i.e. the sun)From these, We can truly see how we try to change the environment.


As for picture 8, don't you feel that nature is mocking at us? =)


In summary, the photos tells two side of the story.

Firstly, it depicts the changes that human made to the environment. Secondly, it shows the changes nature is creating in our environment. How it may seem properly altered and made for humans is in fact being overcome by nature. The photos are displayed in a alternative mode, and in subject order so that the viewers could capture the elements of change , from stones to plants to animals and finally elements from the sky.


I realize that my photos could be understood more easily if each elements are place side by side, like how i did for the presentation. It would be more effective to see the changes between us and nature.

After all these.. i would give myself a 8.5/10.. i really like the last one.. because whenever someone heard i took a photo of bird droppings they gave me a very weird response, but when i explain the rationale behind it, they would see it from a different view.

Come to think of it.. i guess i may have done it better if i would have the full resource and knowledge of the camera accessories (lens, lighting kit..) I saw some photos taken with various filters and lens.. The result is dramatically different..! Hopefully i could learn more about that..so that i can take better photos.. which can express the feeling out more vividly.. i hope.

I find Samantha's photo essay is interesting, because i can see some kind of elements in the photos - Forgotten. All the photos display subjects that are minute in everyday lives, yet the focus on them makes people think about them. I would suggest she have a 9/10.

Light.

It's not exactly how it seems to be. The aim of this is easy to say but difficult to achieve. Now i understand how much a photographer would pride on his work.. because there is really A LOT of effort and time being put in every single shot, whether they turn out good or not that great.

Playing with aperture, shutter speed, depth of field and ISO is easier said than done. Sometimes the logic is there but the effects did not turn out nice, other times is the camera won't corporate ( now i know which function is the culprit) and lastly i don't have a TRIPOD, which is essential in night shots in my humble opinion.. So i just need to make use of what i have.

Earlier on i have misunderstood the idea of using a image processing software.. so i have revert everything... the colors here are genuine.. Some are not what i expected because i am still experimenting with the camera.

Idea

Exposure.. in general case means light. It may mean anything and everything, since light makes up photos.

A lift from heaven

Shutter speed: 1/125
Aperture: F9
Focal length: 17mm
ISO: 100

This is a kind of silhouette shot of the cage that the vines are holding their lives to. i think it kind of look like a lift from heaven, from the angle it is shot. The symmetry of the pattern gives a wholesome feeling, and the hole in the middle creates a "window", leading to the skies, creating a depth of field.




Shutter speed: 1/60
Aperture: F11
Focal length: 38mm
ISO: 100


This is taken from another view, a horizontal alignment to show mainly how the vine and the cage entwines. This picture looks a little cluttered, and the point that it is landscape makes the whole image looked stretched although it is not. and the blue tints of the skies did not turn out at all.


Shot 2:

Speed of light

Shutter speed: 2s
Aperture: F9
Focal length: 24mm
ISO: 200


This is my 2nd shot, taken at night. The aim is to capture the light trails effect, and without the aid of a tripod, i tried many many more times, and hoping that my hands don't cramp up. I particularly like this because the lights of buses leaves the most trails . One contrasting element is that there are still lights behind the trails.. The reflections of the lamppost (behind me) on the bus turn out on the picture too..!





Shutter speed: 2s
Aperture: F9
Focal length: 24mm
ISO: 200


This is taken when a cab drove past.. i like the red trails.. it shows contrast against the yellowish tint. But i thought the magnificent colour of the previous image would stand out more which is why i choose that one..


Some of the others which i have considered as my final pieces:

Sunlit

I tried to have the sunshine in its best timing over this exotic flower.. and i quite like the effect.. The lined leaves of this plant is so contradictory to the flower itself, which is spiked.

Fly high

The tiny flags celebrating National Day are still displaying on a block. It evokes my sense of patriotism . Suddenly a bird flew past..! i think it add on a new level of asthetics. Fly high Singapore..!

Slience of the night

I like the composition of this shot.. of my friend here. A quiet night, when everyone is asleep. Only a few souls are awake to pen down their thoughts. It is the best time to be inspired.. what inspired her?


Generally, i would rate myself around 75/100 for the whole assignment. 40 for creativity, 20 for effort.. and 15 for techniques ( im still learning..!) although some did not turn out as expected, but i got to understand the functions more.. which is a good thing for future assignments.

I blog hopped around to admire the works of others and one i particularly like would be Mike's photos. The angles and the shutter speed are well explored, which leave the pictures with a very real touch. I would say he deserve a 90/100 for capturing such captivating pictures..!
Another photo that i liked would be from Seah Huiling. The lantern gives a very warm feeling, as oppose from outside, which is blue ( gives a cool feeling) I would say she deserve a 80/100 for that shot.

Photogram

Here is my final piece.

Some might be thinking how this can represents a person.. but the fact that it is an abstract piece says something - there is a deep side of every person.. It's something that others could not see from far, only when one approach it, more things would be discovered. Not only me, i guess everyone would have this side of themselves.


Idea

The idea was that every person is a piece of wired ribbon. Be it of different shapes and size. As a wired ribbon is flexible, it allows bending and folding, to different shapes.

That is what everybody is. A different shape.

A different shape represents the different characteristics we have. so i form the ribbon to a flower shape. I wouldn't insist that it is a rose.. because my folding skills are not very well developed yet (As you can see) The endless stem represents the willpower i aspire to have.. winding.. and winding continuously.. (Never give up!)

Also, i like the material of this ribbon. it is translucent, making it an ideal object to play around with lights.. also, it is bendable, i could fix it into any shapes i like. So i decided to make it like a flower petals.. (stars don't work very well) , and was quite happy that the light of the scanner did capture the levels of transparency of the ribbon. Yet its not all about black and white, I added the pebbles to indicate that what can the bud give out -- the pebbles. Since i have little success with a beam of light to show a glowing effect that comes from the bud itself.. i decided to use the pebbles then =(


I like the zen feeling of simplicity.

Feedback

The feedback i got was that the pebbles on the left side are a little too purposeful.. maybe i should have arrange it in a more random kind of way.. but i would try again..! I would experiment with another combination of the pebbles and the ribbon.


Others

Before this, i have tried with a chain, one that i particularly like best. It's those kind where by the engraving on it says it all. It is very expressive as a chain itself.. you would still spot me wearing it in campus.. And the other one, i am toying with the idea that got the secrets out of the bag.. but they come in form of pebbles.. its like when u know a person better.. you would know more of the secrets the person have.. Just a preview of the stuff i have done below:





Overall i would rate the work as 7.5/10.. I like the final output, especially the contrast of the ribbon against the background. It's kind of subtle yet.. like the proportion would make one look at it.

I also like Xiuhui's work, because i like the intensity of the colours. The dried flowers blend well with the background. The composition is very nicely taken, and the pink ribbon adds a nice subtle touch to the whole image. I would award her with 9/10.

Hola! Once again, I'm taking another design related module.. this time round it's photography.. something that i have liked but never had the chance to try. Sure, i do have the consumer type of cameras where i play around.. but hardly any poor students like me have the resources to get a decent DSLR for photography.. So actually im delighted when this module is offered.. in my course!!

Then again.. having a nice scene to shoot is such a rare moment that i wont say "hmph! i have no decent camera! so im not going to take it!".. photography is everywhere.. if u don't believe me, check your friend's camera phone.

But still, when i lay my eyes on a DSLR.. im like "woah.."It seems like such a great equipment that no words can describe it..after using it.. i can really feel the differences. But yeah.. its not just about the equipment, theres alot of work involve as well.. if possible, i wish to learn about the developing process.. and maybe.. calibrating my monitor...

Anyways.. don't mind me crapping because my brain is not with me at the moment.. but thank you in advance for any feedback you gave.