typologies
Typology is defined as either:
(1) a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology. (2) the social sciences, or the study and interpretation of types and symbols, originally especially in the Bible. Why are typologies important/relevant?The notion of typologies is incredibly important to the world of photography. The nature of human beings is to group, making it inescapable especially within photography. It is inherent within us to categorise and therefore analyse the world around us, and photography is arguably the best medium to achieve this with, as often it gives the impression of organisation and clarity.
This is a pintrest board I have made to collect typologies to both brainstorm and respond to.
galleryThese are some of my favourite images I would like to respond to which I found on Pintrest.
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photographic response no.1This is my first typology set. I decided to document something owned by everyone, yet something that varies person to person, so I chose ears. The final product is very interesting as it exposes the differences between each image when laid out and composed identically.
In doing this, the small and often unrecognized differences become prominent, such as the ear shape, piercings, or even the surrounding hair or head wear. I would like to explore typologies that explore the difference rather than the similarity. |
august sander and his use of typologies
August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer who worked extensively within the idea of photographic typological study, classifying each of his subjects according to class, age, area and other variables.
His study, one of the most famous and recognised, "People of the 20th Century". Sander chose to order his photographs by subject categorically by class and profession. This approach was revolutionary, and is seen by many as the birth of modern photojournalism. It was influential to many photographers in both the past and the present, and is a commonly used way of presenting ideas and projects on things such as geographic areas, anthropological studies, street photography and much more.
The influence of August sander on modern photography is very clear. His work exemplifies the diversity of humans and our everyday lives, which are ever changing.
His study, one of the most famous and recognised, "People of the 20th Century". Sander chose to order his photographs by subject categorically by class and profession. This approach was revolutionary, and is seen by many as the birth of modern photojournalism. It was influential to many photographers in both the past and the present, and is a commonly used way of presenting ideas and projects on things such as geographic areas, anthropological studies, street photography and much more.
The influence of August sander on modern photography is very clear. His work exemplifies the diversity of humans and our everyday lives, which are ever changing.
galleryThese are some of my favourite images of Sander's I have chosen used in his typological study.
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photographic response no.2
This is my second typology set in which I photographed the different light switches within my house. I used this to improve on my previous typology.
To improve I shot the photographs in an aspect ratio of 1:1 so as to simplify the images, and to make the viewer recognise the connotations that equal sides bring, such as order and grids.
Differently to the previous study, I also included two changing variables this time as a test, which were the differences of the switches, and the the light the photograph was taken in. To measure the change in light, I started off with one exposure in a sunlit room and used that same exposure for the rest of the switches. This makes each image vary in colour which produces an effect that not only reflects the light intensity in the room, but also gives clues to the atmosphere around it.
Although I do not think this study is not particularly visually or aesthetically interesting, it does demonstrate, as a test, this inclusion of the second variable that not only abstracts, but also can be seen to be subjective in a practice that is usually objective. I would like to combine my most successful ideas that I have used thus far
To improve I shot the photographs in an aspect ratio of 1:1 so as to simplify the images, and to make the viewer recognise the connotations that equal sides bring, such as order and grids.
Differently to the previous study, I also included two changing variables this time as a test, which were the differences of the switches, and the the light the photograph was taken in. To measure the change in light, I started off with one exposure in a sunlit room and used that same exposure for the rest of the switches. This makes each image vary in colour which produces an effect that not only reflects the light intensity in the room, but also gives clues to the atmosphere around it.
Although I do not think this study is not particularly visually or aesthetically interesting, it does demonstrate, as a test, this inclusion of the second variable that not only abstracts, but also can be seen to be subjective in a practice that is usually objective. I would like to combine my most successful ideas that I have used thus far
what does organisation mean to me?
In an attempt to move forward with my ideas I am now hereby going to document my though process by creating paragraphs of information expressing this and other links to work and also action to be taken in response to work.
I believe that ordering is a word that has a variety of different meanings to different people, depending on their experience of it and how they use it personally. Organisation or making groups may, for some, be used for simply just satisfaction, display, contrast, combine, or practical efficiency, or the idea may seem repulsive or unneeded to some individuals.
It is important to remember that organisation or doesn't have to be just the rearrangement of an object whether physical or conceptual for a purpose, it can also include organisation to confuse or to create chaos. Although personally, I use organisation as a means of making my life more efficient. Things that are disrupted, to me cause an uncomfortable feeling, and itch to correct their misplacement, this in turn makes my life more efficient as a result. Organisation may have in fact been the key to
human success evolutionarily and I believe it is true that organisation is instinctual and therefore very interesting when applied to photography, which could be seen to be unnatural and learned.
I personally find, when I photograph, that certain seemingly random motifs and ideas obsess my eye. This is a series of photographs I have taken on many different individual trips. I found when looking through my photographs that the motif of the umbrella is very common and I am yet to discover a reason for this.
I believe that ordering is a word that has a variety of different meanings to different people, depending on their experience of it and how they use it personally. Organisation or making groups may, for some, be used for simply just satisfaction, display, contrast, combine, or practical efficiency, or the idea may seem repulsive or unneeded to some individuals.
It is important to remember that organisation or doesn't have to be just the rearrangement of an object whether physical or conceptual for a purpose, it can also include organisation to confuse or to create chaos. Although personally, I use organisation as a means of making my life more efficient. Things that are disrupted, to me cause an uncomfortable feeling, and itch to correct their misplacement, this in turn makes my life more efficient as a result. Organisation may have in fact been the key to
human success evolutionarily and I believe it is true that organisation is instinctual and therefore very interesting when applied to photography, which could be seen to be unnatural and learned.
I personally find, when I photograph, that certain seemingly random motifs and ideas obsess my eye. This is a series of photographs I have taken on many different individual trips. I found when looking through my photographs that the motif of the umbrella is very common and I am yet to discover a reason for this.
types of typology suited to me
These are the types of typologies I would be suited to making:
-exploring a single object
-exploring architectural differences
-exploring similarities between dissimilar items
-exploring where something occurs
-exploring the context of the same object in different places
-exploring a single object
-exploring architectural differences
-exploring similarities between dissimilar items
-exploring where something occurs
-exploring the context of the same object in different places
Taryn simon
Taryn Simon is a multi-disciplinary artist who has worked extensively with photography. Her relationship to typologies is shown in one of her recent projects, "A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters I – XVIII", in which she proceeded over a four year period, to photograph family bloodlines and the narratives and events that surround them in a variety of countries and contrasting cultures, from India to Brazil. These are presented as typologies in which the bloodline is presented first, then footnotes describing and recording events, people and experiences, and finally the footnote images, which work as "proof" of the events and their experiences.
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I personally am fascinated by Simon's work, and would like to incorporate at some point a narrative aspect to my typologies, as it seems to defeat the point of their use to simply use still objects, which often do not suggest any type of meaning, but better instead to include a human aspect to it, not necessarily narrative, but at least suggestive of some type of human influence or action.
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ed ruscha
Ed Ruscha is a multi-disciplinary artist who is popular for his painting, but also provokes a large interest through his photographic work. One project that sticks out is his popular "Twentysix Gasoline Stations. Within typologies, Ruscha's point of view raises many interesting questions as to the nature of grouping, the need for it, and whether it exposes fact or meaning, as the publication is printed modestly, as if it were a geographical or architectural study, or at least a factual one, questioning the reasoning behind artistic motivations to group and its absurdity concerning meaning.
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I am afraid to admit that Ed Ruscha's work proposes interesting questions, but from the point of view of his artistic intent, I am not particularly fond of his work as it appears plain and also rather inconsistent compositionally, which is not something I wish to include when it comes to similar objects or places. It appears almost as if it is simply documentation for its own sake, and there are many other artists who do similarly in a better fashion in my own opinion.
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bernd and hilla becher
Bernd and Hilla Becher are German fine art photographers obsessed with dated industrial structures in an almost archaeological way. They began to photographing them together in 1959 after Bernd had already been for 3 years. They began to produce systematic series, at first mostly of buildings in the German Ruhr and Holland but then from 1965, photographed in Great Britain, France, Belgium, the USA and more.
I find Bernd and Hilla's work very inspiring as they have incredibly specific ways of working to make their images technically perfect in their minds, such as using telephoto lenses to avoid distortion along with low apetures and long shutterspeeds. They also only allowing the horizon to sit under one quarter of the way on the photograph, and only shooting on foggy or cloudless days. These types of creative restrictions create works that are satisfyingly similar, creative and incredibly diverse when the task is considered.
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videosThese are two videos we studied and took notes on in class to prepare for our response.
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what i want to take awayI would like to heavily lift elements of the Becher's work while also refusing to use some. I would like to take the way in which they view their subject, which is purely objective, however I don't want to use the idea of attempting visual perfection in the image, as the pair do by using telephoto lenses to remove distortion of perspective through the focal length, and specific low apertures and shutter speeds.
I do however want to use their geometric and compositionally perfect ideals for their photographs, to in turn replicate the effect their work has on the viewer, which I perceive to be the satisfaction in exposing, and thus knowing the differences between groups of very similar things. |
response typology: Lamp posts
This is my response to Bernd and Hilla Becher and their typological studies. There are many things I did to create these images that respond to the process the Becher's use to create their images. I shot the lamp posts on a 28mm lens, dissimilar to the way in which the Becher's use a zoom lens. However, I shot each image similarly in many ways, such as the use of black and white with little contast, a compositional rule, which was that the post is centered in the image and the top of it touches the line of the third section of the image in portrait (rule of thirds-wise), and differing subjects.
I believe this typology is not only demonstrative of the differences between one type of object within its context, but also the power that the use of a typology has, even if it may be conducted simply within a few streets, such as the one above. I think it is my best typology yet and explores far further the notion of grouping images than the two previous ones.
I believe this typology is not only demonstrative of the differences between one type of object within its context, but also the power that the use of a typology has, even if it may be conducted simply within a few streets, such as the one above. I think it is my best typology yet and explores far further the notion of grouping images than the two previous ones.
the selection process
This set is demonstrative of the selection process I underwent to create the photo set above. To create the image on the left, I took sixteen images, each slightly different in an attempt to make the image as mathematically perfect and symmetrical both horizontally and as possible using the eye. I do this often and thus did this with the typology so that the movement between the images are clean and expose difference.
I also believe that perfectionism is at its least detrimental to the work in comparison to other types of photography. A perfect image leaves the eye at ease, not feeling that something must be corrected, making the experience cleaner and more efficient in the context of a grid.
I also believe that perfectionism is at its least detrimental to the work in comparison to other types of photography. A perfect image leaves the eye at ease, not feeling that something must be corrected, making the experience cleaner and more efficient in the context of a grid.
michael wolf
Wolf's work is often odd, from a perspective and through processes not often used or considered conventional. He is most famous for his street photography, which he does within his office, on google street view, simultaneously photographing and cropping at the same time. This technique, if it shall be called such, is remarkable and vastly unexplored. In one sense he is the originator of the technique.
His selection process in finding what to photograph and what to publish is due to simply what he is told by his own intuition, making the images often unusual, yet still very much within the genres of street photography and typological studies.
His work is in many ways political and a commentary, whether intended or not, within the way in which the photographs are read by the viewer. They touch on many areas, such as the romanticisation of street photography (he often includes motifs from famous photographs), voyeurism, consent, identity, the urban environment and people, guilt, blame and the surveillance state.
I find Michael Wolf's work fascinating in many ways for the reasons stated above but also simply the originality and thus the different dynamics of photographing that are introduced to the art as a result. Google street view photography adds another layer of meaning to all that is photographed within it, which could in principle be photographed in real life at that time to produce the same image.
His selection process in finding what to photograph and what to publish is due to simply what he is told by his own intuition, making the images often unusual, yet still very much within the genres of street photography and typological studies.
His work is in many ways political and a commentary, whether intended or not, within the way in which the photographs are read by the viewer. They touch on many areas, such as the romanticisation of street photography (he often includes motifs from famous photographs), voyeurism, consent, identity, the urban environment and people, guilt, blame and the surveillance state.
I find Michael Wolf's work fascinating in many ways for the reasons stated above but also simply the originality and thus the different dynamics of photographing that are introduced to the art as a result. Google street view photography adds another layer of meaning to all that is photographed within it, which could in principle be photographed in real life at that time to produce the same image.
brainstorm
response
These are a series of images in response to Michael Wolf's street view photography. The area I chose to photograph on street view was one completely unknown to me. Thus, I chose a suburb close to Tokyo, Japan and started exploring. This is similar to what Michael Wolf does in his process. It in a sense removes the voyeur from the situation, as the photographing of scenes or landscapes that are alien to the photograher means that they have no influence from their experience there. The exploration of this area proved very interesting, by going through only a few roads I discovered a microchosm of people vastly different in the way they dress and go about their lives.
The Google street view's camera is also very interesting as it is such a short focal length that it is almost a fisheye. This allows for many photographs that would not exist composition-wise, such as how a group of people look, without this short focal length in the image. This allows for both zooming in the program, turning them into images with average looking 'focal lengths', similar to how Bernd and Hilla Becher zoom to create their images. Equally the option to zoom out as much as possible and create landscape images or simply just very wide ones is open.
I also find that many interesting and odd things occur during the process of the google vans photographing, such as glitches in the images or lengthening and shortening of certain parts of the images. This is very interesting. The way in which the photographs are taken also means that they're all candid, resulting in images that have a very natural atmosphere as the subject cannot be aware of their image being taken.
The Google street view's camera is also very interesting as it is such a short focal length that it is almost a fisheye. This allows for many photographs that would not exist composition-wise, such as how a group of people look, without this short focal length in the image. This allows for both zooming in the program, turning them into images with average looking 'focal lengths', similar to how Bernd and Hilla Becher zoom to create their images. Equally the option to zoom out as much as possible and create landscape images or simply just very wide ones is open.
I also find that many interesting and odd things occur during the process of the google vans photographing, such as glitches in the images or lengthening and shortening of certain parts of the images. This is very interesting. The way in which the photographs are taken also means that they're all candid, resulting in images that have a very natural atmosphere as the subject cannot be aware of their image being taken.
curating
duo
This is a small series I have pieced together from specific images I liked that fit into a category, in this case, couples. These images I believe have a warm atmosphere as they are photographs of people simply going about their day together, close to one another. It gives the images a very romantic edge reminiscent of early photojournalism and street photography.
distance
These are images concerning distance from two subjects. They have comparatively to the previous series a more eerie air to them as there feels as if there is some type of tension due to the distance between the subjects and their lack of closeness to the camera.
further response
To further respond to Michael Woolf, I felt it was not as interesting to create responses solely to be similar or to show influence of his style, but to add a variable that very much. I found, when using google street view, that around japan, in many countries that don't allow google to photograph, such as china and on small islands, that there exists another way of viewing the the area named "photo spheres". These are taken with 360 degree camera setups, often to be used in landscapes or areas without roads.
This took me to looking at many of them and I found something incredibly interesting. This was that often aberrations would occur due to some part of the cameras' design, as the photos are taken systematically instead of all at once. This means that when movement in present in the image, people can be duplicated, limbs cut off or moved, and certain parts can be enlarged or disappear.
All of the photos in the gallery above were taken on these small islands containing only photo spheres. There were a few reasons for this. Firstly there was an abundance of people, all relatively undressed, making aberrations on their bodies evident and easy to see. Also there is a lot of movement as many are travelling or enjoying recreational activities on beaches. There is one exception to this however which is the last image which was taken in Iceland but I thought was deserving of being in the gallery as the effect of the persons hand close to the camera is fascinating.
This took me to looking at many of them and I found something incredibly interesting. This was that often aberrations would occur due to some part of the cameras' design, as the photos are taken systematically instead of all at once. This means that when movement in present in the image, people can be duplicated, limbs cut off or moved, and certain parts can be enlarged or disappear.
All of the photos in the gallery above were taken on these small islands containing only photo spheres. There were a few reasons for this. Firstly there was an abundance of people, all relatively undressed, making aberrations on their bodies evident and easy to see. Also there is a lot of movement as many are travelling or enjoying recreational activities on beaches. There is one exception to this however which is the last image which was taken in Iceland but I thought was deserving of being in the gallery as the effect of the persons hand close to the camera is fascinating.
surrealist collage
This is a small series I decided to create to both understand and play with the new material I have at my disposal regarding the photo sphere aberrations. I thus printed out the images and cut out simply just the unusual material within the images I took. I then arranged these in ways which I think are surreal and odd, and placed them in a number of unusual ways upon a white background to further exaggerate their effect.
I believe that they were successful, but am not fully sure as to whether they hold much meaning or are any better when used in this way, as when the context is removed, the subject is weakened somewhat. Although I do believe they are interesting collages with elements to derive some future work from, I don't believe they will be something I will move on with as they are rather limited to each individual that is in the collage, as they are each odd in their own way but cannot be combined or placed together in a harmonious way.
I believe that they were successful, but am not fully sure as to whether they hold much meaning or are any better when used in this way, as when the context is removed, the subject is weakened somewhat. Although I do believe they are interesting collages with elements to derive some future work from, I don't believe they will be something I will move on with as they are rather limited to each individual that is in the collage, as they are each odd in their own way but cannot be combined or placed together in a harmonious way.